Dumplings' Legend

Dumplings ' Legend
15-16 Gerrard Street
Chinatown, London
http://www.dumplingslegend.com/
Tube: Leicester Square

Walking around China Town in London was a mouthwatering experience.  In every restaurant windows one could see crispy, glaced ducks hanging.  I knew right away that I had to get a taste of it.

This is not the restaurant where I had my crispy duck, but just a vindow view in Chinatown.

I've always been fascinated by the Chinese have brought their culture to the places they have settled and created Chinese neighborhoods.  The few hours I had by myself in London I was again strolling the mainstreet in Chinatown to find the perfect place for my lunch. I ended up choosing Dumplings' Legend.

 

The first thing you see when you enter the restaurant is the first kitchen where they make the fresh dumplings. Further in theres a second kitchen where they make the rest of the dishes on the menu. My mom used to tell me when I was younger that a kitchen with some selfrespect is always a kitchen where you can watch the chefs.  The interior was somewhat more sterile than you normally would expect from a chinese restaurant with it's white walls and minimalistic decoration.

 

Second floor at Dumplings' Legend

The place was crowded for lunch, mostly local chinese guests and a few tourists.  It took me some time to get the attention of the waitors but after watching the locals I understood that I had to shake my hand and ask for the waitor to come to my table.  I started with ordering a beer and a fried dim sum

Seasoned Pork & Vegetable Puff Pastry £3.30

The dim sum was crispy on the ourside but hot, sweet,  jucy and soft inside. They are probably the best puff pastries I've ever had. I wished I've would have come here with a friend so we could order all sorts of dumplings from the menu but my main goal was also to taste the roasted duck so I had to save some space.

Roast Duck with rice £6.80 

 

I was not disappointed with this dish. Tender duck that probably had been marinating for a while, then roasted. Sweet and strong in flavour.  I bet guests sitting close to me could hear my "mmm" sounds.  Nice with the bok choi accompanying. 

 

This place is also a living example of that you don't need a lot of fancy interior or image as long as the food is good.  Just that they make all the dumplings to order is amazing and you can really taste that they are fresh.  I left London as a very happy person and I will not hesitate to visit this restaurant again (maybe with more friends next time so I can taste my way through the dumplings)

 

Beigel Bake

Beigel Bake
159 Brick Lane
East London
London

Even if Beigel Bake is really not a traditional restaurant I just have to write about this fantastic shop.  And if you think I didn't write the title correctly; it's actually named Beigel. But it's still the same round buns with a hole in the middle that origins from the Jewish cuisine, named Bagel in U.S.  What an experience!

 

There are two beigel shops close to each other on Brick Lane and I was told to choose the white one (the sign on the other one is yellow).  There is nothing fancy about this shop, it's all about the product. People just come here to get amazing beigels.  The shop is open 24/7 and is a famous place for a night snack after a night out. 

 

Cooking the beigels

Not all kitchens appreciate when you take photos but these guys gladly posed in my pictures. It shows that they believe in what they are producing.

Beigels in the oven

 I've read some other reviews from Beigel Bake and almost everybody is worshipping their beigels. Especially the beigel with salted meat is a must. Not knowing that at the time I went for the

Beigel with cream cheese and salmon £1.60

There are so many great things about this place. First, I was surprised that the price could be so low. Second, the beigels are very fresh since they are making them all the time. Third, the taste - delish!  The only thing i regret was eating breakfast that morning and being too full to go in for one more.  

 

One very happy food writer

 

Cafe España

Cafe España
63 Old Compton St
Soho, London
Tube: Piccadilly Circus/Leicester Square

What a disappointment! Cafe España is a Spanish restaurant with also a lot of Italian dishes on the menu. Since I spent my two last summers in both Spain and Italy I was hoping for some good hearty food from two of my favourite countries.  Well, this was not close to tasting like it did in Spain. I always get excited when it seems like the staff origins from the same country as the food they are serving, but that didn't improve my impression here. I actually think the staff was kind of rude and this was even before "rush hour".

I think this picture speaks for itself. I ordered

Cordero Asaro (roast of lamb) £7.95

I used to think that roast of lamb is a "safe" dish. It's always delicious... well that is if you can taste it.  The potatoes were really greasy, the carrot and peas were under seasoned. The meat might have been ok but I couldn't taste any of it because the sauce flooded my steak. And the sauce that was also VERY salty. Not to mention how it looked. The plating was really sloppy. 

 

For dessert I ordered the Queso con Manzana (house cheese) £4.50

It's so clear that they don't even care about the food. I got three slices of cheese on a plate, and to my surprise they were all the same cheese. It was all Manchego cheese, which the waiter didn't even care to mention what kind it was. 

 

The restaurant is lucky to have such a good location and I guess a lot of tourists will keep this restaurant going, but I can not recommend anyone to come here.

 

 

Drink, Shop & Do

Drink, Shop & Do

9 Caledonian Road

Kings Cross, London

Tube: Kings Cross Station

www.drinkshopdo.com

 

Drink, Shop & Do is one of my best experiences from London.  You walk in to something that looks like a small shop realizing that further in you have a lovely retro café and a pub/restaurant in the basement. This cafe is just "my cup of tea" and that is one of the things from the menu they are famous for; their afternoon tea.  

I just love the interior in this cozy café!

Drink, Shop & Do really is a suitable name for this café. Drink: Come here for afternoon tea or a cocktail. Shop: Local designers are showing their work and apparently everything you can find in the cafe is for sale, from furniture to vintage tea sets. Do: Every week has a new "schedule" with different things to do. Pearling bracelets, vintage pin-up hair and make-up, ukulele lessons and bending balloons are some of the options.
 

