Roganic, Marylebone, London W1

There’s no point doing a proper review of Roganic. The 10 course tasting menu can truthfully be described by that most stupid of modern terms: ‘EPIC’. ‘Food-as-theatre’, ‘breathlessly exciting’, ‘progressive’ and ‘MIND BLOWING’ are more overused descriptive terms that could also be employed. If you want a blow-by-blow then there’s at least a zillion other blog posts about Roganic you could read. 

It’s a tiny, low-key space of 11 tables. Painstakingly taking pictures of each course and jotting down notes would have totally ruined not just my experience, but the experiences of the other diners and possibly the experience of the staff too (who are all impossibly lovely - without doubt the most friendly and knowledgeable staff I’ve encountered anywhere). Besides, it was my birthday meal. And what better place to spend it that in a small white room, manfully tackling a ridiculous feast?

That’s all you need to know about Roganic. That, and the fact that it’s going to be PRICEY. But it’s worth every penny.  If you want to taste the result of a super-talented chef going mental with amazing ingredients then get down there if you can, they close in a year or so. Mega. 

Roganic
19 Blandford St
London
W1U 3DH

0207 4860380

http://www.roganic.co.uk/

Google Map

PUB REVIEW: The Lass O’ Richmond Hill, Richmond Park

I’ve tried to get in to this cavernous pub beside the grandest of the Royal Parks a few times now but because it’s beside the grandest of the Royal Parks it’s always RAMMED. All these no-booking policies these days have dulled my senses - I must have forgotten it is actually still possible to book a table in London in 2012. 

However I thought ahead this time and on a wet Saturday afternoon we arrived (with 2 kids in tow) and were shown to a particularly lovely table in the rear dining area. It’s a classy joint - wood panelling, nice carpets, a real cosy feel. Far posher than your average Young’s pub. It’s what you’d call ‘kid friendly’ - but that doesn’t mean the little blighters run the place, it just means they are respectfully catered for. 

We ordered drinks and tap water (they had Twickenham Brewery Naked Ladies on - an excellent hoppy brew in great nick). I think the waiter may have had a heavy night the evening before as he missed everyone’s glass leaving us with a bit of a soggy table. Other than that, service was friendly and efficient. 

Now, the Lass really bigs up its beef. The menu proclaims that they dry-age their meat on the premises, the meat comes from Macken Brothers butchers down the road in Chiswick and they’ve apparently won Great Britain’s Best Steak Pub 2011 from some nameless organisation. It better be good with such big talk…

Fortunately I was impressed. I went for ribeye and it was very good. Nice smokey char and undeniably good quality meat. They lose a point for overcooking it a bit though (I asked for medium rare and got medium. Why do so many places screw this up?) Chips were decent enough, blue cheese salad was delicious but the warm peppercorn sauce was great. It was more like a fine, rich pepper gravy. I downed the rest like a shot at the end. Don’t judge me, I’m Northern. 

Unfortunately they messed up one of my dining companions battered cod; it was completely overcooked and very dry. Boo. 

This considered I would recommend the Lass O’ Richmond hill. It’s in a top location, (you can be in Richmond Park in 2 mins), it’s a nice place to spend a few hours and they know how to cook a decent steak. OK, they ain’t going to be worrying the Hawksmoor anytime soon but they can cook up some good quality meat. It’s not cheap for a pub but the quality is there (and what do you expect in this location? Every third car is a Porsche). It’s a shame about the inconstancies in the kitchen but I’ve come to expect this from pub dining in this country unfortunately. Don’t try the fish. As Weezer said in the iconic  ‘Buddy Holly’ video, the fish is ‘not so good, Al’. 

