Barrio East

Tags

Barrio East, brunch, chivito, latin american, london, restaurant, review, Shoreditch

We were invited to Barrio East, the new restaurant in the Barrio chain, which has just opened in Shoreditch. We have been for happy hour in the Soho establishment but it never crossed our minds that they would do food in the happy hour rush.

Anyway we had an invite for brunch – Barrio East is a Latin American joint that tries to capture the enthusiasm, honesty and colour that is associated with this continent.

As we walked in we were welcomed by a waiter who seated us in a little alcove. There is a long room that hosts the bar and a few seats for revellers in the evenings and then a room at the front that overlooks Shoreditch high street. The restaurant has an obvious Latin American themed decor with festive, bright colours, flowers and bamboo creating a relaxed and fun atmosphere. Don’t let my description make you think of a tacky cheap chain restaurant – Barrio East somehow pulls this off into a fun yet stylish place to eat and drink.

Our waiter was from the East London set; very cool yet a little inexperienced with his knowledge of menu and laid back manner. But what I liked was the fact that there was a mix of experiences and ages in the waiters who checked up on customers and clearly worked very well together. This added to the relaxed atmosphere and is a good way to train up inexperienced waiters.

We were given our menus and were impressed by the juice menu (yes reader I said juices- it was not yet 1pm and more on that later). I ordered something with passion fruit batilda  – I had no clue what this was but sounded lovely and my friend ordered the aqua fresha – even the waiter had issues explaining what this consisted of. I had expected a juice type of drink but my friend (who had read the menu more thoroughly) informed me that my choice was with dehydrated milk – I do not like creamy / milky drinks so fortunately my friend said I could have his. His aqua fresha was delicious (they had ran out of the melon juice fortunately for me so we had ordered the pineapple) and was really refreshing; sour and delicious. The dehydrated passion fruit drink was sour yet fruity and worked well although not for my taste.

We ordered the chivito sandwich, which consisted of thin rump steak, bacon, cheese, red peppers, onions and a fried egg in a sandwich served with herbed potatoes (not the diet option obviously) and the poached eggs with smoked salmon and toasted muffin serve with hollandaise. For the poached eggs and hollandaise I didn’t want the English muffin and asked for mushrooms instead; this was no hassle for the waiters who quickly registered my request.

I was a little nervous of the Latin American cuisine as a brunch option but when the dishes came out I was instantly converted. My poached eggs were huge served on the bed of mushrooms and pink flesh of the salmon. When I cut into the eggs the yellow goo just burst out and was bright orange. The hollandaise was creamy yet not overly rich and just covered the eggs enough to get a taste with every bite but not enough to make the dish swim in it. One of the best eggs royale (without the muffin I admit) I have had in a long time.

The sandwich came out at the same time and I have to say the word ‘sandwich’ rather undersells this dish. The steak was served in a crusty bar with melting cheese oozing out of the sizes, the bacon was a little fatty for my liking but if you go for this option this would hardly be a consideration I admit. The steak I was worried would be over cooked but it was still slightly pink in the middle with a fried eggs with a runny yolk intact on the top. The presentation is worth a mention too as the bap top lent on the tower nonchalantly and was served with roasted square potatoes. Needless to say we managed to mop the whole lot up and were very satisfied (the Latin American interpretations were better than the original English versions I have to say in some dishes.)

Stuffed we were informed that we should try a bloody Mary, as this place prides itself on these for brunch– unfortunately neither of us like tomato juice but we were informed there was a non tomato bloody Mary. We looked at each other and shrugged a ‘why not’ and hoped for the best.

Our non tomato ‘bloody Mary came out with a stick of celery (this is one of my food hells) but looked extremely refreshing; served in a high ball glass with a lime coloured liquid served over ice. I decided to be the first to brave it and I have to say (and please don’t judge me on this) it did taste like a bloody Mary! I know that sounds strange but whatever ingredients were in it (I am still unsure despite looking at the menu time) it was zingy, fresh and packed a punch.

We walked out of the restaurant; full, satisfied and a little woozy after only half a cocktail each. I am really pleased we tried Barrio East as a brunch location as I certainly wouldn’t have considered Latin American for brunch, yet we will definitely be going back in the near future. As a result Sex Drugs and Bacon Rolls gives Barrio East:

             Food                       Atmosphere                       Service

The Founders Arms

Tags

burger, Founders Arms, london, pub, restaurant, review, Southbank, Tate Modern

We have noticed The Founders Arms, a charming pub with a large outdoor area, many a time when walking along Southbank. As we were going to the Tate for a Friday Late we thought this was a perfect place to grab a bite before the exhibition. This pub is fairly new and located right next to the river opposite the Tate. It is a circular wooden building that has a wooden beer deck outside looking the water in the summer and have cheery blackboards tempting passer bys.

