Eat Out London!Reviews and related sites
Asia de Cuba, restaurant review: 'We're back at St Martin's Lane to ...
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And fortuitously, St Martin's Lane, the Philippe Starck-designed hotel in Covent Garden which at the turn of the last century was the most ragingly fashionable hang-out in town, has just reopened after a refurb.
Asia de Cuba, the restaurant which introduced London to Chinese/Cuban fusion food , has also defiantly stuck with its unlikely theme, reanimated by a new "executive concept chef", Cuban-born Luis Pous, also responsible for branches in Dubai and New York.
When I reviewed Asia de Cuba (fairly warmly) in 1999, I called it the restaurant equivalent of Philippe Starck's lemon-squeezer: overdesigned, overpriced, but nice to know it's there, even if you only use it once.
Ditto shrimp churros – a huge, filthy hit of salt, seafood and starch served in a ceramic facsimile of a tin can, to be dipped into coconut curry.
St Martin's Lane Hotel 45 St Martin's Lane, London WC2 (020 7300 5588).
Shotgun, London W1 - restaurant review: A US-style barbecue joint ...
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Say what you like about Shotgun, the new barbecue restaurant in London's West End, but it must be the narrowest joint in town.
A startling dish of slow-cooked pig's ear was mildly revolting in its gelatinous, chewy orange glory, slathered in a sweet molasses sauce flecked with nuts and spring onion; even with the sour pancake towels they gave us to wrap it in, it was a bit of a chore to finish.
The main event offers six meats, and just that: corn-fed chicken, Muscovy duck breast, pulled sucking pig, baby back ribs, point-end brisket, and “Jacob's ladder” – which, like brisket, is breast meat, but cut from the lowest end of the diaphragm where the ribs are smallest and the meat/fat ratio most even.
Max had a combo-plate of brisket and duck breast: the latter seemed untouched by a barbecue – pink and rather pretty, like jewellery – while the former was fabulously tender, smoky and sweet.
Brad McDonald's new operation doesn't offer sophisticated cooking, but lovers of American soul-food – and dedicated carnivores – will certainly worship at his Shotgun shrine.
Yucca Tex-Mex delivery from Fulham - Order with Deliveroo
Sushisamba, Bishopsgate
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His menu celebrates ingredients that are grown and harvested in the Peruvian rainforest by the Asháninka people, including yuca, sweet potato, white cusco corn and Asháninka sesame, and provides them with a stream of revenue to fund conservation work.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below The lowdown After being whisked to the 38th and 39th floor of the Heron Tower in a glass lift with amazing views over the City, like something out of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, you find yourself in Sushisamba's buzzing dining-room, strewn with lights and boasting equally impressive panoramas through its completely transparent walls.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Menu highlightsIf I can offer one pieces of advice it's – come hungry!
And now you also have the new Into the Amazon dishes to try – the Yuca Plantation is a mouthwatering mix of yucca, Asháninka sesame, sweet potato and smoke emulsion, while the Corn Seviche is a brilliant accompaniment of white cusco corn, dried white and mixed cancha corn, lime and red onion.
Of course, you can opt for some of the regular mains on the menu like the black cod, with sweet corn, maize morada, polenta and Sunday roast jus; or the legendary ribeye with chorizo and aged picanha.
Andina - restaurant review | London Evening Standard
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It seemed pointless to resist the Bloody Andina, and a very fine Bloody Mary it was, made with smoked vodka and a Peruvian twist of celery-infused pisco and “tiger’s milk” (lime juice) with rocoto chilli.
There’s also a good range of smoothies: I liked the green vayeho (avocado, pear juice, mint, spinach, lime), while more adventurous ones involve lúcuma (a fleshy fruit), amaranth and quinoa milk.
So you might start with street foods such as mini chicharrones (confit pork belly with rocoto chilli jam), crunchy yucca fries or a tamalito (a quinoa and coriander tamale filled with cheese: pleasant, though I prefer the Mexican corn version).
More on Peruvian food Andina offers several takes on Peru’s signature dish, ceviche: Siwichi, with sea bass, was fresh and vibrant, with unusual crunchy textures thanks to the addition of goldenberries and sweet potato.
But Res, billed as a ceviche but actually thinly sliced raw beef and figs with a herb sauce and kiwi fruit, mint and pisco dressing, seemed an odd assemblage.
Peyote, London W1, restaurant review - Telegraph
food
The guacamole was excellent, the salsas were all a bit thin (there were four, from mild to hot, but none really did it for me) and the nachos were underseasoned.
Taken with tacos (£9, filled with spicy shredded pork that I thought five per cent too dry but M thought was supposed to be like that), an ungenerous person might say these dishes were merging into one, and if it weren't for its exotic provenance, it would be like going to Mayfair for a finger-sandwich buffet.
I can't deny it's fun, maybe a bit Mayfair and airless (Mayfairless, I call it), but there was good sport in its eating.
This colourful café does all the street-food classics, but its main dishes, especially the hearty Mexican stews (made with beef, chicken and bacon, £10.95), are especially good.
Pork fans should order it shredded with chipotle sauce and fruity salsa (£12) Expect big bowls of chilli, sizzling platters of tiger prawns for fajitas, and larger specialities from the grill at this buzzy restaurant.