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)