We walked up the wooden ramp and asked to be taken to our table. The main proportion of this pub is for drinking and there is a large bar at the side of one of the walls facing the Thames. The windows overlook Embankment and have an almost ‘goldfish looking out’ feel about it. The wooden Scandic pine, used as well inside as outside gives a light and airy feel.

We were taken to our table, which was on a platform a little higher than the main bar area which nicely separated the pub from the restaurant. We were given our menu’s by a highly tattooed lady and were given time to think. We ordered a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and asked if it would be possible to order a starter and main course before we needed to leave for our exhibition. She confirmed that this would be possible if she made the chef aware. I thought this was a nice touch and showed care and attention form the staff.

We ordered the Mediterranean platter for one, which consisted of houmous, tzakai, olives and vegetable crudités and we also ordered smoked salmon with a lemon, dill & caper crème fraîche. The salmon came on sourdough giving it more depth with its dense oaty flavour. The denseness was cut through by the zingy light crème fraise and worked nicely. The platter came out on a wooden board and the individual dishes were served in small pots with sliced pita bread served on the side. This was simple yet nice. I would have preferred the pita grilled and the houmous lacked flavour. The vegetables were quite thinly sliced for my liking and the olives were swimming in a bowl of oil but still a dish that was nice; simple but good.

Our food was quickly taken away and a friendly overweight waiter brought out our mains along with a fresh glass of wine. He forgot to bring us our sauces and it took a long time to get his attention as he was busy serving other diners. We ordered the salmon fillet with leek and saffron sauce with crushed potatoes and roasted vine tomatoes. We asked for vegetables instead of the potatoes and this was honoured. Again nice touch. The salmon was delicious and well cooked still pink and translucent in the centre. We also ordered a beef burger with cheese and bacon. This came out stacked high with a wooden skewer holding it together. This was served on a wooden platter along with a simple garden salad. The chips were crisp and fluffy but the beef burger was pretty poor. It looked like one of those cheap value pack burgers and was overcooked, thin and tasteless. We were a little let down with this as we thought that everything on the plate was good. Very disappointing.

The Founders Arms, with its location, atmosphere and service really ticks all the boxes for a casual lunch, pub or dinner location but there were things that just didn’t hit the spot. For instance the burger itself let the whole dish down, my platter was disappointingly simple and there were too few waiters for the dinners. Sex Drugs and Bacon Rolls would choose this  for lunch or for a casual drink with friends if in the near vicinity but wouldn’t go out of their way or choose The Founders Arms for a nice dinner spot.

            Food                       Atmosphere                       Service

Santini

Tags

restaurant, london, salad, Italian, pasta, review, Santini, Belgravia

We had planned to go to a cool little cafe in Soho but due to lack of time we decided to have lunch at Santini, a restaurant near our offices.

Our guest chose the location, which was good as we had no real idea of nice places in Victoria (if you have never been it is a desolate wasteland at the moment). So we were told to go to Santini at 1pm. Santini is about a five minute walk from Victoria station and is hidden in a corner of Ebury street.  It looks very 90’s in design from the outside and I suspect it has a little terrace in the summer as there is a little concrete paving area in front of the restaurant (yes concrete please do not comment).

I was a little wary from the outside but as we walked in we were welcomed by a waitress in the small reception area. Along with the reception desk there was a miniature bar that looked slightly awkward in it surroundings, squeezed into the corner; not a bar and not even part of the restaurant.

We were seated by the window overlooking the concrete (possible) terrace #cough# and main road – although to be fair it was not loud. The restaurant was a large white room; incredibly white when I come to think of it. There were a few mirrors but very minimalist. Anyway our guest advised us to go for the pasta as it is ‘incredible’ here. As a result I went for the salad as I hate it when people tell me what’s best to eat. I ordered the crab, pomegranate salad with a parsley lemon dressing. The other two diners ordered pasta. Veal ragout with angel hair and homemade pasta ribbons with tomato, olives and garlic. I have to say the pasta looked and tasted great. Fresh, al dente and homemade and the flavourings were salty, garlicky and just very, very Italian. My salad was nice but ‘I cut my nose off to spite my face’, as we say. It was good but hardly as satisfying as the pasta. The crab was moist but lacked depth with the lambs lettuce leaves and handful of pomegranate. It did what it said on the tin but just disappointed and I hoped for more; basically it served me right for bucking the trend.

