Eat Like Ushi

Dishoom is the beautiful Bombay lover I once got close to but went away from. After my first lust (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/dishoom-london-10-2012) back in Covent Garden late-2012 to my leaving farewell meal in Shoreditch late-2013, it has always had a special place in my heart for the quality food, breakfast after the 2013 AFL Grand Final win and drinks to get a night started. I had heard it was recently rated the number 1 restaurant in London/UK - a worthy winner in my opinion.

A reunion of people from Australia and UK spelled the occasion this time, and it was an easy decision to spend £50 each on a bit of food and a lot of drinks in the old Shoreditch haunt.

- Chicken & pomegranate salad £9.5 (not pictured) – still as exceptional I my first visit. The pomegranate seeds, the sliced tender chicken, the herbs all harmonise together;
- Chilli cheese toast £3.5 – a very strongly flavoured rendition with a touch of spice;
- House black daal £5.9 - it doesn't compete with Bukhara but still good;
- Awadhi lamb biryani £9.9 – nice light fluffy rice spiced with pockets of lamb hidden away;
- Garlic naan £2.5 – chewy soft and garlicky;
- Mahi tikka £8.2 – delicate fish morsels, well cooked and delicious;
- Chicken ruby £8.5 – a soft bread is used to pick up the chicken curry.

Thanks for creating more memories (albeit hazed by cocktails) including 4 women discussing the realities of childbirth and episiotomies.

The restaurant I ate at the most in London was my local curry house and luckily it was a phenomenal one. Some prefer Tayyab (and to be honest the grilled meats aka lamb chops are better there) but Needoo clearly wins the curry war in my opinion. My usual trifecta of Daighi dry meat curry, lamb biryani and pumpkin curry used to last me a week of meals and has been the most reminisced of London foods since I left.

The prices have gone up by about 20% in 2.5 years but the quality and serving size remain the same.

- Daighi dry meat curry – still the best curry to my palate. The soft lamb, the dry spiced heat and the deep salty burning flavours are balanced by the squeeze of lemon juice;
- King prawn biryani – I usually opt for the lamb biryani (I think the base rice is the same and cooked with the key ingredient). They found a serve of king prawns in the freezer (interpret that how you will) and although slightly overcooked made a nice textural contrast to the deliciously flavoured rice. Unlike when I get takeaway lamb biryani, this one also came with a serve of chickpea curry with tomatoes;
- Kahari fish – a nicely flavoured curry with fish that is too overcooked. The flavour does make up for it though.

In my time I’m yet to find another decent Pakistani biryani and curry that can match Needoo (although on the curry front my recent experience at Hoppers may compete - http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/hoppers-london-06-2016). 

Next time I would order a biryani (the king prawns themselves may not be worth the extra £5 charge compared to other versions), dry meat curry and another vegetable curry as per my norm. Having the chickpeas and fish curry reaffirmed that just about any curry at this place will be a safe choice.

I was reading about new places to try and this Sri Lankan place is taking London by storm. I’ve had Sri Lankan once in Canberra (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/camellia-canberra-11-2014) but it didn’t compete with the basic successes of this place. 4.8/5 rating from 50+ people - are you kidding? I know London curry is exceptionally good and the main cuisine I was back here to eat (Dishoom, Needoo, other) but that rating is ridiculous. The other places that competed for me stomach that lunch was Black Axe Mangal (haute kebab, exceptionally rated) and Kricket (Indian in Brixton).

The queue for 2 or 3 people was 45 mins. Luckily I have no friends and was let in immediately. The Buffalo Biryani, Duck Egg Curry, Yoghurt and Brinjal Moju was the dish that attracted me the most, but there were two drawbacks – I don’t think I could’ve finished the whole thing (they do allow takeaway) and secondly I felt I should try the namesake items. The very lovely waitress confirmed this and suggested a starter, hopper and curry.

The starter I selected was the Duck Heart Chukka. I absolutely adored this. The dry heat (not as hot as led to believe as the hottest one on the menu) with a deep intense flavour and the chewy crunchy heart had a mild unique afterflavour slightly reminiscent of beef heart slices. I have to find these to cook for myself.

The Egg Hopper was similar to the appam from India. The outsides of the disk are easily torn like chips to pickup the condiments and curry. The inside is cooked with an egg and reminds me of the tangy and spongy feel of injera. It is topped with a salty spice to contrast the egg yolk and hopper. Of the condiments the orange coconut sambol was the one nicely flavoured part.

Of the curries, my choice was between the Black Pork Kari (explained as the driest) and the Gourd & Cashew Kari (explained as the waitress’s favourite). I opted for meat this time based upon the dry Needoo style. It was nice but paled in quality to the duck and Needoo’s Daighi curry.

The remarkable Duck Heart Chukka and my desire for the Buffalo Buriani will definitely bring me back. There’s also mutton roti and a Ceylonese spit chicken for the future.

