Finally! A Korean restaurant in London we'll actually go back to!

Asadal Korean Restaurant
227 High Holborn
London, WC1V 7EG
020 7430 9005
Nearest Tube Station: Holborn
Recommended By: Jina

I think we found a winner! Just around the corner of the Holborn tube station is a restaurant called Asadal. When we first moved to London, we walked by it a few times and kind of balked at the idea of a decent Korean restaurant in London -- hard to believe right hehe. More than a year later, our friend Jina suggested we try it. To our surprize the dishes were the best Korean food that we've had in London so far. It definitely hit the spot. The bulgogi (BBQ beef) and bimbimpop were great! But I would skip the pajeon (pancake) as it was a bit bland. Was so stuffed at the end of the meal! Ended up to be around £28 per person including alcohol. We went with Joe's Spanish and Italian co-workers and they wanted to try the hard core soju :).

La Trompette

La Trompette
5-7 Devonshire Road
Chiswick
London, W4 2EU
Tel: 020 8747 1836
http://www.latrompette.co.uk

Joe took me here for Valentine's Day this year. We usually don't make a big deal out of this holiday, so it was sweet for him to take me out to a fancy dinner. Joe's boss recommended this and said it was one of the best French restaurants in London. It's not central (rather far west), so you get the 'Chiswick' discount on great French food -- £35 will get you a 3 course meal.

Joe ordered...
Seared loin of tuna with a salad of radish, coriander, soy and sesame
Roast halibut with creamed potatoes, red wine, button onions and lardons
Pear and almond tart with jersey cream

Sandy ordered...
Foie gras and chicken liver parfait with toasted brioche
Daube of pork with soft polenta, crisp pancetta, wild mushrooms and rosemary
Panna cotta of coconut and pineapple with financiers

I loved everything I ordered! The pork was so tender you didn't need a knife to cut it, and the halibut Joe ordered was cooked to perfection! Soft, flavorful, and moist. We didn't love the pear and almond tart (maybe not our thing), so would opt to try the crème brûlée or the chocolate fondant. Enjoy!

LAB

LAB (London Academy of Bartending)
12 Old Compton Street, Soho, W1D 4TQ

http://www.lab-townhouse.com

Telephone: 0871 4262225

This narrow and smoky bar didn't do much to impress me the first time I visited it. At the end of Old Compton Street it sits oddly amongst a Japanese restaurant, an Italian bakery, a Ed's burger joint and a predominately gay area of town. But if you enjoy a cocktail, uh, that sounded funny after the previous sentence :) -- If you enjoy GOOOD alcoholic drinks, do drop by for a few.

If you are with a small party, I would hang out at the bar to watch the bartenders work it. They don't call this place the London Academy of Bartending for nothing. The basement floor has another bar and a group seating area, but the booth seats are rather uncomfortable. The house music is a bit loud for group conversations to ensue, but I found myself saying quite often to my friends -- "you have to try this drink!".

Our favorites:
Absolutely Crushed -- Large measure of Absolut citron vodka muddled with fresh kumquats, lemon juice, passion fruit and soft brown sugar served frappe and polished with Mandarin Napoleon.

Very Berry -- Large measure of Wyborowa vodka muddled with fresh lime, blueberries, blackberries and caster sugar. Served over crushed ice with a creme de mure float.

Tiramisu -- (Even if you don't like chocolate martinis, this is one you have to try!) A heavenly mix of Patron XO cafe tequila with Mozart white and dark chocolate liqueur, marscapone cheese, charged with espresso and dusted with chocolate.

Little Bay

Little Bay
171 Farringdon Road
Clerkenwell
London, EC1R 3AL
Tel: 020 7278 1234
http://www.little-bay.co.uk
Suggested by: Warren

We were in the area and needed to grab a bite to eat before seeing our friend Rania perform at her first full gig in the Wilmington up the street. Warr picked the perfect place for dinner at Little Bay. Good service, CHEAP good food (which is hard to find in London), and a artistic atmosphere (check out big sun god on the wall). Salads are £3 and mains are £7!! I had the warm goat cheese salad and the sea bass for my main. Both were delicious! Dishes are not tiny, which is what I expected for that price. Do stop by if you are in the area. As always, reservations are recommended for less hassle.

