FIVE GUYS & SHAKE SHACK TO LONDON

July 2013 will be a big month for burger lovers in London. Two successful American chains are opening their first outpost in the UK. Five Guys Burgers and Fries and Shake Shack are opening in Covent Garden on July 4^th and 5^th respectively. They have clearly conducted similar market research and both determined that the London market is ready for some new burgers. We have already written about Shake Shack in New York, but I haven’t tried Five Guys, so it will be interesting to see how they measure up to each other. Shake Shack has teamed up with the talented people of St John’s Bakery to develop some delicious sweet treats, including frozen custard and brownies. It now remains to see if the quality and low prices that both chains are known for will be comparable to that of the US. Exciting times!

Five Guys: Thursday July 4^th

Shake Shack: Friday July 5^th

THE ADMIRAL CODRINGTON

Tucked away on Mossop Street behind the buzzing sounds of Walton Street, The Admiral Codrington has been a fixture in the Knightsbridge and Chelsea scene for quite some time. This Pub/Dining Room has garnered a reputation for serving top Sunday roasts and grills in a semi formal dining room that sits within a pub.  The Admiral Codrington finds itself being a casual version of a British restaurant but undoubtedly an upgrade from any old pub; it provides the perfect blend of both, serving restaurant quality food within a relaxed environment. I have visited the Admiral on a series of occasions and on my last trip I popped by with some friends on a Sunday evening for a bite of their delicious cheeseburger. Since we had spent the day outdoors, we were quite Hangry and quickly proceeded to ordering some drinks and appetizers. We started with an order of the crab salad alongside an order of the fried squid. The crab salad was light and delightful, and the squid was also crispy and yummy. Naturally we all ordered the Admiral Cod’s Burger; a cheeseburger. Served in a brioche bun, this burger comfortably ranks as being one of the best burgers I have had in London; if not the best. My burger was ordered medium rare and came served with two types of cheddar cheeses melted on top of the patty, as well as a slaw that added the necessary sweetness to the tender and juicy burger. The brioche bun was also perfectly toasted and tasted delicious. The only complaint, which is not even burger related, were the fries, which were actually chips (thick fries), whereas I was expecting my prefered thin golden crispy fries. On all my visits to the Admiral Codrington I have never tried anything but the burger, as it’s just too good to pass on any day and at anytime. It is simply divine.

17 Mossop Street, London SW3 2LY

MAGGIE JONES

Maggie Jones has been a landmark in Kensington for over forty years, and has embraced a cult following amongst the area's locals as being one of the best places to dine. With its black and bright orange sign, it is not hard to miss as you walk down Kensington Church Street. The ambience of the restaurant is reminiscent of a fairytale with its warm, rustic and romantic décor. The dining rooms on both ground and first floors are adorned with lavender baskets, antiques and picture frames hanging all over. The place is truly a delight, albeit slightly overwhelming and dark to dine in (but the good kind of overwhelming). The menu offers the best of both British and French food and on my last visit, which was on a Sunday, they were serving the fixed Sunday roast menu. The menu includes a starter, a main dish and a dessert. For my starter I ordered the asparagus with hollandaise and my brother ordered the prawn cocktail salad. Both were good, but did not manage to excite us; the asparagus was neither cold nor warm but the hollandaise sauce was good, although a bit too runny; it could stand to be a bit thicker. Moving onto the main dish, we both opted for the roast beef, which came served with the usual Sunday roast trimmings of Yorkshire pudding and grilled vegetables. The roast beef was tender and delicious and the portion was extremely generous. For dessert my brother ordered vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce and I ordered the apple crumble with vanilla ice cream. I would definitely recommend Maggie Jones but I would suggest anytime other than Sunday lunch as the menu is too restrictive and doesn’t offer their best a la carte dishes that can be ordered at any other time.

