New York City Eats

I really enjoyed my week's holiday in New York, and as one might expect the food played a large part in that. Rather than do loads of blog posts (I really can't be arsed nowadays) here's a round-up of some of my favourite eats in the Big Apple.

The dimly-lit dining room at Minetta Tavern, while terrible for food photography, is one of the most buzzy, atmospheric ones I've eaten in. And I've eaten in a lot. I kicked off with a generous portion of roasted bone marrow served with shallot confit and baguette soldiers while my friend went with roast baby beets. Both got the thumbs up. For mains, we both ordered the legendary Black Label burger. Made with prime cuts of dry-aged beef, topped with caramelized onions and served in a sesame-topped brioche bun, this was without doubt the best burger I've ever eaten. Oh, and the big mountain of fries were bloody amazing, too. Overall, Minetta Tavern was probably my favourite out of all the restaurants I visited in New York. This begs the question whether Keith McNally opened the wrong restaurant in London.



Minetta Tavern, 113 MacDougal St (btwn Bleecker & 3rd St), Greenwich Village, New York, NY 10012
(Tel: +1-212-475-3850)

Kesté Pizza & Vino serves pizza the Neapolitan way with a wood-fired brick oven taking pride of place at the back of the shop. My diavola pizza was pretty much perfect with its blistered chewy crust and quality toppings of homemade mozzarella, spicy soppressata and fresh basil. My friend enjoyed his pistacchio a salsiccia pizza with its subtle pistachio pesto topping and moreish sausage meat. As the name of the restaurant suggests wine is of equal importance to the pizza and this is reflected by the excellent wine list. Along with Biang! and the Minetta Tavern, this small pizzeria is on my A-list of New York eateries.



Kesté Pizza & Vino, 271 Bleecker St (btwn Cornelia & Jones St), West Village, New York, NY 10014
(Tel: +1-212-243-1500)

Choosing where to eat in Manhattan's Chinatown is a risky business. One false move and you could end up in a tourist trap. So I was thankful that I had some local knowledge to fall back on in the form of coolcookstyle's recommendation of Shanghai Café Deluxe. Being a caff specialising in Shanghainese food, both 小籠包 xiao long bao (soup-filled pork dumplings) as well as the less well known 生煎包 sheng jian bao (pan-fried soup-filled pork buns) were ordered. Of the two I preferred the latter; I think this might be to do with the fact that sheng jian bao, with their juicy pork filling and crispy bottoms, are nigh on impossible to find in London. Incidentally, these two dishes are listed on the English language-menu as steamed tiny buns with pork and fried tiny buns with pork.



Shanghai Café Deluxe, 100 Mott St (btwn Canal & Hester St), Chinatown, New York, NY 10013
(Tel: +1-212-966-3988)

Fette Sau may not be the best barbecue joint in New York (the twitterverse told me as much) but it is ideally located to kick off an afternoon out in Williamsburg. I know sod-all about proper American barbecue and have precious little experience of it. So for what it's worth, I thought the pulled pork shoulder, beef short rib and beef brisket were decent enough but that the pork ribs and pork sausages were better. I liked the casual fun vibe of this converted auto repair shop so it was a shame that our lunch was slightly spoiled by rude and inattentive bar service (by the way, the food counter service was just fine).



Fette Sau, 354 Metropolitan Ave (btwn Havemeyer & Roebling), Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY 11211
(Tel: +1-718-963-3404)

I'm pleased to report that there were no such service fails at the excellent Black Brick. Some haters may dwell on the overtly hipster interior design, but quite frankly who cares when the coffee is so damn good. The barista's attention-to-detail was a sight to behold and he also found time to have a friendly chat whilst making my brew. This coffee shop is an ideal pit-stop when strolling along Bedford Avenue, the main drag in Williamsburg. All power to hipsters!



Black Brick, 300 Bedford Ave (btwn Grand & S 1st St), Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY 11211
(Tel: +1-718-384-0075)

Tribeca Grill may no longer be the place to be seen, but I enjoyed my Sunday brunch at this glamorous restaurant famous for being part-owned by Robert De Niro (I had a good look around but Bobby was nowhere to be seen). I adored my jumbo lump crab cake, which as promised had jumbo lumps of sweet white crabmeat. This was perfectly paired with chipotle roasted corn and cilantro avocado mousse. My mate enjoyed his scrambled eggs, country gravy & buttermilk biscuit so much, he didn't offer me any. And do remember to order the basket of bread & pastries if only for the amazing banana bread. This was a fine last meal before heading off to the airport.