6.5/10

The Lass O’ Richmond Hill
8 Queens Rd
Richmond
TW10 6JJ

020 8940 1306

http://www.lassorichmondhill.co.uk/

MIshkin’s 25 Catherine St, Covent Garden WC2

I wasn’t sure about Mishkin’s when I first heard what Polpo impresario Russell Norman was planning for his fifth opening. “A kind of Jewish deli with cocktails” said the Twitter account. My reservations were increased further when I found out it wasn’t going to be kosher, and they would be serving a pork hot dog. A pork hot dog in a Jewish-influenced deli? Is this not akin to opening a Vatican-themed restaurant and putting on a live protected sex show? Well, no it isn’t but it made me think blimey, is he going to get it wrong this time? Is it going to be like a theme restaurant? Are the staff going to be forced to dress as rabbis? 

Now, in what could be seen as a new ‘pro’ direction for MBFBY?, I visited Mishkin’s twice before writing this review. Not because of my dedication to objective reviewing, mainly because as a frequent user of Waterloo station, Mishkin’s is ridiculously handy, located on Catherine St, just over Waterloo Bridge. Also I was too lazy to get my opening week review online straightaway. Ah well, who gives a jot about frantically scrambling to get your review online before everyone else? It’s certainly a fairer indication of the quality of an establishment to visit after the opening fuss has died down. Not that this was my intention. 

Marking a sea change in the usual Russell Norman formula of NO BOOKINGS and MASSIVE QUEUES you can actually reserve a table at Mishkin’s, just like a normal restaurant. That’s the only radical difference though, the rest of the trademarks are there, the tattooed hipster staff, the cool music, the faux-vintage interior.  Not that I have a problem with any of this stuff, quite the opposite. The interior here is warmer than any of the other joints, very much based on a New York diner. There’s nothing overtly ‘Jewish themed’ about it. And the staff aren’t dressed as rabbis. In fact, they seem to have based their look on ‘Leisure’-era Blur, despite the fact that none of them were alive when that album was released.  I don’t know, the kids these days, eh? Bowl cuts aside, I found the staff to be friendly and efficient (consistent with Norman’s other establishments. Where does he find them?) ProTip: If you sit at table 1 (which we did both times) you get to watch the hilarious spectacle of the staff ducking under the gap in the bar (the hinged bar is never open, making me wonder if Mr. Norman has specified it remain closed to promote Buster Keaton-style slapstick hilarity to entertain the punters). 

The place was bustling on both visits, nicely full, soul music playing on the stereo, cocktails being mixed behind the zinc-topped bar. Now, the cocktails are really quite something. Inventive, and well priced (around the 6.50 mark). Over the course of the visits I had a Gin Rickey (taut, strong) and a Diamond Fizz (kind of like a more sophisticated Mojito, attractively served in a mini pewter tankard). Mrs MBFBY loved her Negroni. At these prices you could sit there working your way through the list all day until they threw you out for shouting and still have change from 80 quid. 

On to the scran. First up we have a steamed burger. This was a brilliant start – the bun and patty seemingly fused together by the steaming process giving a delicious, airy texture. Nice classic ‘meaty’ taste too, a little like the taste of bone marrow. Nice pile of gherkin slices on the side. My only complaint is that they should offer a full size version (this one is more like a slider). When you go, order this for sure. 

Next up we have matzo ball soup. This is serious comfort food, a light chicken broth with a great big suet-y dumpling in it. The broth was very good, if a little unmemorable. To be fair, a dish like this isn’t about blowing your taste buds apart, it delivers because it’s warming, tasty and has a great big suet-y dumpling in it. Perfect for a cold December day. 

The tantalisingly named cod cheek popcorn was the dish I was most looking forward to, sadly it was underwhelming. It’s chunks of cod cheek in a light batter. Nothing wrong with the texture or cooking, it was just a bit, well, bland. It would benefit hugely from a sauce of some kind; the obvious choice would be something like sweet chili (maybe too far away from the remit of Mishkin’s?)

