Our New Favourite Chinese in Town: Murger Han Restaurant, London

A couple of weeks ago, Ellie & I got invited by Murger Han Mayfair, to try their food. This is my review. Murger Han, ‘London’s first authentic Xi’an restaurant’ (their slogan), operates at three other locations in London: one in the City near London Bridge, one at Euston, and one at Elephant & Castle. CUISINE FROM “NORTHWEST” CHINA AT MURGER HAN RESTAURANT, LONDON Xi’an is the capital of Shaanxi Province in central China. Interestingly, most Chinese think of it as Northwest China, even though strictly speaking, it is closer to the Southeast than the Northwest of China. Presumably this is because the cultural, economic, and political elites in China – apart from Beijing, Chongqing, and a few other cities – live mainly in the Southeast of the country in a bulging triangle vaguely between Qingdao in the Northeast, Chengdu in the Northwest, and Hainan Island in the South.   The […]

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Barshu Restaurant – Delicious Sichuan Cuisine in Soho

When it comes to Chinese food, Sichuan cuisine is probably my second favourite out of the eight main cuisines of China, right after Cantonese, and it is certainly one of Ellie’s top three. Recently, the good people of Barshu restaurant in Soho, a stone’s throw away from London’s Chinatown, invited us to check out their Sichuan cuisine. So we did. SICHUAN – A FASCINATING PROVINCE Sichuan is one of the more interesting provinces in terms of its history, geography, and nature, not just its cuisine. The Western part of the region sits on the Tibetan Plateau and used to form part of Tibet over many centuries. Today, less than 2% of the population of Sichuan are ethnic Tibetans. The tallest mountain is Mount Gongga. With its 7,556m of elevation, it is the third highest mountain outside the Himalaya/Karakoram range. The forests are teeming with giant panda bears. Well, there are […]

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ICCO Pizza in Fitzrovia and Camden Town, London – Best value pizza in town!

Ellie & I visited ICCO Pizza earlier today and we enjoyed our meal. Founded in Camden Town, North London, in 1999, the family-owned and -operated pizza place opened their Fitzrovia outlet in Goodge Street (corner Charlotte Street) a few years later. ICCO stands for The Italian Coffee Company, and the two restaurants plus a further three delivery outlets in the suburbs are the only business the Company runs.   THE BIG LONDON PIZZA DROUGHT OF 2020 TO 2024 Over the past few years, we’ve seen many of our favourite pizza places close down (like IPC and Guste Remo in Bayswater) or go a bit downhill (like Sicily in Belgravia or Forno Pizza in Lambeth). Others charge insane amounts of money for a 12-inch (like 50 Kalò di Ciro Salvo near Trafalgar Square, where a bit of flat, oven-baked dough with sparse toppings can set you back £16 or more). We’ve […]

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A dinner at the excellent Kibako restaurant in Fitzrovia

Last Saturday, Ellie & I were invited by the owners of Kibako, a Japanese restaurant in London’s bustling Fitzrovia neighbourhood, to check out their new 3-course ‘Personalise your sushi’ menu. The venue currently offers a huge 65% off discount, reducing the price to a mere £30. We ended up with several additional courses and snacks, including the famous 9-piece omakase-style box. WHAT IS A KIBAKO? These serving boxes are called ‘kibako’ in Japanese and usually have between 6 and 12 compartments, each containing some sushi, sashimi, carpaccio, other snacks, sides or condiments.     ‘NAMASTE’ Upon entering the premises from Great Portland Street, the super-friendly and attentive staff greeted us with warm ‘namastes’. Chef Padam Raj Rai hails from Nepal, where he used to head the kitchen of the back-then premier Japanese restaurant in Kathmandu. He has also trained in Osaka, Japan, and worked at many well-known, upmarket Japanese restaurants […]

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A luxury Japanese Omakase Dining Experience at RAI in Bloomsbury

Last week, on Valentine’s Day, Ellie & I were treated to a lavish Japanese omakase dining experience at RAI restaurant in London’s Bloomsbury neighbourhood. Omakase means “Chef’s Choice” and refers to a Japanese style of dining, where the patrons leave it to the chef to choose what ends up on their table. It’s usually a lavish, lengthy tasting menu with plenty of interaction between the chef (or kitchen staff) and the diners. Due to the effort it takes for the chef and kitchen to make it all happen, omakase dining usually doesn’t involve large groups of people. At RAI there are only six tables for a maximum of 10 people. There is also a bar area, which, however, is not used for omakase dinners.   The standard “tasting menu” costs £145 per person and includes, depending on how you count, roughly ten courses plus appetisers & petit fours. We were […]

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