YUMMEI: January 2012

Bar Caffe Ciao - After Eight Ice Cream Waffles?! - Leicester Square - London

This little Italian ice-cream parlour, located south of Leicester Square perching on Charing Cross Road is Bar Ciao; and is quite simply the only place for desserts.

After Eight Ice Cream Sundae

Shanghai Blues – Green dumplings? - Holborn - London

We all know service in China town for dim sum can be a rushed affair, but hey it’s China Town we expect it, and usually we can’t fault the food nor the price for those precious dumplings.

But where Shanghai Blues with its intimate dark décor, glossy tiles, and deep mahogany wooden furniture fails despairingly in service, it (kind-of) makes up for with the food.

The service was a mishap of wrong orders, lost orders, dishes that never came and being over-charged for dishes we didn’t order, and dishes being flung onto the table that a dumpling jumps from the clutches of the plate. You know service is bad when even the dumpling tries to escape.

If you are one of those people where bad service can really ruin your afternoon (it was lunch after all) maybe Shanghai Blues isn’t for you.

Po Cha : Seafood Beef Bibimbap - Tottenham Court Road - London

Situated on London's Korean Street bang in the middle of Centre Point is Po Cha. As soon as you step foot into this dinky family run restaurant, without a doubt there will be Korean diners at ever corner from opening to closing time.

You know it's good when a Korean restaurant is filled with Koreans customers itself. Definitely a testament of how delectable the food is.

Despite being a bit cluttered and cramped, it has an intimate feel, due to the dim lighting throughout the restaurant. What Po Cha lacks in it's environmental ergonomics it makes up for with the food.

I do apologise for the photo quality - as you can see I got a bit overexcited and savaged my Bibimbap with my spoon, before I could take a picture of how beautifully presented it was.

Byron Hamburgers - Covent Garden - London

Now I don’t know about you, but I’ve been on the hunt for ‘THE ULTIMATE BURGER.’ A quest that has yet to be successful but with the growing number of American diners/restaurants popping up around London; my journey has only really just begun.

Normally I am quite sceptical about chain restaurants; however Byron is actually pretty damn sexual.

The clean simple décor of Byron lead to a chilled out atmosphere, and I fell comfortably into the sofa seat. Definitely a place for a relaxed evening with friends, the staff were friendly and not at all pushy unlike some you find in other dare-I-say ‘fast food restaurants.’

Street Food : Takoyaki Churros? - Brunswick Centre - Russell Square - London

Having stumbled ungracefully into Brunswick Saturday Food Market, I began my hunt by mincing around the stalls having what one could only describe as a ‘full-on ogle’ at the worldly delights they had to offer. Burritos, paella, rib-eye steak burgers, polish hot dogs, noodles, curries, and many more.

Eat Street: Kimchee Cult and Luardos' Burrito - Kings Cross - London

Eat Street, is only open Monday-Friday's from 11.30am-2.30pm. Each day there are 4-6 stalls open, alternating for variation, it so happened on this day there was Luardo's, Kimchee Cult, Anna Mae's, and Tongue n' Cheek manning their stalls.

I trekked here on a freezing December afternoon, and after almost contracting frost bite; it was obvious that I needed to indulge my tastebuds with some much needed TLC.

YUMMEI

26/01/2012

Bar Caffe Ciao - After Eight Ice Cream Waffles?! - Leicester Square - London

06/01/2012

Shanghai Blues – Green dumplings? - Holborn - London

05/01/2012

Po Cha : Seafood Beef Bibimbap - Tottenham Court Road - London

Byron Hamburgers - Covent Garden - London

04/01/2012

Street Food : Takoyaki Churros? - Brunswick Centre - Russell Square - London

02/01/2012

Eat Street: Kimchee Cult and Luardos' Burrito - Kings Cross - London