Beard Papa's in London!

Joe, Caleb, and I confirmed that Beard Papa's does exist in London! Funny how if you can't find something on the internet, you need to see it to believe it.

Beard Papa's
143 Oxford Street
Mon - Fri: 8am - 10pm
Sat - Sun: 10am - 10pm

They are starting to have more special flavors. Today it was cappuccino. You will also find green tea, caramel, and chocolate coming soon (rotate on a daily basis). They still don't have sesame which is one of our favorites. To make up for the dissatisfying Korean dinner we had, Caleb had 2 puffs and Joe and I split a 2nd. We stuck to vanilla, which is still #1. If I haven't had it in a while, I always have to have a vanilla first. And if I go for seconds, then maybe the flavor of the day. It did puzzle us why this place opened so early in the morning during the week. Do people eat it for breakfast?!

***
Heard through the online grapevine that there is a Beard Papa on Oxford Street just opposite the Uniqlo (where you can buy cheap cashmere sweaters by the way)!

Joe and I have been avid followers of this special cream puff store since they opened their first U.S. store in New York. At one point we went 3 days in a row. If you have never tried Beard Papa's you should start with the regular vanilla flavor. They have daily specials like...

Sesame (yum!)
Chocolate (when is chocolate not good)
Pumpkin (okay)
Green Tea (not that sweet)
Earl Grey Tea (haven't tried - yet)
Coffee (haven't tried - yet)

Below is Joe at the Puente Hills (Cali) mall location before it was open. We paid a visit over Christmas break. And our friend Suong enjoying a cream puff at the Astor Place location in NYC.

* Uniqlo
Oxford Street
The Plaza Shopping Centre
118 Oxford St
London W1D 1LT
Closest Tube Station: Tottenham Court or Oxford Circus Station
* Beard Papa Website

Night Out at Canary Wharf - Jamie's & Gaucho Grill

Gaucho Grill
Multiple locations in London
29 Westferry Circus
London, E14 8RR
Tel: 0871 332 7606
http://www.gaucho-grill.com

Jamie's
28 Westferry Circus
London E14 8RR
Tel: 020 7536 2861

We decided to do a Friday night out in Canary Wharf after my co-worker Tim suggested ice skating. It's a strange getting out of the tube station and seeing so many sky scrapers. Most of London is not like New York City, so it felt very modern compared to central and west London. Note that Canary Wharf is where all the banks are concentrated, which could explain the high concentration of Porches and Mercedes in a 3 block radius. I do have to commend the large indoor mall linked to the Canary Wharf tube station. All inclusive, with there own fully equipped Waitrose (like Whole Foods). Sounds like NY's AOL Time Warner Builing huh? Yuppies live here. :)

After a painful hour of ice skating under the bright lights of towering buildings, we had to kill some time before our 930pm reservation at Gaucho Grill (we had a big party). The bar Jamie's right next to Gaucho Grill is a fun and lively place to kill some time. Both are located on Westferry Circus and have a romantic evening view of the Thames River. I wouldn't mind coming back to Royal China for some dim sum during the day, also next to Gaucho Grill.

Jamie's serves up good beer and delicious appetizer plates. Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc is Joe's beer of choice now, and I'm always down for a good cider. Food-wise, you can get your hands on some mini burgers, mini shrimp burritos, duck egg rolls, potato wedges, onion rings, and chicken satay. Do order the 'sampler' platter. Yes, skating around in circles does work up an appetite. Also, word is Jamie's is where all the Essex girls hang out in hope of snagging a banker husband, or just a sugar daddy. Just FYI (wink wink).

