Thai - ing up loose ends!

With the end in sight and a holiday to Thailand looming, TP and I (or is it TP and me, or me and TP?  I can never remember and have to rely on The Lady to advise) thought we'd get in the mood with a lunch-time trip to Patara on Greek Street East http://www.pataralondon.com/.   We had to ask to see the lunch time special menu (which I always hate as it makes me feel like a cheap skate).  But when it arrived the mains sounded delicious (there was one starter of a mixed platter and one desert of mango ice cream and melting chocolate pudding) and it was difficult to chose. Two courses were £15.50 and so TP decided to have a starter and main whilst I opted for main and pud.  However, this posed the first problem as we were told two courses are meant to be starter and main (although there was nothing on the menu to say this).  All was settled in due course after a minimum of fuss and we enjoyed mains of gressingham duck and slow cooked beef.  Interestingly my main was served at the same time as TP's starter but fortunately the waitress did ask, before she served my pud with TP's main. The food was beautifully presented and very tasty.  A bottle of sauv was £18.50 and the whole lunch came to just over £50 with service.   However,  if we'd gone a la carte, I suspect the bill would have been much higher.  Not somewhere we'd return to and they need to improve service at these prices!

Well, what a week so . . . .

 . . .  settle yourself down with a nice glass of wine and leave the bottle at your side ready for top ups - you'll need them!

Monday saw me trying to get a table at Pierre Victoire on Dean Street East   http://www.pierrevictoire.com/london/restaurant/index.asp only 
to find they were fully booked right up until Christmas.  This is obviously a reflection of their good value pre-theatre menu of £9.90 for two courses. Therefore having been to their sister restauant, Prix Fixe, I'm going to call it a day.

On the way back down Dean Street, I found that Chiang Mai had closed down.  Hooray, one less!

Tuesday was spent at the Mousetrap matinee with A Guest who, having seen it before, was very good and refused to reveal who did it!  We had fizz in Kettners, our favourite champagne bar, and could have walked out without paying.  However we didn't want to be like the couple who were captured on CCTV after legging it from a restaurant without paying, so we decided to be honest.  We then went to Jimmy's Greek on Frith Street East. I have to say I'd been putting this one off, because there's no website (so no idea of prices or menu) and only a blue door with a canopy.  And as there's no frontage,  you're not really sure what you're going in to.  We went downstairs with some trepidation to find quite a large, empty restaurant but with lots of arches making it feel quite intimate.  We decided to order a number of starters: as the waiter described it Greek tapas.  We sampled hummous, spicy meatballs, Turkish sausage, grilled hallumi and taramasalata with pitta.  They were all delicious and with a bottle of reasonably priced and tasting house white, the bill came to £32.  We got chatting to the waiter who told us that the restaurant opened in 1962 and at the time was only one of around four in the street (that would have made my challenge easier!). He said the grey haired lady with the gold Christmas party hat was the original owner.  She was washing up when we arrived but playing cards with an equally elderly chap with a long grey pony tail when we left.  It was a very friendly place and as they look to have live music at some time, I suspect it could get very lively.

Wednesday was a night of contrasts.  First up was a glass of wine in Garlic and Shots on Frith Street East http://www.garlicandshots.com/html/menu.html.  It's a small restaurant but with a couple of stools at the bar. As it was early we got chatting to the huge bear of a man behind the counter to find that he was the Swedish owner and that his two brothers run branches in Stockholm and Palma.  They have 101 vodka shots, infused on the premises: his bottle of citron vodka was full of lemon peel.  We couldn't leave without downing a shot and I went for Bloodshot - vodka, tomato, garlic (in slivers), chilli and spices.  It was rather warming but I tried to be casual about it.  The Pensioner chose a more sedate lemon vodka but followed it with a Boodshot chaser as he didn't want to be outdone. We cannot wait to go back in the New Year to try the food - the Internet says 'no dishes are served without garlic.  You can always order extra garlic, but never less.  As you leave the restaurant you should feel like you've been garlic marinated.  This is our mission from God.'  If you meet me in January, I suspect you'll probably be able to tell if I've been the night before! 

It was then onto a very up market Red Fort on Dean Street West http://www.redfort.co.uk/welcome.htm.  Coats were taken and we were shown to a quiet table in the window and immediately offered an aperitif, champagne or prosecco. We chose the latter, poured at the table so we could check out the label, which was served with two poppadoms and a delicate, white oblong dish with four chutneys.  We ordered a bottle of £25 sauvignon blanc and shared a starter of hara kebab; two fairly substantial spinach and fenugreek patties lightly filled with cheese, onion and coriander which came accompanied by another oblong dish with four different chutneys.  The Pensioner decided on his usual, lamb: Hyderabadi bhuna gosht or Welsh lamb cooked with ginger, garlic, coriander and whole red chilli whilst I opted for a chicken curry or luknowi murgh.  The meat in both was very tender and succulent and we shared as mine had a more spicy sauce (although after the bloodshot, it's a wonder we could tell)!  Very surprisingly, I then decided on a mango ice cream whilst TP had a glass of port, again poured from the bottle.  The service was very attentive throughout and the sommelier, extremely good.  It was obviously not a cheap night out, but would make a lovely choice for a special occasion (rather than an after work, mid week meal).

Thursday night saw me out with The Lady, Blonde Bombshell and The Pensioner.  As two of the three are eligible for Winter Fuel Payments (you know what I mean) and The Pensioner still hasn't received his pension,  austerity was the watchword.  Nusa Dua on Dean Street East fitted the bill admirably with its two course menu for an incredible £8.95 - http://www.nusadua.co.uk/.  I also chose it to put us in the mood for New Year which we'll be seeing in on the Indonesian island of Bintan.  There were prawn crackers on the table and we received a literally warm welcome as a fire was pulled up to our table.  First we were presented with a clear, spicy complementary soup which was excellent. The menu has a good selection of starters and mains and we chose fried crab sticks, potato cakes with a chilli dip and crab cakes. The list of mains was even longer and so we all found something we liked which came with a choice of noodles or rice. My beef curry was excellent and all the dishes were served in very good portion sizes.   With two bottles of white wine, our bill for four came to £66.  Austerity accomplished!  It was an excellent night with lots of laughs and at least we were well away from the rioting students.  I will definitely return! 

Spaghetti Free Junction . . .

. . .  in Little Italy on Frith Street East http://www.littleitalysoho.co.uk/ where I treated TP to lunch on Friday. Now he's retired and doesn't have a Xmas Team/work lunch to go to, I thought I'd spoil him.  The restaurant and tables looked beautiful with lots of tasteful Christmas decorations, the music was jazzy but subtle and the service excellent.  We opted for the two course set lunch (£16.90) of crayfish cocktails, the sea bream and turkey.  The food was well presented and delicious.  The second cheapest bottle of wine (I've been taught to go one up from the cheapest) was £23 but I did spot a bottle of something special for over £2000.  At the end of the meal, we were presented with a basket with walnuts and satsumas which added a festive air. TP then showed me his trick, which I'd never seen in 22 years of being together, of cracking two nuts together in his hands!  It's not a cheap place with main courses on the a la carte menu of around £25, but we'd definitely recommend the set menu.

Confusion at the Bar

Picture the scene: lunch-time snow showers, cross roads on Frith Street and Chinese restaurants on diagonal corners.  One called Bar Shu and one called Ba Shan. I knew one was still on the list, but couldn't remember which, so opted for Ba Shan on the East side as it looked more intimate. I ate in a small room designed like a Chinese tea house but I got the impression there were lots more similar rooms. The tables and chairs were dark rich wood and completely unadorned.  Although it was cold outside I opted for a starter of spicy salad with chicken slivers. The menu, with pictures of the dishes, contained a number of interesting dishes including ones with chopped pig ear, pig intestines, pig heart and every other piece of the animal.  The salad took a while to arrive but when it did it was huge and served in a lettuce leaf.  It was very spicy and was all finely chopped and really warmed me up.  A young Chinese couple who came in after me, were served huge amounts of dishes which were still arriving at suitable intervals as I left.  My meal with a beer was £10.90 which I thought was reasonable (I drank beer as I objected paying £6.90 for a glass of house wine).  Back at the office, I realised I'd discounted Ba Shan as the address is actually Romilly Street, but I've decided that it will count instead of Bar Shu!  http://www.bar-shu.co.uk/.