We had to try the blasphemous hot dog, especially as I’ve tried (and loved) the work of the supplier - Big Apple Hot Dogs of Old St - earlier in the year. It didn’t disappoint. It’s massive, the sausage is unrivalled in quality and the ‘dragged through the garden’ garnish was fresh and zingy. On the side we had ‘half and half’ home cooked chips (skin on, very tasty) and onion rings (light and reasonably sized, not stupid massive ones like you get in bloody ‘Gourmet’ Burger Kitchen). 

The other dish that had been hyped-up-to-buggery was the Ruben sandwich, and I’m pleased to report that this didn’t disappoint either. I was really quite hung over when I had this and it sorted me right out. Pastrami, sauerkraut and melted cheese on toast. That’s it, and it’s as good as it sounds (and a very generous portion. A classic toasted sandwich. 

Dessert-wise I had Bananas Foster which despite looking a bit like bangers and mash was actually a very sweet concoction of warm banana, ice cream and caramel. It’s not for the faint hearted though, luckily it ran out before it could get sickly.

Now, one thing that really lets the side down at Mishkin’s is the beer. You’ve got 2 choices – Red Stripe or London Pride. In CANS. I’m sorry but this just isn’t on. It’s not bloody Brixton Academy. Plus, at 5 quid each (FIVE QUID!), that’s actually more expensive than Brixton Academy. Overpriced canned beer has no place in an establishment like this. I suspect this is purely an aesthetic decision by the proprietor. Come on, Mr. Norman, cans of Red Stripe with my delicious Ruben sandwich? No thanks. 

Gripes aside I enjoyed Mishkin’s, and due to its informal nature, reasonably priced comfort food and handy location (for me, anyway) I’ll be visiting often. The interior is lovely, and they even have a sink that looks like some kind of bulbous-nosed 50s robot (see above). However there are a few dishes that need work and the TINS of CRAPPY RED STRIPE situation needs sorting desperately. That considered I’d rate Mishkin’s…

…7/10

E Mishkin
25 Catherine St
London
WC2H 9JG

020 7240 2078

http://mishkins.co.uk/

Google Map

The Hawksmoor, Seven Dials, WC2

Vegetarians look away now. There’s nothing for you here. The Hawksmoor is a temple of beef and no mistake. Since the first one opened in 2006 (Spitalfields), they’ve become known as the top steakhouse in the capital. I dined there a couple of years ago and the steak was excellent, but the experience slightly sullied by sloppy service and clientele comprised almost exclusively of male City types working their way through expense accounts whilst shouting rude words at each other. However, the Seven Dials outpost has received such unanimously amazing reviews it’s been on my to-do list pretty much since it opened last year. In need of somewhere special to take Mrs MBFBY? for her birthday this year we elected to give it a go. 

DISCLAIMER -Yes, I know they’ve just opened a brand new Hawksmoor at Guildhall but this is MBFBY?, yah? If you’re looking for zeitgeist then bugger off over there somewhere with those vegetarians.  

We arrive, our bags/coats are taken swiftly and we are directed downstairs. It’s a beautiful space - initially feeling very gentlemanly. Reclaimed parquet flooring, brass fittings, wood panelling. There’s a modern twist though, a few industrial ducts and lights, exposed brickwork. Also, most of the staff have dreadlocks and tattoos. Sweet. We arrived early as we wanted to try some cocktails (Hawksmoor’s bar has achieved almost as much renown as it’s meat room). The list is impressive, we sit there for a good ten minutes reading it, there’s a great blurb about each drink explaining the background, the history and even the name of the Hawkmoor mixologist responsible for creating their version.

I go for a Rub A Dub Shrub first which is refreshing combination of wine, cognac, citrus, spice, gin and lemon juice. It’s got a sweet, slightly medicinal taste and is just what you want to prepare your stomach for the onslaught of meat. It is, however, orange and rather girly looking. 