Tribeca Grill, 375 Greenwich St (btwn Franklin & North Moore St), Tribeca, New York, NY 10013
(Tel: +1-212-941-3900)

To conclude my round-up, here are a few places where I enjoyed drinks and snacks. Eataly, Mario Batali's gastro-shrine to all things Italian, has no less than seven restaurants. Being a sunny day I popped up to the rooftop beer garden, Birreria, and enjoyed a fine platter of salumi. To top-up my Britisher points I spent an enjoyable Friday night at April Bloomfield's gastropub, The Spotted Pig. Next time I'll save some space to eat more than just my share of pork rillette and some shoestring fries. Happy Hour is a great time of the day to take a breather from sightseeing whilst plotting where to go out at night. I found this was best done over drinks, some truffle fries and half a dozen littleneck clams from the raw bar at McCoy in Greenwich Village.



Birreria @ Eataly, 200 5th Ave (btwn 23rd & 24th St), Flatiron District, New York, NY 10010
(Tel: +1-212-937-8910)



The Spotted Pig, 314 W 11th St (at Greenwich St), West Village, New York, NY 10014
(Tel: +1-212-620-0393)



McCoy, 89 MacDougal St (at Bleecker St), Greenwich Village, New York, NY 10012
(Tel: +1-212-460-0900)

[NYC Postscript – updated August 2013] After having a great holiday in New York in May, it was a pleasant surprise to return so soon after for a business trip. This, of course, meant more eats and here's a quick round-up of some more places worth checking out.

There are two very good reasons to visit the Standard Hotel in the Meatpacking district even if you're not a guest: the Standard Biergarten and the Standard Grill. Enjoy German beer in the former before going to the latter to tuck into seafood from the raw bar followed by treats such as seared scallops. A short distance from the Standard Hotel is Fatty Crab in the West Village. I'm not entirely sure what my Malaysian friends might think about this take on their cuisine, but I was a big fan of the signature chilli crab as well as snacks such as coconutty chicken wings and seasonal salad.

Taiwanese-style gua bao seem to be taking over the world at the moment and New York is no exception. Of the bao I tried I liked the belly pork-filled Chairman Bao at Baohaus but preferred the pork buns over at Momofuku Noodle Bar, although they were so amply-filled with pork belly it left little room for the slightly-lacklustre Momofuku ramen. My last tip is an example of what the Big Apple does best: ambience. I have no doubt there is better Japanese food in New York but for a good time vibe, there's no beating the Blue Ribbon Sushi Izakaya.

Ramen Mondays @ Roka's Shochu Lounge

For those of you waiting for a write-up on Tsuru Ramen, I'm afraid you'll just have to hang on a bit longer. I've tried their shoyu ramen, but I'm waiting to check out the tonkotsu ramen before blogging about my experiences. In the meantime, here's a quick write-up about the other ramen du jour.

Roka's subterranean Shochu Lounge is the venue for Ramen Mondays, where two ramen options are available: miso or shoyu. I plumped for the latter, which is served with Japanese-style cha siu pork (this is different in style to the Chinese original).

I'm not the biggest fan of shoyu, as I've never understood why soy sauce is added to the broth, but this was decent enough as shoyu goes. The cha siu was tender and flavoursome, and there was a fair bit of it too.

I also liked the other toppings of spring onion, nori (dried seaweed), menma (fermented bamboo shoots), mange tout and shoyu-marinated boiled egg. The noodles were well sourced, and within acceptable realms of springiness. Although to suit my personal taste, I would've preferred my ramen with a bit more bite.

Good ramen is hard to find in London, and I think you'll be hard pushed to match the quality found here. It's just a shame that it's only available on Monday lunchtimes, and that Roka is just a bit too far away for me to get to from the office (I had Monday off, last week).

And at £8.60, I think it's pretty good value, especially when compared to the udon at Koya (although I accept it isn't a direct comparison). With green tea and 13.5% service, the bill came to £12.71 (note to Roka, buy a till that rounds down to the nearest 10p).



Roka Shochu Lounge, 37 Charlotte St, London W1T 1RR 
Nearest stations: Goodge St, Tottenham Court Road

Ramen is served only on Mondays (12-2pm) downstairs in the Shochu Lounge (no bookings).