Breakfast today was at the Dean Street Town House, a trendy hotel on Dean Street West  http://www.deanstreettownhouse.com/.  The welcome was warm and friendly on a cold day and I soon had my coat off and was sat down in a large restaurant which had a long bar running nearly the length of it. The service was excellent and I was immediately offered water.  I opted for my very favourite breakfast of eggs benedict (but in the singular) but I could have had eggs florentine (with spinach) or royale (with salmon).  It was one of the best I've had with a pale, creamy hollandaise sauce. It was all so delicious I wished I opted for the plural!  Together with a pot of earl grey with lemon the bill came to £9.60 with service.  I'd definitely go again, as the staff are young, smart and willing and everything is beautifully served with juices being presented in individual small carafes.  Jams are in individual small pots and there was none of those horrendous packets of butter and sugar.  I walked out fully revived and all set for a hard day in the office.

Bi Bim Bap

Tuesday night was all about catching up with the Lovebirds who have now become Mr and Mrs.  After drinks in the Pillar of Hercules we popped two doors down to Bi Bim Bap on Greek Street East http://bibimbapuk.com/index.html.  It's a strange name and one that I can never remember and I've called it Bim Bam Bop, Bam Bi Bap and many other variations.  It's an informal place with no pretensions.  We weren't sure what to chose but a friendly waiter advised us to share 3 starters and so we chose: prawn katsu, pork and vegtaable mandoo and kimchi pancake, served with Korean pickles.  All were delicious and just the right amount. We chose individual mains which are served in a hot stone bowl and had beef booi-go-gi and unadventurously named, spicy pork.  They were all very good and at around £6-7 for the main dish (which didn't need expensive side orders) and beers all round, it was very good value.  We're all off on travels next year and so decided to meet up before we jet off so if anyone knows of a Cambodian restaurant which serves South American wine, let me know. 

Prego, Prego!

Lunch today was Il Sciliano on Dean Street East http://www.il-siciliano.co.uk/.  It's a rather old fashioned restaurant with mint green starched tablecloths.  It looks as though it's been there for years.  The welcome was warm and friendly but the constant prego, prego became mildly irritating by the end of the meal.  I chose a starter size portion of spaghetti Alla Sciliano (tomato sauce with aubergines) which considering the actual size of the dish was good value for £6.  However, the small glass of white wine for £5 was pricey and with a £2.50 cover charge (for bread, butter in packets and five olives) and a £2.50 espresso, the bill was soon bumped up.  Main meals were all around £10 to £15, so it's not a cheap option and to be honest I can't imagine the type of person I would take to it.  

On my way there I noticed that Geisya also on Dean Street appeared to have  closed down.  I have to say Japanese isn't my favourite and so I'm not too disappointed to cross it off.

And whilst I'm in crossing off mode, I'm going to eliminate Ronnie Scott's (Frith Street West) on the basis that it's a club and because I have been before although I admit it was a long time ago!

A bit of class!

The Suffolk Redhead was down for a day of girly Christmas shopping and so a nice lunch was called for. We headed to Arbutus on Frith Street West http://www.arbutusrestaurant.co.uk/ - one of the best remaining places on the list.  At 1.15pm it was very busy and remained so right through, so beware, bookings are necessary.  We decided on starters and puddings only.  Our pork porchetta (very thinly sliced pork) with apple puree and pecorino was ab fab and with rustic bread, nice and filling. The sweet-toothed Redhead opted for clafoutis of william pears and vanilla ice cream whilst I chose two types of cheese.  The service was efficient but unpretentious and the waitress described the cheese board easily and without notes.  We were left in charge of our own wine, a Torrentes Chakana Mendoza from Argentina chosen to get me in the mood for our 2011 trip to South America. All in all, a superb lunch and one that would be worth repeating.

Friday evening was more austere as the TP was taking me out.  We opted for the £10 pre-theatre meal at Yming a chinese on Greek Street West -http://www.yming.co.uk/.  For starters we chose hot, fattening sesame prawn toasts and crispy wun tuns followed by empress beef and Mr Edward's pork and a traditional dessert of lychees.  We skipped tea and finished our wine.  I was amazed at how busy it became. When we said we'd not booked, we were offered a table for two which we would have to vacate within an hour.  When we said we didn't want to be rushed, we were given a really nice table for four in a window.  People who came in after us with reservations were given small tables for two beside walls and in corners.  It must be Chinese logic! 

Clearing the sinuses!

Having been let down by a colleague protesting too much work, I decided to cheer myself up with lunch in Nandos at Frith Street East http://www.nandos.co.uk/fammenu/FEM/Menu.html.  I'd only been to a Nandos once and a long time ago after I'd been indoor sky diving in Milton Keynes!  So I said I've never been before and was led thorugh the process: choose at the table, order at the bar and the food will be delivered in 10 minutes.  I opted for a simple chicken breast fillet wrap at £6.45 and medium sized glass of Sauv.  As I had a slight snuffle, I thought the extra hot peri peri sauce might clear my sinuses!  It was all very delicious and the customer service was outstanding.  A chap next to me was presented with a chicken leg when he ordered a breast, but the manager dealt with it really well by saying he'd bring him along a chicken breast as well as he was sure he looked hungry.  With service like that, who could complain!  

A quick totopos!

Lunch time was wet and windy and so I didn't venture far.  I was lured by the Bay of Bengal (Greek Street East) and their three course set menu for £5.50 which I was told was lentil soup and chicken curry with rice.  The soup was reasonably spicy but quite thin with a huge chunk of lemon floating in it which gave it an unusual, but not dreadful taste.  The chicken curry was again, fairly spicy and had four chunks of very tender chicken in a rich sauce and was actually very good.  No mention was made of the third course and so I nursed my £2.35 glass of wine to see if anything was offered, but it wasn't.  When I asked for the bill no mention was made of why I was leaving without having my pud. Normally I'd have caused a fuss but to be honest I didn't really want a dessert and I thought if I asked, I'd have to eat it!

In the evening, The Lady and I had been invited to a 'Private View' at the Contemporary Applied Arts Gallery and we weren't sure whether there would be wine and canapes (but hoping there weren't as liberal as our previous trip there when The Lady lost all her loyalty cards in the back of a cab and another friend fell asleep on the train and went five stops past hers).  Anyway I digress . . . .  We decided that a quick glass of wine and totopos would be just the thing beforehand and so we met in Las Iguanas on Dean Street East http://www.iguanas.co.uk/las-iguanas-london-soho.asp.  The lady treated to the wine and I bought the totpos and and spiral fries.  The evening's main event had lots of lovely things that we couldn't afford but at least we had a free glass of fizz!  

Back to Pizza Express . . .

 . . . but this time, I resisted the Pizza.  My best lunch chum had recovered from his man flu and so we headed to the Pizza Express branch on Dean Street East.  This is much bigger than the one on Greek Street (and has the jazz element), but the service was just as good.  I went for a new pasta dish 'Piccante' which being a lover of spicy food, caught my eye with the description: Not for the faint hearted - Cavatappi pasta with pepperoni, hot spiced beef with green peppers, mozzarella, mushrooms and onions in a creamy tomato and béchamel sauce finished with parsley, oregano, grana padano and rocket.  It was absolutely delicous but I've now had enough of Pizza Express for a while!

Italian and Spanish at the end of the week

As my best lunch chum let me down at short notice, 'The Pensioner (TP)' stood in as a late replacement.  As it was pouring down we headed for the nearest place, Pizza Express on Greek Street East.  It's quite a small restaurant but the service was friendly and excellent (I was mystery dining the night before, and still in critique mode).  In view of TP's reduced income we shared my favourite pizza (American Hot) but managed to find enough pennies to pay for a bottle of wine.

That evening saw me with TP and A. Guest in El Cantara a Spanish and Moroccan tapas place on Frith Street West http://www.elcantara.co.uk/.  TP treated us to champagne which we sipped with hoummus and bread.  We then opted for the 4 tapas for £18.95 and chose harissa bread, pollo al ajillo, merguez briwat and zaalouk.  We opted for the cheapest wine, Moroccan Guerrouane Blanc, reasonably priced at £15.50.  To sum it up: it improved as the evening progressed.  The night was long, leisurely and jolly with A. Guest regaling us with her views on Strictly Come Dancing which I have refused to watch after Arlene was sacked.  She did a mean impression of Bruno talking to Scott but horrified us with how many times she votes each week! We also reminisced about when we met the gorgeous Brendan and she not only asked him a question but also got his autograph because I wasn't brave enough. An excellent finish to the week and much better than getting wet at a bonfire.

