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 […]
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 […]
A lavish Japanese dinner at Hot Stone in Angel, London
Ellie & I were recently invited by Hot Stone, a Japanese restaurant in Angel, London, to check out their culinary offerings. They are currently celebrating their sixth anniversary with a £30 three-course dinner deal (check out our social media for the link). The regular price is £85. For the avoidance of doubt, we had additional a la carte food orders and drinks adding up to around £130 for the two of us, on top of the two three-course meals. We were held free of cost for those too. A COOL BUT NOT A FANCY PART OF TOWN I regularly pass by Hot Stone on my morning runs, when I run along Regent’s Canal (which flows underground on this section), and I like the neighbourhood. Chapel Market, where the eatery is located, is very working class, and a far shot from the fancy boutique shops, cafes, and restaurants in Camden Passage, […]
“MAAD – Plant Based” just opened their second vegan take-away
Ellie & I got the munchies last night. We felt like burgers. Five Guys, whom we used to love, had disappointed us too many times during the past year and none of the other big chains had done much for us lately. So we ended up ordering vegan burgers for the first time in a while. We had not heard about “MAAD – Plant Based” before, but the food on all their pictures on Deliveroo looked delectable. A quick google search revealed that they had only opened their first take-away in Wood Green a few months ago. “Our” venue in Strutton Ground, half-way between Victoria Station and Westminster Palace, a minute’s walk from St James’s Park tube station, was their second venue and brand-new. Three more burger joints are going to open within the next few months in Hackney, Richmond, and Ilford, an amazing success story so far. We […]
Guste Remo – Delicious Pizza in Bayswater
I’ve just returned from dinner at Guste Remo (gusteremo from gustare, to relish) in Bayswater. The restaurant was founded by two local Englishmen of Italian descent three years ago and has received some excellent reviews. Most of the staff are Italians, and while the founders aim to accommodate a wide range of preferences, including vegetarian, gluten-free, and dishes being available in different sizes, they make an effort to mainly use traditional cooking techniques and ingredients. I had not made a reservation and had only decided to give it a go, when I randomly passed by them in the street on my way to a meeting with an hour to spare. Initially I was told that unfortunately no table was available, but they turned out to be flexible, when I promised I just wanted to gobble down one of their pizzas and then be gone. I was given a table for […]