Eating, Drinking & Sleeping in Istanbul

Balik Pazari (Fish Market)

The White Stripes are a band that many musos love, but for some reason I've never really got into them. I have a couple of their albums but other than a few tracks, I might press skip more often than not on my iPod.

To me, Turkish cuisine is the culinary equivalent of The White Stripes. I think Turkish food is OK but I don't worship it with the same devotion as others. Would spending five days on holiday in Istanbul change my mind?

Well not really. I didn't have any shocking meals but there wasn't that definitive meal that changed my overall opinion. That's not to say there weren't a few gems so here follows my guide on what to eat in Istanbul thrown in with some travel tips on this most beguiling of cities.

Lahmacun

My number one must-eat is the mighty lahmacun. I'd never heard of this Turkish pizza, until I read about it on this blog. I just couldn't get enough of this lamb mince topped ultra thin pizza. Served with lettuce, parsley and a squeeze of lemon – it's heavenly and cost only TL2 (just less than £1).

The hamsi man

My other must-eat is arguably the city's signature dish, hamsi or Black Sea anchovies. Look out for the plumes of smoke and you shall find the hamsi man.

Hamsi aka Black Sea anchovies

These bad boys are deep-fried, served with salad and the biggest bread roll that you've ever seen in your life. They're quite unlike anchovies in oil and are more like whitebait. The damage? A mere TL5 (£2).

Kofte & chips

Sucuk

In fact you can't go wrong if you're a lover of fish and seafood, and I enjoyed it nicely grilled both on and off skewers. My favourite was grilled octopus. Ah the grill. You can't get away from it in Istanbul, and if you don't want anything too challenging then stuff like kofte & chips really hits the spot. However, if you find that boring then sucuk, beef sausage seasoned with various spices including cumin and sumac, is a more intriguing option.

Other stuff I sampled included meze, many variations of kebab, and some nice sweets but there was something missing. I couldn't quite put my finger on it but then it dawned on me at the end of the trip. I missed pork. Now obviously for cultural and religious reasons, pork is off-limits in Turkey but that didn't lessen my yearning. And I guess that's probably why Turkish food will never be one of my favourites.

Finding Your Feet
The main areas of town are on either side of the Golden Horn. To the south lies old Istanbul with its blockbuster sights like the Topkapi Palace, Haghia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and the Grand Bazaar. To the north, over the Galata Bridge, lies Beyoğlu where you'll find shops, restaurants, cafés and bars – mostly on and off the main pedestrianised thoroughfare, Istiklal Caddesi. To put it another way, spend your days in old Istanbul and your nights in Beyoğlu.

Going Out
With the exceptions of a couple of bars, I'm not going to recommend any specific places but instead focus on the lively parts of town. As I previously mentioned, Beyoğlu is where it's at and there's always loads going on. Plenty of bars and meyhanes (meze and grill restaurants) can be found on the side streets just off Istiklal Caddesi such as Cicek Pasaji, Nevizade Sokak, and Balik Pazari (Fish Market). My perception is that the Cicek Pasaji is a bit of a pricey tourist trap and that better value can be found on Nevizade Sokak and Balik Pazari, where you can also find some hamsi stalls.

Back on Istiklal Caddesi is the Richmond Hotel, home to a stunning restaurant and bar called Leb-i-Derya. This is definitely the place for cocktails with arguably the finest views of Istanbul's unique skyline. Sadly the food didn't pass muster and I expected better for TL350 (apx £140) for dinner for two (three courses, a bottle of red and a tip). Don't get me wrong; there wasn't anything wrong with the signature forty-spice beef fillet or any of the other dishes, it just lacked any wow factor. Service was also hit and miss although they did redeem themselves with a complimentary hazelnut vodka to round off the meal.

The other bar worth a visit is on Nevizade Sokak and is simply called '27'. There's no signage other than a red painted number 27, and once the doorman lets you in, you should head up the stairs to the top floor. Located there is a bohemian looking bar with battered armchairs and sofas, where a DJ plays some top tunes. My only fear is that its hipster credentials have been irrevocably destroyed by the presence of my mate and me. I didn't help matters when I asked the DJ whether she had any Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, or New Order. In case you're wondering, she did have some New Order but she pointed out that she doesn't do requests.

The other area that's good for nightlife is at the end of Istiklal Caddesi near Tunel Square. Check out the cobbled side streets for a selection of cocktail bars and meyhanes. This area is also home to quite a few 'international' joints serving burgers, pizzas and pasta. These places seemed inexplicably popular with young Turks. If you carry on walking from here toward the waterfront then you'll hit Karakoy Square, where there is another fish market, from where you can pick up more hamsi.