Normal service is resumed!

Yes, I know it's been a long time since my last post (as many of you have pointed out, well one person in particular!).  However, when I started this blog who would have thought that RM would become a pensioner and that we'd celebrate by spending a wonderfully, luxurious fortnight in Egypt. 

Although I've failed my original aim of completing my challenge before the end of October, I'm still going to be in Soho until the end of the year, so my revised aim is to finish by Christmas. 

On the first day back from our holiday, the 'house husband' refused to cook and so we started off with drinks in The Montagu Pyke  
http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/home/pubs/the-montagu-pyke.  I'd seen the very uninspiring entrance on Greek Street East and thought it looked a bit dodgy.  But on walking through the narrow bar, it opened up into a huge bar with its main entrance on Charing Cross Road.   Although I've never been a fan of Wetherspoons (mainly because it always brings to mind old men drinking 99p pints of bitter all afternoon), it really changed my mind.  Because of their no music policy, cheap drinks and reasonable sharing platters it makes an ideal place for after work get togethers.  Our bottle of Villa Maria New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc was just over £13 and it was absolutely delicious (probably more so after two weeks of drinking Egyptian wine appropriately named: Pharaoh, Obelisk and Omar Khayyam).

We then went more up market to Marco Pierre White's L'Escargot just across the road:  http://www.lescargotrestaurant.co.uk/.  We chose the pre-theatre two course meal for £15 and had a glass of champagne to celebrate the publication of the Christmas edition of the Boots Health and Beauty Magazine (if you have no idea what I'm talking about, buy a copy for £1 and check out page 42).  I then had mushroom veloute served in a rather large portion.  I was interested that even Marco uses a doily on the plate (I remember painting them as a child).  RM chose a more appropriately sized starter of chicken terrine.  We shared main courses of pork with red cabbage, potato and a port jus and gnocchi with a tomato sauce, Parmesan and rocket. Both were well presented and delicious, but after two weeks of simple Egyptian meals, they seemed very heavy and rich and I wouldn't have wanted to sit through a two hour play after it.

To complete a hat trick we nipped back across Greek Street, to a very lively Zebrano http://www.zebrano.uk.com/greekSt/index.asp.  We hit happy hour (before 8pm) where a very helpful Matt told us that we could have two drinks for the price of one.  Therefore our double gin and tonics were only £6.75. Although it wasn't my sort of place (too much loud music and people far too young), it finished our evening off very well.

An absolute bargain!

Friday lunch was at the recently opened Soho Joe on Dean Street East http://www.sohojoe.net/.  It advertises 12" pizzas for £6 but I decided to be good (not forgetting that this challenge is about not putting weight on as well as about eating). I settled for a hummus and red pepper baguette which at £2.50 was a bargain.  As well as pizza and baguette there was a range of wonderful looking salads.  The baguette was well filled and fresh, but the bread was the sort where you need to have all your own teeth to eat it!  The place is quite large with lots of high tables and metal stools that you can casually perch on whilst eating, as well as more traditional furniture.  I've slowly come to the conclusion that whatever your lunch is, it tastes far better when you're not eating it at your desk.  It's one that I'll definitely be returning to and recommending.

After a weekend of caviar, champagne and vodka . . . .

 . . . . in St Petersburg, it was back to earth with a bump and a burger in gbk or Gourmet Burger Kitchen to the uninitiated http://www.gbk.co.uk/ on Frith Street East.  I chose a small (or junior as it was described on the bill) chicken burger.  Unfortunately I accepted the fries which at £3 were huge and far too many for one (unless it's Monday, you're hungry and it's miserable outside).  Along with a glass of house, my bill was £10.70.  What I cannot understand is that you walk in, you sit, they give you a menu and cutlery and then tell you you have to order at the counter.  Your drink and food are served to you and your table cleared.  So why can't they go the extra mile and take your order at the table?  Would I go again?  The burger was actually delicious, the chips large (in volume and size) and the wine reasonable.  So I guess my answer is yes!

An award winning restaurant last week

but unfortunately not a Michellin star.  Koya on Frith Street East http://www.koya.co.uk/ has just been named in the Time Out Eating and Drinking Awards 2010 as runner up in the best new cheap eats section.  For lunch last Thursday I chose Atsu Atsu which translates as hot noodles in hot broth, unlike Hiya Atsu which is cold noodles in hot broth. Lots of varieties to chose from but I went for pork miso.  The large bowl of juicy fat worms, sorry noodles, was served instantly and swam in a delicious broth with the minced pork on top.  At £8.50, it's not the cheapest lunch (despite the award) but it came with a complementary bottle of still water (take note Zilli Bar).

PS: for those of you who don't speak fluent Italian, Ugo's review of Zilli Green was 'In my opinion the food was good, in fact very good.  Not very spicy but with a special taste.  It seemed to be the food of the gods'.  I recommend that you eat here'.  Whilst Annie said 'Had a fantastic flavour.  Very light and tasted good. The bread from Sardinia was crisp, the food seemed like a tower with the vegetables underneath.  In short, excellent.' 

After the success of Zilli Green . . .

 . . . . the following day, I popped next door for lunch at Zilli Bar http://www.zillirestaurants.co.uk/bar (Dean Street West in case you haven't been keeping up!).  The greeting and service was exceptionally friendly and as it was Friday, I thought I deserved a treat and so ordered the spicy salami pizza for £7.50. (I could have ordered the dish I'd had the night before but thought better of it!). I asked for sparkling water and was presented with a huge bottle (£3.50).  I was looking in my bag at the time, otherwise I'd have asked for something smaller.  The pizza was excellent and it was a great way to kick off the weekend.  

Aldo's vegetarian feast!

The night started with pre-dinner drinks in an old favourite LVPO where, between 5pm and 8pm, a bottle of house white is an incredible £7.25. We then moved on to Zilli Green (Dean Street East), an Italian fusion vegetarian restaurant, specially selected for vegetarian friends, Annie and Ugo. It was also appropriate as they’ve spent a lot of time in Italy and strangely prefer Sicily to Southgate! They’re returning to there to live permanently, so it was an ideal choice for a farewell meal. Our table was brilliant: right at the back of the restaurant in a quiet alcove so perfect for chatting as the restaurant was really busy. The Meze ‘a selection of delights for two’ was huge, beautifully displayed and more than enough for four to share.

Ugo who had a Mexican Chiminchanga filled with sweet potato, spiced pinto beans, Monterey Jack cheese and red peppers with all the trimmings said ‘Secondo me questo cibo era buono anzi era buonissimo non era molto piccante avevra un sapore molto particolare. Vi parebbe che fosse un cibo del dio. Mi raccamando che tutti maggiano qui.’

Annie’s ‘tofu cake thing’, more accurately described on the menu as lightly smoked tofu cake with tarragon, skin on new potatoes, mixed green and Sardinian bread was a work on art. She reported ‘Aveva una sapore fantastica. Molto leggera buon guista. Il pane di sardegna era croccante ma non molto. Il pasto sembrava un torre con i verduri a basso. In somma, buonissimo’.

RM, who had tofu sausage, mash and mushy peas simply said ‘fabulous’. Italian types always use a lot of words when one will do!

My sundried tomato, goats cheese and mushroom ravioli with tomato and basil sauce was excellent although I did feel rather boring as it was something that I could have had in many Italian restaurants.

It was an excellent evening and with two bottles of wine, £50 per couple. If you have a vegetarian friend, you must take them to Zilli Green and don’t forget to ask for the table at the back!

Lunch is very different to dinner

Firstly there are two pieces of good news: (1) a new follower has just appeared, thank you Mr C (my telephony advisor), and (2) Soho Bar on Greek Street East has closed down so that's one less to do.

