london restaurants

and other places i'm sure i'm leaving out

yeah, certainly on my trip to excel the debranding was more noticeable than the official sponsor branding; also, there wasn't really much of an attempt to get us to buy tat - only noticed a smallish 2012/Team GB shop on the way out.

xp

to get back on topic that sounds like a well-judged London food trip.

i was staying with my buddy who is a food/lifestyle writer (and i guess i am too), who was super on top of everything and had a laundry list of places he wanted to check out. plus excellent guidance from the lex!

Blimey, you must have eaten well. I'm not too keen on the Eagle but more for reasons of comfort, but otherwise those places are all excellent (nb not been to Atelier Joel Robuchon).

(It's Rochelle Canteen btw)

xp Haha yeah nothing better than someone who treats your visit as an excuse to cross things off their list :) That's how I ended up in Colonie "Bruijkleen" last time I was in New York.

oh i ate so well.

eagle was fun—we went there after snacking at st john (to which i would later return for a proper meal).

robuchon was ridiculous, so 90s and over the top, just felt like a complete anachronism. but the food was perfectly prepared. we went for a pre-show prix fixe and it was quite affordable.

but yeah - really recommend elliot's café, we had such a great meal there. i miss london!

oh we also had a late night stop at BEIGEL BAKE

oh shit i forgot, one of the real highlights of the trip, that spanish tapas place in soho, no tables, only counter, what's it called again? it was phenomenal

Barrafina! Best tortilla I've ever had.

yesssssss

Barrafina is awesome.

so awesome

i was there a few weeks ago and my pal was asking the waitress about the way the olives are prepared, and she gave her a long and detailed answer about barrafina's technique v her grandma's, it was really nice and she was v passionate, she finished halfway through our meal and came back for a little chat.

i have never eaten at barrafina! shame shame

it's really informal and nice, good for a sunday afternoon.

Went to the Tramshed again yesterday. Last time I had the steak, which was good. yesterday I had the chicken. And it was, really, just roast chicken. Service was a lot better though.

im off for the ox heart tacos at rita's pre cafe oto tonight

i was at tramshed last night too! not impressed at all

Has anyone been to Yipin China on Liverpool Road? Was in there last night - on Googling, I discover it's had some rave reviews. Hunanese and Sichuan cooking - a lot of intestines and a lot of chili. We avoided the intestines, but you can't avoid the chili. Best Chinese meal I've had in London outside Yauatcha and Hakkasan, though - because the flavours are made with real ingredients, because the cooking is excellent, and because it's not the same bloody dishes you get everywhere. Really recommend it. Two of us has two mains, two rice, a vegetable and two beers - £44 inc service.

Went there for lunch yesterday!

I avoided most of the very spicy stuff (can't cope with hot food very well), but really liked it too. Did you have the chilli chicken?

to be fair there are other restaurants that do dishes other than the same bloody ones you get everywhere. e.g. leong's legends, ba shan, & bar shu in chinatown alone.

Had deep fried beef with chili and cumin, and gaobong chicken, for the veg had cold blanched spinach with sesame sauce. All very good. Mains scored one chili each on the menu's rating. I suspect three would be very very hot indeed.

DJing at Burnt Enz on Saturday, if you've not been you should check it out, sunny forecast too I believe.

Bah, in Brighton that day.

We may even have a secret special guest international DJ.

who is popular on ILX.

Is it DJ Q?

I just saw that do on facebook, i know paul whos playing from his place as a constant fixture on scenes. Is it someone exciting? Im doing visuals at the new rons eels warehouse place off broadway market that night so its a perfect dinner spot

Back on grub, enjoyed Ritas but the service was predictably a nightmare until the waitress serving said she would knock some drinks off for the second round of tacos taking ages so i paid a sum total of £14 for 2 peoples booze and food. Enjoyed the ox-heart tacos but the star of the show was the duck heart and pork baked beans which had a really nice crust on it so was more like a cassoulet. Really similar to something I had at Arbetus a while ago (when my girls mum was paying)

Anyone been to Morgan M in Farringdon yet? It's reasonably new but have booked a table for the end of the month. Looks amazing.

ah i know paul also. the guest dj may not happen now, though he will be there, no records with him.

he can sign autographs.

xxp I went to Morgan M when it was on Liverpool Rd, probably about 6 years ago. Seven course taster menu plus a glass of wine with each course. Possibly the best meal I've ever eaten.

i woudl definitely be at burnt enz on saturday but instead am having a super expensive lunch at river cafe

i'm in full on annoying promotion mode now but here's the burnt enz menu tomorrow:

https://p.twimg.com/Az77dAuCcAAHhDe.jpg:large

Damn them for selling the cheapest cuts of meat ever for £25/K *ducks*

looks amazing. i think £25/kg is fine? i'm p sure onglet is abt £18/k or so at e.g the ginger pig

a saddle of lamb is an expensive cut... get your pointless interjection right.

Will you be playing techno or will it be a more dining-friendly set? Never been there so don't really know what the vibe is.

This is just curiosity really as I will be out of town on Saturday.

it's v laid back there really, more of a bar for the day part of it then as it gets later they move away a few tables and there's a good little space for dancing. even in the evening it will only touch on house late on... maybe disco and stuff before that.

it is really nice, basically my favourite place to hang out all summer, i'd say we'll be doing another day too if it goes well tomorrow, before their license ends at the end of august.

Ronan, don't be like that - my interjection wasn't pointless at all. I know saddle is expensive. So why is saddle priced the same as super-cheap 'onglet'? FYI if your UK butcher isn't calling that cut SKIRT and charging £9/kilo, your butcher is levelling a wanker tax.

cos all beef is exactly the same, everywhere.

i think largely burnt enz is pretty good value, having been there.

I don't think food brings out the best in people.

Alba, our neighbourhood butcher (supplier to Moro, Cigala, the Eagle etc) is amazing and undercuts Ginger Pig's prices by roughly half. If you go there early Saturday mornings, there might not be a ten-person queue.

May be in Green Lanes tomorrow. Any Turkish/Cypriot recommendations?

Harran just north of Green Lanes Harringay station? I'm assuming you're closer to the Newington Green end of green Lanes than the N21 end?

Friend's family live about two minutes from Turnpike Lane. Thanks, YMOF.

Used to live near Green Lanes (Carlingford Rd nr Turnpike Lane station) and eating regularly at the Turkish places there was a definite high point. Is that magnificent bakery still there?

Also, where's Alba, suzy? A cheaper version of the Ginger Pig wd be great.

is the burnt enz dj m4n0 l3 t0ugh

we didn't ask in time for him to bring records, he is coming to hang tho.