Keen to prove my man credentials I ask the barman to recommend me something to put hairs on my chest. He suggests, amongst other things, the brilliantly named Navy Strength Gimlet. I say yes please. He gives me an approving smile and says “NICE”. The Gimlet is basically 57% Navy-strength gin and a home made lime cordial. That’s it. It’s bloody fantastic and not as harsh as you’d think. I could drink it all night. Well, maybe 2, then onto shandy.

Before we know it, it’s time to take our table in the fabulous vaulted brick dining room (the site used to be a brewery, apparently). The place is buzzing with a healthy mix of people. In fact, I didn’t notice any all-male tables of lairy suits going on about TARGETS and FIGURES and THAT F*CKING PETE FROM ACQUISITIONS at ear-splitting volume (no offence, Pete from Acquisitions).

To start, I pushed the boat out (HA HA HAAA!) and went for a lobster cocktail. It was basically a really good prawn cocktail but with massive chunks of lobster meat instead of prawns. At MBFBY? towers we’re quite the connoisseurs of seafood-based cocktails, and this one certainly passed muster. Crisp lettuce, a light sauce and loads lovely white meat. 

As you may have gathered by now, it’s all about the beef here. It’s a matter of choosing what cut of steak you want. There’s ribeyes, sirloins, d-rump etc but the exciting stuff is the porterhouse, prime rib and chateaubriand which is sold by the 100g (the minimum they had on our visit was 800g). They have a blackboard with the steaks in stock that day which get crossed off as they get sold - we go for a 900g porterhouse, béarnaise sauce, chips and 2 fried eggs on the side. No time for greens here. 

It was magnificent. A huge t-bone with the larger, rarer sirloin on the right and the smaller, more tender fillet on the left. We asked for it to be cut off the bone, but they left plenty of fleshy goodness for me to gnaw straight off the bone like a wild animal. Perfectly cooked, amazing flavour, a hint of béarnaise sauce on the side. I don’t think I’ve had a better steak, certainly not in this country (closed contender would be Peter Luger in New York. Writing this is making me want to be back there, right now. 

This perfect steak was accompanied by 2 fried eggs on the advice of my good friend Jonty and this proved to be an absolute winning ProTip™. The texture and flavour of the eggs with the meat was astonding. I don’t know their methods but I suspect the eggs are fried in beef dripping. So damn tasty. 

Which brings me on to the chips. These are definitely cooked in beef dripping (you can get triple-cooked instead/as well) , and they are stupidly tasty. Thin, crispy coating with light-as-a-feather, creamy insides. I had a bit of a ‘food-critic-at-the-end-of-Ratatoullie moment with these chips. It took my back to an unspecified meal at Smithill’s Hall, Bolton, probably around 1986. Such is the power of beef dripping. 

As I mentioned earlier it was Mrs MBFBY?’s birthday. When I booked I asked them for a candle with dessert. I wanted to check if the message had gotten through so I grabbed a member of staff and not only had it gotten through, they knew where we were sitting and what my wife looked like. After our table had been cleared a few minutes went by then a massive sticky toffee pudding was brought over with not only a candle in it but the words ‘happy birthday’ iced onto the plate. Not only that but they left it off the bill too! Amazing. 

I’ll take this moment to state that from arriving to leaving the service at Hawksmoor Seven Dials was amongst the best I’ve had anywhere. Every member of staff we encountered was friendly, funny, knowledgeable and generally making sure everyone was having a good time. Bravo to you all! 

Now the bad news - Hawksmoor ain’t cheap. Our bill came to £145 including service. This doesn’t sound too bad but remember we only had one starter, dessert was free and we only paid £10 for corkage of 2 bottles of wine (on Monday’s they do a wine club night where you can BYO for £5 corkage per bottle - very reasonable indeed). Our steak alone was nearly 70 quid. 