Now on to the main events: today I discovered what a Bento Box was in Hi Sushi on Frith Street West. The window promised quite an extensive menu along with lunchtime specials of various Box types for £4.50. The restaurant at street level is fairly small and simple with four high tables and stools designed for two, and another dozen high stools around a semi circular counter. My Box arrived and divided into five sections: (1) sticky rice, (2) an English salad with various lettuce leaves, sweetcorn, tomato and grated carrot lathered liberally with what I can only describe as an un-Japanese creamy dressing, (3) four semi circular slices, the size of a 10p piece, which could have been pickled ginger without the taste of ginger, (4) a small salad of more grated carrot with thinly sliced cucumber in a sweet chilli sauce with four postage stamp squares of something unidentifiable and not particularly pleasant (maybe tofu) and (5) the main event of chicken teriyaki which was a sliced chicken breast with its skin on and deep fried. All I could think about was the calories. It was accompanied by a side order of a bowl containing a cloudy, watery liquid. On the basis that I only had chopsticks, I wasn’t sure whether to drink it or wash my fingers in it. However on stirring it, I discovered some ‘bits’ including seaweed, so assumed I should eat/drink it, but I’m now sure how. A rather expensive bottle of sparkling water at £2.40 bumped the bill up to £6.90. Now I don’t want you to get the impression it was bad, it’s just that my knowledge of Japanese cuisine is very limited and so it’s difficult to judge how good/authentic it was but all I can say is it wasn’t exactly my favourite lunch to date. It does appear to have a larger restaurant downstairs as my table contained a list of ‘rules’ for the all you can eat buffet (rule number two: you can only stay an hour and a half)!

That evening we tried Zilli Green on Dean Street http://www.zillirestaurants.co.uk/ but you will have to wait for my review.

Helen Jackson could be unwell!

To round off Friday evening and bring back memories of our recent trip to Barcelona, we decided to try Barrafina on Frith Street West http://www.barrafina.co.uk/. As there is a no booking policy, and only a few outside tables, I thought an early start appropriate only to find its evening session didn’t begin until 5pm. As I’d planned on meeting RM there, I hopped over the road to Bertorelli www.bertorelli.co.uk/frith-street.asp, where a very pleasant young girl said I’d be more than welcome to have just a drink at their outdoor tables for two. Whilst RM was battling the tourists on Oxford Street, I plumped for an Italian Pinot Grigio Cuvée Rosé Brut (£25) which suitably refreshed a rather hot RM on arrival. Being across the road from Barrafina, it was the perfect place to keep an eye on what was happening. It started filling quickly at 5pm and when there was one outside table left, RM skipped across the road, leaving me to pick up the bill, only to be beaten by a younger model! However, his next choice, of stools inside and at the end of the bar were perfect: we could see what was happening outside; we had no one to one side or brushing past us on their way to their loo; and as the evening wore on, no one standing in a queue behind us waiting for one of the 23 precious stools. A bottle of Sauvignon Blanc was ordered and then the tapas rolled: we started with ham croquetas which were absolutely exquisite, crunchy on the outside with soft, with silky potato with lots of chopped ham in the centre. We moved through toast with Al-i-oli, two types of jamon, an individual tortilla which oozed eggy juices from the middle and finished with grilled chorizo with watercress and potato which was a fitting end, as it was the spiciest of the meats. Our bottle of chilled tap water was constantly refreshed and our waiter attentive and knowledgeable (for example he told us you should never eat tortilla in Spain after 3pm - unfortunately I can't remember why!). Our bill was £68 with service, but I suspect if you’d been tempted by the fresh fish daily specials, it would have bumped up the bill considerably. On the basis that I work nearby and it was such a fabulous experience, I said to RM that I could easily become a regular customer to which he responded, book a stool and become ‘Helen Jackson is unwell’. Jeffrey would approve!

Back with a vengeance!

I bet regular readers thought I'd given up!  No, it's just that I've been on holiday to Espania (so Barrafina has got to feature soon); have been tempted by fish and chips (and mushy peas!) in nearby Berwick Street (so not on my blog) by the ever troublesome GB and have just generally been slightly lethargic or busy advising others.  However, I'm now back on track!

My planned lunch on Tuesday with a colleague was blown out by delayed northern trains, so I settled for a solitary lunch from Nam on Dean Street West which specialises in Vietnamese street food. At 12.15pm it was very quiet but a menu on the counter explained what was available  I settled for a summer roll with sesame pork to take away.  I had absolutely no idea what to expect which is half the fun.  At my desk I found two large spring rolls but wrapped in a soft translucent casing and cling filmed on a polystyrene tray.  It came with a fairly spicy dipping sauce served in an espresso like cup.  I'd waited about five minutes so on the basis it was quiet, I had confidence that it was freshly prepared.  There were a number of simple wooden benches and plastic stools so had an option to eat in with refrigerated soft drinks. The rolls were rather tasty and filling (pork, rice, shredded carrot, spring onions etc) for £2.90 and left me with a lovely tasty feeling in my mouth.  Would definitely try it again but would eat in next time.

For some reason I was famished on Thursday and so decided to try the second Subway on my list in Dean Street East (not that I was expecting it to be any different to the first). I ordered a six inch, spicy salami sub in Italian Cheese and Herb Bread which was lightly toasted before being heaped with salad including jalapenos. I decided to hot it up even further with a chilli dressing. It was pretty poky and just what I needed. It was £3.49 but I was offered a 'meal deal' of the sub, a packet of crisps and a cold drink for £1 extra - a saving of 39p. Bearing how much I've been spending on this challenge, I politely declined for the sake of my waistline!


I decided on a Friday lunchtime treat of pizza at Adagio (www.adagio-pizza.com) on Greek Street East. The counter is full of huge rectangular slabs of pizza with a variety of toppings. You chose which you want and then using pizza scissors they cut the size of slice you want. It's sold by weight (priced per 100g) and they were very helpful in showing me what 100g looked like. I decided it was a bit too tiny and asked for around 150g but was secretly pleased when it weighed in at 180g. The prices vary per topping, but on average 100g costs £1.75 (mine came to £3.15). I decided to eat in and perched myself on one of the bright red, plastic high stools up against the mirrored bar that ran down one side of the room. Needless to say, I had a perfect view of pizza reflections


You will now have to wait for my second and third visits on Friday: as I said, I am back with a vengeance!

Afternoon tea between showers

Friday was a very wet day, but between showers l decided to investigate Maison Bertaux on Greek Street East.  It is a very distinctive cafe/bakery with blue and white striped awnings and lots of small pavement tables made rickety by long spindly legs.  Not knowing whether it was waitress or self service I hovered around the doorway until I was invited in by a friendly blonde haired woman who told me that the menu was visual i.e. look, see what you fancy and order.  The window was full of lots of beautiful cakes, tarts, and pastries and I plumped for a slice of a apple pie with a crumble topping and a pot of tea.  Its a very quirky place with two rooms, a larger one with large arrangements of garden flowers, Aztec art and huge swags of bright pink chiffon draped around the walls. I took my place in the sun and soon tea was served in functional white china but with an individual tea pot, jug of hot water and huge strainer.  The pie was absolutely delicious with sweet plump raisins in it.  A very pleasant, but not cheap experience (£6.40) and definitely one for girls with a sweet tooth. 

Time for a stock take . . .

I decided that as it's just been two months since I started my challenge, it was time for a stock take to see if there had been any changes since my lists were compiled.  Actually what I mean is, have any closed down and not re-opened so that I could claim some quick wins.  Now I know some of you will think this is cheating, but if it's not there, it's going to be claimed as a hit.

Cafe Italia (listed from Street Sensation) is not sandwiched (or perhaps it should be paninied?) between Little Italy at 21 Frith Street and Bar Italia at number 22.

Stanza on Greek Street West has now been turned into the Fox Poker Club (opening shortly).

The enticingly named Tangier Wine Bar on Greet Street East is, contrary to Street Sensation, part of Maison Toureg which I have already visited.

Kaffee Automat and Pendulum Bar which should have been next door to each other on Frith Street West no longer exist. 

Clutching at straws, but the address of Ba Shan is technically 24 Romilly Street, so that's crossed off.

Then there are the ones which may not be quite appropriate. 

Although Moonlighting Eclipse www.moonlightingnightclub.co.uk/ does still exist on Greek Street East, I'm afraid it only opens after I've gone to bed and so I definitely won't be going.  However, if I start work early enough it will probably still be open then. 

The same can be said for Club 49 Soho www.club49soho.com/ on the opposite side of Greek Street, Ku Bar www.ku-bar.co.uk/#/bar/frith and Karaoke Box www.karaokebox.co.uk/soho/whatson/ both on Frith Street East.