6 Old Court Place, Kensington Church Street , London W8 4PL  

TONKOTSU

Tonkotsu is one of the many delicious ramen bars in Soho. I went there at noon on a Saturday, so we were the first to arrive. I got comfortable and put my jacket on the chair next to me, and my bag on another, but quickly realised that wouldn’t work. Within 15 minutes all the seats around us were taken. So although there are many ramen restaurants in the area, there’s enough of a market for them, because they’re all usually packed.  I had the pork gyozas to start. The texture of these gyozas was absolutely amazing; soft and juicy on one side, and deliciously crips on the other. Among the best gyozas I’ve ever had.  When looking over the menu of several pork and chicken stock noodles soups, I decided to order the Shimeji, Shiitake & Miso dish. This is the only vegetarian option, and I have to say I regretted choosing it. I got a case of food-envy when I tasted my friend’s Tokyo Ramen with soy-marinated pork belly. My vegetable-based stock just didn’t have the same intensity of flavour, so I kept adding soy sauce and chilli to it. I also took advantage of the self-service option to peel and crush fresh garlic into it. My friend was in a rush and had to leave before we finished the meal, which was a blessing in disguise for me. I took his tastier bowl and finished both of them. The half soft-boiled egg is the most heavenly part of the ramen meal, and I would recommend adding an extra one, which is an option given on the menu. Because of the high density of ramen per area in Soho, I feel it necessary to compare it to its competitors. Although I really liked Tonkotsu, I would say that Koya’s décor is more pleasant and Bone Daddies still reigns supreme on taste. 

63 Dean Street, Soho, London W1D 4QG

HABESHA

I had a few hours to spare in Nairobi on a stopover flight, and really wanted to taste some authentic Kenyan food. From the weak internet I had on my phone, I tried to research some decent restaurants. Unfortunately most of the recommended places in the area served European or Asian food, so the closest thing I could find was an Ethiopian restaurant. The taxi took us there through the gates of a strange little compound that had a barber shop, travel agency, a set of swings, and Habesha. The restaurant itself also has a strange layout, with various outdoor spaces and canopies that each have a different set of furniture. We chose a table shaded by leafs overhead, as this was the perfect place to relax in the heat. The staff wasn’t too friendly or helpful when we asked for suggestions, so we decided to go for injera with wat and tsebhi because my friend had tried that before. Injera is a spongy flatbread, made from either teff or rice flour. It is served with a selection of stews, which you eat with your hands by grabbing it with a piece of rolled flatbread. The service was incredibly quick, probably because the casseroles had already been cooking for hours and just needed to be scooped onto the plate. The various types of meat and vegetable stew were really tasty, and had an unusual texture due to its long cooking time. It wasn’t really possible to distinguish any pieces of meat, apart from the chicken carcass placed in the middle of the sharing plate.  I wasn’t such a big fan of the injera bread though, as I thought it tasted too yeasty. I would have preferred using cutlery, but that would kind of ruin the whole authentic dining experience. Next to the meal we had Tusker, a refreshing Kenyan pale lager, and Coca Cola, as the city was plastered with coke ads, so it was impossible not to crave it.  At the end of the meal bitter coffee was served in the traditional way, without milk, but with plenty of sugar and with some popcorn on the side.  A very interesting and tasty break in Nairobi. 

 

Kirichwa Road, Nairobi

BROADWAY MARKET

Broadway Market is a bustling Saturday street market with about 80 stalls selling food from all over the world and various vintage and antique objects. It is a true representation of the gentrification of East London; once I heard a local man yelling at the crowd for taking over his neighbourhood. It is clear that the visitors have thought through their outfits carefully before going for lunch, and if you’re not prepared you can stop at the racks of vintage clothes at the beginning of the market for the necessary hipster attire. I used to go every weekend when I lived in the area, and I still try to make the trip now. I developed a sort of set repertoire of dishes to eat, and made sure I always had someone to share with in order to be able to try as many things as possible. I’m not going to go over all my favourites now, just what I ate the last time I went. I started with the Scallop + Bacon Bap because the Fin & Flounder shop was out of supply for my regular Tuna Roll. The Cornish scallops are deep fried and served with crispy bacon and chilli mayo. It is a really good sandwich, but they serve it with the roe, which I’m not completely comfortable with. I then tried the Vietnamese Baguette with pork from a stall that always has a long line. They were stingy on the fillings so the fresh Bánh mì bread had to do most of the work, and the overall taste was not spectacular in any way. 

