Eat Like Ushi

Each day I walk or bus along Mile End Road, I go past Rusty Bike and look enviously at the signs advertising Thai food and the people sitting outside happily socialising and drinking. Even on a Tuesday night there were no outdoor tables available but luckily the inside is decorated (with bikes too) and has a variety of seating options from couches to tables.

I haven't had much Thai food in London - although Rosa's and Som Saa and the now defunct Nahm set the standard quite high.

There's a few of the menu item classics. It does focus on individual meal plates with some sharing starters rather than the typical banquet-style mains.

- Tom Kha Prawn (Thai coconut soup with lemongrass & fresh herbs) £4.95 - a good version with strong tom yum flavour. I would prefer more coconut cream and to be thicker but this was fine. There was also a generous number of prawns (about 5);
- Salt & Pepper Squid (deepfried squid with garlic, salt & pepper served with sweet chilli sauce) £5.25 - lightly battered and quite salty with good textures between the soft squid, crisp batter and crunchy fried bits;
- Pad Ke-Moo (stirfried flat rice noodles with peppercorn, paprika, chilli, green beans, red peppers, onions, holy basil leaves, fresh chillies) £7.45 - a little bit too plain for me. It was similar to a minimally flavoured version of char kuey teow;
- Duck Curry (slices of roast duck cooked in coconut milk with pineapple, cherry tomatoes, red peppers & Thai basil leaves) £9.95 - a nice flavoured red curry and but I would prefer a little more thickness or spice. There was a reasonable amount of duck too. Some duck curries use lychee and this one uses pineapple with good effect of sweet balance. The rice was a bit too wet and sticky if I'm being particular.

The food is nicely flavoured and quite good. The prices are reasonable and similar to what you would find in Chinatown. For a local neighbourhood place along the main Mile End Road next to the tube station, with an outdoor summer area and televising sports, it's very welcome.

Next time I would try any of the salads (green papaya, duck or sirloin beef) or the Chilli Lamb. Of course the Tom Kha and Duck Curry would be fine options again too.

The most anticipated restaurant for me was Red Rooster in Shoreditch. I haven't been to the mothership in Harlem, but I've read a bit online about Marcus Samuelsson when searching for Ethiopian recipes. There aren't many to find and many are quite simple, but his seem to be a little bit more professional. That isn't necessarily a good thing when recreating traditional recipes but for an amateur like me it's nice to see the recipes from someone reputable who knows how to cook well.

It surprised me that the place wasn't full and that I was able to get a booking for 8 people at 730pm on a Friday night just after it had opened. The immediate feeling is mood lighting, cosy and oozing soul with a live band warming up the atmosphere with their sultry vocals. It was a shame they didn't carry through until the end of the night as it would have been perfect just to sit and drink after the food had ended.

Marcus came to the table to say hello and I was impressed at how friendly and engaging he was. I told him about my run-in with his Ethiopian recipes and he seemed genuinely impressed that someone knew about them, let alone had cooked several of them.

Snacks
- Cornbread (with honey butter, tomato jam) £4 - the bread was quite tasty on its own and didn't really need the condiments;
- Loaded Popcorn (with bacon cracker jacks) £5
- CC's Deviled Eggs (with chicken skin aioli, duck jerky) £7

Starters
- Helga's Meatballs (bone marrow dumplings, pickled gravy, lingonberries) £9 - soft meat balanced nicely by the sweet berry flavours.

Mains
- Obama Short Ribs (marrow dumplings, succotash, steak sauce) £58 - a deliciously tender large chunk of rib meat in a savoury sauce;
- Bird Royale Feast (waffles, biscuits, mac & greens, pickles, Rooster sauce) £55 - they actually ran out of whole chicken by 8pm. I don't know how that's possible but they did. Instead it was made up by drumsticks and thighs to simulate a full amount of chicken. Not quite the same but adequate. The chicken was very mildly flavoured but at least well cooked with a crisp coating and juicy meat. It did seem a little excessive paying about £5-6 per piece of chicken;
- East End Chowder (whole grilled lobster, Manila clams, prawn, mussels, Jersey potato, rice, corn, spicy tomato broth) £62 - excellent quality pieces in a lovely seafood broth;
- Herb Roasted Chicken (sunchokes, carrots, wild mushroom, chimichurri) £20 - more quality chicken with a surprisingly mild flavour even with the chimichurri.