We ordered espressos to finish off our working lunch (okay I admit we did have a few glasses of Sauvignon blanc on but that’s just between us right?).

Service was good; efficient but lacking personality. For Victoria it is pretty good, the ingredient and quality were great but dishes lacked imagination and as a result Sex Drugs and Bacon Rolls gives Santini:

            Food                       Atmosphere                       Service

Benihana

Tags

Japanese, london, miso soup, Piccadilly, restaurant, review, sake, sushi, teppanyaki

We love a good teppanyaki, so when we saw a deal for a Japanese teppanyaki eight course meal at a discounted rate we almost fell over ourselves to book this. £18 for 8 courses, not bad – well so it seemed…

We walked in Benihana, located on a side street in Piccadilly and were daunted by the size of the room. The restaurant is one room with a sloping stairway leading up to the dining area and has tables shaped as perfect squares replicating the shape of the room with space in the centre for the Japanese chefs to cook in front of diners. Our coats were taken by the polite Japanese waiters and we were shown to one of the large square dining areas which we were sharing with another family.

They put people together based on how far they are in the meal so that when the chefs are needed, they can serve a number of diners instead of jumping between tables ad hoc. The kitchen is at the back of the large room which a large hatch so diners can see chefs moving in and out.

Once seated we ordered the eight course set menu and also ordered the tasting set saki. The tasting saki had five shots of sake some hot and cold to understand the complex flavours. That was one of the best bits of the meal. We first were served miso soup which had a nice delicate flavour with the ubiquitous tofu and seaweed floating around. My only criticism to this very simple dish was that it was not hot enough and as I said this dish is so simple it is hard to get wrong.

We were then served a Japanese salad made up of lettuce, onions and tomatoes with a creamy pink sauce; we were not quite sure what was in it but it was nice. The salad was a bit pathetic as very very simple aka lettuce and came out with the sushi. Two of the sushi were vegetable makis and one Californian roll; all were fresh although again very simple (you can see the theme here).

For main course we did eventually have a choice; chicken, beef or vegetables. One of us ordered the beef and the other the chicken. At this point the Japanese teppanyaki waiter came into the square, which had a grill in its centre. He chopped onion, mushrooms and stirred in bean sprouts and peppers. While this was going on he brought out the meat from under the table (I have to say this did worry me a little 1. How long had it been there 2. Was it cool down there 3. What OTHER things were down there). He then proceeded to cook the meat (separately on same grill) and poured over dark soy sauce at the last moment. It smelled delicious but lacked the showmanship of other teppanyaki’s we have been too. Finally he cracked an egg and poured a little over the vegetables to combine. This was served with rice which was plain rice – obviously not flavoured, well , um, just simple.

At other teppanyaki’s that we have been too, we have the chef’s talk to you whilst demonstrating their knife skills and throw the occasional flame from the pan. There was non of this, not even a word from the chef who seemed more keen on getting the whole dish over and done with so he could move on to the next.

At this point we ordered a small pot of sake from our favourite we had liked from our shots. Feeling a little light headed our desserts came out. This was a chocolate brownie square, served with some vanilla (ok, I won’t mention the simplicity again).

The brownie was very dense and sticky. I found it difficult to eat as it stuck like glue to the roof of my mouth. We swiftly asked for the bill.

To summarise; the food was nice and well presented but (and this is a big but) it lacked showmanship, quality and was disappointing as we expected a real eight course menu. This eight course menu included the stir fried vegetables, rice and small amounts of other dishes. On the whole we feel that Sex Drugs and Bacon Rolls ought to give Benihana:

            Food                       Atmosphere                       Service

Quaglino’s

Tags

british, Champagne, D&D, food, london, quglino's, restaurant, review

We have been to this D&D restaurant before and when asked to choose a good quality restaurant for non-Londoners in the vicinity of Green Park, Quaglino’s seemed the obvious answer. It is also worth mentioning that each year this restaurant hold an ‘Evening Standard’ budget friendly deal in February/March time, which does not lack on standards. In the Evening Standard deal we chose you get three courses and a glass of Laurent champagne for £25, not bad!