If you crave a steak while you are in London, Gaucho Grill can do the job as long as you get your steak with a side of béarnaise sauce. We found that the Argentinian beef was not as flavorful as we were used to, probably cooked with no salt/pepper. But quality wise, the fillet seemed to be the favorite (pronounced FILL-ET in London).

Don't miss out on trying at least 1 bottle from the extensive Argentinian wine selection. Floriane picked out a great bottle Malbec from Terrezas de los Andes 2004. Great red wine to have with a steak. Fruity, black cherries, prunes, raisins combined with vanilla, caramel notes. Great body, structure and volume.

The service was incredible for London standards. I would come back to try other non-meat dishes, as the chopped salad and grilled gambas were delicious.

Brunch @ Tom's Kitchen

Tom's Kitchen
27 Cale Street, Chelsea
London, SW3 3QP
Tel: 020 7349 0202

Tom Aiken's 2nd restaurant in London, just started serving brunch in Jan 2007. It's a cozy atmosphere where tables are shared between customers and you can crash on the comfy couches upstairs for a drink or coffee. Just avoid the naked picture of a drunken farmer just opposite the bar. You have to see it to believe it - hehe.

We wanted to sample this new addition to the menu, and sample we did. Everyone got their own dish (all different of course), and we had 3 shared plates amongst the 5 of us. You'll find there are some things that are average (omelet and waffle dishes), and some things that are divine.

Definitely get the blueberry pancake. It just comes with one pancake so you can have it as a side. I just ate, but I could eat one right now. Michelle and I rave about the butternut squash, honey and sage soup. It's a big portion and rather rich so make sure you have room for your next course :). The eggs benedict that I ordered was delicious, with the perfect amount of hollandaise sauce on top of not to runny poached eggs, and a slightly buttered and still crispy muffin. Plus the dish comes with crispy bacon like we get back home in the states! Top it with one of the better cups of coffee I've had in London (Del Aziz is my other brunch favorite). With all that food, we paid around £17/person. Not to shabby.

Make sure you make reservations if you are more than a party of 2. It's best to call about 1 week in advance. If it's just you or party of 2, you can sit at the bar and eat without reservations. I heard they close their kitchen around 3pm for brunch so don't show up too late! Enjoy!

Crazy Homies and Harlem

Crazy Homies
125 Westbourne Park Road, London, W2 5QL
Telephone: 0871 0755844
Cuisine: Mexican
London Eating Review and Summary

Yes, that's the name of the restaurant - Crazy Homies. Not the easier place to get to unless you live around Westbourne Grove. Not the easier place to get a table for 6 on a Saturday night either (we waited for over an hour), but well worth the trek. They only seat normal sized groups on the top floor of the restaurant which fits no more than probably 25 people (downstairs is reserved for private parties). No worries if you have to wait. Their yummy pomegranate margaritas (strawberry looks good too), chips and guacamole will keep you occupied at the bar.

The food at this place definitely has the quality to give any Californian their Mexican food fix. Try the chicken enchilada (recommended by Caleb, and I luved!), pork tequitos, and finish off with the churros with chocolate. If you still have room after that, go next door to Lucky 7 and get yourself a super thick $10 shake :). I'll definitely be back to hang with the crazy homies.


Harlem
78 Westbourne Grove, London, W2 5RT
Telephone: 0871 0757176

There are many places you can probably head to after dinner at Crazy Homies, but with sneakers, jeans and a wife-beater on it's nice to go somewhere chill with good music. The downstairs level of Harlem charges a worthy £5 to groove around on the dance floor.

Harlem is a replica remind you (no there is no Harlem in London), and tries hard to impress with hip-hop tunes. So don't be disappointed when you see the DJ is not quite hip-hop (actually has a mohawk) and actually spins with CD's instead of real records. He tries hard to get the crowd into the flow and will start off with some top 40s to get them off their butts. You'll eventually hear some good old hip-hop tunes that get your booty shaking too.

