Pho – Vietnamese Spitalfields

“Pho Spitalfields is situated in an old rickety three-floored house minutes from Liverpool St Station, Brick Lane and the markets. The uneven lines of this building reminded us very much of the old houses of Hanoi home to many a restaurant. Check out the first floor for a more cosy room and takeaway counter” – so says the fitting description of Pho Spitalfields on their website (here).

One of eleven branches (as of May 2014), the Spitalfields restaurant is indeed in a rickety, quaint old building, with a cosy first floor containing small wooden tables and chairs reminiscent of an old village Sunday School.

 

Three mushroom phở – enoki, shiitake and button

 

We’d booked in advance for this Friday lunchtime visit. Every table was taken and there was a queue at the door. There was a rapid turnover of take-away orders too.

I ordered phở nấm rơm (three mushroom pho or rice noodle soup) – enoki, shiitake and button mushrooms @ £7.95, served with a separate plate of fresh herbs to add to your own taste. The pho is made from stock that apparently takes 12 hours to prepare, so it’s bursting with flavour. And only the highest quality ingredients are used, fresh every day. While that all sounds nice and healthy, the pho is served in a generously sized bowl and is incredibly filling.

 

Phở xào chicken + prawn @ £8.75 – flat rice noodles

 

The phở xào chicken and prawn dish was an arrangement of wok-fried flat rice noodles with lemongrass, chilli, mange tout and Asian greens, beansprouts, sprinkled with crushed peanuts and served with nước chấm (spicy dipping sauce) @ £8.75.

Another in our party had tiger prawn bún, or vermicelli rice noodles with a lemongrass and chilli wok-fried topping, served with fresh herbs, beansprouts, veggie spring roll and peanuts @ £9.25.

Our total lunchtime bill for six people came to £72.23 including service (about £12.00 each) – very reasonable.

 

Bill for 6 people 

 

Pho restaurant Spitalfields

 

More of the menu:

Baby squid starter @ £6.50

 

Crepe tofu starter – create your own in rice paper @ £7.50

 

Pho House Special @ £10.50 – tiger prawns, tofu + flash fried steak with garlic in beef stock

 

Bun noodles (vermicelli rice noodles) with veggie spring rolls @ £8.25

 

Pho xao (flat rice noodles) with lemongrass, chilli + Asian greens and chicken and prawns @ £8.95

 

Restaurant info:
~ Lardbutty rating: 4 / 5
~ Type: Vietnamese
~ Address: 48 Brushfield Street, Spitalfields [& more locations]
~ Postcode: E1 6AG
~ Tel: 020 020 7377 6436
~ Nearest stations: Shoreditch High Street, Liverpool Street, Aldgate East, Aldgate
~ Website + menus: Pho website
~ Photos on flickr: images of Pho food
~ facebook page: Pho on fb
~ Location: Pho Spitalfields map

 

 

RELATED LINKS
More City/East End dining:
~ Byron – proper burgers, everywhere
~ Japanese Canteen – around the City
~ Mama Thai – Indian + Thai take-away curries + noodles
~ Momo’wich – outstanding Thai + Malaysian
~ Pizza Union – artisan pizza
~ Poppies – fab fish + chips, East End

Byron proper hamburgers – and fab veggie burgers too

This was only my second visit to a Byron burger bar. Again, it was a fairly speedy visit during lunch hour. And again, I ordered a veggie burger @ £7.75 (grilled Portobello mushroom, roasted red pepper, goat’s cheese, baby spinach, tomato, red onion and aioli) and courgette fries @ £3.25.

Veggie burger – Portobello mushroom + goat’s cheese too good to resist

Courgette fries – remember to take a photo before hoovering them all up!

In part, I ordered a veggie burger over a hamburger as I was going out for dinner in the evening so didn’t want to be too full (in case you missed it before, I find that too much meat at lunchtime sends me into a sleepy food coma). And in part because it’s proper delicious.

Byron menu – proper hamburgers – proper veggie burgers too

The verdict: thoroughly pleasing. And craft beers too. What’s not to enjoy?
I just hope I can resist the veggie burgers enough to try a “proper hamburger” some day…

More of the menu:

The ‘Byron’ burger with skin-on chips – 6oz hamburger, dry cure bacon, mature Cheddar, shredded iceberg, tomato, + Byron sauce (no onion) @ £9.50. “Proper hamburger”, proper good.

Restaurant info:
~ Lardbutty rating: 4 / 5
~ Type: Burgers
~ Address: 36 locations across London, plus 9 cities across the UK
~ Website + menus: Byron burgers website
~ Photos on flickr: images of Byron proper hamburgers
~ Spitalfields branch (E1 6FQ): Byron Spitalfields map

Happy Days – oily chips

I wanted fish and chips last Friday lunchtime but didn’t have time to walk over to award-winning Poppies at Spitalfields. What a dilemma hey.

An alternative option was to try Happy Days instead (reputedly where the only clue in the Jack the Ripper murders was found). Goulston Street Food Court was busy as ever although there wasn’t a queue at Happy Days, despite being #FishFryday lunchtime.