The restaurant is tucked behind Fortnum and Mason in a side street in Green Park and is not easy to find. Once you find Quaglinos it looks like a reception of an advertising/ PR agency or an art gallery as it has arty coloured glass and a white room with stairs leading downstairs to the cloack room. There are always a number of waiters at the entrance, one greets, one takes name, one takes coat and another one takes you to your seat. All this is very well orchestrated and doesn’t feel too cluttered surprisingly.

Diners are first taken through the bar, where we decided to have a drink before we were seated for dinner. The bar overlooks the restaurant and is a dark atmospheric blue. The bar is tucked in the corner with a dazzling array of liquors and spirits. There is a piano opposite the bar nestled in the adjacent corner. On the walls are black and white prints of Bob Marley which can be purchased.

This restaurant has an almost tier like format as each level goes deeper underground. Entrance first floor, cloakroom and bar on next floor and restaurant at the lowest level. From the bar diners get a good view of the large open plan restaurant. It is split in the middle by a wooden wall covered with extravagant yet stylish flowers.

After we had finished our aperitifs we asked to be taken to the restaurant. We were seated at a table at the end of the restaurant near the seafood kitchen. There is a clever system of mirrors on the ceiling, which enables diners to see the fresh fish lined up in ice as well as the fish monger shucking oysters at leisure. On the adjoining wall there is the main kitchen where the à la carte dishes are created. To be honest all D&D restaurants never fail to please; they are epitomised by stylish decor, professional waiters and well thought our British dishes.

We were served our glasses of champagne by a stylish French waiter and served bread while we chose our dishes.  We went for the gravadlax, cranberry compote, potato & chive salad, pumpkin and five spice soup (yes that ‘I like plain food’ soup loving friend was with us gain) and two of us ordered the maize fed chicken & muscat de rivesaltes terrine, toast. The terrines, which came out first, had huge juicy chuncks of ripped chicken meat  in a tasty muscat and mushroom jelly; just delicious. Chicken terrine was something new to me and although less smooth than a normal terrine was more meaty and delicious with charcoaled bread chucks. The soup (although I joke) was very tasty and the spices added a depth to the sweet earthy soup. The salmon was disappointingly small but was perfectly presented with chicory leafs and drips of purple and green pea sauce.

We had at this point drained our glasses of champers and so ordered a bottle of red. The waiter subtly took our starter dishes away and minutes later brought in the main course. We ordered chestnut mushroom risotto, mascarpone & parmesan, fillet of bream, tomato couscous, black olive & citrus dressing and braised featherblade of beef, parsley pomme puree, roasted button, onions & lardons.  I try to avoid feather steak as it is usually too delicate and medium cooked but this steak was more like braised cheeks. That is how tender and thick it was; I admit I had food envy – urgh. The risotto (again the ‘plain food’ lovers option obviously) was delicious. Again I wouldn’t choose that as I cook this at home but it really was full of flavour; intense, mushroomy and creamy. It really stood out as a winning dish despite its simplicity. My sea bream was thick and delicious, though slightly overcooked. It was a lot thicker than I expected and served with couscous that was citrusy and Middle Eastern in flavour. It was speckled with black olives and really worked. An unusual option for me to chose but I don’t regret it for a second.

We had a three course menu in the deal so ordered vanilla pannacotta, red plum syrup and treacle tart.  While the waiter took our order I asked why there were prints of Bob Marley as well as images projected onto a wall of him and his fellow reggae stars. We asked the waiter if there was a reason for this and unfortunately he was French and had difficulty understanding me. Eventually after some more explaining, which included a lot of shouting and waving of hands, we got our message accross and he just said he had no idea why and that he will ask his manager. I swiftly said no forget it and he just looked confused. I coughed and carried on our conversation. Our desserts came out swiftly and were delicious. My panacotta was creamy flecked with vanilla pod seeds and the treacle tart was nice. I am not a big fan of treacle tart as it is far far too sweet but those who ordered it said it was one of the best they had.

