Nizuni

22 Charlotte Street
London
W1T 2NB

Nizuni is a gorgeous little Japanese place on Charlotte Street. I chose it due to its proximity to the Odeon on Tottenham Court Road, where P&P and I were going to watch Magic Mike, and because there was a Toptable deal of some sort. Turns out it was fabulous and much better than the movie. I admit it was so long ago I barely remember what we ordered - I can see edamame, sliced octopus with citrus sauce, deep fried squid and chicken gyoza in the picture, and we must have ordered some mains as well. But even though I might not have clear recollections of exactly what we ate, I know we really enjoyed the meal and that I would definitely go back if I was craving Japanese and in the area, so that will have to be enough.

Red Chilli

70-72 Portland Street

Manchester

M1 4GU

Red Chilli is one of Manchester's well known Szechuan Chinese restaurants, and ever since Jay Rayner wrote about it I've been wanting to go. On a previous trip to Manchester, G & H took us and a bunch of other friends there, but I had a strange illness that made me lose my appetite and therefore missed out on the joy of all that spicy numbing food. So when I was back in Manchester for work, I made sure to detour to Red Chilli for a takeaway dinner. After some consultation with the waiter about what would travel well and be good with rice, I ordered two of their cold starters: Sliced Ox’s Heart, Ox’s Tongue, Ox’s Tripe in Chilli Sauce with Crushed peanuts, and Special Flavored Shredded Chicken. These were promptly wrapped up and I couldn't wait to dig in - I was starving and could tell from all the red hot chilli oil that I was going to need all the steamed rice and napkins that were included. It was wonderful - and perfect at room temperature, since the stinging/numbing chilli sensation didn't need to be coupled with burning my tongue. I valiantly tried to eat it all but had to give up about two-thirds of the way through. I might demand we go back there next time I'm in Manchester - it's possibly the favorite meal I've had there.

Vietnamese Beef Salad

Apologies for a long absence. There have been a lot of weddings, visitors, and travels recently, and I haven't been able to get myself in front of this blog for long enough to properly write up anything. 

It's a shame, really, since this salad was so delightful, and perfect for the bit of sunny weather we had. A and I were probably going through one of our many phases of trying to eat slightly healthier, lighter meals, and this was a huge winner. I'm pretty sure I used a cut of beef that was not particularly luxurious, but made sure to only sear it quickly so that it wouldn't get tough. I see a mix of lettuce, rocket, cucumbers, and peppers on the plate, so let's assume that is what I used, though really any leafy, crunchy, crispy vegetables would work as well. I think the crushed peanuts on top were the real kicker to this recipe, so try not to omit them if at all possible.

Vietnamese Beef Salad

Serves 2

Ingredients

Salad:

250g beef steak - sliced thinly, against the grain

1/2 head of lettuce

1/2 cucumber, sliced

1 or 2 bell peppers, different colors, diced into bite-size pieces

1 carrot, sliced into thin coins

Handful of coriander (cilantro), mint and basil, roughly chopped

any other salad greens you like (nothing too bitter, I don't think)

1/4 cup roasted salted peanuts, crushed

Dressing:

4 tbsp lime juice

4 tbsp fish sauce

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp chili flakes

Marinade for beef:

1 tbs fish sauce

1 tbs soy sauce

1 tbs sesame oil

1 clove garlic, minced

Method

1. Mix beef slices with marinade ingredients, and set aside for at least 10 minutes but overnight if you wish.

2. Assemble your salad with all salad ingredients except for the beef and peanuts.

3. Put dressing ingredients in a jar or container and shake well.

4. When beef is done marinating, heat a pan over high heat. Toss beef in and quickly sear it on all sides before removing to a plate.

5. Pour dressing over salad leaves and toss well. Plate the salad on serving plates, then top with beef and a scattering of peanuts.

Save A Cheese

I'm all for good causes that also result in cheese eating.

‘Save-A-Cheese’ and help stricken cheesemakers rebuild their lives and warehouses by buying Parmigiano-Reggiano (Parmesan) from the devastated artisan cheesemakers in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy hit by 2 earthquakes in a short space of time on the 20th & 29th May 2012.

Go here to save a cheese!

MEATmarket

The Deck, Jubilee Market Hall
Tavistock Street
Covent Garden
London
WC2E 8BE

E and I have bonded over cocktails, the West Wing, and a deep love of burgers. When I saw that MEATmarket was opening in Covent Garden, we made immediate plans to lunch there. We each ordered a Dead Hippie (double patties fried in mustard, American cheese, Dead Hippie sauce) and I had the jalapeno poppers while E ordered fries. While it was all as filthily delicious as it looks, I would definitely opt for MEATliquor over MEATmarket, as the menu is just too limited at MEATmarket. All of the burgers are double patties, which is a bit overwhelming if you're just looking for lunch, and MEATmarket doesn't have the buffalo wings that I adore so much. Still - we didn't have to wait for our food here, and if you're in the mood for a burger that will make you feel guilty, it still hits the spot.

Yalla Yalla

12 Winsley Street
London
W1W 8HQ

P suggested Yalla Yalla for dinner, as he loves it. I'd been meaning to try it for ages and was happy to oblige. We didn't have to wait very long for a table, even though it seemed like the restaurant was rammed. P had many recommendations so I trusted him - we got lamb kibbeh (raw lamb mixed with spices and bulgur wheat) and grilled halloumi to start, and then I had a mixed kebab so that I could try both the chicken and the lamb. It was very greedy ordering, I will admit - I would have been fine with just a main - but it was all so delicious that we managed to polish it all off, except for the dish they brought out by mistake - an additional portion of halloumi. When we told the waiter we'd already had some, he just shrugged and left it with us - so that turned into my lunch for the next day. I'd definitely go back - just one warning, it can be quite loud, so make sure you go with someone who has decent hearing!

Daphne

83 Bayham Street
London
NW1 0AG

I managed to get tickets to Esperanza Spalding at Koko for A's birthday this year. Since it was a birthday night out, dinner seemed appropriate beforehand, and after a quick stop at Brewdog, we wandered into Daphne. It was a lovely evening and there was a nice table outside just calling to us, and the charming waiters quickly took our orders. We had some bread, olives and octopus to start - I still love the grilled octopus at La Vina more than anywhere else I've had it in London, but Daphne's version wasn't bad. We then had a mixed seafood grill and lamb kebabs for mains, with a little side salad. Nothing was remarkable, but it was also all properly cooked and just what we wanted for a sunny outdoor meal. The bill arrived with what I would call Turkish delight, but when I exclaimed "Oh, Turkish delight!" the waiter ran off and brought back the box proclaiming it "Greek delight". We ended the meal with a laugh.