Sides
- Mac & Greens (cheddar, collards) - mac and cheese. Not the best I've had but pretty good with a burnt flavoured coat.

Dessert
- Summer Tartlett £7
- Red Velvet Cake £7

Drinks included the Lindy Hop Sour, Tell My Horse, Harlem Hellfighter, Rooster Juice, Whisky Sour, Five Aside, wine and beer.

Yes it was my birthday and nothing like a £400 meal to celebrate. It was very expensive and probably more expensive than it should be, even with London prices and when you factor in 12.5% service charge. Looking online now, it's nice to see they've dropped a few of the prices (Deviled Eggs to £6, Short Ribs to £55, and Bird Royale to a much more reasonable £44). I wouldn't get any of the snacks again other than maybe a cornbread if waiting. Of the starters, the meatballs were nice and the Sammy's Chicken 'n' Waffles may be better value than the Feast depending upon how many pieces of chicken you get (I assume 2). I'd happy eat any of the Signature mains as they were all excellent dishes - it really comes down to if the prices are worth it, which is another matter. But for a celebration or a splurge, then go for it.

I'll never forget my first Franco Manca pizza. I had just eaten Honest Burger at Brixton and after being only semi-whelmed, decided to get a Franco Manca pizza to takeaway home. I didn't expect to enjoy the soft doughy crust, the light ting of sourness in the crust and the overall pleasure of eating the pizza both fresh and at home later in the evening.

After that episode, I'd eaten there once (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/franco-manca-london-10-2013) as it wasn't the most convenient to get to, bought the recipe book and made his version of pizza (with yeast though because sourdough starter is impossible to buy in Australia and longwinded to make) to great success in Canberra.

It was by chance I was able to eat at one of the many many vast expansions of this place that have happened since 2013. This time was in Chiswick. It was nice to see the prices hadn't gone up too much in that time.

I ate 1.5 pizzas comprised of a special sausage/potato/chilli/mozzarella and the old favourite tomato/garlic/oregano/capers/olives/anchovies/mozzarella. The former was overall lighter in flavour with an occasional big hit of hot chilli, whereas the latter remained my favourite with the lovely salty flavours I adore in pizza. The crust was still relatively soft and spongey but didn't have any of the slight tang I recall.

Nonetheless I'll happily try again at the Brixton mothership or elsewhere. And it'll be with anchovies.

After a few drinks, there was a nice dinner booked at this fancy French place. I don't tend to go out for French food generally and it isn't one of my destination countries to eat. However it was booked by a friend to celebrate the return of a Frenchman to London, so why not?

It's a pretty expensive place and menu (not surprisingly) and honestly most of the dishes didn't inspire me too much.

Eventually I went with the Friday night special of Bouillabaisse £22. It reminded me of my trip to Marseille many years ago in 2009 and ate in all the top reputed places within a couple of days.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but ended up with a really delicious seafood broth with fish and shells cooked to a dark flavoursome and saffron colour. The croutons and rouille weren't all that good (they didn't excite me in Marseille either) but the bread served to the table did a much better job of absorbing the soup. Maybe I've been a little harsh on French cooking but it did remind me how my favourite meals in France have been the deep hearty soups and stews like this and cassoulet.

The beverage of choice was the Screaming Viking (Ocho Blanco Tequila, Swedish Punsch, Martini Fiero, Agave & Lime) £10, a delicious tequila-based cocktail reminiscent of a great G&T.

I'm unsure if I would actively go back, but I wouldn't be so hesitant next time someone else suggested it. And that's a compliment from me when it comes to French.

