rglondon | Entries tagged with chinese food

Hello RGL community. I got back from a three-week holiday Down Under on Saturday (it was lovely!) and I've been a bit jet-lagged since, and a bit busy at work too, hence the delay to this post, a very special episode of the Randomness Guide to London.

You'll be aware of the news. Therefore the first thing to mention is that after this post RGL will take a break for a while. Most of us are now working from home, and avoiding going out as much as possible (some entirely). The latest government and Public Health England advice has been to avoid group socialising and non-essential travel, so it's likely that many of the pubs, bars, restaurants and cinemas will be closed at this point, and given the way things have progressed on the continent, it feels like only a matter of time before that is enforced more strictly. We cannot in all good faith, as of Wednesday 18 March, advise you to go out to any of the places on this list either; if they are still open, you will have to take that decision yourself, but find ways to support them however you can.

The list below was compiled on Sunday, and even in the few days since then, the public health advice has taken a much harder line.

Restaurante Santafereño, Brixton, London SW9

With all that in mind, the featured article is Restaurante Santafereno, SW9 8PR, a popular restaurant in the Brixton Market supporting the Colombian community. Perhaps make it a place to visit when we are able to move freely again.

There's an update to Sala Piquin, also in Brixton Market, formerly Casa Morita. It's moving from just Mexican to regional fusion, with friendly staff, so why not help them out with a visit when it's safe again to do so.

Two reported temporary closures (that aren't related to coronavirus) are: Mirch Masala in Norbury (for hygiene reasons); and Joy King Lau in Covent Garden.

Well, that's our last update for a while. We don't know how long things will go, but it's likely to be for at least the length of the Summer, which is sad. Some places are still offering takeaways or deliveries so please do your best to support small businesses wherever you can in any way that is safe to both you and them, and spare a thought for those businesses who were gearing up to open or rebrand or refurbish in March and beyond. More than that, spare a thought for the many people working in the hospitality and tourist industries who will find life much harder now. Life will get hard for a bit, before things look up.

mrs_leroy_brown

Plumstead Pantry, Plumstead, London SE18

Good afternoon!

This week our new featured article is for The Plumstead Pantry, a small cafe on the edge of Plumstead Common. The vegan breakfast features bonus veg alongside the trad faves and the roast tomatoes with feta, basil, and a slow-cooked egg on sourdough toast was marked very good. With a selection of teas as well as coffee, and friendly service, it sounds like a great place to start the day.

We’ve two new articles added this week. Le Tran Cafe a Vietnamese cafe and restaurant in Bermondsey serves a straightforward menu in a nicely decorated setting. Near London Bridge Station, there’s Kin and Deum, a Thai restaurant on the site of the old Suchard Freehouse with decent enough food but a rather noisy and crowded atmosphere.

Updates have been made to The Marquis of Wellington pub in Bermondsey, The Horseshoe Inn in Borough, and in Southall, New Asian Tandoori Centre, a Punjabi restaurant.

Finally and back to SE1, The Bridge Lounge and Dining Room held a farewell yard sale but we’re unsure if this means a permanent shut down or a change of management/ownership.

katstevens

Evening RGL crew!

This week's featured article is for the Douglas Fir micropub in Anerley (halfway up the hill, towards Crystal Palace). Expect all your favourite Gipsy Hill Brewing Company beers, and a place to plug your laptop in.

We've been to Orpington! This has resulted in a new page for snazzy Indian restaurant Masala Dabbas (the thali sounds good) and an update for the Orpington 'Spoons, the Harvest Moon, which looks exactly like I'd expect a Zone 6 Spoons to look like. A couple of stops up the line in Bromley we've a new page for gelato emporium Unico, which also does savoury pastries. The Wine Gallery in Purley has tapas plates to accompany your glass of rosé, while you admire the art - very sophisticated.

