Boringest Restaurant Reviews!

July 1, 2006 20067 8:30 pm | In Personal | 8 Comments

Hi, thought I should continue doing the megalists that I've done previously with Movies and Games, so now it's Restaurants in London. I didn't take any pictures unfortunately, and all those you'll see are from websites, etc.

1. Shanghai Blues

Went to this restaurant for my birthday since I'm a Chinese food lover and my friends thought that it would be good to have a taste of this so-called high-class Chinese restaurant (apparently more so than Royal China) and check out what's the difference.

First of all, the decor's very nice and the ambience is very nice – you can see alot of Chinese influence in the design of it (latticed windows, big chinese pottery laid out everywhere, etc) and this is probably the only place you see a Chinese boss and the waiters are mostly caucasians, with the head waiters/waitresses as Chinese. Since it was for dinner, it wasn't as bright as the picture but dimmer with downtempo dance/jazz music playing in the background. Just nice for chilling out after a tough day of doing projects/working.

Decor: 5/5

When my friends and I were first escorted into the restaurant, we were sent to the bar. (normal thing for most restaurants which I find not very Chinese-y, but hey it's a Chinese restaurant in a Western country, and what better way to earn money while making your guests wait.) We ordered a bunch of cocktails and I ordered a beer, Shanghai Beer apparently (never heard of it but it tastes like Tiger, so it's fine with me) Drinks were fine with complimentary peanuts and all, so I guess I enjoyed it abit as well chatting with friends and all. The only thing I don't like in the bar is the waiting area, seats are higher than the tables, and although there's a couch, the rest have to sit around a small cutesy table. So, it's abit uncomfortable me thinks.

Bar: 4/5

So after about 15-30minutes of drinks, we were escorted to our table. All the cutlery seems to be quite cool looking with a light jade colour (nothing that I would use at home I guess since they are kinda expensive looking). Anyway, let's jump straight to the food, we ordered something like this (from memory):

1. Lobster (worst lobster I've ever tasted, you can't really taste the meat but more of the stir-fry sauce they made, and they taste like something you get from those supermarket microwave Chinese meals…ugh)
2. Steamed Dory Fish (not I order one, worst dish I think, meat is tough and there's seriously no taste! But I think they should be grilled instead)
3. Alaskan Crabs (this one is ok, but again meat is not fresh but I kinda expected it since they were flown all the way from Alaska after those brave fishermen caught it)
4. Mutton/Pork (can't really remember this one, I think it's the only dish that is pass-able)

Food: 1.1/5 (Probably slightly better than Chopstix)

And finally, when we finished our meal, tea was served. WTF? We ordered tea in the beginning and it's only served when we finish our meal? Dessert tea? Anyway, they all come in cutesy little pots with very small cups like those you see used by kings during the ancient times. But we were alarmed when we see individual pots for each of us – turns out that they charged the tea by the no. of people that we have there and it's £3.50/pot not including VAT + service charge. At this point, I was really annoyed, food was bad and now you wanna charge us for this small cute little pots of tea?

So, as a result, no dessert for us, just wanna quickly leave and pay the bill. And this turned out to be a very expensive lesson for us. This restaurant sucks big time for Chinese food, and you'll probably do better in Wong Kei.

Overall Score: (2.8/5)

Weightage: Decor (1/4), Bar (1/4), Food (1/2)

2. Ran, London

This is a Korean restaurant behind the main street in Oxford Circus (opposite HMV I think). Came here twice already, first for their rice dishes and Korean pizza(pancake) e.g. bibimbap, etc and the second for their bulgogi and barbecued meat. I would say since I've only been to like 4 Korean restaurants, I can rate this as the best among the 4.

