The House of Ho, Soho

Is it just me, or does anyone else, no matter how long they’ve spent living in the city, find the streets of Soho quite mind-boggling? I try and try but still, Dean Street, Greek Street, Frith Street, I can’t help but get lost. Anyway, around the corner from all three is a little Vietnamese treasure which from now on, will certainly make the decision of where to eat a whole lot easier. The House of Ho may have a rather unfortunate name (we saw many an amused tourists posing with the sign outside), but its menu was too tempting to turn away from. And no wonder; the restaurant is run by superstar chef Bobby Chinn.

The House of Ho’s menu is broken down into parts and is filled with intriguing sounding ingredients. The idea is that you pick 4-5 dishes for two people, from the range of sections, so we went for:

• Rolls: Confit of Duck with Perilla Leaves and sliced grapes
• Raw & Salads: Seafood Ceviche, Mangosteen Coconut Jus with White Truffle Oil
• Grilled: Smokey Chili Glazed Chicken Wings
• Braised: Vegetable Curry Cellophane Noodles, Paddy Herbs & Chopped Peanuts

Not to brag, but our selection was bloody fantastic. The stand out by far had to be the ceviche; not everyone’s cup of tea, I know, but it was deliciously fresh and gorgeously presented in a coconut shell. Everything on our table was a winner. The only issue came when deciding who got the last duck roll (I had to trade for a chicken wing, but it was worth it).

That was it. We were full. There was no way, no how that we could… And then they asked if we wanted a pudding. Despite the great range, the waiter chose for us: “You’re having the Marou chocolate cake. Trust me, it’s the best.” Marou is a type of chocolate from Vietnam which made the molten-middle cake super rich. As the menu said, this was the perfect “Happy Ending”.

So definitely get yourself down to House of Ho and take your mates; a larger table means a larger selection of tasty treats. Booking is also available.

Steak & Lobster, Covent Garden

Before I start, I have to hugely apologise for my lack of blogging over the past month...s. I can only put my absence down to being out having too much fun, so get ready for some serious bulk reviewing (God, set the bar at its highest why don't you, Lydia).

You've all heard of Burger and Lobster, and if you were swayed by my praises of it back in July, you may have even ventured there - but why stop at burgers? The luxurious shellfish can surely be teamed up with just about anything. Step in Covent Garden hot spot, Steak & Lobster.

Being one of London's fleeting summer nights, we opted for a table outside. Perfectly comfortable under the awning, with electric heaters installed for when it got chilly, chatting to passers-by and checking out the flash convertibles that drove past was highly entertaining. It wasn't until later, when nipping in to use the facilities, that I realised quite how big the restaurant was, and how glamorous. Sharing a building with the Bloomsbury Street Hotel, the lobby/ lounge bar was embellished by sparkling chandeliers and red leather banquettes (not to mention the rolled up towels by the sinks in the loos - a clear sign you're eating somewhere swanky).

We had a fantastic evening at Steak & Lobster, but there was a bit of a gulp when the bill came. £20 plus starters and £9.50 G&Ts does add up - but had it all been worth it? Yes... sort of. Either way, I'd still recommend a trip for a tasty experience, with an upmarket location and incredibly friendly waiting staff.

Although our tastebuds had been drawn in by the main event, we couldn't help noticing the delicious looking nibbles in the bar menu, so ordered three for the table; prawn and lobster cakes, steak bites with a dijonnaise and chicken frites with chorizo aioli (like posh nuggets, but we weren't complaining). Starters demolished and second G&Ts on the way, our huge platter of mains hit the table. The deal with S&L is for £20 you can choose between a 10oz ribeye steak, or a whole lobster (probably 1 1/4 lb, but it didn't state it) which comes with unlimited fries and salad - a highlight, in my opinion. My friend and I split the steak and lobster so as not to miss out. The steak was gorgeously rare, just how we'd ordered it, and the sides were deliciously more-ish, which was handy when refills were readily available. However, I may have mentioned before that where lobster is concerned, I'm in the fortunate position of being a regular at The Big Easy (in Chelsea and now Covent Garden too), and to me, they serve the best in town. That's not to say it wasn't tasty, but my lobster bar is set quite high. 

Pho Cafe, Battersea Rise

Thursday was a very special night, not only for me, but also for my hosts, as it marked the second night ever for Pho on Battersea Rise.

You may have heard the name (or waited in line outside the Soho branch), but there’s a reason Pho is so popular, and it was no surprise to me that they were expanding across London.

Wednesday and Thursday were trial nights in Battersea, but you’d be hard pushed to find fault. No teething problems for the waiting staff, who stayed calm and collected despite the packed out tables, which, I might add, caught the attention of many a passerby. Everyone was friendly and patient, and were brilliant at explaining the dishes to us…

…Which brings us to the food. As you’ll read above, the restaurant is named after the main attraction; the Pho. These soupy noodles are hearty, healthy, and with sixteen variations (not to mention the extensive list of extras) your bowl can be tailored to suit any tastebuds. I’d made sure to fill my table with fellow foodies, and the half that went for Pho were all very pleased indeed.