Keep going south from Purley and you'll reach Coulsdon, home of the Singapore Orchid, an 'old school' Singaporean/Chinese restaurant with lots of vegetarian/mock-meat options. Even further south is the Rambler's Rest in Chipstead, a country pub with open fireplaces, and the Kingswood Arms (in Kingswood), which has had an important fishfinger sandwich update. Before you start wondering if we should rename this blog the Randomness Guide to Surrey, the subject of our final new article is located right by Streatham Hill station: Perfect Blend self-describes its widely ranging menu: breakfasts, small plates, burgers, smoothies, cocktails, coffee, pancakes and an omelette. I defy you not to hum the Neighbours theme tune while reading that list ("breaaaaak-fasts....").

Finally, some closures to report. The Change of Horses in Farnborough is "currently closed for a short undeterminable period of time" (scratching-chin-emoji), the Waterman's Arms in Richmond is closed for a refurb, and Lounge 101 in Ruislip has met its pseudo-Orwellian fate at last, consigned to oblivion by Frank Skinner's comically-oversized lever.

mrs_leroy_brown

Listen all ya'll - we've a slew of tasty news in this week's RGL update!

Our new featured article is the Rising Sun, a Sri Lankan restaurant in the Sudbury area of Harrow, not to be confused with Sudbury, Ontario. Weird lighting aside, the set lunch menu looks a great bargain and comes with friendly service to boot.

New articles added include:
- Round Table Books, a delightful children's bookshop located in Brixton Village Market selling all manner of books suitable for humans of all ages.

- Pintadera, a small Italian cafe in my personal favourite of the Norwoods (West). It's got homey decor which is work/laptop friendly; you may need to ask for spread for your toast, though.

- Still in West Norwood, there's Hobby's, a small craft and hobby shop; it's best to go knowing exactly what you want first.

- Mama Dough in Sydenham is a part of a small chain of pizza restuarants which also has a punny menu; the topping combos seem to offer the classics as well as some more nontraditional offerings and vegans & gluten-free dudes rejoice, they can cater upon request. I'm definitely hitting this one up!

Updates were made to Food House, an Indo-Chinese restuarant in Wimbledon, Fred's, a cafe in Brockley, Bridge House, a pub in Penge, O Cantinho de Portugal, a (shock!) Portuguese cafe/restaurant in Brixton, and Casa Morita, a taqueria in Brixton that also offers a selection of Mexican groceries.

Two permanet closures this week - Abuja Connection, a Nigerian restaurant in Crystal Palace, and Angel Road station which has been replaced by the brand-spankin' new Meridian Water Station just half a kilometre away.

katstevens

This week's featured article is for Sanxia, a Sichuan/Hubei restaurant in Bromley, where you'll find the marvellously-named dish 'ants climbing a tree' (spicy pork vermicelli). I do like a place that has a menu section called 'Adventurous Dishes' - if you're after some #TripeOfTheDay then you could do a lot worse than here (or their sister branches in Deptford and Fitzrovia). I've gone veggie for 2019 though, so you'll have to eat my portion for me.

Some pub updates, following a recent jaunt to Ealing: the Rose and Crown and the Castle Inn are both Fuller's pubs, with a predictably similar beer selection, but the menus are quite different (no tripe). Over towards Old Street, the Trader is now under new management, and has been renamed to the Whitecross Tap.

The Antic-owned Jam Circus pub in Brockley has closed (a distinct lack of actual jam there, as I recall), as has the Grill On The Market by Smithfields (jam quantities uncertain but I remember it being very noisy), and the Dispensary in Whitechapel (very handy for my office, zero jam). The Big Green Bookshop in Wood Green has also finally closed its physical shop - online jam(s) available only.

mrs_leroy_brown

Good evening ya'll!

If you're looking for advice on where to seek out Japanese noodles in the City, "udon" well in reading this update. Koya serves up udon in a variety of temperatures in a rich and salty broth. Expect solid competence in a modern setting, with efficient service.