That said, you get what you pay for and more. This is the best steakhouse in the UK. We had one of the most memorable meals in recent years, everything exceeded expectations, the building is amazing, the staff are awesome, I can’t fault it on any level. And for that reason…

10/10

The Hawksmoor Seven Dials
11 Langley St
London
WC2H 9JG

020 7816 2154

http://thehawksmoor.com/

Google Map

MeatLiquor, 74 Wellbeck St, London W1

You are going to get SICK of hearing about MeatLiquor. This post will be a drop in the ocean on Food Blog World™ , where a tidal wave of hype is brewing. It’s going to hang around the top 10 on UrbanSpoon for months. I mean, it’s not even supposed to be open yet (official date is 11.11.11 - ‘course it is) and there’s already like a million blog posts about it or something. But open, it is. As soon as I found out I got down there as quickly I could, as is my duty to YOU, dear reader. 

For those who don’t exclusively follow food-related accounts on Twitter, MeatLiquor is the spawn of the Meatwagon, a converted U.S ambulance which has been supplying the finest burgers in London to hungry pub-goers over the last few years. At the start of the year they opened up Meateasy, a pop-up burger bar temporarily located above a pub in New Cross. The hype grew. Now they’ve opened up a proper, 90 cover restaurant in the West End. It’s a very good business model for these austere times - build up your customer base and develop your products with the relatively low-risk burger van venture, court the bloggers, engage the customer base on Twitter, open a pop-up to iron out the creases, disappear for a bit, take up a residency in a pub in Peckham for dress rehearsal then BANG - out of nowhere open a fully functioning  rock n’ roll burger bar behind Debenhams in the West End. 

Anyway, on to the restaurant. It’s dark. It’s in a galleried space which used to be an Italian restaurant. The walls and ceilings are covered in scratchy, splattered graffiti and paste-ups of animal heads (in my other guise I’m motion designer and animator and one of the studios whose work I particularly admire are ilovedust, for it was they who did all the illustration). Loud rock n’ roll blares out through the darkness. On my visit they played Brakes, The Stooges and Black Sabbath amongst other things. I can safely say I’ve never been to a restaurant where they’ve played War Pigs at full volume. It reminds me a little of White Trash Fast Food in Berlin (home of Fuck You fries). 

All this darkness, loud metal and graffiti-covered walls means MeatLiquor ain’t for everyone. Some people will hate it.  Some people will think it’s trying too hard to be cool. Fair enough. They’re not trying to please everyone. For me though, there’s nothing else like this place in London. It’s a proper rock and roll burger bar. Personally I love burgers and if I can listen to Black Sabbath whilst eating one - bonus.

Now, the food - they have 6 burgers and a variety of other dishes (Philly cheesesteak, hot dogs, chicken and even *gasp* some salads). We got a little overexcited and ordered LOADS, and as it’s simple food I won’t over-analyse the dishes. Plus, it’s so dark in there I can barely read the menu, let alone take decent pictures so here’s a breakdown:

- Buffalo Wings: Really good. 5 quid. You get LOADS. Maybe they should also do a starter-size portion too for 3 quid though, as you really do get a lot. Fantastic blue cheese dressing. Basically pure blue cheese.

- Deep Fried Pickles: Deep fried pickles! Genius. 

- Slaw: Great slaw. Better than Leon.

- Dead Hippie burger: HELL YEAH. This is basically a Big Mac made with really high-quality ingredients. 2 thick, rare burger patties, Big Mac sauce, lettuce, cheese and a brioche bun. Perfect. And another thing - the burgers aren’t stupidly massive. They’re just right. Whoever decreed that modern burgers must be at least 12” tall and piled with crap wants shooting. 

- Fries: These were OK, not bad, not amazing. My advice: steal the Draft House’s recipe. Their fries are amazing. 

- Dessert: we had a lovely pecan pie with EXCELLENT pastry. 

- Drinks: I had a Meantime pale ale in a frozen glass (it made the foam on the beer freeze), we had a top notch bottle of Malbec for 15 quid and they have a MASSIVE cocktail list of inventive booze. I had a Full English martini (garnished with a scotched quail’s egg). It was potent. 