This represented by 3rd visit to the Sri Lankan curry house. Once again, being by myself meant a spot at the counter immediately rather than having to wait outside with the rest.

I was very very disappointed to see the duck heart chukka had disappeared from the menu - when I asked the waitress, I was told it wasn't popular enough. These mainstream eaters with no creativity disappoint me.

Rather than go for a single main, I decided to try a series of entrees for the variety.

- Idli, Sambhar, Podi £4.5 - I was hoping the rice cakes would be similar to Korean types but they ended up being stringy vermicelli to dip in a mild sauce and chewy spices. It wasn't the most exciting and I wouldn't get it again;
- Mutton Rolls £5 - these crisp little rolls contained some chewy strips of mutton. Nice and warming.

After the first two I could probably have stopped but decided to be greedy.

- Goat Roti, Rasa £6.5 - this was a local version of murtabak, with a nice soft roti (slightly crisp but could have been moreso) with mince meat in there. The curry sauce helped add flavour and moisture to the mix.

Each of them was a little expensive for the serve (I suppose that is testament to the popularity of the place) but of the three, the goat roti is the one I would get again. However if alone, next time I would go for a main instead.

Ever since David Thompson let Nahm slip away in 2012 (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/nahm-london-07-2012) in order to make a better version in Bangkok, London has been seriously lacking a decent modern Thai restaurant. I do like the nearby Rosa's although I'd call that more classic than modern. Melbourne especially has exploded modern South-East Asian with Rice Papr Scrs (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/rice-papr-scrs-melbourne-11-2014) being the first to top Tripadvisor. And moving up the scales, there is the ridiculously popular Chin Chin (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/chin-chin-melbourne-05-2016) and the fine dining of Ezard (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/ezard-melbourne-10-2012).

However my favourite restaurant of all time still remains the magnificent Longrain (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/longrain-melbourne-10-2012, http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/longrain-melbourne-01-2017) and I still think I'll be forever chasing a place to match the intense flavours that Martin Boetz uses.

Could London finally be catching up with the extremely highly rated Som Saa? The flavours here definitely reminded me of David Thompson's restaurant and what I've made from Thai Food/Thai Street Food previously.

After not being able to wait long enough last time, coming in solo on a Wednesday evening was a smart move. I sat at the bar and was entertained by the lovely bartender Marta. I also met a nice dude from OC named Nick who was also dining solo at the bar next to me. 

Dragon's Milk cocktail (sticky rice rum, tamarind, px sherry, coconut, condensed milk, salt, sesame) £9 was a lovely sweet, milky concoction that flowed down very easily. I've never heard of sticky rice rum before. It was only a little drink so would have preferred a taller glass to enjoy it more.

The food menu was difficult to pick from. Usually my gauge for places like this is either something with a palm sugar/chilli sauce, or a red curry to see how intense it is. Som Saa didn't have either of those (although the Pitt Cue red curry pork sausage would be the closest and I do like Pitt...) but 3 other dishes stood out clearly to me. A very friendly waitress (sounded like from NZ) suggested the curry and salad choice, and said would get me a complimentary taster of the third with a smile. So impressed.

- Stirfried Welsh mutton with snake beans, chillies, cumin leaf, holy basil - this was actually a half-serve rather than a taster. The mutton and cumin give the dish a deep earthiness, with a small amount of chilli heat. I associate this kind of flavour more with Muslim cooking and Northern China/Uyghur/Xinjiang usually rather than with Thai but was pleasantly surprised to see it on the menu (it isn't on the online menu currently);
- Crispy fermented fish salad with longans & orange chilli dressing £10 - the other salads were also appealing but green papaya salad has been pretty standard for me recently (admittedly moreso the Vietnamese version). The last time I had a Thai version included the tiny crabs which I spent all meal spitting out in between gasping for water due to chilli. This salad was more exciting sounding and turned out to be a very well balanced collection of papaya strands, coriander, lime and crisp fried fish. The sauce had good balance of fish sauce and sourness and a little chilli;
- Aromatic yellow curry of salted goat with potatoes, Thai shallots, cucumber "ajut" £15 - my most desired dish was a heavy, thick, grounded, coconut milk curry with tender goat meat. It had beautiful flavour and texture. A cucumber chilli relish added more sweetness and vinegar to the curry, although I'm not sure if I enjoyed it more before adding it to the mix. Regardless the dish was great;
- Sticky rice £3 - served in a plastic packet in a little bamboo container. Stylish and means it all comes out in a nicely formed ball. £3 is quite a lot for rice for 1 person, but they kindly gave me some to takeaway with my leftover curry. Maybe coconut rice may be on the menu next time...