I’ll always remember Pitt Cue Co. (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/pitt-cue-co-london-08-2012-12-2012) and the numerous meals at the bar or the downstairs wedged under the staircase and enjoying the thick beef ribs, tender pork ribs and a remarkable beef brisket. I was pleased to see they had expanded to a larger place, dropped the Co. to become Pitt Cue, and closer to the part of London I consider home. On top of this, they accept bookings so as a catchup between 8 friends was an obvious choice.

I do like Neil Rankin and so Bad Egg was another contender, as was Seth Troxler's Smokey Tails but those will have to wait until next time.

- Octopus – this was remarkably soft, tender and flavoursome. One of the best I’ve eaten that was sliced through by a blunt knife;
- Blood cake – I wondered if this was similar to black pudding. They said it was different but I would like it. This had a excellent deep flavour and a texture peppered with bits of rice and small fat cubes. Outstanding;
- Potato cakes – 4 heavily fried chips essentially. Very crisp and salty. Really not worth it;
- Bacon – a flavoured slice of pork with a fat cap. Not a flavour of smoke sadly;
- Courgette – crunchy vegetable slices topped with a crisp fry;
- Lamb breast for 2 – from the specials board a deliciously soft piece of meat with a mild flavour. I wanted the smoked lamb neck but was sadly sold out the moment before ordering;
- Pork jowl – a heavily salty cheek with a large surrounding fat layer on top. I prefer beef cheeks for the thicker meat and greater ability to become tender;
- Mangalitza pork – a pink tender medium rare cut with moderate flavour and perfect texture. An example of how quality pork can be cooked to a more specific degree;
- Bone marrow mash – softly and gently whipped, deeper beef flavour to stir through;
- Slaw – mildly flavoured, would’ve liked a bit more Spanish onion and tart vinegar;

I do think the meal was overall less impressive than my memories of Pitt Cue Co. The smokey flavour wasn't evident in many of the dishes and the rubs seemed to be more heavily on salt rather than spice or in some cases minimal spice at all. I've made the beef rib recipe from the book and it was on another flavour level to what I tried that evening. Perhaps a short trip back to the original dishes of beef and pork ribs, insane rib tips and the brisket is required for me. I'd definitely go back for the octopus and blood cake alone though.

My Pitt Cue Co. cookbook sits on my bookshelf and my Weber Smokey Mountain 22” in the garden in Melbourne waiting for me to create my own copycat versions.

I'd finally returned for a short visit to my previous home of Whitechapel. It isn't easy finding new places in the area as it tends to be dominated by old curry houses (and for good reason).

I was pleasantly surprised to see a new opening of a pizza and particularly cider dedicated space near my Qbic Hotel. They offer a good value lunch deal for only £6.5 including a pizza and salad. Add a half-pint of your choice of cider for £2.5 extra and you have yourself a great meal.

I'd need more time (and an evening) to go through the ciders and pick a few favourites but for lunchtime the pizza was my main focus. I sampled the Hells Bells (spicy chopped pork, Naga chillies, garlic, red onion, basil leaves, field mushrooms, tomato sauce, mozzarella). I've been scarred by previous curries with Naga (aka ghost) chillies but I was told this was cooked into the pork sauce and wasn't too offensive and it was true - there was a definite heat and kick but other than a slight runny nose I handled it nicely. The chilli pieces themselves weren't too hot so I can only assume those were different chillies. I was surprised at how little tomato sauce there was (obviously having been thin and baked in rather than much liquid left) and the base was thin and quite crispy (although I do prefer the chew eg. Franco Manca).

Overall it's a very good lunch deal and on another day with friends and time would be a good way to pass the afternoon with cider tasting.

I first discovered Yum Bun online and then in person at Broadway Market (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/broadway-market-london-2012-2013). In fact, I made my maiden trek to this market just to try them. As I had visited David Chang's Momofuku a year earlier, I was surprised (and amazed) to find I enjoyed the Yum Bun versions more. Maybe it was the cold weather and rain, but they were so very great.

As the months went on, I visited Broadway several times for the buns, but they seemed to appear there less and less (including on my birthday in 2012 which I was bitterly disappointed). Eventually they opened the store front and it became apparent.

The buns were as good as ever, better than the USA, Melbourne and other parts of London and Europe that were doing them. They are still my favourite and will remain so. Despite a few different flavours, the original pork belly will always be the best. One particular time the pork had a crisp textural shell. I thought it was skin, but the owner told me they never use skin and so it must have been crispened by the grilling. I'll have to remember to ask for that every time.

It's a shame the store has now closed.

01-2018

It's been a long time since Yum Bun graced my lips and in that time it appears Bao has become the premier bun place (even though I haven't tried it). The revamp of the foodie section of Spitalfields gave me a good opportunity to try again my lost lust.

£7.5 for 2 buns or £9 to include the meal (salad) and an extra £1 for a flavoursome soup (not miso but equivalently nice).