However, just so you don't think I've completely given up, I'll tell you about lunch time and Moolis http://www.moolis.com/ on Frith Street West.  It's really unusual with wholemeal rotis stuffed with either a meat of vegetarian filling.  I plumped for a small Goan Pork mooli with pomegranate salsa.  It was easy to eat, not too large, very spicy and good value at £3.  There was also plenty of seats if you wanted to eat inside.  They also have a license if you'd like a drink with your roti.  Will definitely return as it makes a change from sandwiches and paninis.

Stylish and elegant Love Birds

This has been a lean but delightful week with only one visit, but it was rather a special one. RM and I met up with the Mr and Miss Love Bird to celebrate Miss Love Bird's well deserved promotion. Unfortunately I have now run out of new bars and so we met at The Crown and Two Chairmen (Dean Street East) which wasn't one of my favourites when I visited previously, but I arranged it in a rush and got confused.com!  Anyway the good news is that it was right next door to 'elegant and stylish' Quo Vardis http://www.quovadissoho.co.uk/ and we felt it was time to be upmarket because as well as celebrating a promotion, Mr Love Bird had just being made a school governor, RM is hoping to become a pensioner and as for me, well I was looking forward to a makeover the following day for the Christmas edition of the Boots Health and Beauty Magazine (order your Boots Advantage cards now and then you won't have to pay a £1 to see me!).  We started as befits any celebration, with a bottle of champers and then all had something different to start with: squid, sand eels, steak tartar and a scotch egg (albeit an upmarket one).  Mains were very meaty: pork belly, neck of lamb and beef ribs which were huge slabs of beautifully cooked meat.  We were too full for dessert, but three of us were able to manage a snifter of port. And with that, the love birds flew off into the night to dream of becoming Mr and Mrs Love Bird.

PS: I did hear from two independent sources, that Miss Love Bird had a slightly bad head the next day.     

PPS: Lots of offers flooding in volunteering to test out Sunset Strip with RM!

Bikini clad girls with A. Guest . . . .

Lunch on 29 July was from Café Shelley’s on Dean Street West http://www.shelleys-cafe.com/.  It was a small busy, independent looking, café which specialises in making things before your eyes. From the board it wasn’t totally clear what I'd get when I asked for a chorizo special (£4.50). It turned out to be a toasted ciabatta with thin slices of chorizo, basil, tomato and mozzarella: all very delicious and there was free chunks of pineapple and water melon while you wait.


On my way back to the office I happened to peer into Sunset Strip. I’m glad I made a decision not to include it on my list as, peering into the darkened room, I could just make out bikini clad girls sat up at the bar. If it’s like that at lunchtime, I’d hate to imagine what it would be like in the evening!

The evening out was with A. Guest. We started the night in LVPO, Dean Street East http://www.lvpo.co.uk/ tempted by happy hour offers of £10 off a bottle of champagne and wine from £7.50. Unfortunately most of the huge extensive bar at the back was closed due to a private function (although no one arrived before we left at 6.45). However it was beautifully decorated with lots of shiny purple and silver helium balloons. We were therefore restricted to the small bar at the front (where a table was reserved as well).


We decided that champagne cocktails were appropriate (£4.50) and tried a traditional cocktail with Courvoisier, Sugar Cube soaked in bitters and Pommery Champagne and a French 75 which was Gordon's, Citrus Juice and Pommery Champagne. Beware, depending on what else is happening it could be a good or bad choice.

Whilst walking up Dean Street, we both peered in to Sunset Strip and we managed to spot a girl in a white bikini who also appeared to be wearing black stockings and suspenders!

Rather than a big meal we do like to graze when we’re out together and so ventured into Kaslik (Greek Street West), http://www.kasliksoho.com/ which we tried a number of years ago when we just wanted a quick drink. This is a small Lebanese restaurant with benches and comfy cushions around the outside and low highly polished brass tables. We had a bottle of Lebanese wine Ksara Blanc De L’Observatoire which was fine for £14.75. Unfortunately they didn’t have the Ksara Sunset Rose which I became very fond of when I was in Beirut earlier in the year.


We chose tabbouleh, hummus, grilled haloumi and kibbeh (minced lamb balls) and with bread, it was just the right amount! And the bill came to a reasonable £35.


We finished off the night drinking champagne with RM, but not in Soho. Needless to say A. Guest missed a couple of trains home! 

A lovely lunch

After a quiet week so far, lunch today was a reunion with three lovely people I worked with over 10 years ago.  They were all very sensible and stopped working well before retirement age and have become, what I can only describe as Golden Globetrotters.  They travel the world, do charity work, visit the gym, swim, go to the Proms and generally seem to have a fabulous time.  Anyway, I'd booked a table at Prix Fixe on Dean Street East (www.prixfixe.net/london/restaurant/index.asp) as they advertised a two course lunch for the bargain price of £8.95 and I was thinking about the 'poor pensioners'.  There was a good choice of starters and mains but I decided to be vegetarian with 'chick pea falafels'.  Personally I thought they were always made with chick peas so thought the description a little long winded although I am sure someone will tell me they can be made with other things.  Or maybe they did it in case people didn't know what a falafel was and so thought they'd provide a clue.  Anyway they were lovely and crisp and served with hummus, aubergine shakshuka (I had to check the website for this one) and tahini.  My main was a huge bowl of pasta which I couldn't finish.  With house wine at £13.95, you really can't go wrong.  The service was good and a lovely time was had by all.  I am now just counting the days until I can join them!   

NB: I am pleased to report another follower at last: and an international one at that.  It's just a shame her mother doesn't follow suit and sign up too!

This week I've been to . . . .

. . .  Vietnam, France and the Mediterranean!

Drinks on Monday were in the Green Carnation, Greek Street East http://www.greencarnationsoho.co.uk/.  The happy hour pomotion 4pm to 10pm every night except Friday/Saturday meant that wine was £10 a bottle.  And I was pleasantly surprised to find they had a Sauvignon Blanc and not the Chardonnay I’d expected and dreaded. Luckily it was a warm evening and we were able to sit outside as I’m not sure it’s the sort of place I’d like to sit in, as it was a bit dark and clubby, not really us. But it’s worth noting that it is one of the few places in Soho where the outside tables are big enough for four to sit round (they usually just manage two side by side facing outwards). We then decided to try a small Vietnamese restaurant that’s always packed at lunchtime, but suspecting (correctly as it turned out) that it wouldn’t sell alcohol, we decided on a final drink: a glass of champagne for £8 each with a packet of crisps at an exorbitant £1.55! I always think that Cheese & Onion crisps and champagne are a sign of class don't you?



Viet on Greek Street West at 6.30pm was half full although they were queuing by the time we left. It was fairly small and had simple wooden furniture with tables close together. Our shared starter of spring rolls, not the deep fried variety, were light and summery and the main courses of pork and beef with noodles and vegetables were fresh and well spiced. We had Vietnamese lemonade (sweetened lime juice with Perrier water) and the total bill came to £20.


The week ended with a late birthday celebration for The Lady and our friend, The Blonde Bombshell. We'd arranged to meet in The French House http://www.frenchhousesoho.com/ not realising how tiny it is.  Although we'd managed to get leaning space outside, later we became trapped between the ledge and the people who were squashing themselves into the roped off area on the pavement.  We decided that after a small glass of white each at £3.60, we'd move on to the The Golden Lion two doors away (http://www.goldenlionsoho.com)/ where we found high tables and comfy well padded stools.  Although there were huge TV screens showing cricket, the sound was turned off and so they didn't interfere with our racous laughter.  And best of all, one of my favourite Sauvingon's (Nobilo from New Zealand) was only £15.60 and the glasses were more upmarket than normal pub glasses.

Dinner was at Le Bavoir on Greek Street East (http://www.lebavoir.com/).  It's a light, airy restaurant with a large picture window that had been completeley removed.  We shared a platter of Mezze and then I had a chicken tagine, whilst the ladies plumped for the lamb variety and RM had beef stroganoff.  All were very good which is more than I can say about the house white, which was of an acquired taste.  The company was charming and we spent time chatting about how worried they were about their over 60’s bus passes being withdrawn!  I can't believe they qualify!  Needless to say, RM and I don’t have to worry about this for some time!  A bill of £102 was good value for a good night!

. . . . the celebrity end

The weather changed on Thursday and it was rather chilly at lunch time so something warming in Bar Italia (Frith Street East) was called for http://www.baritaliasoho.co.uk/.  It was warm and cosy and had a long bar to sit up at.  The tomato, basil and mozzarella panini for £5.50 cut into four looked huge, but I manfully managed to finish it.  In warmer weather there are small tables outside.  Another excellent choice! 