Two new articles have been added: Ma La, a Sichuan restaurant in Westminster which can accommodate small and large groups, though you might benefit from scattering across smaller tables if you want to reach the lazy susan. There's also Planet of the Beans, a child-friendly cafe in Selsdon serving an interesting interpretation of eggs royale.

Updates have been made to Ealing Park Tavern, where a pint of lime and soda is £2 and the mains are tasty, albeit on on the small side. Updates have also been made to The Speaker, a small pub in Westminster with a good selection of beers that passed the RGL drinkable taste test.

If you're looking for Stanfords, an excellent map shop in Covent Garden, note it's moved around the corner from Long Acre to Mercer Walk.

That's it for a fortnight as we prepare for and recover from Croydon Fun Weekend :)

katstevens

Good evening, and welcome to a slightly belated blog post. Our featured article this week is for Trullo near Highbury & Islington station. Their tagliarini is good enough to convince our pasta-sceptic reviewer into a return visit, and to be quite frank the write-up is making me feel hungry, despite my having scoffed four mini naan breads mere seconds before typing this sentence.

There's an update for the insensitively-named but otherwise pleasant Job Centre, an Antic pub in Deptford (very close to Wavelengths swimming pool, if you require a decent vegan roast after your Sunday morning 2km dip).

Finally, we've one closure to report: East Meets West in Croydon's Wing Yip centre.

katstevens

Evening readers!

This week's featured article is for Roti Joupa, a Trinidadian takeaway near Clapham North tube. I don't tend to venture to Clapham much (unless I've got on the wrong Overground train at Canada Water without realising), but I might make an exception for somewhere that sells macaroni pie. I enjoy macaroni, I enjoy pie, I also enjoy tamarind sauce - perhaps one day I will even enjoy Clapham?

Regular readers will recall last week's spoiler alert concerning a jaunt to Bromley ('the place where broom grows'), resulting in new pages for Sanxia, a Sichuan/Hubei Chinese restaurant, and the Star and Garter pub. There's also updates for the Red Lion, the Barrel & Horn, and Indian restaurant/hotel Tamasha, which has ~~mucky pictures in the loos~~ "ancient Indian artwork of an adult nature". One can only hope it's up to the standard of the infamous decor of Cafe Bangla (aka the Princess Di place) on Brick Lane.

How might one get to Bromley, I hear you ask? The direct path is unlikely to involve Cannon Street, but if you find yourself in said station you could visit the Sir John Hawkshaw Wetherspoons or nearby Japanese restaurant Koya. But where *can* you get to from Cannon Street? Douze points to whoever said Sidcup ('a flat topped hill'), where there are three pub updates, for the Hackney Carriage microbrewery, the Alma and the Hill Top Tap.

Right at the top of Green Lanes in Winchmore Hill, there's a new page for the Little Green Dragon pub, and an update for Turkish restaurant Big Seff. There's also a new page for the Temple Brew House bar and microbrewery, just off the Strand.

Finally we come back to Trigger's Bromley, where the Cineworld is temporarily closed, while it transforms chrysalis-style into a Picturehouse.

ewan

Welcome back! I was off on Monday traipsing around the many fine licensed establishments of Bromley (the one in South London), and then I completely forgot about this update. Here it is, in time for the weekend.

Your featured article this week is The Brookmill, SE8 4EJ. It's a long, narrow pub in an awkward corner site, with jazz on the sound system and five handpulls for ale. There is even a very interesting sounding vegan burger on the menu. Sounds like a nice place.