So there you have it. It’s loud, dark, brash and the burgers are epic. They put kitchen rolls on the table to mop up the mess from your filthy hands and face. They’ve kept it simple. A perfect antidote to the too-tall, over-thought poncey burgers that permeate pubs and restaurants these days. Those wonderful burgers are backed up by a delicious array of interesting diner-style treats, and the price is right too. Plus, at 90 covers it’s big enough for the no-booking policy not to be a massive pain in the arse. If you walk up, you’ll probably be OK.

You wouldn’t take your mother-in-law there and some of your friends will definitely hate it. However if you want a stupidly good burger made with top-notch ingredients with a cocktail served in a jam jar, and you want to consume these goodies in a fun environment whilst rocking the fuck out to Sabbath then get yourself down to MeatLiquor, stat. 

9/10

MeatLiquor
74 Wellbeck St
London
W1G 0BA

http://meatliquor.com/

Google Map

PUB REVIEW - The Dean Swift, Butler’s Wharf, London SE1

It’s been a tumultuous couple of months in MBFBY? world. An insane work schedule (unbelievably, writing this blog doesn’t quite pay the bills so I design and animate motion graphics ‘on the side’), a bunch of weekend commitments and major renovation work taking place at MBFBY? towers has left precious little time for the blog. I can only apologise to all 15 of you. Anyhoo, this time is almost at an end so here’s a wee pub review to ease myself back into it. 

As I mentioned above we are having MAJOR building work done on our suburban home at the moment. We thought we could stick it out but after less that a week we had no hot water, our stuff boxed away in storage and a house full of dust, scaffolding and navvies. We now don’t even have an oven (to be fair the oven door was held on by gaffer tape but is still worked, dammit). 

ANYWAY - the upside to this is that we were offered the use of a flat in SE1 so that’s where MBFBY? is living at the moment. It’s a lovely area, a mix of heavy tourist traffic by the river but plenty of quiet little cobbled streets and alleys when you head south, changing into full-on inner-city sprawl when you reach the Old Kent Rd. There are plenty of places to eat - lots of chains (there’s a Zizzi, a Pizza Express AND an Ask Pizza within 50m of each other. WHY?) , the Conran empire at Butler’s Wharf (unfortunately plagued by inconstant service and quality these days) and a scattering of pubs. 

There are a few gems round here for sure though. I spent more time and money than I care to think about in the Draft House this weekend but wasn’t in blogging mode so you’ll have to wait for a proper review. It is a cracking little boozer though with great food to match and a ridiculous selection of brews. 

However yesterday I was in blogging mode and thought I’d try out our new temporary local, the Dean Swift. This pub used to be a fairly generic sports lager-type pub (97% blokes, smelled funny, massive TVs) but inevitably has been given the modern posh-pub makeover. It’s a rather lovely job actually, understated, airy, lots of natural light and some original features such as the Victorian fireplace. It was important to get this right as the Dean Swift is rather tiny, and they’ve succeeded in creating an environment with a naturally pleasant atmosphere and plenty of places to sit, but it doesn’t feel too overcrowded. During our visit we enjoyed the easy-going, friendly vibe. The clientele seemed to be locals, the odd tourist and a scattering of students from the LSE halls next door. There’s still a telly for sport but it’s as unobtrusively located high up, and it’s not 70 inches and you don’t need 5D glasses or anything. So far, so good. And free wifi too. 

Like the Draft House, the emphasis here is on beer. They have a substantial beer list with plenty of Belgie, US and British brews to try. They’ve got 3 ales on rotation and lots of lagers on draft. My pint of Gorilla was perfectly kept. They’re one of the few places to have a BrewDog pump on the bar, too. Got to love BrewDog. If you are looking for a cheap pint then go elsewhere but it’s hardly surprising that the prices are high, it’s an upscale pub in an affluent area with a large selection of rare beers. 