Old Istanbul isn't half as lively but it is more than likely that you'll be there during the day. Beware of the obvious tourist trap restaurants (you can identify them by the touts and the mixed Turkish-International menus) near the blockbuster historical sights. It's worth walking 10-15 minutes away back along the tramline towards Galata Bridge to eat at places with a more local feel.

Staying In
Due to a mix-up by hotel management over the dates on my Expedia booking, we stayed at two hotels, our original choice, Mia Pera, and our back-up for two nights, Gezi Hotel Bosphorus. Both are fine boutique hotels in Beyoğlu, and whilst the former is better located for nightlife, I preferred the latter. That said, the rooms we stayed in at the Mia Pera were enormous, as we were upgraded after the initial mix-up.

By the way, I was very impressed at how Mia Pera's management handled the situation. They apologised profusely, arranged alternative accommodation, and loaded our luggage into a waiting hotel car before we managed to finish our complimentary coffees.

Other Tips
For a guidebook, Time Out is pretty good, especially for eating and drinking tips. However, I dislike some of the pretentious prose and right-on attitude. If anyone from Time Out is reading this, we don't need to know the favourite haunts of Istanbul's left-wing intellectuals, literati and thespians.

To get around, it's easier to walk or take the tram rather than get stuck in traffic in taxis. The tram is part of the Metro network and is very easy to use with jetons or tokens costing a flat TL 1.75. Look out for the jeton machines in and around tram stops.

Riga - Part 1

I should know better at my age. I mean what would you do if you had just arrived in Riga for a wedding ? Of course the sensible thing would be to have a meal with a few gentle drinks before turning in for an early night. That's a bit boring though, much better to go mad and sample loads of turbocharged Belgian beer. Mercifully the groom was more sensible and knew when to stop drinking.

About the only wise decision I made was to share a metre of traditional Latvian sausage. This was top notch as was the accompanying salad, gherkins, and dips. Particularly worthy of mention was the potato salad.

I woke up the next day with a terrible hangover and the 50km coach trip to the wedding venue wasn't much fun although it was enlivened by some stunning scenery. The gods were on side for this big fat Greek-Latvian wedding as there wasn't a cloud in the sky for the outdoor ceremony.

As I'm not of the fairer sex, I lack the writing skills to describe the proceedings but needless to say El Greco and Mysterious Miss A's wedding went off really well. I particularly enjoyed the traditional games, customs, and challenges that the newlyweds had to go through.

I was still feeling a little tender so I was glad that there were nibbles with the champagne and I was double glad that these were substantial nibbles. None of that vol-au-vent nonsense – instead we had the Latvian take on the sausage roll as well as bread rolls with fillings such as bacon, egg, and mushrooms baked inside the roll. These were all excellent and strangely reminded me of Chinese bakery albeit with different fillings.

Onto the wedding breakfast and the speeches. These were expertly done with El Greco's newly acquired Russian language skills going down a storm with his in-laws. I also learnt some Russian that day, the word gorko. Whenever this was chanted, the bride and groom had to stop what they were doing and kiss until the chanting stopped. And by kiss, I mean properly kiss. I'm not sure the newlyweds finished their food as there were so many chants of gorko - even the usually repressed Brits eventually joined in (once the booze had kicked in).

For the meal itself, there was salad to start and tiramisu to finish but inbetween we had a selection of grilled meats, fish, and vegetables. These were passed along the long tables and I was very anxious as these platters were resting far from my grasp. I managed to bag my fair share and the accompanying sauces were tasty too. I particularly liked the tomato gravy thing but I didn't find out its name - give me a break, I was off the clock !

To drink, I kicked off with some white but switched to red for the main course. There were also bottles of Jameson whiskey and Russian Standard vodka. I wasn't going to touch the hard stuff but then Uncle Vodka came over. This guy was a force of nature, as he roamed from group to group to ensure we all toasted the newlyweds. When he came round to our group, I sipped my vodka. Whilst I didn't understand what he said, his look of bemusement tinged with disappointment said it all. There was only one way out and I quickly drained my glass. His mood immediately lightened and he seemed to take great pleasure that he had sent me on a one-way trip to oblivion.  