Lots of new additions this week, mostly pubs! I can but speculate as to this seasonal flurry of additions, but eagle-eyed readers will know this happens around this time every year:
* The Prince, a fine pub and microbrewery in leafy Wood Green, which I very much like, but watch out for the, er, ice;
* The Arnos Arms, in Arnos Grove, a big pub formerly a Harvester, but now it's not a Harvester, so that's already an improvement;
* The King's Arms in Fulham, another big pub, with ornate decor;
* The Foresters Arms, also a boutique hotel and a posh restaurant, in Hampton Wick, where you can expect a black pleather bar and some ales;
* The Henry Addington just by Canary Wharf station -- it's a Nicholson's pub in an early-90s building but it's going for an old fashioned vibe;
* The Wellington Arms (also a hotel) in not-technically-London Watford, but it doesn't sound like somewhere you'd necessarily make a special trip north for;
* The Windsor Castle in Kensington/Notting Hill, a well-divided and partitioned bar with lots of area and character, and frankly it's a surprise it hasn't been on RGL until now. Can't really go wrong, it's a classic pub, just watch out for posh locals I guess?

There's also a new entry for the distinctly not-a-pub Trullo, an Italian restaurant by Highbury Corner. It's very popular, and that makes sense given the quality of the food. Definitely one for pasta exploration.

There are also updates to The Temperance pub in Fulham (cavernous!), Dalchini in Wimbledon (Indo-Chinese food! though be careful), and The Lion in Teddington/Hampton Wick (partly a French restaurant now!).

Finally, reported permanent closure for Kenya Coffee House in Romford, which may yet find a new location.

katstevens

Morning RGL readers!

This week's featured article is for Taste of Kerala in Croydon, a small South Indian restaurant which sounds like a handy spot for a lunchtime thali. Good value for money, too!

In Latin American cafe news, there's a new page for the Pueblito Paisa Cafe, which is right opposite the 76 bus stop at Seven Sisters station, next to the market. No word on whether they do Christmas empanadas or not.

There are updates for The Finsbury pub (in Finsbury Park, not Finsbury EC1) where the lime and soda is FREE, yes FREE, and for the Dilara/Uyghur Restaurant (also in Finsbury Park, not Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Territory), where the menu is a mix of Turkish and Chinese dishes.

Regular readers will remember the Sir Richard Steele closing for refurbishment back in January - your patience has been rewarded! It's back open and we have no idea what it's like now. Will they have kept the ceiling mural? A world of mystery awaits in Belsize Park.

ewan

Hello all! It's Wednesday! You know, Kake sends me updates on Sunday or Monday, but I just like to keep you all waiting in excited suspense to find out what's been going on at the RGL website... (Well, that, or I'm just a bit disorganised.)

東京ダイナー (Tokyo Diner), Chinatown, London WC2

So this week, our featured player is Tokyo Diner, WC2H 7JP, a busy if sparsely-decorated Japanese veteran, which won't take your tips and does a fine agedashi tofu.

New to the team is Blend, another compact Norbury tea and coffee lover with a fine view of railway platforms, offering what we're calling sensibly-balanced food.

We have a breakfast-related update to Affogato, also found in Norbury.

Finally, looks like Hiep Phat in Walworth might be going, but we're not sure yet. Tins and boxes of Chinese and Vietnamese groceries may no longer be available at this location in SE17, but we're just waiting confirmation on its fate.

mrs_leroy_brown

Evening all :)

This week's featured article is Dilara/Uyghur Restaurant in Finsbury Park. Don't be deceived by the signage - this ain't no standard kebab shop (though it does have kebabs on the menu). Peer beyond the entry to discover a be-chandeliered restaurant with plenty of seating, serving a variety of Turkish and Uyghur cuisine. Our reviewer was impressed by the quality of the marjan korumisi - stop by and you may end up getting a freebie with your meal.

Fans of chickpea-based scran will be saddend to hear that Hummus Bros has gone into administration, closing all their restaurants including the Wardour Street and Southampton Row branches.

Also permanently closed is Caprice, a Balkan and Mediterranean restaurant in Croydon's High Street.

mrs_leroy_brown

Morning all :)

This week's featured article is Poached,a friendly little cafe in Beckenham which doesn't quite hit the RLG gold standard of "very good" as yet, but shows great promise.