Marta also gave us a small shot glass of Muay Thai Kick (Thai basil infused gin, Thai basil, kaffir lime leaf, basil seeds, lime) which was an excellent mild flavoured G&T with the strong Thai basil herb taste and some basil seed texture. Really great choice for next time.

The flavours here equal the chills I've had from Needoo's dry meat curry, Hopper's duck heart chukka and Dishoom's chicken pomegranate salad. Maybe not as much as Longrain's crispy fried pork hock in chilli caramel, but that is a salty sweet flavour explosion unrivalled by anything else. Nonetheless the combination of food and friendliness of the staff are simply the best I've had in London and possibly anywhere in the world.

I'll definitely be back for all of the dishes again, particularly the fish salad and goat curry. The soy braised beef cheek with chilli vinegar will certainly be tested someday, so will the Pitt Cue smoked red curry sausage and the dtom klong gung (or maybe they might do tom kai gung if I ask...)

I'm not sure how long this place has occupied this space in Shoreditch. Online suggests 2015. I was used to it housing the branch of Yalla Yalla that I enjoyed during its short inception in 2013 (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/yalla-yalla-london-02-2013-03-2013-05-2013-10-2013). However now this little haven has a foosball table, actual seating tables rather than the short stools of old, and the food has been replaced by a pizza place, a mexican place and a relatively quiet burger stand. I suppose the good news is that where the portaloo with alcohol handrub used to be is now an outdoor seating area to accommodate the smokers.

I actually wanted Dishoom but a 45min wait just for 1 seat wasn't going to cut it. I planned to look at the food vans I've seen in the petrol station looking lot down the road but they were closed on Sunday. So I ended up here, finally trapped by the idea of 60 second sourdough pizza.

Franco Manca still remains one of my favourite pizza places of all time, all over the world. His cookbook taught me how to make pizza at home. How would this place compare?

I enjoy anchovies immensely but the dude recommended the mushroom pizza as being good. So be it. There's a very nice chewy fluffed base with reasonable seasoning to it. And the taste of the sauce and ingredients is good too. What I didn't like was how the outer half of the pizza (so more than half in area terms) had no toppings. And when you pick up a slice, the centre caves and all the ingredients slide off. It may be more fun to eat like that picking up ingredients with your fingers but it isn't better. I suppose I wouldn't mind so much so I didn't have to move ingredients toward the pizza crust to spare it out more.

I'd still be willing to go try the anchovy one and the Mexican stand there, but it's not an essential eat. I'd prefer finding Franco again.

Hailing from Melbourne, cafe culture is something I am used to. Particularly at a certain standard that nowhere else has been able yet to compete (Canberra was extraordinarily close thanks to Local Press and Cupping Room though). Even though London is trying to be more Melbourne-esque in terms of coffee and cafes, there's still a way to go.

I ventured over to the expensive heart of the west in Notting Hill for a Sunday brunch. Pomona's is actually delightfully decorated and very colourful internally. There's a small outdoor area which at 1030am was lucky to be shaded from the rare sun.

The juices weren't the most exciting on the list and the Chia Fix (chia seeds, coconut yoghurt, fresh pineapple) £6 was essentially all pineapple flavour with a little thickness from yoghurt and bits of seed texture. It didn't have the luscious gelatin ball feel I was expecting from some plump chia. For the price too it was quite disappointing.