Unfortunately the bun quality has deteriorated over the years. Firstly the pork bun no longer comes with hoisin but instead used another sauce (plum sauce I think) which changes the flavour completely and not for the better. The pork is smaller but still reasonable sized but look at those tatty broken peeled buns. Compare with the beauty of the originals from Broadway Schoolyard market or the store near Old St and there is a significant difference.

Tofu was heavily fried and had very slight flavour.

Despite that, it had the longest queues in Spitalfields so maybe not everyone shares my view (or my nostalgia).

Of all the markets in London, I spent the most time at Broadway. From home in Whitechapel it was an easy bus straight up north and so meant I could carry a few Sainsbury re-usable bags and come home with goodies from there (and the nearby Tesco superstore to stock up on organic UHT soy milk).

The first time I went to Broadway was for one reason - Yum Bun and their David Chang-copied pork belly bao. It was a beautiful snack, better than the original in my opinion, and as they began to leave Broadway there were several instances where I turned up and they didn't.

I had to find another reason to go, and it became the game meats and local pig farmer stand there. My staples were venison shin and pork ribs which I always turned into stew for the week and noodle soups for warming up the winters.

Other than that my favourite snacks were the Remix Roti, Vada Chaat and chai as well as one day sampling the Macbeth haggis toastie at Deeney's (both places in the schoolyard area, as was Yum Bun). Netil Market nearby also has Lucky Chip burgers and a spinoff of the seafood place within Broadway and a taco van. The food in Broadway is decent (£5-6 for a banh mi considering I'm used to the $4 ones in Abbotsford is a little beyond me...), but I think with the exception of the schoolyard stands, none of it is essential visiting. Borough is better for that in my opinion.

There's nothing quite like visiting Borough Market. Some people enjoy the bustle of Saturday when all the tourists flock and the stalls are heaving. I personally much prefer weekdays, when many vendors are still open but there is space to sit, wander, peruse and enjoy the gardens next to the church.

I've tried many things in Borough, from the paella as soon as you descend the stairs coming off London Bridge, the cake and pastry stands, multiple sausage stands, melted cheese, pies and then the back areas with seafood, curries and roast pork rolls.

What are my favourites?
- Richard Haward - easily my favourite and the reason I go to Borough. The oysters are good, the clams are great. Strong, pungent, oceany, delicious, it's good that they've moved from a cart to a stall;
- Brindisa - the chorizo smell fills the area outside. Although the double chorizo is decadent and value for money, I feel the single has a better balance of ingredients overall;
- Ginger Pig - good quality (but expensive) cuts of meat;
- 3bis - quality Italian gelato in London and closeby;
- Roast - roast pork belly sandwich (with extra crispy crackling);
(Monmouth - I don't drink coffee, but the Australians tell me it's Aussie-grade coffee).

Considering the immense influence Ottolenghi has had on my dining preferences I'm surprised I hadn't written this blog post earlier. I first came across the name back in 2010 when looking for good vegetarian cookbooks and the names Ottolenghi and Plenty. Once I planned to move to London, it was a name that I intended to go searching for to see what the originals tasted like.

Funnily enough my first experience was with the more conveniently located Nopi (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/nopi-london-09-2012) with a gluten-free friend. The food that evening was exceptional, both meats and vegetarian and gave me a taste as to what is was all about. It wasn't until my second last day before leaving that I booked a final lunch with friends and ticked Ottolenghi in Angel off my list.

The display has a beautiful selection of cakes and tarts to finish off the meal of colourful salads. The selection is by a main and accompanying salads to compose an artwork dish.

- Chargrilled salmon with anchovies, mint, parsley, capers & lemon salsa
- Roasted pumpkin with sundried tomato dressing, chickpeas, red onion, cumin, feta, barberries & herbs
- Roasted aubergine with black garlic yoghurt, fried chilli, caramelised hazelnuts & herbs
- Mixed peppers & brown bulgar tabbouleh with mixed nuts, red onion & pomegranate seeds

The salads read like a dream concoction that illustrates just how Ottolenghi has put salads and Middle Eastern cuisine on my culinary map. The salmon was well cooked but served cold, which I found unusual (but I suppose it is a salad bar). It did seem quite expensive for a lunch salad plate so I wouldn't frequent there but for the occasional splurge and excellence of colour and flavour (and reputation) I'm glad I went.

One of my favourite outdoor (undercover) eateries in London was Yalla Yalla. The outdoor version in Shoreditch kept me warm (with outdoor heaters) and fed (with excellent street food from Beirut) throughout winter and summer. The only downside was the portaloos with alcohol handwash which wouldn't suit most people.

Nonetheless the delicious meats from spits, the excellent crunchy falafels, the flavoursome salads and dips, and the warm breads they'd refill for me for free (due to being a recurrent customer perhaps) kept me coming back and will always have a place in my heart.

I have many fond memories from eating here alone, eating with friends, and an end-of-year work celebration that turned into a Tuesday-drinkathon along High Street. I ate once in the central restaurant city location, but from then on this foodvan setup had me coming back every couple of months.