The evening was spent with Mr L, my informal recruitment consultant, who I was thanking for finding me such a lovely job in Soho.  We started with large glasses of Sauvignon Blanc in The Three Greyhounds (Greek Street East)  http://www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk/thethreegreyhoundssoholondon/  To be honest we were too busy catching up to take too much notice of the place, but it seemed OK and was just a short step away from the main event: The Gay Hussar just a little further up Greek Street http://www.gayhussar.co.uk/index.asp.  It serves Hungarian food and has been in Soho for years.  I'd actually visited a couple of years ago, just before a weekend in Budapest.  We shared Hungarian Hors d'Oeuvres, a platter with a pate, herrings, salami and something to do with beetroot.  We both chose pork dishes: gypsy quick dish and brassoi both served with lots of lovely paprika potatoes.  We decided that a Hungarian wine was called for and chose a bottle of Tuzko Tolna Traminer which was very fruity but dry.  As we were rather full we settled on trying glasses of sweet and dry Tokaji which provided a lovely end to the evening.

RM and I both had Friday afternoon off and headed to our favourite bar (The Forge).  Although it's not in Soho, we wanted to see Camron off before he went on his travels (see blog 3 July).  It was here I met Trevor Sorbie the hairdresser who had popped in for lunch from his salon opposite.  He was very down to earth and was telling us about his early career and the work he is now doing with his new charity http://www.mynewhair.org/ which supports a network of salons providing a wig styling service for cancer sufferers.  He came across as a really, caring person and I'm not just saying this because he said I had a lovely smile, young face and offered to cut my hair for free!!!  

The week started and ended with a celebrity story . . .

After the JSP experience at the beginning of the week, I'm pleased to say that Friday afternoon provided a lovely finish to the end of it.  But you'll have to wait as a lot of eating and drinking occured during the week. This is therefore likely to be a long blog so make sure you're sat comfortably with a large glass in hand before you start.

I had a long meeting on Wednesday and felt in the need of a coffee late afternoon to perk me up and so I went to good old Pret on Frith Street West. My latte (in seemingly one sensible size only) was £1.99.  According to the website it is sesame, GM, gluten, wheat, egg and yeast free which is always good to know and it contained 194 calories.  However, I was quite horrified to see that the calorie content of that innocuous carrot cake in a box that you're tempted by at the till, contains 402 calories. Check out the website for the calorie content of their sandwiches and you'll probably never go again!

In the evening I met my friend Nicola and as she's younger than me (she said I had to say this), I made her try some of the triendier places.  First on our list was cocktails at Thirst on Greek Street West (http://www.thirstbar.com/index2_london.html). Although it was just opening at 5pm we got a friendly welcome.  They have a huge drinks menu and we chose a Cosmopolitan which, as we were in Stupid Hour (from 5pm to 7.30pm), was £4 whilst my Classic Dry Martini was £6: it was only a Happy Hour drink (when prices go up slightly).  Its website claim of being the busiest and best mid-weeker in Soho obviously doesn't apply at 5pm but nevertheless, it had comfy cream leather banquettes and trendy stainless steel tables and if you want an early evening cheap cocktail it's the place to go.  However when the 'funky house, dirty house, elektro and mash up' music starts, it may be a different story.  This description probably makes even Nicola feel old!   

We then moved on to Jazz after Dark across the road on Greek Street East (http://www.jazzafterdark.co.uk/).  Here we sat outside with a glass of rose for £4.50 and so didn't really see inside.  It's probably the sort or place that just gets going, as I'm going to bed.  However, the website does make it sound interesting and as there is food, it's probably worth a return visit at a later time. 

We ate at Rosa's on Dean Street East (http://rosaslondon.com/soho), a lovely small, welcoming Thai restaurant.  We shared Gai Hor Bai Teay which, to the uninitiated, is chicken marinated in garlic and coriander root and pepper wrapped in pandon leaves which was absolutely gorgeous and just right for sharing.  Nicola then went for a safe green chicken curry, but I had to go for the jungle vegetarian curry as the only dish on the menu with the three chilli sign. With a sticky rice and a brown garlic rice and a bottle of Rose, our bill with a tip was a respectable £50.  Both food and service were excellent and Nicola said it was the best Thai she'd ever had.  She also said I had to report that I'd 'trashed my glass' by which she means I dropped it and the base broke.  However, you will be pleased to know that not a drop of wine was spilt.

Well, the week is not yet over, but I'm exhausted and I expect your glass is empty so you'll have to wait a little while longer to hear about the celebrity end. 

Thanks to Janet Street Porter . . .

 . . . . I'm able to report I now have my first international follower, currently residing in Dubai. How did this happen and what does JSP have to do with it?  Well, last night Maureen was reading the Daily Mail on-line and noticed that JSP had mentioned a Helen Jackson and e-mailed to see if it was me.  I think she was concerned that I'd got married and she'd not been invited to the wedding as JSP had inadvertently married me off to RM! 

Nothing to report on the eating/drinking front but the rest of the week looks promising.

The weigh in . . . .

As a 'friend' mentioned last week, to date I've failed to mention my lbs gained or lost.  Details have been recorded weekly but I've been too busy focusing on food and drinks.  However, I have been weighed this morning and the results are available to followers of this blog . . . . . .

Very spookily, just as I was finishing this post, I noticed four google ads on my design page (which I've never noticed before):

1.  Tips to lose 2 stone in 3 weeks

2.  Lose 1 stone per week

3.  I lost a stone in 14 days

4.  Alli weight loss pills

Saturday in Soho . . .

 . . .  and what an eye opener it was.  It's fun people watching during the day, but in the evening the outfits and behaviours are even more outrageous.  There were six in our party: me, RM, my follower, two glamorous god-daughters and their friend who provided much needed male support to RM who had been surrounded all weekend by four females.

The Dog and Duck - Frith Street W - provided pre-dinner drinks.  Its a small, narrow pub and as it was a warm evening, we stood outside.  Our bottle of Sauvignon was well chilled but at £9.50 we weren't expecting much. However, it surprised us all, so much so, that we had to have another just to check it really was less than a tenner and yes it was.

In view of our numbers, we'd booked ahead at Bistro1 as we thought its extensive Mediterranean menu would suit us all. (http://www.bistro1.co.uk). In addition, prices were reasonable with two courses for £9.90 or for an extra pound, you could have three. I was able to book on-line which I love as by the time you've performed the final click, there's an e-mail in your in-box and a text on your mobile. I was greeted by name on arrival, but as our table was not quite ready, I expertly managed to negotiate a complementary liqueur and coffee for us all which at £3.50 and £2.60 respectively, was a generous offer considering we only had to wait between 5 and 10 minutes (depending on whose watch you were looking at).  We all had completely different meals (for me smoked salmon and avocado to start and penne chicken arabiatta. Sauvignon Blanc was £12.50 and our total bill for six came to a very reasonable £115 (I'll let those of you who are good at maths to work out how many bottles we had!). There was only downside: it was very busy and noisy which made chatting a bit difficult.  

At this point the 'oldies' decided to call it a night and left the 'youngsters' to continue.  

The following day I received an e-mail asking me to complete a short customer survey so they're obviously trying hard to get things right.  Would I go again?  Definitely, as it's an ideal choice for leaving lunches, birthdays etc.

One of my 'friends' . . . .

 . . . . and I use the word hesitantly as she has not decided to become a follower has been questioning the part of my blog which mentioned 'pounds (i.e. the lbs variety) gained or lost.  Do not fear M'Lady, I will report on Monday which is my weigh in day! 

Like the World Cup, it's not over yet . . .

Monday night ‘after work drinks’ found us in the Pillars of Hercules (Greek Street E). At £17, the Sauvignon Blanc was more expensive than the other pubs we’ve explored, but it was well chilled and good quality. The interior is spacious and there’s a quirky array of comfy tables and chairs which are not from the same family tree. However, what gave it a huge thumbs up, is that it was very clean and the two bar maids never stopped mopping and wiping (even the tomato sauce bottles where it gets cloggy round the top). Again, the food menu wasn’t as cheap as some (pies and burgers £7 to £8, and sandwiches at £5), but I was tempted by the evening sharing platters (Moroccan £7.95 and Nachos at £5.95). If I wanted somewhere to take a beer drinker, this would definitely be at the top of my list.