There are some amazing dessert vendors along the market, such as the organic Cinnamon Tree Bakery and the delicious Coco&Me. I haven’t been able to pick my favourite out of their brownies. Beware of the dairy-free, gluten-free, sugar-free bakeries though. Some of these might look enticing, but I’ve learnt to stay away. I once had a carrot cake cupcake with coconut icing, which sounded like it had potential to be amazing. Alas, it was a huge and solid lump, with zero taste.  I’ve been conditioned to feel strongly against throwing away food, but I had to give up on this, as I didn’t want to waste precious space in my stomach for the many other delicious cakes around the market. I had a slice of flourless chocolate cake at Coco&Me, and by this point I was already getting quite full. Walking further North up the market, I shared the Stilton and Pork Burger with my friend. This is a really juicy burger where the cheese is already mixed in with the meat before grilling. For dessert number two I got ice cream from the friendly vendor at Chateaux Gelato. The pistachio ice cream and blood orange sorbet was a refreshing end to another successful day at Broadway Market. 

 

Broadway Market, Hackney, London E8 4QJ

GAUCHO

Gaucho is an Argentinian Grill with numerous branches around London. It is one of those restaurants I have heard so much about, but never actually gone to since all of my friends seemed to have been there already. The interior is very recognisable throughout the chain; dark black walls with cowhide chairs and lavish chandeliers. I went to the Hamsptead branch, which stands out in that it has an outdoor barbeque area. My friend wasn’t very hungry and was not feeling up for having steak, but I really did, so I forced her to come with me. She decided to go for the burger, which the waiter strongly advised against (you should have steak in a steak restaurant), but she was allowed in the end. The burger is a blend of their four cuts of beef, topped with bacon. Even though this sounds somewhat like a minced patty of leftovers from the steak cuts, it was very good. We were shown the selection of cuts before the meal, and I chose a medium-rare Ancho, meaning Rib-Eye, and perfect Baby Gem Salad on the side. To start I had a Salt Water Trout Ceviche, delicately presented and really refreshing. Out of everything I tried at Gaucho, the steak was actually the least memorable. I loved the sides and the starter. The steak was good too, but I’ve had better. The service was overly attentive, I would prefer it if they gave us some time alone to enjoy the meal. I overall enjoyed the dining experience and would definitely like to go to Gaucho again, but I wouldn’t call it the best steak in London.

64 Heath Street, London, NW3 1DN

GOODMAN STEAKHOUSE

If what you’re after is a New York style steak, then Goodman Steakhouse is the place to go. In all my years in London I have found it difficult to find any steakhouse to contend with Goodman, as it not only offers delicious steaks but it does so at moderate prices, as some steakhouses tend to get extremely expensive. On my latest visit to Goodman I went for an early dinner with my mother and brother, and we were all quite hungry, so when time came to order we knew exactly what we wanted. To start I had the Lobster Bisque, my mother ordered the Lobster Cocktail and my brother went for the Prawn Tempura. The Lobster Bisque with crème fraiche was creamy and delicious and the subtle hints of tarragon amused me all the way through. The lobster cocktail was also yummy and the prawn tempura, which was accompanied with a mango and Cajun mayonnaise was also quite good, but not as yummy and refreshing as the lobster cocktail.  For our main dishes we obviously all ordered steaks! My brother and I ordered the USDA 350g New York Sirloin, whereas my mother opted for the 250g Fillet. Both choices were excellent but the Sirloin is always my preferred cut (the fat on the edge gives the meat a lot more taste). Served medium-rare, it and was tender and juicy.  For our side dishes we ordered the honey glazed carrots, the truffle chips and the regular chips; all were exceptionally yummy. Dining in Goodman is always a pleasurable experience because the food is consistently excellent and the staff has got to be the friendliest in London. Thumbs up!

24-26 Maddox St, London W1S 1QH