Bill's (London)

In honour of pancake day, I have decided to review Bill's, where I recently caught up with a friend over brunch. I'm sure you've all heard of Bill's as it has chains scattered across London, and in other parts of England as well, I believe. However, I'm ashamed to say it's taken me three years to sample their tried and tested menu.

Breakfast is definitely my favourite meal of the day, so I felt spoiled for choice when looking at their menu. Unable to decide between sweet and savoury, my friend and I decided to split the Bill's Breakfast (cumberland sausage, fried free range eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms, smoked streaky bacon & toast) and the Blueberry and Buttermilk Pancakes. Our third companion went for Egg's Benedict.

Sadly, I didn't think there was anything particularly special or exciting about our food. I could definitely have made an equally tasty English breakfast at home. If you're in London, I would say forego Bill's and check out some other places for breakfast/brunch, like the famous Breakfast Club or even L'ETO Caffe, where I've had better pancakes. It does, however, have quite a cosy and familiar atmosphere with its rustic furnishings, which is quite a nice environment to catch up with friends and have a relaxed meal.

Food: B

Ambience/Deco: A

Service: B

Price: $ (1 course breakfast) 

Zoe (London)

For her 22nd birthday, my friend chose to go to Zoe, a French restaurant nestled in Islington. I don't normally venture to Islington as it is quite far from where I live, but I'm going to make it a point to explore it more. On the way to Zoe we saw an eclectic mix of restaurants, ranging from cute and cosy looking cafes to hip places that resemble those you might find in New York's meatpacking district.

Zoe itself is a small place, we even almost missed it as we walked by. But you definitely cannot give this a miss! I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of food and the diversity and variety of the menu. Starters included frog legs and mussels, whilst the mains ranged from kangaroo to pork belly. I myself ordered the pork belly, but I managed to try the kangaroo and the gateau topped with goat cheese. I did enjoy my pork belly, which was soft and crispy and accompanied by a smooth mash and a dijon mustard sauce, but the gateau (grilled vegetable stuffed with aubergine and pepper mixture) was the absolute winner for me. I'd go back to this restaurant just to order this dish, which was a perfect combination of flavours. For dessert, we ordered the cookie dough collision cheesecake, which was another winner.

Not only were our dishes absolutely delicious, the portion sizes were huge and the prices were cheap. You can get a 2 course meal for £18.50. The service was also absolutely excellent. They provided my friend not only with a dessert for her birthday, but also flowers and a cocktail. Our servers were also attentive to the rest of the dinner guests throughout the night. Because London has an endless supply of amazing restaurants, I rarely find myself wanting to return to the same place. However, I will definitely be back here again.

Crispy pork belly with mash and a dijon mustard sauce

Food: A

Ambience/Deco: C (The very casual, almost tasteless, design of the restaurant seems incongruous to the quality and type of food they offered.) 

Service: A

Price: $$ (2 courses)

My Old Dutch (London)

Conveniently located in High Holborn, My Old Dutch has recently become my favourite place to go for lunch after class on a Monday. Why? On Mondays, they have an amazing deal where all their savoury and sweet pancakes are sold for only £5. Considering that I could spend a similar amount at a place like Pret, My Old Dutch's Monday Madness is incredible.

I've tried their chilli con carne pancake, the smoked salmon one, and the banana/nuts/cream/chocolate combo - and everything has tasted great so far. Thin, soft pancake and rich, flavoursome fillings, whether it be sweet or savoury. Despite the low cost, the pancakes are huge and stuffed to the brim. I'd recommend this place for a yummy and casual lunch with friends. I haven't sampled their milkshakes yet, but with flavours like oreo, nutella, and kinder bueno available, I'll definitely be back to try.

The only thing is, with the 'madness' of the deal on Monday also comes the 'madness' of their service. Both times I've been they have either messed up or been slow with an order. If you're going with a large group, you may also have to wait for a bit. I'd still say it's worth it for an amazing 5£ pancake though!

Smoked salmon

Chili con carne

Banana, nuts, and chocolate sauce - with cream or ice cream

Food: A-

Ambience/Deco: B-

Service: C

Price: $ (If you're there on a Monday!)

Simon's at Oxfords (Southampton)

As I mentioned, I recently went to Southampton to visit a friend. For her birthday lunch, she chose to go to Simon's at Oxfords, a wine bar and restaurant. I was immediately struck by the interior - dark furnishing complimented by plush, green couches, high ceilings, and big open windows. It is a lovely place to go for a more sophisticated lunch. Since our reservation was at 2pm, the place was also relatively empty, which made for a cosy environment for our party.