Two new articles have been added - Blue Jay Cafe, a child-friendly Caribbean cafe in South Norwood, and Dilara/Uyghur Restaurant, a Turkish and Uyghu restaurant in Finsbury Park that may appear to be a standard kebab shop but seats quite a few and offers a larger variety than your typical doner.

Updates have been made to Tram Stop cafe in Addiscombe, the Crown and Greyhound pub in Dulwich Village, and Flavaz N Spices, a Guyanese takeaway and bakery in Anerley.

Three reported permanent pub closures this week, Antigallican in Charlton, White House, a Wetherspooon's pub located between Hayes and East Drayton, and the curiously named Load of Hay in Uxbridge.

Finally, a less permanent closure, the Canbury Arms, a gastropub in Kingston, is closed for refurbishment and due to reopen later this year.

ewan

Hello again!

This week's featured article is Deli Felice, SE16 7JQ in Rotherhithe, a small space showcasing a frequently changing roster of local artists. Sounds pretty good and you may even find yourself not objecting to dried oregano.

We have updates! Three updates! There's Pearl Liang, a dim sum place near Paddington (still good!). There's Bridge Hotel in Greenford (still there). And there's The Orange Tree in Richmond (still probably best to avoid when there's rugby on).

Four reported closures though: Good Taste, a very good deli in CryPal, sadly missed; Kensington Roof Gardens in, er, Kensington; Rio's Britannia Cafe in Norbury; and Bunga Raya in Thornton Heath.

katstevens

Evening all! We're back after a week off, with another featured article: Hasi is an Albanian restaurant and bar in Barking, with no discernible menu. Sounds like the food was tasty though, so certainly worth checking out if you're in Barking and/or want to brush up on your Albanian current affairs.

Two new pages this week! The Pan Tao Garden stall in Tooting Broadway Market serves boxes of extremely good value (if not particularly adventurous) Chinese food, while the Oasis Cafe in Thornton Heath has both British and West Indian menus (including a West Indian breakfast) - no Gallagher brothers sighted on our visit however.

Sydenham's best vegan cafe, the Honey Hive, has had an update following a visit (alas featuring the most terrible vegetable of them all, in 'rice' form), as have the Fox On The Hill Wetherspoons in Denmark Hill and Brasserie Vacherin in Croydon.

The Japan Centre has moved (yet again) just round the corner to Panton Street - its previous home in Shaftesbury Avenue now specialises in ceramics and books. Meanwhile further down Panton Street, the Odeon has closed, and is due to reopen at some point as a rather more 'luxurious' cinema. London Bridge's cinema/bar combo Roxy Bar and Screen has a less glamorous future: it is turning into a KFC. Finally, Croydon's fine dining scene is mourning the closure of Albert's Table (it's currently unknown whether or not it will become a fried chicken emporium, but if so they are welcome to take "Albumen EinstHEN's" as the best name I could come up with in 5 minutes).

ewan

Welcome back!

This week's featured article is Banh Mi 108, TW13 4HE. It's a Vietnamese cafe in Feltham. That first part may be clear from the name, and indeed they do banh mi baguettes, including a vegetarian one. I'm not sure what the 108 refers to though. Why not visit and figure it out? It doesn't appear to be the address though.

There are three new articles. One is Curzon Aldgate, a branch of the boutique cinema chain which opened earlier this year in... wait for it... Aldgate! It's quite a nice place (if pricy obviously). A second cinema is at the Close-Up Film Centre in Shoreditch, and yes I added both these entries because I went to my first film at Close-Up just this past week. Anyway, it's also a video rental library (those still exist!) and a cafe, and I'm a member.

Finally for the new entries, there's Hubbub, a cafe/bar on the Isle of Dogs. It's in a lovely looking building.

There's a significant update to the Ferry House entry, also on the Isle of Dogs, a very old pub given a light makeover.

Reported permanent closures are Shu Castle, a Sichuan restaurant on the Old Kent Road, and The Albion pub in Bethnal Green.