The food was so well presented, tasted so delicious and the service was great. I normally have no complaints for D&D restaurant as they are usually faultless, but none have ever left me with that wow feeling, I am not sure why. Definitely good, perfect but not quite exceptional. As a result we were completely satisfied with food, service, atmosphere and definitely the price so Sex drugs and Bacons gives Quaglino’s:

            Food                       Atmosphere                       Service

Tutton’s

Tags

Covent garden, food, london, restaurants, review, risotto, salmon, tutton?s

We went to Tuton’s, an affordable English restaurant in Covent Garden as we were going to see a show later that afternoon. We have noticed Tutton’s before as it always seems busy albeit with tourists, and not to mention it is above a martini bar we often frequent. Anyway there was a small party of us and we decided to go for their post/pre theatre dinner option but when we arrived we were told that unfortunately they do not do this on Sundays. We did not feel this was very clear on the website but we were there now and would not be able to find anywhere else at such late notice for the eight of us.

This restaurant is situated on the corner of Leicester Square near the Transport Museum. It is in a English Brasserie style with a light airy room with tiled flooring and wooden alcoves for diners.

We were seated along the back wall on wooden benches upholstered with deep red fabric. We were handed the full à la carte menu, which had a varied range of English and Italian style dishes that were unoffending to any taste – perfect for this tourist area. We were welcomed by an eastern European waitress, who was friendly and charming and was clearly used to service as she was fast and efficient, lacking neither personality of formality.

We were asked if we wanted any nibbles to start so we ordered bread and olives. We hate restaurants that are so tight you have to actually order bread, typical tourist establishment. We all skipped starter and went straight for main course. We ordered the seafood risotto, chicken breast and the salmon. These came out quickly as we had anticipated. The risotto was a huge bowl of steaming rice that was full of squid, mussels and prawns. It was piping hot and delicious, the only thing I would say is that the dirty beige colour was hardly inspiring. If it was me I think I would have added a touch of paprika on top or added another colour fish such as salmon or mackerel. The fish were all over cooked but edible and the risotto itself was full of flavour. The chicken was presented on an olive tapenade with new potatoes and again slightly over cooked. When the salmon came out for the three people who ordered it, we all were slightly shocked as one of the salmon fillets was literally half the size of the others. It was so obvious I am amazed that the chefs had the guts to serve it. If there was just one of us having this I could understand how they thought they could get away with it but there were three of them! We swiftly mentioned this and to be fair on the waitress she was extremely apologetic and let us know it would only be a few minutes late (four minutes apparently). The salmon did come out rather swiftly and served with new potatoes too. Again the salmon was over cooked and the skin a little greasy. I think when cooking salmon it is better to be sparing with oil as the fish is already oily.

We ordered crème brulée and summer fruits crumble for dessert. The crème brulée was delicious with an amber crust that crumbled when touched. I prefer a thicker caramel so there is a real crack when hit with a spoon. Also it would have been improved with an additional fusion of flavour such as orange zest, vanilla pod or some other subtle flavouring that could have improved the creamy dish. The fruit crumble had large pieces of crumble at the top that were covered with golden sugar giving it an intense caramelised hit. The fruits consisted of raspberries, blueberries and strawberries and was piping hot. The fruits were a little sweet against the sugary crumble and I would have liked a broader combination of more sour berries such as red and black currents.

On the whole we were satisfied with this as we were aware it would be targeting tourists therefore simple in menu, unexciting and a little overpriced. Saying that the service was good, the atmosphere and décor cosy and as a tourist trap not too bad. Sex Drugs and Bacon Rolls rewards Tutton’s:

            Food                       Atmosphere                       Service

Rooftop bars

Tags

bar, london, rooftop, terrace

Bank

Coq d’argent

Coq D’Argent is the perfect London bar to impress a date or meet up with friends for some delicious French cooking as well as an impressive wine and cocktail list in the bar. This is a highly recommended London rooftop bar, with an amazing garden for you to explore.

Embankment

RADIO

Located on the 10th floor of the ME Hotel, Radio offers incredible panoramic views of London’s skyline. There is a laser show most evenings, some light artist from Barcelona is in charge. It is certainly an elegant place to enjoy a cocktail and a Mediterranean inspired bite to eat.

Hackney

Dalston Roof Terrace

Dalston Roof Park is an urban utopian oasis overlooking London’s skyline. The roof top garden has a pop-up bar, indi foodie events, outdoor film screenings and acoustic gigs, making this space an ideal summer location.

Kensington

The Gardens at the Kensington Roof Gardens

Mediterranean in feel, this is a great place to come in the summer. Though over priced and unoriginal, the drinks are strong and made by attentive waiters. The atmosphere and Mediterranean surroundings make up for any disappointment in the drinks area.