Decorwise, it's very clean, simple and brightly lit and the table has this thing in the middle of the table for you to barbecue stuff (picture not from restaurant, but from someguy who put it up on the net):

I find this thing not very good for barbecuing though since small pieces of meat drops into the big holes in between, especially for smaller items like squid and prawn, but anyway, food was pretty good – bulgogi is very tender and the other meats are well-marinated. It's fun to have friends around you barbecuing at the same time, drinking beer and chatting, so this makes for a very involved form of eating in the sense that every person will have to dig up stuff from the same pot (at almost the same time since if you're abit late, your meat will be burnt). The bad thing I think would be the rice that was served in stainless steel bowls and since they conduct heat pretty well, they are pretty hot initially but I guess that makes you eat the kimchis and side dishes first.

Overall, it's a good eating experience in this restaurant but the service is nothing to rave about. Don't expect much service and it should be a really good time for you here.

Overall: (3.8/5)

3. Ten Ten Tei

This is probably the only place I'll miss when I come back home to M'sia and one of the reasons could be because I discovered it together with my gf when we were hunting a restaurant she thought was good in that area. Anyway, this is a very unassuming Japanese place, no girls in kimonos or Japanese doors but fully-staffed by Japanese, more like those small pub-like restaurants you see in animes but the sushi chef I think is top-class and other cooked food tastes really authentic. Normally crowded with other Japanese people, I guess it kinda shows the quality of food produced.

Anyway, I think I've ordered almost every single set meals there, except for the individual dishes and they all taste really good. But I think their curry katsu and udons are extremely good. Lunch beto sets are very good as well and all their sushi is very fresh. Basically, I've nothing to complain in this restaurant. Nice food at a an affordable price makes me wanna go back again after writing this.

Overall score: (5/5) – Must go if you're in London.

4. Matsuri

Another Japanese restaurant, this is kinda famous for their teppanyaki dishes. It's near Saville Row and when you go in you'll be escorted to a table which surrounds a large hot plate, where the chefs will cook everything in front of you. The bad thing I guess is that since you'll be sitting with other ppl next to you, you kinda lose some form of privacy. Anyway, it's quite interesting to see the chef cooking everything in a very interesting way with a very sharp knife which has its own holster and a flat metal thing which he uses to flip the meat around, it's like watching some cooking show.

I ordered a set meal, and I have to say it's a huge portion, with sushi sides and salad, etc. The sirloin steak I ordered comes in quite a big portion as well and overall, I think I'm ok with the food but not impressed. Although fully staffed by Japanese (lotsa of them), they forgot my dessert but anyway, decor was pretty good but seriously nothing impressive.

Overall score: (3.5/5) – worth going once, but don't think I'll be coming back.

5. Sakura

I used to come here before I found Ten Ten Tei. Anyway, all I remembered was that the food was ok but the portions are small. Their sushi are good though, and I think all the dishes with eel in them are pretty good. Also, their shabu shabu is not too bad as well.

But this is probably one of the few restaurants who hire alot of Japanese staff that can hardly speak English.

Overall (3.8/5)

6. Cafe East *Pic is from the website in the link!

This is probably one of the best kept secrets in London for Vietnamese food. Ever since I went backpacking in Vietnam for about a month back in the days when I was pretty fit, I've never forgotten the taste of real "pho bo" (thinly sliced raw-beef with Vietnamese hor fun in beef soup) in this small restaurant near the train station in Hanoi and I thought I'll never find something similar again till I came to this restaurant. Since this is relatively near the place I'm living, I go there quite often and I think I've tried all their dishes and they are all pretty authentic. But too bad they only serve these noodle/rice dishes but not the individual dishes which I miss too. Anyway, meals costs from 5-6 pounds and are very affordable and is probably the most authentic Vietnamese restaurant in London.

Overall score: (4.5/5) – Close to the real one I ate in a cold night near the Hanoi train station, on transit to Lao Cai.

7. Lotus Floating Restaurant

Well, this is a real floating restaurant near Canary Wharf and I think they serve one of the best dim sum in London. Mostly frequented by bankers and accountants, it's very often you'll see somebody you know there but anyway, their dim sum is pretty good – large portion at affordable prices (much cheaper than Royal China, about Chinatown rates). I've also tried their dinner dishes as well, but they are only so-so. Anyway, a good place for a lazy Sunday afternoon. Most waiters/waitresses are Malaysians too.