I, however, chose the Xào, a sweet dish of king prawns, green beans, sugar snaps and chilli, served with steamed rice. It was lip-smackingly great, and although I’m all for trying new things, I can see this becoming my regular next time I go.

I should also mention the starters that we enjoyed on arrival. Rice paper rolls, crispy spring rolls, baby squid and the best damn prawn crackers I’ve ever had.

So if you want to be filled to the brim with tasty, feel-good food, grab yourself a bowl of Pho.

Fish and Chip Shop, Islington

I can never think of anywhere to eat in the Islington area. When asked, my mind draws a complete blank. But in fact, there are (probably) hundreds of places with great food to sink your teeth into, and on Tuesday night for a quick bite before a gig, I found myself in The Fish & Chip Shop.

Located on the buzzing Upper Street, Fish and Chip Shop is the debut restaurant for a team run by owner Des McDonald, formerly of The Ivy. Only one guess as to what it serves, but this is in no way a rough and ready pit-stop like you might expect; it's a sophisticated-looking place with an impressive menu to match. 

Walking in you feel like you've stepped into some kind of time warp. The decor is part warehouse, part Victorian servants quarters, with chipping paint and aged photographs of fisherman pasted onto the walls. Even the stairs up to the (wait for it) Gills and Buoys toilets are stylishly battered and creaky. Inside the restaurant, there are more contemporary hints, with paintings of Bowie, Dylan, and even a portrait of all the 27 Club members. 

I love going to places when there's food on the menu I've never heard of, and this is why for starters, I convinced my boyfriend to share a plate of "London Particular Fritters" with me. As the waiter explained, these are a mix of ham hock and mushy peas, deep fried in breadcrumbs. "They're amazing", he said, but I didn't need convincing - he had me at "ham". You can have a plate of either 3 or 5, but as we were also having a half pint of prawns (I always have to when they're on the menu), the smaller plate was more than enough. Everything was light, fresh, and delicious. I also got to sneak a whitebait or two from my fellow diners, which were also extremely tasty.

Of course you can have you can have your bog standard fish and chips to follow, like the other three at my table had (when the haddock came it was hanging over the sides of the plate, and the bit of cod that I tried was lovely and meaty) but for me, it's the curious looking dishes that always draw my eye. I went for the shrimp burger, served with a spicy tartare and a brioche bun. I slightly feared the shrimp would be minced, but no - whole prawns had been compacted together into a patty, then breaded and fried. It was like eating a massive scampi! Again you could taste the freshness in every bite, and the marrowfat mushy peas were the best I've tasted.

You know a restaurant's really good when you can't wait to go back, and I already know what I'm eating ("soft shell crab butty"? Surely that HAS to be tried!). A hidden gem, though I'm sure not secret for long.

Imli Street, Wardour Street

After a long day dodging drizzle (hasn’t the weather suddenly changed?) a good old comforting curry was just what I needed. I met a friend at Soho’s Imli Street, Indian street food specialists, and boy, were we hungry.

Imli Street is all about selection. With a huge range of drinks as well as food, the menu has something for everyone, whether you’re a meat eater, a veggie, a cocktail lover, a non-drinker, or simply just trying to be good with what you eat (… or not!)

But with variety comes indecision, and I took forever to make up my mind! I turned to the waiter for help, but as he didn’t seem to be able to pronounce the names or recognise the dishes, I was in it alone. He did advise, however, that we choose two dishes, a side and a bread each. Between the two of us, we ordered the Boti (lamb) Kebabs, Paneer Tikka, Railyway Lamb (an Anglo-Indian lamb curry), Junglee Salad (chicken tikka, pear, baby spinach and walnut with ‘burrani’ dressing), Bagare Baingan (baby aubergines in a cashew sauce), Onion Bhajis and Naan Bread, which all came with a portion of rice and yellow lentils on the house.

Everything was delicious; tasty and tender, without being greasy like your average Indian take-away. I particularly liked the Junglee Salad, which was a new dish to me. It’s nice to order a salad that has interesting ingredients, so you don’t have to put up with soggy leaves to feel you’re being healthy. There were so many good looking dishes on our table in the window that passers-by actually started to stop and backtrack to get a good look. Some even came straight in to get a table (you can thank us later, Imli Street).

The pudding list was too intriguing to resist. After trying to decipher the options, without much luck, my friend took the bold move of suggesting that we went for the most peculiar things on the menu. She ordered Gulab Jamun, warm milk dumplings with pistachio and cardamom syrup, which I remembered trying when I was in India. I went for the Haji Ali Falooda, which confused me completely by arriving in a glass with a straw. Inside the glass was a mixture of malai kulfi (a kind of clotted cream), vermicelli (no, the straw didn’t help much with these), basil seeds and rose syrup. I got to the end, but still can’t quite tell you whether I enjoyed it or not…

Although this is the only branch, the restaurant group also includes Tamarind of Mayfair and Zaika of Kensington. If I still haven’t convinced you that you should try Imli Street, have a look at the gallery on their website – your lips will be smacking in no time.

The Things I Fancy...

My posts will be split into :

                                    

                                               Theatre and Film                            Art and Exhibitions

                                   

                                                  Restaurants                                         Bars

                                   

                                                      Books                                            Fashion

                                    

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