Consequently, the rest of the evening was a blur and I thought I'd dreamt some of the games and elaborate dance routines. At one point, it seemed like I'd gatecrashed a hallucinogenic drug fuelled fancy dress party, as the newlyweds were being driven on a pretend bus with dancers dressed up in costumes. The English commentary just made it seem more surreal and I was convinced the Village People were going to make a guest appearance.

Despite being a bit worse for wear, I still seemed to have the blog on my mind. Why else did I take a photo of the supper buffet ? I remember eating some fruit, as of course a few slices of melon and pineapple was going to save me from another hangover.  

Most of the other photos I took aren't really suitable for the blog but this one of the happy couple is. I should take more photos using the 'balloon' setting on my humble Casio.

All told it was a cracking wedding and everybody had a great time. So if you have a glass handy, please raise it to El Greco and his beautiful wife, the Mysterious Mrs A. Don't worry, I won't hold it against you if it isn't neat vodka and don't down it in one !

Ein Tag im Zürich

Here's my quick guide to eating and drinking in Zürich. I was taken to most of the places featured in this post by locals so I'd like to think these are the better places in town. Or to put it another way, don't blame me if any of these places are below par! Kicking off with breakfast, I went to Schurter on the edge of the old town for a coffee and a bun. When I told Soft Aussie that my coffee cost nearly SFr 6 (£3.50), he mocked me.

Our offices are in Klusplatz, a short tram ride away from where I was staying in the city centre and sadly I had to work for a few hours before lunch beckoned. Lunch was normally a trip down to a local café for schnitzel and chips but on a couple of occasions, I was treated to an Italian. They really do like their Italian food in Zürich and of the two places I was taken to, Ristorante Aroma had the edge over Pizza Pasta Ciao. Neither place was particularly special but let's put it this way, they're better than the likes of Strada and Pizza Express.

I know I had a moan in a previous post about business dinners but with hindsight, I did my Swiss colleagues a disservice. In terms of looking after me, these guys did it in style and shop talk was kept to a minimum. Before dinner, we went to have a snifter at the Terrasse Bar; sadly it was winter as its lakeside location is ideal for summer drinking.

It's not a bad bar but not as good as the Widder Bar, where we rounded off the evening (I'll discuss our excellent dinner later). This opulent basement bar is located in one of Zürich’s finest hotels, Hotel Widder. I really enjoyed the mojito here but unfortunately the atmosphere was ruined by cigar smoke (smoking isn’t going to be banned in Zürich 'til later this year).

Great as these two bars were, neither holds a candle to Zürich's finest, Bohemia. I love it here although it helps I'm in the company of Soft Aussie who judging by how well he knows the bar staff has adopted this place as his second home. They do several types of mojito and I also liked their capirinha. I've never eaten here although Soft Aussie reckons they do a mean fry-up for weekend brunch. Let's hope its impending refurb doesn't spoil its special ambience. 

Anyway back to the dinner that my Swiss hosts treated me to. After our pre-dinner drinks, we went to Restaurant Lindenhofkeller, which in my opinion is worthy of a Michelin star and is superior to some be-starred places I've eaten in. A classy interior, fine wines, excellent service and a cracking Modern European menu with some Swiss favourites took this restaurant to another level. I'm sure the excellence here resulted in me treating Neumarkt, where I had dinner the following evening, with a degree of indifference.

I kicked off with grilled scallops, lobster tail with a crab, grapefruit & avocado tart followed by a main of grilled monkfish finished off with a warm chocolate cake w/Baileys ice cream. I do regret not taking photos but I didn't want to blow my cover. I can't remember what my hosts ate but we all had an excellent meal. A nice touch was when the chef and owner, Rene Hofer came out to have a little chat about the meal.

One thing I missed out on during this visit to Switzerland were noodles, be they the local favourite spätzli, or my favoured oriental noodles. In the case of the former, these are widely available and I've previously sampled them at the stunning Restaurant Sonnenberg. For oriental noodles, Nooba is the place to go – it's nearby Bohemia – and is similar to concept to Wagamama but don't let that put you off.

It's unlikely I'll be returning to Zürich anytime soon, which is a bit of a shame as there are worse cities to visit on business. That said never say never; so do let me know if you have any tips for this picturesque city.

Pub Burgers

There's been more written about burgers than any other topic on the blogosphere. Peeps like Cheese & Biscuits who is campaigning to get In 'N' Out to open on this side of the pond and my pal, The London Foodie who is on a mission to track down the best burgers in London. In fact, I reckon I might be the only food blogger not to have written about burgers – until now.  