Overall score: (4/5)

8. Tas

This is a Turkish restaurant, and although it's a chain of restaurants, the food is pretty good as it was recommended by one of my Turkish friends. Normally very crowded for dinners, their specialites are their Iskander dishes and their lamb dishes. Decor's pretty ok, kinda flashy like most Middle-Eastern places but still, food is pretty good and at the right price too.

Overall Score: (3.6/5)

9. Khan's

Another popular place among students, this place serves a wide range of my favourtie Indian food: butter chicken, tandoori, all kinds of curries, aloo gobi, etc. I've eaten quite a few times here and they are pretty inexpensive and food's pretty good too.

Overall: (3.6/5)

10. Gourmet Burger Kitchen

This place serves burgers in a different way than what you normally see in McDs or Burger King. I've always liked their Chorizon burgers which comes with Spicy Spanish sausage, sweet potato, rocket, tomato & relish. Pretty interesting selection too, and they come in pretty big portions too. Eat that with a milkshake and you're guaranteed to be very full after that. There are a few of them in London, 1 in Bayswater and the other in Fulham Broadway.

Overall score: (3.6/5)

11. Boxwood Cafe

One of Gordon Ramsay's restaurants, the food is delicious although it looks really simple. Decorwise, it's pretty nice looking, more of a modern European design with some traditional English influences. Service was very good as well I thought, not too obstrusive. Anyway, here's what I ordered (from memory):

Starter: Ox-tongue, rockets and bacon stripes (really nice, the saltiness of the ox-tongue seems to go really well with the bitterness of rockets)
Main: Ribeye Steak with baked potatoes and Yorkshire pudding. (the baked potatoes were fantastic and the meat although tastes like its marinated in red wine seems to have an additional taste which I can't really determine (I suspect it's Chinese Dark Soya Sauce))
Dessert: Tiramisu cake (nothing special here, but not too sweet, just nice for to finish up the meal)

All in all, a good deal if you can catch one the offers on TopTable and a chance for you to taste a good English meal besides the ones you see in pubs.

Overall score: (4/5)

12. Churchill Arms

Don't let the appearance fool you, the front looks like a typical English pub but go to the back and there's a Thai garden restaurant – pad thais and green curries, I've tasted most of them and they are all pretty good. This is one of the few places where I can stomach spicy curry with a beer – Carling, Foster's or Stella seems to complement well with most dishes. Anyway, it's a nice place with a unique atmosphere but beware of long waiting times.

Overall score: (3.7/5)

13. Hereford Arms

Probably the best pub in Gloucester Rd/South Kensington area, they serve really good fish and chips, pies & burgers. Atmosphere is family-friendly, and there's quite a wide selection of ales and beers. Apparently their dessert (e.g. rolly polly, spotted dick, etc) is pretty good too but I haven't tried yet.

Overall score: (3.8/5)

14. Maggie Jones's

This restaurant is hidden behind High Street Kensington and is near the Fire Station. Probably one of the few English restaurant I really enjoy, it serves a pretty good selection of English food from poached salmon to shepherd's pie. The decor looks pretty nice, a little cluttered I think and the lights were way too dim. Anyway, the salmon I had was perfect, it's relatively large portion as well so what more can you ask. Abit pricey I think but the food's worth it.

Overall score: (3.9/5)

15. Belgo's

Another restaurant I frequent since they have this beat the clock thing i.e. if you reach the place at 6pm, you only pay 6 pounds for the set meal, 7pm = 7 pounds and so on. Great place when you have alot of people, so it's quite crowded but has a great fun atmosphere. This is what I've eaten before:

-mussels mariniere (good i think, but can't compare with the ones I ate in Brussels)
-deep fried Haddock Hoegarden (nice, worth ordering again)
-spring chicken (very normal)

Overall score: (3.6/5)

I think I've left out quite a few restaurants out there, but I can't remember them. Anyway, I've already spent like 2 hours writing this, will stop and go prepare for the match soon =)

Any recommendations, pls leave in the comments section.