King’s Cross

The Big Chill House
The Big Chill House is a large Victorian Pub in the heart of London’s King’s Cross with a rooftop terrace. The drinks range is broad and both breakfast and lunch menus use all the finest ingredients. Sit back on the brightly coloured garden furniture and enjoy the beats.

Liverpool Street / Shoreditch

Boundary

This rooftop terrace is perched atop Sir Conran’s Boundary Hotel. The drinks list includes beers, pitchers of house-designed cocktails and more than a dozen wines. A new garden design includes a canopy of grape producing vines, a subtle garrigue and wild herb theme.

Golden Bee

Take a trip up the cast iron spiral staircase to find a true oasis with view over Shoreditch. A rare gem in the sky, enclosed by trees and comfy lounge seating, Golden Bee’s roof terrace is the ultimate in cool, relaxed entertaining.

Queen of Hoxton

Walk up to the expansive rooftop of the Queen of Hoxton to find deckchairs, wrought-iron furniture, bean bags and benches filled with a sun-seeking crowd. The bar serves bottled Beck’s, Swedish Briska cider and mojitos that can be enjoyed with incredible East London views.

SUSHISAMBA

SUSHISAMBA’s rooftop bar is located at the top of the Heron Tower in the heart of the City of London. In the summer, its rooftop terrace is the perfect place to enjoy a refreshing drink. The cocktail list comprises of seven drinks but the highlight is definitely the sake list.

Oxford Circus

Aqua London

Aqua’s two main roof terraces are relatively quiet and hidden, despite being right next to Oxford Circus. Aqua is the place to be for a sundowner cocktail. It offers unexpected views across Soho and Mayfair rooftops, with the sun setting over Marble Arch.

Soho Sky Terrace

Hidden above the Courtroom Hotel this terrace is the perfect place to get refreshing cocktails light bites and mellow grooves at one of Soho’s funkiest open-sky bar. Enjoy your drink while lounging around in style, soaking up the sun at the Soho Sky Terrace.

Peckham

Frank’s Café and Campari Bar

This summer season pop-up bar is located on the tenth floor of a multi-storey car park in Peckham. The drinks menu focuses on Campari-based cocktails while the food options include grilled corn on the cob with paprika, and leg of lamb with grilled apricots.

Piccadilly

LE MERIDIEN, PICCADILLY

Overlooking Piccadilly, the Terrace Grill & Bar at Meridien Hotel has its very own gin bar. In the summer, escape the hustle and bustle below and sit out on the terrace sipping a refreshing cocktail or try the original experience of Gin & Tonic Afternoon Tea.

Soho

Sanctum Soho Hotel

Ascend five floors up from the main reception and you’ll end up at the Roof Garden. the Sanctum Soho Roof Terrace is one of the coolest places to enjoy a cocktail full off lemon and lime flavours and definitely one of the best kept secrets in Soho.

Tottenham Court Road

Paramount

Located on top of Centre Point sits Paramount, a slinky cocktail bar home to good drinks and faultless views of London’s skyline. The custom made copper bar offers guests a unique setting in which to enjoy premium drinks and first class cocktails.

 Trafalgar Square

Vista at the Trafalgar

The Trafalgar hotel has one of the best roof terrace bars in town and it’s rarely as busy as it should be. The bar boasts an unrivalled backdrop of the London landscape, capturing the sheer splendour of the capital, perfect for cocktails or sipping on champagne with indulgent views.

Aqua Kyoto

Tags

Aqua kyoto, argyll street, Asian, carnaby street, japanese chefs, london, oxford circus, restaurant, review, sushi

We have had drinks in Aqua, a bar/restaurant located on the fifth floor of a building in Argyll Street in Oxford Circus, a number of times before. Take the lift to the sixteenth floor and you will be welcomed by a reception desk in the lobby that has luxury red curtains. As you walk into Aqua you are confronted with a large circular bar where drinkers can socialise around. There are also a limited number of cosy seats and bar stools, which are quickly filled at busy times and there is a table serve. Please note that the drinks take a long while to be made and getting your order through can be a little arduous at times. The cocktail list is extensive, exotic and finely decorated but the drinks are fairly pricey. On nice days/evenings you can walk through the restaurant to the terrace, which overlooks Regent Street and Carnaby Street however views are limited to the tops of buildings. Despite this the architecture of the buildings in this area are stunning and therefore, it makes you much more appreciative of your surroundings. I was with a friend from oversees who kept asking what the buildings below us were as they were so impressive, I could only respond that they were just shops and regular buildings – it made me how much us Londoners take the architecture for granted.

