City Lemon Featured Food Blogger | September 5th,2011 Category: Le Budget  I have been rather unlucky with Vietnamese restaurants in Soho: I was not very convinced by the West End subsidiary of the the popular Hoxton Vietnamese Cay Tre and I was more than disappointed by the lack of authenticity at Pho in Soho. I was told Viet was the place to go when craving cheap and authentic Vietnamese in Soho,and,even though I liked Viet better than both Cay Tre and Pho (and it is without doubt the cheapest and most authentic of them three),I would not exactly rush back. Read more... (491 words,7 images,estimated 1:58 mins reading time) July 12th,2011 Category: Le Budget I met my Vietnamese food loving friend Naomi one Sunday in Soho with the aim to finally try out Viet in Greek Street,which has been strongly recommended to me by Leluu (who is Vietnamese and therefore must know where to get the most authentic and delicious Vietnamese grub). To our unimaginable disappointment,Viet was closed. We were not ready to give up yet on our quest for Vietnamese food in Soho and ended up at Pho,which is part of a small chain named after the Vietnamese national dish,in Wardour Street. It might have been our mistake to not actually go for the pho but instead order my usual triad of papaya salad,fresh spring rolls and Bun Cha. Whatever the reason,the food at Pho turned out to be the most westernised and least authentic Vietnamese I have had anywhere in London. Paired with rude and unpleasant service,I won’t exactly hurry back. Read more... (666 words,5 images,estimated 2:40 mins reading time) June 4th,2011 Category: Bistro Vietnamese Cuisine has a secure place in my top 5 cuisines in the world and I am a regular visitor of Little Vietnam in and around Kingsland Road. Cay Tre Soho is without doubt an interesting addition to the Soho dining scene,where Vietnamese restaurants are scarce. However,compared with my favourite Vietamese joints in the East End and also compared to the original Cay Tre in Old Street,I liked the food substantially less. Overall it didn’t deliver the fresh flavours and herb explosion that I find in my favourite Vietnamese eateries such as Song Que or Fernandez &Leluu Supperclub. We started with the Green Mango Salad (8.5) which came with dried shrimp and knotweed. I a sucker for Vietnamese salads but this one was rather mediocre. It didn’t taste as fresh,zingy and herby as better specimens of this kind. 
The Grilled Aubergine (6) however,despite being a particularly unattractive plate of food,was utterly delicious and for me the winner of the evening. The sweet taste of the aubergine together with the ground pork on the top worked so well with the flavour of the fish sauce. Very nice indeed and a must have if you like aubergine. Read more... (462 words,7 images,estimated 1:51 mins reading time) January 9th,2011 I have only one New Year’s resolution for 2011 which is to cook more. And what would be a better start for this ambitious project than to attend a couple of cooking classes. The choice of what cooking class to attend first was easy:Uyen who is hosting my favourite supper club Fernandez &Leluu in Hackney (now Leluu’s Supperclub) has recently started to teach Vietnamese cooking in her kitchen. As Vietnamese is one of my favourite cuisines and I have experienced many times at her supper club that Uyen cooks exquisitely,I immediately booked myself a place. Read more... (924 words,24 images,estimated 3:42 mins reading time) January 6th,2011 Category:Le Budget  (£) I hardly ever get over to Battersea. The only reason for me to venture out into this tube-less part of town is the Battersea Arts Centre –an utterly great and creative theatre well worth the journey. If you have the chance to see ‘The Children and Animals took to the Streets‘by 1927,do it! This was one of the best and most entertaining shows I have seen in the past year. Additionally,I really like the bar at the BAC,I just wish it was closer to where I live,I would hang out there every day… Read more... (369 words,4 images,estimated 1:29 mins reading time) August 18th,2010 Category: Bistro Sunday lunch time and I was craving Vietnamese food. Viet Grill seemed the right place to go to as it had received loads of raving reviews and I expected a meal full of culinary delight. But I was bitterly disappointed. Without doubt,Viet Grill is –compared to the other Vietnamese restaurants in and around Kingsland Road –incredibly upmarket regarding its decor while still being relatively cheap. It is managed by the same people who also do the substantially less stylish Cay Tre in Hoxton;I had however the much better food at Cay Tre. Read more... (530 words,8 images,estimated 2:07 mins reading time) August 5th,2010 Supper Club,35 pounds/head,BYO Can I just start by saying that I absolutely love Fernandez &Leluu. I mean LOVE them. They firstly are seriously talented cooks and secondly,they are also and incredibly lovely and delightful couple. All go to their supper club,no excuses! Mind you they are famous,they already made it into the international media so be sure to get there soon,and book early enough in advance. Read more... (831 words,9 images,estimated 3:19 mins reading time) May 27th,2010 Category: Bistro Vietnamese and Japanese fusion….? No it’s not,it’s awful! N and I,after a not very successful shopping afternoon (I wonder who actually looks good in harem pants..),had booked a table at Nuocmam in Great Portland Street close to Oxford Circus. It was 50% off on Taste London and it claimed to serve Vietnamese cuisine. When we arrived there we started to feel a bit dubious about the whole idea,as the sign at the door indicated that it was a “karaoke restaurant”. Scary! Read more... (652 words,1 image,estimated 2:36 mins reading time) May 22nd,2010 Category: Le Budget Have a mentioned that I love Vietnamese? So it’s a very good thing for me to have a decent and cheap Vietnamese Cafe in the neighborhood. I am talking about Caphe House in Bermondsey Street,which is a small and relaxed place offering Vietnamese baguette (Banh Mi),fresh spring roles,Pho and several rice and noodle dishes among others. And –as the name promises –Vietnamese coffee. We went there for lunch and were pleasantly surprised: Read more... (301 words,2 images,estimated 1:12 mins reading time) May 11th,2010 Category: Le Budget I fell in love with Song Que on my first visit over 4 years ago and have been returning frequently ever since. Especially after having been to Vietnam myself I could appreciate the flavour and authenticity of their dishes even more. For me,eating at Song Que is always a treat. It doesn’t matter that the atmosphere is canteen-like,the waiters are impolite and too many people are packed into too little space because I am there for the food. And the food is delicious and very cheap. Read more... (509 words,3 images,estimated 2:02 mins reading time) | Inspiring London Food BlogsFood Blogs around the WorldDesign,Fashion and Art Blogs |
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