Finally, one pub to reopen is The Marquis of Wellington, once a dowdy-looking backstreets Bermondsey local which now finds itself adjacent to all the coolest new breweries and food vendors along Druid St, so it's been given a makeover befitting that location.

ewan

Welcome back!

This week's featured article is Rial Cafe, E15 3BT, or maybe Ruad Cafe if you like. It's a cafe in West Ham with eclectic furniture and tasty lunches.

Our two additions are a MICROPUB in Anerley, the Douglas Fir (run by Gipsy Hill and is fairly minimal in decor, but good beers and WiFi), and Resham in Norbury (an Indian restaurant which specialises in Indian-style Chinese food).

Three reported closures are The Belvedere Hotel in Belvedere (which is near Erith, if that helps?), Beer Rebellion in Sydenham (short lived sadly!) and The Camel and Artichoke behind Waterloo station.

Finally the very fine Claret Free House in Addiscombe is now called The Claret and Ale.

ewan

Sorry for the late entry this week! I hope it hasn't thrown out your planning for all the places you want to check out...

This week's featured article is Murger Han, NW1 1DA. It's a Northern Chinese restaurant in Euston, and although I've never really been sold on 'Euston' as a descriptor of the area, I recognise most people probably know where you mean (this is really Somers Town, surely). Anyway, I'm getting distracted from the important thing, which is that for all its utilitarian decor, you can get some interesting porky fatty burger-type things (these it seems are the "murgers" of the name), and a nicely-balanced vinegary soup. Don't try and pay with Scottish currency, mind.

One addition is a Nigerian restaurant in Canning Town, Squires, with decent thoroughly-cooked fish stew.

There's an update to Napura, a Portuguese restaurant in Nunhead, from which you can also order takeaway.

Two temporary pub closures are the Aeronaut pub in Acton, and the Great Northern Railway Tavern in Hornsey.

Finally the reported permanent closure of East Dulwich tea shop Le Chandelier. Now a restaurant called Spinach, the idea of which isn't really thrilling me tbqh but I don't live in East Dulwich.

katstevens

Evening all!

This week's featured article is for Ram's in Kenton, a vegetarian Indian restaurant and sweet shop with a decent all-you-can-eat buffet. Unlimited bread! There are also two new pages on RGL: Cactus Grill in Wallington serves Mexican/American food with a lunchtime meal deal, and Hap Lee in Norbury does the usual Anglo-Chinese cuisine (maybe skip the aubergine).

There's an update for the Orange Room in Mile End, just around the corner from a house where approximately half the population of Livejournal has lived at one point or another, including this author. I'm pretty sure there wasn't a local Lebanese mezze place at the time - but now there is!

Several pub closures to report: the Hatchet near Mansion House, the Chequers in Hendon, and the Greenwich Pensioner in... wait for it... Poplar! (Come on, why would you think a Greenwich Pensioner might be in Greenwich?) The Victoria Stakes in Muswell Hill is also temporarily shut following a fire, but the Good Samaritan in Whitechapel has reopened: very handy for a pre- or post-Tayyabs pint.

katstevens

Evening all!

This week's featured article is for Chang's Noodle on New Oxford Street. Their intriguingly-named Man and Wife offal turns out to include some spicy tripe! It feels like ages since we featured tripe on the RGL blog, doesn't it? If that doesn't get your mouth watering, there are plenty of other Northern Chinese dishes to try - the pork belly with shredded cucumber and the baked buns sound pretty good.

There's a new page for the Meantime Beer Box, located just outside the O2 in Greenwich. Meantime may not be quite so locally-focused as they used to be, but their beers are all present and correct in this bar, including some experimental ones.

Last but not least, we have an update to the Rockingham Arms, aka the Elephant & Castle Wetherspoons (housed in the former Ministry of Health headquarters, the Grade II listed Metro Central Heights). Given the location I would say it's a good Spoons for bus spotting, but the outside space is a bit limited and it's hard to see out from inside.