Eating My Way Through London: Dishoom

Inspired by the Irani cafes of Bombay, Dishoom is an Indian restaurant that holds a special place in many Londoners’ hearts. The retro Mumbai ambiance renders the whole experience very evocative. So many people rave about it, that I felt like I was the only person who hadn’t visited. It’s been somewhere I’ve wanted to visit for some time.

I wanted to see whether the food was as good as suggested, so was delighted to have the opportunity to try Dishoom’s Kings Cross branch. They don’t take bookings for less than six people after 5.45pm, so we did have to queue. However, it was only half an hour and things moved super-quickly. I can also confirm that Dishoom was worth the wait 🙂

We ordered the house black daal (only £7.90), the chicken biryani and plenty of cheese and garlic bread. It was incredibly flavoursome and the black daal was excellent- rich and deep. I’m not a fan of heat, but I didn’t need to worry- it was just enough to give a little spice, but not enough to knock me out. I teamed it with a super cute Bellini.

All the food we ordered, plus the rice, left us nicely satisfied. But of course we left room for pudding. I chose the cinnamon ice-cream- unusual and delicious. The chocolate pudding with chilli ice cream is worth a try as well.

Dishoom is one of the best Indian restaurants I’ve been to. The quality of the food is excellent and beautifully cooked. Apparently the vegan menu is great additionally. And a lot of reviews mention the breakfasts, so I would like to try those at some point as well.

Dishoom feels like a time capsule- and I was here for it. Vibey with great food- I can’t wait to go back!

Eating My Way Through London: Iznik

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a great Christmas with plenty of opportunities for festive eating and drinking! I’ve been a bit out of it due to being afflicted by Covid. However, I’ve decided to get back to blogging by writing about my trip to the Turkish restaurant Iznik a few months back.

Iznik is described as being easily accessible from Highbury and Islington station but it’s actually more of a distance than that. This said, it’s worth the trip. It’s gorgeously decorated and makes you feel as if you’re in an Ottoman palace.

The environment is warm and cosy, a welcoming smile of a restaurant, perfect for date night or after a day of exploring London. Service was good and the staff were friendly. It was quiet but busy enough to have an atmosphere.

The food was delicious and not massively expensive. We both had the Izgara as it offered a selection of a few different dishes- it was so delicious. The bread is very high-quality.

And the baklava is outstanding:

I’ve been to a few Turkish restaurants around London and this is one of the better ones. And we were given free shots as well- bonus!

Eating my way though London: Nibbles at Drake and Morgan

I visited Drake and Morgan with a friend back in the summer. We were looking for a place to have a catch-up after Covid and felt a bit lost amongst the choice in Kings Cross.

Drake and Morgan was one of the few places to have availability, plus the variety on the menu lured us in. Both my friend and I had the chicken burger:

The burger was really delicious and the whole ambience was fab!

I actually went back to Drake and Morgan a few weeks later with a different friend as we wanted a light bite before a kokedama workshop. We shared the vegetarian platter which was ideal and really filling.

If you are ever in the Kings Cross area in London and want something simple and tasty, you couldn’t go far wrong with Drake and Morgan.

Zzang, Korean restaurant

Zzang is a cute and cosy Korean spot situated in London’s Swiss Cottage area. It was ideal to grab a bite to eat on a rainy afternoon. My friend Jo and I hadn’t eaten much Korean food beforehand, but this was a good intro.

The food was fresh, tasty and comforting. We had the Udon (there’s a seafood variation), and it tasted so good. Good atmosphere as well.

I would recommend this place 100%- it wasn’t over- crowded but people kept dropping by, attesting to its popularity. Visit and keep it open.

Carrot Cake at Signorelli Bakery

Darlings, if you want deliciously moist cake, then Signorelli bakery is the place to get it. There is so much choice when you step inside. And their coffees and sandwiches aren’t bad either.

This carrot cake was sublime.

Signorelli Bakery, Stratford, East London

Eating My Way Through London: Mexican at the Bodega Negra Cafe

Soho is the go-to place for a good time in London, and it was top of my list for dinner and cocktails after visiting an exhibition. Bodega Negra Cafe boasts a vibrant, lively ambience with a cool Soho-vibe. The decor makes for a trendy atmosphere and the staff were friendly. It has all the makings of a classic Saturday night hang-out.

Except it’s missing one vital ingredient. The food is just okay- my quesadillas were more like a pizza, and the rice and black beans in my friend’s dish were cold (but we think they were meant to be like that). The portions were pretty small and I felt hungry afterwards- not really worth the money we paid for them. That said my quesadillas were tasty.

The best thing about Bodega Negra were the margaritas. I would recommend visiting for cocktails before or after eating. It’s stylish and fun, but skip the main meals.

Pasta at Vapiano

I was looking through old pictures on my phone and came across some photos of my visit to Vapiano last year. I’m not obsessed with pasta (okay, I am), but pasta is great to photograph. Is that just me?

Anyway, Vapiano is a canteen- style Italian restaurant that caters to the ‘swipe and go’ generation. I think it’s worthy of a mention on this blog as the pasta is fabulous. And they offer takeaway- ideal for these Covid times.

Vapiano, Great Portland Street

There’s a few branches around London, so if you’re near one, it’s worth paying a visit. And if you’re not…put it on the list of places to visit in London when you are able to.

Eating My Way Through London: Figo, Stratford

This pizza from Figo in Stratford deserves a lot of love. I tried it way back before lockdown 1, so it was a bit of time ago, but it’s stuck in my memory since.

Figo is a great little Italian place in East London, with a vibrant atmosphere. The pizza was excellent, so flavoursome and filling. The restaurant is popular with the nearby office- workers, therefore hopefully it hasn’t suffered too much as a larger number of people work from home.

I think I’ll give Figo 9/10 for its pizza.

• 

Sushi-making and Sake*

Happy October! The trees are changing colour and there’s a definite chill in the air. I love Autumn- it makes me want to stack up on carbs and chai.

I’ve also been thinking back to a sushi-making class I went to in London this time last year. I’ve been a bit lax in adding this to the blog because of everything happening with the pandemic, but have finally got around to posting it.

When my friend, Jo, asked me to accompany her on a sushi-making course, I readily accepted. The chance to learn a new skill, plus the opportunity for food totally sold this to me.

Our teacher, Makiko Sano, has been teaching sushi classes for several years and supplied sushi to Buckingham Palace. In this class, we learnt how to make 4 types of sushi that can be found at most Japanese restaurants:

• Hosomaki
• Nigiri
• Temaki
• Uramaki

The class was so much fun! I wouldn’t say my sushi was the best (I didn’t win the competition) but I think it looked good enough. I thoroughly enjoyed eating it. We are also shown how to cut our sushi with the correct knife- a bit hair-raising, but thankfully I didn’t lose a fingernail! I think Makiko Sano is back to teaching classes again (at least virtually), so worth checking this, or similar classes out.

We were allowed to take our boards and chopsticks home. I’m not going to lie, I haven’t actually made sushi since, but would be keen to do it again.

https://suzuhouse.co.uk/

*No actual Sake was consumed, sorry!

All you can eat pizza at Crust Bros

Even though I can’t actually visit there right now, I’m currently dreaming about these delicious pizzas from Crust Bros in Waterloo.

Yes I had both in one go!

It’s really hard to post content under the UK lockdown, especially for a food blog that is centred mainly around eating out! It becomes a struggle to avoid being insensitive, whilst also being interesting. Luckily, I have lots of food pics from previous foodie- trips to enjoy. This is also an opportunity for me to try some more home- baking, something I sadly don’t get much to do, because of time.

Stay safe everyone xx