This is the first thing you see when you enter Drink, Shop & Do



Cool Cards for sale

 

 When you go downstairs you enter the Drink, Shop and Dance bar. This is where we had our lunch. I was told that it was originally a strip club in the old days and the vibe downstairs is totally different from the café on the first floor. The walls are painted black and the feeling is more cool and modern.


The bar in the basement



Creative wall decorations with different kinds of amplifiers



 

I was feeling a bit naughty sitting there in an old strip club so I ordered me a Bloody Mary, or like they name it: DSD Bloody Maria.

Pink peppercorn infused Tequila, Harveys Bristol Cream, Spicy Sauce, Worcester Sauce, Salt, Pepper, Celery Bitters & Lemon. Shaken with Tomato Juice & served with Celery

 

 My lunch was a

Pumpkin and Goat Cheese Tart, served with Lentil Halloumi and Vegs salad £7.50

 It's the first time I've tasted the combination of Goat Cheese and Pumpkin and it works really well. It's also the first time I've had Lentil Halloumi's, so a lot of new tastes for me. I loved it! If I have to comment on something about the food it has to be about the texture. It would be nice with something crispy in the dish since both the tart and the vegetables are really soft. I'm also going to give thumbs up for the Bloody Maria. If you enjoy a good Bloody Mary you should taste with Tequila and chili instead of Vodka and Tabasco.  I've sometimes made it back home and call it a Slutty Mary.

 

If you are visiting or living in London and you enjoy retro style - this place is a must! I so wished I was staying longer in London and could experience the vintage pin-up hair and make-up with some afternoon tea. Maybe next time, because this is a place I definitively will revisit!

Jensen's Bøfhus - En lunch som ikke fortjener et bilde

Navn: Jensen's Bøfhus

Adresse: Norra Hamngatan 20,  40426 Göteborg, Sweden

Web adresse: http://www.jensens.se/

 

Jeg har lenge sett trikker og busser med store reklameplakater for lunchen til 49,- kr på Jensen's Bøfhus.  I dag tenkte jeg at jeg skulle teste den, både fordi jeg var sugen på kjøtt og også pga. prisen.  Dessverre ble hele besøket en ganske irriterende opplevelse.  Vi kom dit i normal lunchtid, ca kl 12.30. Det tok veldig lang tid fra vi fikk menyen til vi fikk bestille. Dessverre tok det enda lengre tid for oss å få maten.  Jeg tror vi ventet i nesten en time. Maten jeg bestilte var

Lunch Kyllingbiff :Supermör och saftig kycklingfilé, grillade grönsaker, Jensen's fantastiska favoritsås och vår goda råstekta potatis. Behöver vi säga mer?

Ja tydligvis behøver de si mer. Denne supermøre og saftige kyllingbiten av alt annet enn slik den var beskrevet. Tørr og ikke spesielt varm.  De grillede grønnsakene smakte veldig likt de frosne grønnsakene man kjøper i butikken og sausen var etter min mening alt for søt.  Potetene var ok.

 

Nå skal det sies at man kanskje burde spise biff om man er på ett biffhus, men jeg er ikke akkurat fristet til å gå tilbake dit for å teste den.  Etter maten ventet det enda mer venting.  Først på regningen og etter det måtte vi vente i ca en halv time til for å få en 2-go boks for maten som ikke ble spist opp av mine lunchvenner. Det som irriterte mest var at da vi spurte om å få med resten av maten hjem var svaret, "Ja, jeg skal forsøke fikse det, men det tar nok ganske lang tid fordi jeg må gjøre andre saker". Til så i 30 minutter sitter og se at nettopp denne servitøren sto og pratet lenge med sine kollegaer og ventet på "noe" å gjøre.

 

Om du liker biff burde du kanskje lete etter ett annet sted for det eneste som var positivt her var den billige prisen på lunchbiffen. 

 

Lunch: (€)

Middag: (€) (€)

Mat: (*)

Drikke: (¤) (¤)

Interiør: (#) (#)

Café Kosmos

Navn: Café Kosmos

Adresse: Västra Hamngatan 20, 41117 GÖTEBORG, Sweden

Web adresse: http://www.cafekosmos.se/

 

Café Kosmos er en café i Gøteborg som satser på sunn mat og tilbyr retter som passer forskjellige dietter. Det fins alltid bla. ett LCHF og GI alternativ på menyen. Caféen ble ett naturlig valg for meg i dag siden en av mine matvenner følger en lavkarbo diett. Café Kosmos har også et bra lunchalternativ med en meny som skifter hver uke. Jeg tenkte at jeg skulle teste en av deres "helseretter" og gikk for

 

GI BAS: Kycklingfilé med paprikasås. Bulgur, smörbönor, keso, salladslök, bondbönor och fräst kronhjärtan

 

Først syns jeg det var litt spesielt at så mye av maten på tallerkenen var kald, men smakskombinasjonene fungerte veldig bra sammen.  Jeg vet ikke helt om rødbete-salaten var hjemmelaget men den smakte ganske lik den man får på butikken. Kyllingen var mør og jeg overrasket meg selv med å synes at den syltede agurken var en av de store høydepunktene på tallerkenen.

 

Her er LCHF "burgeren" som en av mine venner valgte

Om man må eller vil følge en viss diett er Café Kosmos et bra alternativ, og selvsagt fins det "vanlig" mat (for resten av oss dødelige) på menyen.

 

Caféen er stor men blir ikke for høylytt. Jeg har sett folk i alle aldre kommer her for å spise. En gang skal jeg tilbake dit for å teste lunchmenyen (som jeg alltid har kommet for sent til !!!)

Svin Africana

Lunch: (€)

Middag: (€) (€)

Mat: (*) (*)

Drikke: (¤) (¤)

Interiør: (#) (#)