We pre-ordered our meals, and I chose to get the caramelised seared scallops and the pasta of the day (which in this case was bow pasta with crayfish and cream sauce). I've noticed a recent trend in my meals - the appetisers have been absolutely to die for at other recent stops, like Turtle Bay and Boulevard Brasserie. This is no different here, at Simon's at Oxfords. They gave a generous serving of thick, perfectly cooked, and juicy scallops, which were complimented by the puree and the parmesan crisp added a nice contrasting texture. Again, I would definitely return to this restaurant simply to order this starter. Unfortunately, my main couldn't quite live up to the amazing start. While the pasta was rich in flavour, the sauce became a little too sweet for me in the end and I could not finish my meal. Other downsides? My other friend reported that the fish and chips lacked salt, whilst another said that the squash risotto was a bit bland. 

Although our mains were not incredible or memorable, I would still recommend this place on the basis of it being somewhere that you can enjoy a long, relaxed sit-down lunch. The starters and desserts also picked up where the mains dropped the ball. I'd definitely recommend the scallops or the tempura of tiger prawns to start, and the dark chocolate fondant to finish (can you spot the trend with my dessert taste by now?). 

Caramelised scallops with cauliflower puree and parmesan crisp.

Bow pasta with crayfish in a cream sauce.

Food: B

Ambience/Deco: A

Service: A

Price: $$$ (A bit pricey considering the mains weren't as good as the starters/desserts.)

Turtle Bay (Southampton)

I recently visited the Southern port city of Southampton for a friend's birthday. The first place we went for a meal is the Caribbean restaurant Turtle Bay, apparently quite a favourite for the locals. I've heard that there are other branches of this franchise across England, and after eating here I was sorely disappointed that they haven't yet opened in London. Turtle Bay, if you see this - you NEED to open up a restaurant in the capital!

When we arrived, it took us quite a while to order, simply because everything on the menu sounded amazing. My Southampton friend recommended the jerk chicken and the curries. I ended up going for the jerk chicken with coleslaw and sweet potato fries for my mains, and the king prawn with flatbread to start.

The flatbread was an absolute winner! The prawns were also very flavoursome. I usually don't eat the tail or the shell, but all the juices were packed in there and it tasted incredible. If I was to be nitpicky, I'd say that they were a tad burnt, but this didn't impact the overall taste. I continued the meal on a happy note, as my jerk chicken was equally as juicy and tasty, and the sweet potato fries were made exactly how I like my fries to be - thin and crispy. Again, if I was to be nitpicky, I'd say the coleslaw didn't deliver as much as the other components of the dish. Also, after my friend had told me that this was the BEST chicken ever, I was slightly disappointed that the breast turned out to be a little dry and lacked the flavour of the wings and legs. However, all in all, everyone was satisfied with the meal. For dessert, we shared the dark chocolate pie, which was rich and creamy, the warm pie balanced by the cold vanilla ice cream. I wish I had more stomach space by the end of the meal, as I definitely would've liked to sample the other desserts. I guess I'll have to go back to Southampton! (Honestly, I would return just for some Turtle Bay.)

At 10pm on a Friday night, the drinks also went 2 for 1. I'd say this is the perfect place for birthday celebrations or a fun dinner with friends. There's a lively but still intimate environment, enhanced by the dim lighting and the soft mingling of people by the bar. We also had a really great server, who made sure all our food came promptly and simultaneously, and even left my friend a birthday greeting on our cheque.

Jerk Pit Prawns - whole shell-on jerk pit grilled prawns, herbs, chilli and garlic butter, flatbread

Jerk chicken with Caribbean slaw and sweet potato fries

Food: A

Ambience/Deco: A

Service: A

Price: $$ (Almost the same price as Nando's, but way better!)

Viet Eat (Holborn)

Since my campus has moved up to Kingsway this year, I've been able to explore the Holborn area more. That being said, for lunch between classes I've still stuck to the basics - Pret, Wasabi, Hot, etc. So when a friend told me that she had visited a good Vietnamese restaurant in the area, I immediately jumped on the opportunity to try a new place out.

Viet Eat is a simple Vietnamese restaurant nestled amongst a large variety of other eateries on Kingsway. Its the kind of place you'd go for a quick lunch on a work day, and surely enough the place was completely full by around 12:30. Viet Eat offers very 'typical' Vietnamese food - a variety of pho, baguettes, rice dishes, rolls. I decided to order the pho with beef as it was one of the recommended items on the menu. One of my friends ordered the same thing, whilst another ordered the pork with vermicelli, another recommended item.

I was definitely disappointed and underwhelmed by my order. I had to load up on sriracha because the pho's soup base was pretty bland. The condiments were also lacklustre in taste and the beef was rather chewy. It pained me to think I was paying £9.50 for a very mediocre bowl of pho, whereas in Hong Kong (particularly in Nha Trang) I could get something incredible for less than half the price. #LondonProblems. My friend's pork dish was a little better; the meat was definitely softer and more flavourful. However, all in all, I would say to give this place a miss. If you're looking for Asian food, head over to China Town or, perhaps, a little Vietnamese place on East Street in Camberwell, the yummiest and best value restaurant I've found in London so far for this cuisine.