The consensus on the blogosphere seems to be that the burger at Hawksmoor is the daddy, although Goodman has its advocates. But as you're paying a fair whack for the burger, these places are for treats rather than the everyday. This seemingly leaves us with the boutique burger bars; of which I visit Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK) most frequently. Mind you, it's not as good as it was since it became a chain and I became a total food snob.

Of the other contenders, many love Byron but I'm not sure what the fuss is about (that said I've yet to try the Big D). I haven't tried Haché or Ultimate Burger and I'm not sure there are any other chains worthy of a mention. Truth is these posh-ish burger bars are not where I'd go for a burger-fix as I reckon some of the best burgers are found in boozers. I'm reluctant to use the g-word but I mean the kind of gastropub that make their burgers from scratch.

I know I'm straying onto dangerous turf here as I'm called 'Mr Noodles' not 'Mr Burger' which is why I dragged out The London Foodie and Dr G to give the burger at The Harrison near Kings Cross the once over. This wasn't my first choice for a pub burger but the place I had in mind, the Gunmakers has a rotating menu and the burger isn't always available.

Now the burger at The Harrison was by and large a fine specimen though not without flaws. Personally, I was a little disappointed with the bun, which didn't hold the burger in properly and there were also issues with consistency. Two out of the three burgers were fine but poor Dr G lucked out with a slightly overcooked burger.

That said I think the burger here is a cut above the gourmet chains with the patty having a definite own-made feel about it. Other than poor Dr G's, the burgers were thick and juicy and a steal at £9 (including side salad, coleslaw, and fries or fat chips). The only downside is location as although The Harrison is a decent pub, unless you live or work nearby, I'm not sure it's worth trekking over for a burger and a Guinness. 

I will from time to time be posting on pub burgers so do let me know if you think the burger at your local is worth writing about. I'm willing to travel but I'm more amenable to Central London and South London boozers.

Many thanks to The London Foodie for the photos, I'd forgotten my camera and the ones I took on my phone were pretty crap. 

Off The Blog

Over the last couple of weeks, I've been lucky enough to eat out a lot (and I mean a lot) - in theory this means loads of posts. However with Christmas looming, I have precious little time to actually write them. So with the exception of my review of Red 'N' Hot, you'll have to wait until the New Year for tales of my festive dining.

In the meantime, here's another one I made earlier – a round-up of three great restaurants that I enjoyed 'off the blog'. I don't post about every restaurant I visit as blogging can be hard work and sometimes I just want to relax. Then there are those meals when it isn't really appropriate to blog ! Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I really liked these places even though I didn't give them the full blog treatment.

Like English footballers with natural flair, high-end contemporary Portuguese restaurants in London aren't all that common. To stretch this painful analogy further, Portal on St John St is the 'Joe Cole' of Portuguese restaurants and it certainly deserves more acclaim. This classy and understated Clerkenwell restaurant really shines with a beautiful conservatory and warm efficient service.

The food is excellent too and I enjoyed my three courses of fish soup, suckling pig with pumpkin galette and the poshest pasteis de nata ever. Around the table, others enjoyed the grilled venison with chestnut & mushroom ravioli and the braised bisaro with sweet potato mash.

grilled quail, photo courtesy of The Catty Life

If Portal is one of London's hidden gems, the same can't be said about Roka on Charlotte St. No one seems to have a bad word to say about this modern Japanese restaurant and it largely lives up to the hype. The restaurant sells itself on dishes from its open robata grill but the sushi and sashimi are also exceptional.

If you can, go for one of the tasting menus – highlights include wagyu sushi, grilled scallop skewers, grilled quail (pictured – thanks Catty) and their giant dessert platter. It's not cheap but I struggle to find much wrong with this buzzy restaurant and I'm usually very suspicious of over-stylised Asian places. In short, one of the best places I've eaten at since I started blogging.



In contrast to Roka and Portal, Camino is an everyday kind of place which won't break the bank. It's easily the best bar in the King's Cross area (not hard I know) and its location in the Regent Quarter development will take you far away from the grimy streets of the Cross.

The food is above par too - you can either order tapas at the bar or dine in the restaurant where they serve an excellent value set lunch (£15 for 3 courses). But what I really like about this place is its cracking selection of affordable Spanish wine (especially the red). Oh and they have 'proper' table footy where you can re-enact Barcelona v Real Madrid.