Piccadilly Line problems on 6 June meant a different route to work and so I got my morning coffee from Costa (Dean Street E). Why cannot the coalition Government introduce legislation to standardise coffee sizes into small, medium and large? I asked for a large skinny latte and received a gallon which got cold before the bottom was reached and at £2.60, it was more expensive than Café Nero.

 Lunch on the same day was from 34b (Frith Street E). It’s a relatively small café but with lots of small outdoor tables in the sun and a few indoor seats sat up at a bar running around the outer edges: both are ideal for sitting and watching the world go by. Whilst waiting for my goats cheese, ham and wild rocket Panini to be toasted, I spotted a friend scurrying along but sporting a rather dashing cap. Unfortunately he was too far away for me to harangue him about being in the area but failing to invite me out for lunch. He later explained that he was hurrying to meet a friend of ours to look at the new moquette for the seats of the Central Line trains. Some of you reading this must recognise who he was going to meet. He has been asked to be described obliquely as ‘the ever troublesome GB’ and I and PR can heartily agree with this. Anyway, I digress: although the service wasn’t particularly friendly, there was a tempting choice of fillings served in a variety of breads. The fillings were all chalked on a blackboard which is a huge improvement on the Subway printed boards. My Panini at £4.25 was good value and it was large, with very strong goats cheese and more importantly, it was easy to eat.

The final entries for the working week: a drink at a Soho institution, the Coach and Horses (www.coachandhorsessoho.co.uk/index7.html). Although the outdoor seating comprises of very basic wooden tables and benches (the sort of thing that an amateur woodworker would knock up in an hour with a few unwanted planks) covered in red and white plastic gingham, at least there is somewhere to sit. The Granfort French Sauvignon Blanc was beautifully served in a large oval shaped plastic ice bucket and was therefore well chilled and good value at £15.95. Although there is a restaurant menu upstairs which looked interesting, the bar menu wouldn’t have been out of place in a Northern working man’s club (pork pie with piccalilli £6, pork scratchings £2.50, pickled and scotch eggs at £1 and £3 respectively.

As I with RM, we decided to have dinner out and chose a restaurant I wouldn’t dare invite anyone to and where I'd be embarrassed to be seen: Angus Steak House (Dean Street W) – didn’t they used to be known as Aberdeen Angus Steak House or are my farming roots coming to the fore? I always thought that the only people who went were American’s who didn’t know any better, but early on a Wednesday evening they were surprisingly busy with an eclectic bunch of customers. The burgundy décor and floral, swirly carpet looked outdated but the booths around the outer edge of the restaurant provided a perfect place for people watching. I was amazed at the prices for the steaks and so decided to cut out the starter and head straight for the main attraction. RM chose a 10oz medium sirloin (£18.95) with chips at £2.50 extra and I plumped for the austerity option of steak and ale pie at £13.95 with veg at £3.00. We chose the cheapest wine from the ‘crisp and dry’ category which went up to just over £40. The food was surprisingly good, particularly the green beans and broccoli which were well cooked. However, two things amazed me: people had actually reserved tables and were prepared to pay up to £40 for a bottle of wine. However the service was excellent (well done to the training manager) and Augustus was divine: young, tall, good looking and he looked you in the eye when he spoke to you. So not too bad an experience but the prices definitely put me off when there are so many cheaper alternatives around the corner.

So, although my working week is nearly over, a Saturday night in Soho with my Suffolk follower will, I hope be very promising! This could be my best week to date.

My first follower . . .

Well, my first week back after my holiday has finally come to an end and I've only chalked up a disappointing two more. 

They are all over with their garish green and yellow fronts, but have you ever been to Subway?  I hadn't, but needed a quick lunch and so stepped into the Dean Street East branch. I was surprised to find what I thought was a rather limited menu.  I chose a classic tuna with salad which was made by two people in front of me (one for the tuna and one for the salad).  On the plus side, it was filling although I'm not sure about the quality of the white sub and I could have eaten it inside.  On the minus side, when the tuna mayo was put onto the sandwich using an ice cream scoop it seemed a little odd and the forumulaic customer service patter is a real turn off. £3.95 - so not bad value but read about the following day where . . .  

 . . . .  I had lunch at Trattoria Da Aldo (Greek Street West).  I'd walked past a lot and had been eyeing up the £5.00 lunch - a limited choice of simple dishes but including a glass of wine or soft drink.  It sounded like a bargain to me and was.  Staff were friendly and service good.  It is quite a small dark restaurant with tables jam packed together but, as it was quiet, that didn't matter.  I had a good size bowl of penne and bolognaise sauce and yes, there wasn't a huge amount of sauce but it was tasty and filling (just what I needed to prepare me for an evening of drinking!).  Bread and oil was optional, but at 50p you couldn't resist (the bread was rustic thick sliced and very good).  Even with the 55p (10%) service charge automatically added, I felt that I'd dined like a queen for £6.05.   

The evening saw me drinking in downstairs bar of The Forge http://www.theforgerestaurant.co.uk/.  Yes, I know it's in Covent Garden but it's my favourite bar and all because of the wonderful barman, Camron Cube!
     
And now the exciting news! I now have my first follower (my very good friend Gill).  However, I suspect it may be something to do with the fact that she is coming to stay with me next weekend and wants to bring both my lovely god-daughters.  Also, like me she is new to blogging and so doesn't really know what to do or what it means (I am in much the same position), but I am thrilled and think its the start of something much bigger! Thank you Gill x

Nothing to write home about!

Back to work today and two visits; both in Dean Street West.  Make Mine (www.makemine.co.uk) was interesting but I'd probably not go again.  It was my first experience and I found it a chaotic process, in that I ordered and then waited with a mass of others for my name to be called out.  My choice of a Marrakech wrap (roast chicken, cous cous, roasted peppers etc.) was pretty expensive at £4.75.  It was so huge and fat it was impossible to eat elegantly, so it's not something to eat with your boss, your boyfriend or a glamorous girlfriend.  Strangely, despite it's size, I didn't feel particularly full afterwards.  Still, others must think otherwise, as although it was relatively early, it was packed with people bringing in large lunch orders.

An after work drink with RM was called for and so we met at a pub called Nellie Deans. It appealed to me as I spent over 20 years in Yorkshire living next door to a lady called Nellie Dean (I'm sure there's also a song of the same name!).  At 5pm the pub was relatively quiet inside although people were enjoying the best of the sunny weather by standing outside.  The menu looked good value with sandwiches at £2.90 and mains like lasagne and sausage and mash for £4.50. The church like pews around the outside, were not very comfortable, the Chilean Sauvignon Blanc was was not particularly cheap or chilled (we had to ask for ice to be put in the chiller which would otherwise have maintained it at the room temperature at which it was served) and so I'd not rush back.

Not the most successful of days in terms of quality, but at least it's two more down.

I've had my fill of houmous . . .

. . . . having just returned from Beirut where I've eaten every type of houmous available for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

During lunch time when it was too hot to sun bathe, I finally got round to updating all my lists.  The definitive lists (which I am not going to change regardless of any new openings: my blog, my rules apply) are now published and this means that there is a grand total of 89 venues.  So far I've done 11. 

However with only 132 days left, I can't become complacent so, it's back to eating and drinking with a vengeance tomorrow when I return to work. 

PS: I suspect that the Lebanese restaurant Kaslik on Greek Street (W), won't be my first choice! 

Beirut calls . . .

 . . . as we fly out tomorrow.  So today was slightly disappointing in that I spent most of my lunchtime trying to find an Internet cafe so that I could check in on line (problems at work).  Unfortunately as I was using the wrong flight number, I wasn't successful and by the time I'd finished, it was too late to eat out.  So I grabbed a ready made sandwich and packet of crisps from the local corner store on Greek Street.  Nothing to write a blog about.

However, I did try morning coffee from Nino's Paninos on Frith Street (East).  At £2 it was a nice skinny latte but seemed very small compared to Cafe Nero and when I'd finished it, I wanted more.  Still at least it's another place ticked off!

Still haven't found time to update the lists, but I'm taking my netbook to Beirut so maybe in between eating hummus and kebabs I may find a spare moment.  Watch this space!

What a busy two days!

As I write this at 8.15pm on Thursday, I am feeling quite smug.  Not only have I now finished verifying all the venues, but I've been very active.  