I feel like you can tell how bland this is just looking at the photo.

Food: C

Ambience/Deco: C+

Service: C (Didn't tell us beforehand that there was a minimum card charge of £10, and were rushing us with our cheque.)

Price: $ (So, so not worth a tenner.)

Boulevard Brasserie (London)

I was recently able to visit Boulevard Brasserie in Covent Garden, which was a nice change from the student-y meals that I've been subsisting on recently (Tesco Meal Deal, anyone?). Boulevard Brasserie is a small, simple restaurant serving your classic French-style dishes, like moulets & frites and duck confit. Quiet and candle-lit, it would be a nice place for a close gathering with friends or a relaxed date.

I personally went for the baked brie in filo to start, followed by seafood linguine with king prawns, mussels, and clams. The appetiser was absolutely delicious - I may have to go back to this restaurant just to order this again. My main course was definitely a generous serving, but the sauce was a little oily and overall was just unable to live up to how spectacular my starter was. My dining companion had the same critique for his set (he ordered grilled goat's cheese and the duck confit).

Luckily, through Top Table we were able to receive 50% off the entire meal, which made up for the relatively average food. Ultimately, I'd recommend this place if you're able to get a deal but for the full price, I'd go elsewhere in Covent Garden.

Sorry, back to the iPhone photos!

Food: B+

Ambience/Deco: A

Service: B (Took a while to get the cheque and they made an error with our reservation)

Price: $$ (Only if on deal!)

Four Seasons - The Lounge (Hong Kong)

I've hardly begun writing this post, and already I am salivating at the memory of the amazing food I had at the Four Seasons Hotel's The Lounge. 

After years of wanting to try out the famous Afternoon Tea at The Lounge, I finally had the opportunity to over Christmas break - and guess what, I have definitely been missing out! The quality of food in high tea sets can sometimes suffer because emphasis is placed on variety and quantity, but this was not the case at The Lounge.

Everything on that stand looked and, most importantly, tasted impeccable. The finger sandwiches were nice and light as not to overwhelm you for the rest of the meal, the scones were deliciously rich and buttery, and the delicate tea cakes and pastries were well-balanced: not too sweet, not too heavy. The tea (I chose peppermint) also complimented the meal perfectly.

In addition to the tea set, they also had a buffet of various other cakes, pastries, and desserts. I think I must've died and gone to sweet tooth heaven. The Lounge is a swanky place (after all, its in the Four Seasons), but it still has a relaxed environment that was enhanced by the lovely piano playing. Honestly, I can't say enough good things about this place, so I'll just let these photos do the talking:

Food: A+

Ambience/Deco: A

Service: A

Price: $$$ (It is pricey for high tea, but come on, there's a buffet included!)

Wooloomooloo Steakhouse (Hong Kong)

In my opinion, New Year's Eve dinner, spent with your loved ones reminiscing about the ups and downs of the past year, should be a special and memorable one. After eating at the Wan Chai branch of the Wooloomooloo Steakhouse, I can safely say that my NYE '13 Dinner was both of these things, and I could not have asked for a better dining experience.

Firstly, upon entering the restaurant, I was immediately struck by the interior design and decorations. Thousands of balloons filled the ceiling and each table was provided with a colourful supply of crackers, hats, and various noise makers, perfect to set the celebratory atmosphere of NYE. The waitstaff were extremely attentive and happily brought us to our window-side table, which brings me to my next point: THE VIEW. Yes, had to state this in all caps. Located on the top floor of The Hennessy, Wooloomooloo has sweeping views of Happy Valley, Wan Chai, and The Harbour. With all the buildings beautifully lit for the holiday season, it was quite breathtaking even for a HK native like me. The rooftop was also open to dinner guests, if you wanted an even more impressive view of the city's skyline.

On NYE Wooloomooloo had a special set menu, from which I chose to have the ravioli soup, the lobster cocktail salad, the steak, and the chocolate and raspberry tart. And can I just say, every single one of these dishes was absolutely delicious.The meal - starting with the rich lobster salad, followed by the light soup, the juicy steak, and finishing with a sweet yet tangy dessert - struck a perfect balance. Unlike Isola, Wooloomooloo's impressive interiors and views were matched by incredible food. 

This is definitely a restaurant that I would recommend if you want to celebrate a momentous occasion or want a truly special dining experience. For me, this was a great place to close a great year.

View from inside.

Lobster cocktail salad. Perhaps my favourite?

The perfect ravioli. This was nice to cleanse the palette after the richness of the lobster.

At the risk of over-using the word, this was perfectly cooked meat.

Best way for a sweet tooth like me to end a meal is with a nice chocolate tart!

View from the rooftop.

Food: A+

Ambience/Deco: A

Service: A

Price: $$$$ (Be prepared to splash out! A lot. NYE meal was $1,000+ p/p)