Happy Days fish and chips shop – Goulston Street Food Court

Service was swift and polite. I ordered regular cod and chips and didn’t have to wait. They were already prepared and served up immediately. Being a sunny day, I sat outside and watched the world go by in the food market.

Goulston Street Food Court – on a sunny day

The cod itself was fine although the batter was a little greasy so I left some. Not a biggie; I would eat the fish again from here.

But the chips were incredibly oily (without being soggy). They were crunchy yet absolutely saturated with oil (loads of oil oozed out when I pressed on the chips – they hadn’t been drained at all). Oil was the overpowering taste and left an unpleasant coating of lardy grease in my mouth, making them inedible. They got left.

Cod and oily chips

Verdict: A portion of fish and chips from Happy Days just isn’t in the same league as those from Poppies of Spitalfields (less than five minutes away). It’s worth the walk.

Restaurant info:
~ Lardbutty rating: 2.5 / 5
~ Type: British, fish and chips
~ Address: 44-46 Goulston Street, London
~ Postcode: E1 7TP
~ Nearest station: Aldgate, Aldgate East
~ Photos on flickr: images of Happy Days food
~ Location: Happy Days map

RELATED LINKS
More East London dining:
~ Asta at Sozai – Japanese
~ Drift Bar – International
~ Fora – Mediterranean restaurant, City branch
~ Japanese Canteen – around the City
~ Momo’wich – Thai + Malaysian
~ Needoo Grill – BYOB Indian grilled meats
~ Poppies – fab fish + chips, East End

Enoteca da Luca – Devonshire Square

Enoteca da Luca came recommended – “they do great wines” I was told. Sold.

It’s a small Italian restaurant on Devonshire Square (near Liverpool Street station) with a ‘local’, rustic, family-run feel about it.

Enoteca da Luca – al fresco dining on Devonshire Square

A small terrace for al fresco dining is popular with City workers on milder days, while inside, the high walls are decorated with wooden shelves, laden with wine bottles and a ladder to reach them. Now that’s my kind of furnishing…

Kitchen/bar area

On our visit last Friday lunchtime, we were seated by the serving station (close to a collection of bread baskets containing a variety of fresh, tempting breads) and were warmly welcomed by Italian staff who continued to give attentive service without being too in-your-face throughout.

Starting with a bottle of pinot grigio dry white wine @ £25.00 and a bottle of chianti red wine @ £25.00, our group shared three sharing platters: Italian regional cheeses @ £11.00, antipasto (cured meats) @ £13.50 and beef (cured beef with rocket, and Grana Padamo with truffle and thyme oil) @ £11.00, with homemade artisan bread @ £2.80 a basket.

The pappardelle al finocchio rich fennel sausage ragu main course pasta @ £12.50 was a hit (sausage and pasta in a fresh tomato sauce with a sprinkling of parmesan) while other dishes that were well received included crab salad @ £10.50, risotto @ £14.00, and roast pork belly @ £9.50.

Pappardelle al finocchio – rich fennel sausage ragu

My gnocchi was served last, some time after everyone else’s (our server kept me informed of the delay and apologised, and worked to keep our party happy).

When it did arrive, the gnocchi with beetroot pesto and Cavolo nero @ £14.00 was extremely salty (aesthetically, a lovely presentation with the deep red of beetroot contrasting with the white potato pasta balls and dark green, almost black, cabbage leaves, and pleasingly contrasting textures when eating too). But salt was the overpowering flavour of this dish. And it ruined it.

Gnocchi in beetroot pesto with dark cabbage, over-salted

Of the eight main dishes ordered, the gnocchi seemed to be the only sub-standard one. Allowing for this exception to what was otherwise a great meal (great service, restaurant comfort and feel, starters, wine, and most main courses) and an altogether pleasing experience, Enoteca da Luca scores 3.5 out of 5 in the LardButty index.

Restaurant info:
~ Lardbutty rating: 3.5 / 5
~ Type: Italian
~ Address: Devonshire Square, London
~ Postcode: EC2M 4RQ
~ Tel: 020 7283 2455
~ e: info@enotecadsq.co.uk
~ Nearest station: Liverpool Street, Aldgate
~ Website + menus: Enoteca da Luca website
~ Photos on flickr: images of Enoteca da Luca food
~ Location: Enoteca de Luca map

RELATED LINKS
More City/East End dining:
~ Asta at Sozai – Japanese
~ Drift Bar – British/international
~ Fora – Mediterranean restaurant, City branch
~ Japanese Canteen – around the City
~ Momo’wich – outstanding Thai + Malaysian
~ Needoo Grill – BYOB Indian grilled meats
~ Poppies – fab fish + chips, East End

Poppies of Spitalfields – fab fish + chips

Poppies of Spitalfields is the national winner of the Independent Fish & Chip Restaurant of the Year Award, 2014 (not fish and chip shop – that award goes to Quayside in Whitby).

It’s no surprise then that there’s a queue out the door and along Hanbury Street this Friday lunch time, as people want to get their #FishFryday fix at this 1940s East End style restaurant (seems more like American diner theme now) complete with juke box.