Anyway to the restaurant – Aqua Kyoto is an Asian fusion restaurant with sister restaurants in Hong Kong and in Dubai. In the next few months a new one will open at the Shard – watch this space. The restaurant is made up of tables surrounding the large chef’s station, which is where Japanese chefs prepare fresh sushi with extreme skill. This perfect square of a station is strikingly large and is surrounded by tables. We were actually seated on the chefs station so had a perfect view of the sushi making in action.

The restaurant is large and has red curtains to separate it from the bar area. The golden furnishings add light and glamour to the already exotic setting. It took a while to be noticed and given our menus. However when we were notice the service carried on smoothly after this. We ordered the crab and rocket salad with a spicy vinaigrette dressing and the marinated tuna with a wasabi and garlic oil dressing. We also ordered a sushi platter to go with this. The two light salads came out first and then were followed by the sushi. This was cleverly played by the service that realised that to really appreciate the dishes we would need a separation before we received the sushi. The crab salad was light with pieces of crab meat folded through this; the dressing was needed to combine the peppery dryness of the rocket with the creamy meat. The tuna was thinly sliced and covered the plate roughly, in an almost Spanish tapas style. The dressing was enough to be tasted in every bite but not enough to overpower the tuna.

We were then served a mixture of sushi that we had already selected including, yellow fin tuna, salmon, sea bream and spider crab. This came out with a sesame dressing and served on a long platter. I can honestly say that the sushi is the best I have tasted in London as the quality, presentation and taste was just spot on. This was all helped by the fact you could see the chefs in their submerged station creating these mini works of art and all that separated you was a pane of glass.

For main course we ordered the wagyu beef with garlic and grape icicles (no idea what the icicles referred to) and the black cod. The beefs were marinated in an intense garlic and soy reduction and was melt in the mouth. The black cod was served in the typical banana leaf and rice. The black cod was thick and meaty, sticking deliciously to the leaf tempting you to peal the blacked skin off. Both dishes exude’s the very best in Japanese/Asian cooking and I dare anyone who is not a fan of Asian cuisine not to like this place.

We finished up completely satisfied and sated, the service. Despite its touristy location the clientele are fare from this. Aqua Kyoto is well thought out right from the food quality right down to the ambiance. As a result Sex Drugs and Bacon Rolls gives this place:

            Food                       Atmosphere                       Service

Ten Ten Tei

Tags

food, Japanese, london, restaurant, review, sake, sushi, ten ten tei, teriyaki

We have had Ten Ten Tei on our ‘to do list’ for months and always have meant to go. We have only ever heard good things about this small Japanese family run restaurant and were determined once and for all to find out what all the fuss was about.

This is not that well known but local Londoners have a sweet spot for this place. It is inconspicuously located on Brewer Street between a Japanese supermarket and a Japanese’s bar.  It is renowned for its no frills just good food and a dirt cheap price. Sounds good so far!

We walked into this tiny restaurant that has a bar serving sake and a chef preparing raw fish with four or five tables. The room looks like an old fashioned living room and you can see straight away that the focus is on food here. We were taken down narrow stairs to another room, which was slightly bigger but still only had 6 – 8 tables. Customers have to walk through a heavy blue curtain that poises as a door to get into the downstairs dining area. I assume this is to block the site of the hall which leads to the toilets as well as adding colour to an otherwise very beige room.

We were seated by a polite Japanese waitress who seemed to be managing the downstairs, whilst the elderly man upstairs (probably her father) waited on the upstairs restaurant. We sat down and we were given the menu. We were told that we ought to try the sushi as it was one of the freshest in town and at a great price. We chose to order the prawn tempura and sushi platter for starter to share. For main course I was torn as I wanted chicken katsu and they only served pork katsu, which I really didn’t fancy. Instead I ordered an egg chicken curry, mainly because I had no idea what this was, even when the waitress explained to me. My friend ordered the eel teriyaki with rice, I thought an odd choice but I was proven wrong.  We ordered a large bottle of sake which I quickly finished off before my t-total friend had a look in.