We decided to have the Sunday roast as I’d been told is was good. It certainly looked the part. Unfortunately despite asking for the beef medium rare we were give overcooked, dry, chewy meat, the gravy was bland and the potatoes seemed like they’ve been sitting around for a while Boo. 12 quid, too. I should have sent it back really but:

a: the staff were really nice 

b: I’m English

The one saving grace was the Yorkshire pud. It was glorious. Crisp on the outside, gooey on the inside and it was massive. I can’t say I’m surprised the roast was a disappointment, 9 out of 10 pub roasts are. Just step away from the microwave, pub chefs. Please. No bloody wonder visitors to these fair isles still think the English can’t cook, despite the fact that the UK is home to some of the world’s best restaurants. 

We spent pretty much all day in the Dean Swift as we haven’t got wifi in the flat yet and needed to do a load of ‘errands’ online so after letting the roast go down we ordered the cheeseboard. Now this was a great success. A bit pricey at 10 quid but you got a load of quality cheese, including the frankly awesome Comté, a lovely chilli jam and assorted pickles. The thing that really blew me away here was that they actually gave us enough crackers for the cheese. Pretty much every time I have a cheeseboard they NEVER give you enough crackers. Come on. The crackers are the least expensive component. Give us more, you bloody tight-arses! I’m a simple man, I don’t ask for much. Give me enough crackers with my cheeseboard and I’m happy. 

I think the Dean Swift will have to be awarded 2 separate scores, one for the food and one for the pub. The staff deserve a shout-out here, too. Everyone was helpful, friendly and attentive without being overbearing.  It’s a cracking boozer in which it’s great to spend a relaxed afternoon supping some tasty beer from around the world. Unfortunately the roast was pretty bog standard and the meat was a travesty (especially for the price) but the cheeseboard was awesome. But still, it’s hard to screw up a cheeseboard, unless you don’t give me enough crackers of course. 

Pub experience 8/10

Food experience 5/10

The Dean Swift
10 Gainsford St
London
SE1 2NE
020 7357  0748

http://thedeanswift.com/

Google Map

Moolis, Frith St, Soho

I’ve been meaning to write a post about Moolis for a while now. I’ve had takeaway from there numerous times but never actually sat down and ate in there (I usually go for the excellent goat wrap. That’s right - GOAT WRAP! Not many places can boast a goat wrap on the menu). I received an email from Moolis PR asking if anyone wanted to review it and I gamely volunteered, so bear in mind that I didn’t actually pay for anything on this visit. 

First of all, Moolis is very much a fast-food establishment. It’s not a place to linger with a drink (though they are fully licensed) and you get up and order at the counter. Having said that, it’s a pleasant enough place with lots of amusing artwork and slogans painted on the walls. “THIS IS NOT A F*CKING BURRITO” shouts one particularly angry slogan. Alright, mate. Calm down. I also noticed they were playing pseudo-ethnic Britpop also-rans Kula Shaker on the stereo as I walked in. I sincerely hope they were taking the piss. On the plus side I noticed they have jugs of free tap water on a shelf at the side. Always good to have free water. 

The concept here is ‘Indian street food’ with a Western twist. The incredibly friendly manager served up a selection of mini Mooli wraps for me to try and a portion of the superb Aloo Papri Chaat, a pot of tangy yogurt, chickpeas chickpea flour bread and potatoes, liberally peppered with pomegranate seeds. It’s a great dish, fresh tasting with a lovely crunch from the bread. Highly recommended. 

On to the wraps - they are all served in a delicious fresh roti bread which has a slight (is this even a word) ‘cakey’ texture. First I munched my way through slow-cooked pork and pomegranate salsa. This is quite spicy, very flavoursome and rather rich with a tang of sweetness from the pomegranate. I have had this before and found it to be a little too rich but this one was a nice balance, not sure if they’ve changed the recipe maybe or perhaps they were having an off day on my previous visit. 

