Cinnamon Soho, 5 Kingley Street, London W1B 5PF

Cinnamon Soho, 5 Kingley Street, London W1B 5PF
05/05/12

http://www.cinnamon-kitchen.com/soho-home

She said…I was craving some Indian food and had been looking forward to the Cinnamon experience since reading the menu online. Having read a review I knew beforehand that the plates would be small so to order a good mix of dishes. We arrived via the Kingley Street entrance though later realised there is another ‘main’ entrance which is prettier from Kingley Court. We didn’t pay much attention to the setting as we were both starving and so got stuck in ordering a mix of 5 small dishes which consisted of crab and vegetable balls, tandoori salmon, mushroom on toast and mathri with a roasted aubergine dip. Except for the mathri (which were essentially corn-like fatty snacks with a mis-matched sweet and rather chunky dip) and the vegetable balls which were ok, the other plates were fantastic: soft crab in a crispy batter with a perfect sauce, succulent salmon which melts in the mouth and a sort of curried mushroom that was over too soon. For ‘mains’ I went for a pea and cauliflower kichri but they got the order wrong and brought me a fish one instead. I didn’t want to wait for the correct order so took the fish one which was lovely – and was pleasantly surprised when they did not charge me for this on the bill for getting it wrong, exemplifying their already excellent customer service. I recommend the sweet lassi to drink which complimented the whole meal. It was only when we had digested our food that I took a proper look around the room and did wonder why a bit more effort didn’t go into the design. The dining room is fairly stark and lacks personality with dark wooden furniture and generic art in frames; a little more style would have been the icing on an already delicious, Anglo-Indian cake. Prices? Mmm, bit steep given the size of the dishes but worth it.

He said… If I didn’t know that this was part of the Cinnamon Club Group then I probably would not have tried this excellent restaurant. It doesn’t have much of a street presence, and the space is small and dark and really quite dull. But its daddy has a big reputation, so I was excited when I stumbled across this place on a walk around town. There are a lot of Indian restaurants in London (most of them Bangladeshi, it turns out), and some of them serve-up incredibly good food at an unbelievably low price. But Cinnamon is one of the few that does something really distinctive. The basic premise here is the best of British fused with the best of Asian. Not since the 60s would you see an Indian menu that included ‘safe’ options like mushroom on toast, or seafood pie. Except that here they’re not a concession to fearful diners, but instead a chance to reinvent and even improve on classics, bringing them bang-up-to-date for kids raised on exotica, like tamarind or garam masala. You will never eat a better mushrooms on toast than you will here. And that’s the reason to come to Cinnamon; the space may be uninspiring, the prices seemingly high, but you can’t get this kind of inspiring cooking in many other places. The portions are on the small side, so order more than the usual one starter one main.

The Grazing Goat, 6 New Quebec Street, London W1H 7RQ

The Grazing Goat, 6 New Quebec Street, London W1H 7RQ
21/04/12
http://www.thegrazinggoat.co.uk

She said…He had been wanting to try this local gastro pub for a while so I finally acquiesced. Having looked at the dining room upstairs I preferred the space downstairs which had more atmosphere, felt more open and allowed in more light. I placed myself strategically next to a roaring fire as we were in the middle of London’s ‘wettest April on record’. The prices on the menu reflected it’s Marylebone locale – higher than they needed to be but fitting with the gastro-pub scene in the area. I ordered a refreshing plum, pear and mint juice which, at £4 was indeed fresh and decided to go for the warm, smoked salmon salad which I really enjoyed. I had a side of Portobello mushrooms which were luke warm and forgettable. He seemed to enjoy the place more than I; not that I didn’t enjoy it but it seemed like a regular, modern ‘gastro’ pub to me which I wouldn’t avoid going to but wouldn’t actively go back to. Pleasant local.

He said… I bet you this is the kind of local everybody really wants in their neighbourhood. There may not be any hipsters sulking in the corner, or z-listers pulling each other’s extensions out. But the digs are quietly opulent, and the food’s good. It was early when we got there, so it’s hard to say what the clientele is on an average night, but it all felt solidly middle-class. Exactly my bag. I ordered the vegetable pie, with a side of chips, washed down with a Pimm’s (it was slightly less rainy than usual that day). The crust was all that it should be: golden, light, and crispy; the fillings was a mix of veg now lost in the mist of time, but stewed in a creamy but light and flavourful sauce. Delish. I would have it again. I picked at one or two of her mushrooms, which were disappointing, so I guess you do have to tread with care. Price was high for a pub, but worth it.

Blue Elephant, The Boulevard, Imperial Wharf, Townmead Road, London, SW6 2UB 14/04/12

Blue Elephant, The Boulevard, Imperial Wharf, Townmead Road, London, SW6 2UB
14/04/12
http://www.blueelephant.com/london/

She said...It had been a while since we had been in the Fulham area so I suggested we explore the development around Imperial Wharf and try the new location for Blue Elephant since we have happy memories of visiting the old site in Fulham Broadway about 15 years ago! Imperial Wharf is a mini city of shiny new residential buildings around the Thames in a very civilized, orderly fashion with a handful of smart restaurants on site. The first impression of Blue Elephant was very positive; the interior is based on the Palace of Bangkok and  had a grand, imperial feel with dark woods and classic yet contemporary furnishings. We were seated in the central main room - the best location, which overlooks the lower level and the Thames. The menu was vast but we had to decide quickly to throw caution to the wind once we saw the prices and to 'treat ourselves'.

You can choose dishes from different themed sections of the menu (such as Thai cooking of the past, the present and the future)...Before our meal (and after wolfing down the complimentary prawn crackers), we were presented with a lovely amuse bouche which set the tone of the meal to follow. I started with the classic fish cakes which were the finest I had tasted in a long time, followed by the black cod with tamarind sauce which was succulent with mouth watering flavours. I also enjoyed nibbling at some of what he had which was also very good. Our jasmine tea came in the most beautiful elephant shaped tea pot and the service was attentive but not fussy.

The prices were hefty though not extortionate (about £80 for two times two courses and a pot of tea) but I really did enjoy the blend of perfect food and setting. I would come back for a special occasion but the prices mean it can't be a regular treat...

He said... The first thing you notice about Blue Elephant is the setting: at the foot of glass tower blocks near the water -- about as close as you get to Dubai living in London, minus the sun. Push the door and the analogy continues: it's like stepping into another world. Fans of Blue Elephant's previous incarnation in Fulham will not be disappointed.Have a good nosey around when you go; the large space is divided into zones with different feels, on different levels. Upstairs you get nice views of the river. There's lots of features, including a giant carved figure decorating the bar. There's also a teaching kitchen where you can pick up tricks to amaze your friends; when we went, soon after Blue Elephant first opened, the school was still being built. The food was top notch, as you'd expect from this restaurant; I had khang khao phuak, which is, basically, spiced minced mushrooms in pastry, followed by massaman veg curry. All very good, but it is very expensive. For me Thai food is like Indian food -- it is basically cheap food, and if you're going to charge a bomb for it, then you really need to be doing it not just very well but in a way that you just can't get anywhere else. The food was awesome, but there's lots of excellent Thai restaurants in London doing it just as well for much less. You're basically paying for the location; it really depends how much you value that. I'd gladly go back, but if someone else was paying.