It started yesterday (16 June), when I visited Cafe Emm (Frith Street East)  http://www.cafeemm.com/.  What an absolute find!  I went out just before 12 noon and sat at the only outdoor table (check the photograph on the website).  The sun was shining, I ordered a glass of wine from the exceptionally friendly chap and I was in my element.  I chose spinach salad with bacon (whole rashers not bits), avocado and blue cheese.  It was all tossed with a really nice dressing.  I finished with a skinny latte and my bill came to £13.30 which I thought was very good value for money.  According to their website they have a two course evening special for £8.95 which must be tried.  It's a lovely place to go for a simple, well cooked lunch and lovely service!

In the evening I met RM and colleagues, new and old, in The Crown and Two Chairmen pub (www.thecrownandtwochairmenw1.co.uk) on Dean Street (East side).  Huge and noisy, it wasn't particularly conducive to after work chats but it did have rather nice Chilean Sauvignon Blanc for £15. We probably should have gone on a Tuesday night when they have offers on wine.  Out of town colleagues were v impressed with my lists and mission! 

Today I had another lovely lunch experience at San Valentino (Greek Street East).  Again, an early lunch bagged me an outside table in the sun.  I was absolutely ravenous after a few drinks the night before and so I was most impressed with a huge jacket potato with cheese, beans and a side salad (I wasn't sure about the accompaniment of chicken flavoured crisps but I managed to eat them).  At £4.50 it was a fantastic filler and when I paid the bill I noticed they did lasagne (my death row meal) for £4.50.  There are a few tables inside and all sandwiches are freshly made.  They also open at 7am so it would be a good breakfast stop.  

I am very aware that I've not yet updated my lists on this blog, but have so enjoyed the eating and drinking I've not had time!

Good News, Bad News, Good News . . .

Tuesday 16 June 2010

Well, the good news is that creating lists on the blog were not as bad as anticipated and I managed to develop pages showing the venues down the three streets (both east and west sides) without too much trouble.

Yesterday, I started to verify the findings from http://www.streetsensation.co.uk/ with reality.   Although I've only done Dean Street, the bad news is that I've now added five more places to the west side and one to the east side.

However, the good news is that yesterday, I manged to hit three venues in one day!  

First of all, I started with a lunch time coffee (£1.75) and flapjack (£1.45) in Cafe Nero on Frith Street (west side).  Yes, its the same old formula but this one does have chairs along the pavement and its a nice place to sit and watch the world go by.  Directly opposite was an independent looking coffee place (called 34b) which extolled expresso and cappuccino in large letters.  How will it compare?  A couple of doors away from 34b was a place on my list called Jimmy's, which I know from the internet is a Greek restaurant.  It had a dusty, tired looking blue door with no ground floor frontage.  It would be very easy to walk past without realising it existed and so having been intrigued, I suspect it won't be long before I visit.  I'll probably find a huge plate smashing emporium on the first floor. 

Anyway my second hit of the day was an after work bottle of wine in Cafe Boheme (www.cafeboheme.co.uk). Unfortunately it was wet and rainy but we sat just inside whilst other braver souls sat outside under the awning. The service from the immaculately attired staff (black shirts and trousers with long white aprons) was excellent.  We chose a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc which whilst not cheap at £23.50, was served in beautiful glasses with tap water being automatically offered.  If we'd decided not to eat out, I'd have been tempted to try one of the small plates at £5 each.  The prix fixe at £12.50 for two courses seemed good value and it was good to know that not only are they open from 8am for breakfast, they also serve my favourite early morning dish - eggs benedict.  If I wasn't trying to visit lots of places, this would become a very firm favourite!

We then dashed diagonally across the road in the pouring rain to Maison Touareg (http://www.maisontouareg.co.uk/) for two reasons (a) it was near and (b) we are going to Beirut for a week on Saturday and I do like to tickle my taste buds with what is to come before I go.  We avoided the Beirut special at £25 as it included pudding and mint tea and plumped for three hot and three cold mezze dishes. This together with a bottle of Lebanese wine from the Ksara Winery (which we visited last time we were in Lebanon) produced a bill of £54.80 including service. 

Now I know that you may think that this is cheating, but before I started this challenge, but after I started my new job, I visited three places which I'm going add to my list of achievements.  The first was on 9 June when I took a friend who was about to retire (after lots and lots of years) to Kettners (www.kettners.com).  I've been there lots of times, and it never fails to deliver a slightly decadent, bohemian experience.   After a bottle of champers, we headed for The Delhi Brasserie on Frith Street and with cobra beers and our usual staples (which for me is popadom, samosa, chicken vindaloo), the bill came to around £54 (the price of decent champagne in Kettners).  The third hit, was on 11 June when after my leaving drinks, I was desperate for coffee and carbs.  Cafe El Buen Gusto served up skinny latte (£1.70) and a fabulous bacon roll (£1.30) which helped bring me back to life.  The bacon was freshly cooked in front of me and the roll was warm and crusty.  With lashings of brown sauce it saved my bacon!!!  

I'll be back walking the streets tomorrow to finish verifying my list so that my true mission can be baselined ready for monitoring. 

The scale of the challenge is revealed , , ,

 . . . Well I've now completed the first two tasks.  I've had a formal weigh in and secretly stored the results which you are obviously not privy to.  However, my partner, RM, has acted as independent scrutineer and can vouch for my integrity. 

I've also used http://www.streetsensation.co.uk/ to do some initial research on the number of venues.  The results are:

Dean Street (West side)  -  3
Dean Street (East side)   - 19
Frith Street (West side    - 14
Frith Street (East side)    - 15 
Greek Street (West side) - 10
Greek Street (East side)  - 20

Making a grand total of 81 eateries before 31 October (i.e. in 20 weeks) an average of just over 4 per week.  

How do I feel about this?  Well it does seem quite daunting as I'll need to make up for the weeks when I'm away on holiday.  However, if I have a pre-dinner drink, a meal and then a nightcap, I could manage three in one night!

The good news is that there does seem to be a lack of chains although there is the ubiquitous Pizza Express, Pret and Cafe Nero and perhaps more worryingly, I'll have to go somewhere I vowed I'd never step foot in: an Angus Steak House.  There's also a good mix of food from around the world, including Vietnam, Indonesia, Japan, India and China.  

So, I'm now going to check my findings to make sure there've been no changes and then I'll attempt to publish the list on my blog. This may be easier said than done, as yesterday it took me ages to try to re-size my photograph so that it didn't overlap with text.  In the end, I gave up and decided to try a different design, which seemed to work.  Hopefully lists will be much easier!

 
  

Saturday 12 June 2010

It began as a bit of fun. Earlier in the week I'd started a new short-term job in Shaftesbury Avenue. Not only was the job new, but the location, Soho, was new as well.

I'd decided to make the most of lunch hours and get to know the area. So my first lunch break saw me walking up Greek Street to Soho Square and back down Dean Street. What a revelation: none of the seedy sex shops I'd expected but a cornucopia of bars and restaurants with food from all over the world. Being a bon viveur, I was in my element and wondered how many I could visit during the four months I'd be working in the area.

After a few drinks at my leaving do later in the week (yes, I know you're supposed to have this before you leave but I'd postponed it from the week earlier due to half term when everyone except me was off), I made the rash statement that I'd try to visit every bar and restaurant within the confines of Greek, Dean and Frith Streets.

Sobriety kicked in yesterday, but having recently watched the DVD, Julie and Julia (where Julie Powell attempts to cook all 524 recipes from Julia Child's book Mastering the art of French cooking), I thought 'why not?' I do not yet know the scale of the challenge but I have found a fantastic website http://www.streetsensation.co.uk/ which should help enormously.

So, as a Programme Manager, I need to scope out the project, develop a plan and create a risk register (the main risks at the moment appear to be a huge increase in my waistline (i.e. lbs gained) and a huge decrease in my bank balance (i.e. £s lost).

Additionally, as a virgin blogger I need to get to grips with what its all about! Hopefully as this happens, you'll see my blog improve, so visit me regularly!

My partner has suggested that in order to mitigate the main risk I also record my weight, as well as recording details of where I've been and what I've eaten. This is a step to far, but I will limit it to reporting weekly on pounds gained or lost (in my dreams!).

Well, I've now committed myself in writing, so I will go and get weighed and then start to work out how many places I need to visit in the next few months.

I'll be back soon with the results of my findings!