Beef, coconut and yogurt - again, this is slow cooked, rich and moist with some good crunch coming from the salad and onion. This is the one you’d probably most compare to a F*CKING BURRITO, but it’s much, much lighter that a F*CKING BURRITO and doesn’t leave you feeling like you’ve just eaten a house brick. 

Chickpeas - nice level of spice but I found it quite heavy and a little too rich tasting. However the quality of the ingredients shone through on this one as it isn’t dominated by the slow-cooked meat of the previous two. Interesting tamarind flavour. 

Chicken - A good ‘bite’ on this one due to the lentils and a subtle curry flavour (along the lines of coronation chicken). Pickled turnip throws in a bit of a curveball but it works. This is the one I’d most have for lunch during the working week. 

So yeah, overall Moolis is great. If you need to grab a quick bite before heading out, or fancy some lunch that is a little more interesting than a sandwich, wrap or the ubiquitous F*CKING BURRITO then Moolis is hard to beat. I’d recommend the pork or the beef from the ones I tried on this visit (and the goat wrap is totally awesome though not reviewed here). For 8 quid you can get a tasty wrap made with decent, fresh ingredients and a cold beer. Yes, you won’t want to hang around but that’s not really the point of the place. I’m not going to give a score as this one was a freebie but I obviously like it and I’m sure you will too. Unless you REALLY hate Kula Shaker. 

Moolis
50 Frith St
London
W1 DSQ
020 7494 9075

http://www.moolis.com/

Google Map

Big Apple Hot Dogs, Old St, London

I’ve just had a remarkable hot dog. I’m working Eastside today, way out of my West End comfort zone. I was walking down the roundabout end of Old Street, pondering the limited lunch options. I was also pondering how somewhere that combines the desolation of an industrial estate, the architecture of a council estate and a population seemingly comprised of tramps, scallies and 20 somethings dressed as 1940s pensioners became a destination night out and media powerhouse. And why is every third person riding a fluro pink bike with plastic wheels and dangerously short handlebars? 

Anyway, as I was stood outside ‘FCKF’ (FRIED - CHICKEN - KEBABS - FISH) wondering if this is what it had come to I remembered hearing about a hot dog stand that is reportedly serving a very high quality wiener. I looked it up on my phone and it was just down the road. 

I arrived there and the guy manning the stand was in the process of being hassled for money by a local. Once he’d paid the panhandler off with a hot dog bun (freshly baked by a local bakery) I ordered a Big Dog. There’s a choice of four dogs between 2.50-3.50, and he does pork, beef or pork AND beef sausages, each with 90% meat content.

The guy who runs the stand was very friendly, apologising about the crazy guy holding the queue up, presented me with a huge, delicious-looking hot dog and pointed me towards a vast array of accompanying sauces. To my immense delight he had a massive bottle of German currywurst ketchup so I smothered it in that. 

I was going to wait until I could find a nice place to sit to before attacking my dog but this being Old St there aren’t any nice places to sit so just guzzled it down in the street, taking in the vista of Old St Roundabout. I was a bit heavy-handed on the currywurst sauce and ended up with it all over my face, but people are always walking about round there with crap all over their faces so I blended in.

The dog itself was indeed delicious. A good size, but not so big you’d struggle to eat it, a lovely bit of ‘pop’ when you bite it, well seasoned high quality meat and an incredibly light white bun. Sweet grilled onions at the bottom of the bun finished things off nicely. 

So yeah, really good US-style hot dogs from a dude with a stand by the side of the road. Bargain prices! I think he shuts up shop around 6pm so strictly a lunch option for now, but this being 2011 you can follow him on Twitter to keep track of his plans. If I had to make one suggestion to Big Apple Hot Dogs however - MOVE TO SOHO! 

8/10

Big Apple Hot Dogs
Outside 239 Old St
London E1
07989 387441

http://www.bigapplehotdogs.com/

Google Map