We needn’t have ordered the main course as the starter was ginormous. We had three giant tempura prawns each, which were meaty and tender and had a thin batter crust. The sushi came out on a wooden platter and consisted of a varied selection of tuna, mackerel, cod, California rolls, king crab maki along with other maki and sushi’s. The fish was delicious, incredibly fresh and expertly created. My fellow diner did not like the mackerel and I do have to say it was an acquired taste but that was based just on taste. We were stuffed but still had our main course to go. In a way it was good that we had a starter as when my egg curry came out it just looked horrendous. It was served in a bowl with rice at the bottom and had floating white blobs in the liquid. I will spare you the details of what it reminded me of… I did try it and it didn’t taste to bad to be honest but the look of it just made me gag. The chicken tasted the same as in other oriental restaurants; I cannot place my finger on what it is but it definitely has this odd taste.

My friend felt sorry for me (or probably more to the point didn’t want to see me heave) and swapped her dish with mine. Now the eel dish was beautiful despite my previous reservations. This was also served in a rice bowl and had three pieces of eel placed on the top in a sweet teriyaki sauce. Although I felt the sauce was a little too sweet it gave the eel an extra dimension.

We were satisfied and absolutely stuffed as we left to pay for the meal upstairs. The sushi is incredibly cheap and top quality for the area and Sex Drugs and Bacon Rolls would definitely recommend Ten Ten Tei for the sushi alone. The service is friendly and efficient; typical Japanese in style and although the décor is pretty basic, it draws more attention to the food and at the end of the day that is all that mattered. All being said Sex Drugs and Bacon Rolls gives Ten Ten Tei:

            Food                       Atmosphere                       Service

J Sheekey

Tags

Covent garden, fish restaurant, food, j Sheekey, london, restaurant, review, sea food

We were looking for a good fish restaurant in central London and boy did we find one. We were recommended this place by a friend and we knew this person had good but expensive taste.

J Sheekey is located in St Martin’s Lane and is primarily a fine dining fish restaurant. We booked this place for a pre-theatre meal and when we called to book we were impressed by the care and attention we received from the gentleman on the phone. He informed us of the time of the play that we were going to see and recommended the latest time for us to thoroughly enjoy our meal without rush.

We were welcomed into this cosy restaurant, which has three rooms with a pathway leading to each one. This gives it a cosy, small and snug feel, although the restaurant is relatively big if you add all the rooms together. We were shown to the room at the end of the restaurant furthest from the door. The rooms were lined with light varnished wood and cosy benches. It had an old fashioned Westminster feel to it.

This is a white table, silver dining set restaurant and so needless to say the waiters were faultless; to be honest I can’t remember seeing them but our drinks were always topped up and any needs we had were filled immediately. Now that is what I call perfect service, not a waiter coming over every few minutes checking if everything is ok, if you have finished if you have NOW finished. Sorry I will stop ranting and get to the food.

For starter I ordered razor clams with chorizo chilli and garlic, the other diners ordered the dressed crab.  My razor clams were served first and I have to say I was pretty happy with my choice. I had four razor clams that had chorizo and some chilli dressing drizzled over it. The razor clams were delicious and perfectly cooked. A second longer they would have been overcooked, I prefer undercooked just in case but in this instance it was done to the second. The crab was served with the brown and white meat in a quinel shape. It was served with a silver boat with a hollandaise dressing. The crab was dry but served with the creamy dressing was delicious as the light fresh meat contrasted with the rich creamy sauce.

For main course we ordered the monkfish and tiger prawn curry and the sea bream. The prawn curry was served in a mild creamy sauce and served with rice. The sauce I have to say was tasteless and definitely needed more spice. I understand that they did not want to mask the delicate flavours of the fish but as a result, it lacked any umph. Saying that the fish was cooked to perfection and really stood out from the weak sauce. The sea bream was served whole with green beans so that we had to de-bone it. It just fell off the bone and so was hardly arduous to eat (which a whole fish often can be). This was served with a lemon in muslin and green beans.

We finished our meal with plenty of time to spare and so drank the dregs of our Sauvignon blanc before ordering the bill. As I said at the beginning this is not a cheap restaurant but it is certainly memorable. I feel that I would rather spend more on a few excellent meals than have many average places (yes I know it seems hypocritical as we have this ever growing food blog and ‘to do restaurant list’). The service and food was second to none. They knew which theatre we were going to, researched timings, were comforting yet incredibly professional and the food was melt in the mouth. If you want a good fish restaurant in London I don’t think you will find any better than J Sheekey. Needless to say Sex Drugs and Bacon Rolls gives this place:

            Food                       Atmosphere                       Service