As Joe will tell you, it gets a bit too smoky and crowded after midnight (he got to know the bouncers quite well, constantly going upstairs for air). But if you are there with friends, down plenty of passion fruit martinis (a must try), shake it, and you'll be fine!

Bodean's BBQ

Bodean's BBQ Smokehouse
Multiple locations in London: Soho, Fulham Clapham
Bodean's Website

Joe and I have drooled over this place since last Fall. Love it so much we convinced the London Transplants to have our Xmas party there in 2006. And continuing to grub grub at this place in 2007. Went back there this past Sunday to try their Famous Burnt Ends (only available Sun - Wed, subject to availability). Soo good. My other favorites are the beef back ribs and the BBQ smoked chicken burger with grilled corn on the cob. The corn bread muffins are a bit dry, so would recommend leaving room for something else. We've had our eye on the BT's brownie and ice cream :) They also have lots of specials on a daily basis.

• Tues from 6pm - Steak 1/2 price
• Mon - Fri from 5:30pm to 7:30pm - Pay the price of the time you place your order for a 1/2 rack of spare ribs
• Sun to Tues all day - 1/2 rack of spare ribs, pulled pork, and beer for a tenner
• And for the month of January, they take 25% off your entire bill, Sun through Wed
  

Lastly, if you need a place to watch the Superbowl in London on February 4th, you can watch it at Bodean's live for £25 including food! You can book a spot on their website.

Favela Chic London and Beigel Bake

Favela Chic
91-93 Great Eastern Street
Shoreditch
London, EC2A 3HZ
Tel: 020 7613 5228

One of the funnest nights in London we've had in a long while (Joe was down to party past midnight :). A fiver (£5) will get you into the door at this popular east end club, but get there before 1030pm or else you wait! The decor is what I would best describe as garage sale in a jungle. The crowed is unpretentious, and the bar staff think they are at spring break! From time to time you would see them spray water onto the crowd on the dance floor. Caiprinhas and mojitos are advertised on the bar, but go for the bottled stuff.

It took us a little bit to warm up to this place. Definitely not your typical posh club in the west end of London. You'll hear everything from Elvis, Snoop Dogg, The Strokes, and even a bit of classical music to give your dancing feet a break. But the people there are just down to party, and soon you'll be groovin' too! After closing time at 2am, head over to the Brick Lane Beigel Bake...

Brick Lane Beigel Bake
159 Brick Lane
London, E1 6SB
Tel: 020 7729 0616

Yep, that's how they spell 'bagel' in London :). Get your bagels fresh here 24 hours a day. The special that you must try is the 'beigel' with hot salt beef. It tastes sooo good after a night of partying. Be careful, the mustard is spicy!

It's kind of in the random part of town (felt like being in the East Side of Manhattan around Ave B.), but should be easy to catch a cab home after this tasty post-party snack :).

Roka

Roka
37 Charlotte Street, W1T 1RR
Square Meal Summary

Last night was date night for me and Joe. It's his first week of hard core triathlon training (aiming for and Ironman in 2008) and I get a good meal for going to the gym with him hehehe.

Thursday is busy so the restaurant was booked, but we sat at the bar made out of a large hunk of wood and watched the chef's work the Robata Grill in the middle of the restaurant. We had some delicious sake there, a sweeter variety I'll have to get the name of later.

Some say the rock shrimp tempura could be better than Nobu, but Joe and I disagree. I think I had bigger rock shrimp at Cheese Cake Factory :). But sometimes you have to give London restaurants the benefit of the doubt because I think they just have a hard time getting good/fresh ingredients.

However, the sushi was top notch (small pieces so order a lot) and the grilled black cod with miso was yum yum.

We spent about £40 GBP per person -- but Joe tried to hide the bill from me so I'm not supposed to know :). Would go back when I crave fresh sushi and good sake :)