I initially wanted the Buttermilk Chicken & Waffle (with Duck & Waffle coming to mind) but they were sold out. The other breakfast items didn't really sound all too interesting to me. Luckily the specials menu was pointed out and I ended up with an excellent plate of delicious crisp chilaquites rojos, soft decadent pulled pork, a runny fried egg and salsa verde £15. I also liked the sound of the jalapeño hash brown from another special and managed to score that as a side for £4, but it wasn't very exciting and didn't have enough seasoning.

It was an expensive brunch at £25 although I would have been just as happy with the chilaquites alone. Maybe the Express Kale smoothie next time if I really feel inclined.

London reached 25C. That's incredibly hot and on a Sunday the swarms of people made it feel even hotter. The only solution was to get out of Oxford Circus and naturally find something refreshing enroute.

I found this place from a Google Maps search. It feels like a rockstar juice place with the loud music and the cool kids sitting around sipping their drinks. I learnt long ago that juice needs to be pretty exceptional to excite me (usually requiring some form of gin or tequila) however I am partial to a good smoothie.

A particularly nice and unhealthy sounding one was the Avo Shake (avocado, banana and vanilla milk - unsure what actual milk base they use for this). It isn't cheap at £5.25 for a large but it is cheaper than some of the others. At least it was good and satisfying with the fat content providing a partial meal. The pale green had mild forms of all the elements including the occasional chunk of avocado, banana or ice. I would prefer a stronger avocado taste or the added extra of pistachio or another nut but that's because I'm particular and have dreams others don't.

It's a price for a special occasion and as European summer approaches, I can afford a few of those. The very similar Re-Build or the Breakfast Club are more expensive options for next time.

Even though my WSM 22.5" is still waiting to be used after 4 years, I am lucky enough to still have the opportunity to indulge in smoked delights. Last year it was Meatmaiden and now I have the full London arsenal at my disposal. With the recent sad demise in my opinion of Pitt Cue Co, I've been looking elsewhere.

Smokestak is a very industrial corner with mood lighting inside or views of the Shoreditch Street outside. Since I was alone, I was treated to the best seat in the house - sitting at the corner of the bar right next to the service counter watching the man himself and his minions continuously cutting, grilling and plating up dish after dish. These people really do work hard.

Smoke £8.5 cocktail had a strong discernible tequila, a touch of smoke, a burnt slice of lime and very weak ginger (more like unfizzy lemonade). I was a good drink and something I needed after the day of work.

- Crispy ox cheek £4.5 - excellent fried croquettes filled with soft, shredded cheek and served with a (?aubergine) sauce. Delicious;
- Pigtails £4.5 - a collection shiny fried pieces of crispy skin, fat and a little meat around a centred bone served with an Asian soy-sugar inspired sauce (reminiscent of the pig bones at Bone Daddies);
- Brisket bun, pickled red chilli £5.0 for small - this place was reputed for brisket and I thought having a bit of carbohydrate wasn't a bad idea. Short slices and little pieces of tender brisket were drizzled with vinegar and chilli (with non-existent heat). The brisket itself was very minimally seasoned, with just a mild flavour of beef and the soft meat texture being noticeable. It was a nice showcase for the brisket;
- Charred greens, tahini, pomegranate £4.5 - greens served with tahini (couldn't really tell much sesame) and black sauce (oyster sauce I think) with some pomegranate and a huge amount of peanuts.

I can't say it was my favourite smokehouse meal of all time, but I did enjoy the ox cheek, the taste of the pigtails and the brisket bun. Next time I'd be more keen to have the incredible looking thick slices of pork rib. The wild mushroom with beef dripping toast also looked good, although I suppose you don't need to go to a smokehouse for that.

The main guy at the pass was pleasant and must have taken pity in my being the only solo diner there by saying hi at the end of the meal. What a nice dude. I'll be back.