There’s a shorter queue for the take-away counter so that’s where we head, given the sun’s come out and it’s finally nice enough to eat outside.

Take-away counter

I order a regular cod (£6.50) and regular chips (£2.00), generously sprinkled with salt and vinegar (at my request), served up in ‘fake newspaper’ patterned paper and bag covered in a mish-mash of East End stories (including a ‘Jack The Ripper Body Found’ story about Annie Chapman, as well as the local blitz in WWII). Nice touch.

East End newspaper patterned bag

We sit outside, by Spitalfields Market, to eat in the sunshine. The cod is succulent and the batter crispy (even if one side of fish skin has been left on) and the chips are perfect.

Regular cod and chips from Poppies of Spitalfields

Succulent cod

It’s a generous serving for a ‘regular’ – none of us manage to eat a full portion.

A top recommendation by D, Poppies is likely to become a regular #FishFryday haunt…

More Poppies menu options:

Seafood platter – @ £12.95

Grilled plaice @ £9.90

Restaurant + take-away info:
~ Lardbutty rating: 4.5 / 5
~ Type: Fish + chips, British, seafood
~ Address: 6-8 Hanbury Street, Spitalfields, London
~ Postcode: E1 6QR
~ Tel: 020 7247 0892
~ e: info@poppiesfishandchips.co.uk
~ Nearest stations (overland + tube): Shoreditch High Street, Aldgate East, Whitechapel
~ Website: Poppies website
~ Spitalfields take-away menu: here
~ Photos on flickr: images of Poppies fish + chips
~ facebook page: Poppies on fb
~ National fish + chip awards: organised by Seafish UK
~ Location: Poppies restaurant map

RELATED LINKS

More East London dining:
~ Asta at Sozai – Japanese ramen, katsu, don etc
~ Fora – Mediterranean restaurant, City branch
~ Japanese Canteen – around the City / East End
~ Momo’wich – outstanding Thai + Malaysian
~ Needoo Grill – BYOB Indian grilled meats

Asta at Sozai – Japanese in Shoreditch – CLOSED

C and I stepped into Asta at Sozai yesterday lunch time, mostly because it was pouring with rain and we wanted to get inside where it was dry. We were heading to a Japanese cafe anyway and Asta was closer.

The interior is fairly spacious with high stools positioned along long steel benches. And if you’re not familiar with Japanese food, they helpfully have some artificial dishes laid out to explain what the different options are, including a range of bento boxes and ramen noodles.

Even the demo dishes look appealing

There’s a different special every day, and it’s worth checking their website for promotional deals and coupons.

Tom yum-yum! soup with tofu ramen noodles

Perfect for a cold, wet day, I had a tom yum soup base (Thai, with a spicy kick) with tofu – along with ramen noodles, sweetcorn, mushrooms and chilli @ £8.50, while C had a chicken ramen in tom yum soup also @ £8.50. It’s a meal in itself and at £8.50 is good value, and not overly filling.

Tom yum soup with chicken ramen noodles

Cooking’Scool – at Sozai

Restaurant info:
~ Lardbutty rating: 4 / 5
~ Type: Japanese
~ Address: 5 Middlesex Street, Shoreditch, London
~ Postcode: E1 7AA
~ Tel: 020 7247 7065
~ Nearest station: Aldgate, Aldgate East
~ Website + menus: Asta at Sozai
~ Photos on flickr: images of Asta food
~ Location: Asta map

RELATED LINKS
More East London dining:
~ Fora – Mediterranean restaurant, City branch
~ Japanese Canteen – great ramen, don + katsu curries around the City
~ Kastner & Ovens – great salad selection
~ Mama Thai – Indian + Thai take-away curries + noodles
~ Momo’wich – outstanding Thai + Malaysian
~ Needoo Grill – BYOB Indian grilled meats

Goulston Street food court

Rain. Rain. Rain.

 

It may have rained all week but it’s Friday, it’s lunchtime and Goulston Street food court is just around the corner. So all is well. Among the international ‘street food’ stalls here in East London (near Petticoat Lane/Middlesex Street), there’s something for everyone. I’m gradually working my way around all the stalls (on different days, of course!) and haven’t been disappointed yet.

 

Food stalls: Moroccan spiced fish, Lebanese falafel + Satay Bangkok

 

01. Lebanese falafel The first stall you come to, if approaching from Whitechapel High Street, is – I find – hard to resist. It’s worth stopping just to watch the happy chappies there assemble wraps at super-sonic speed. And they still find time to give you bits of deep fried falafel to munch, to keep you happy while you wait. It’s £3.00 for a medium size wrap which is stuffed full of falafel (of course), salad, pickles, humous, chilli sauce (if you want it) and even a few chips (a bit odd but again – only if you want it). This is a filling – and fairly well balanced – meal for me. It’s flavoursome, fresh, spicy and totally amazing.

Falafel wrap – so dense it stands up on its own

 

Sunny sometimes at Goulston Street Food Court – falafel making

 

02. Moroccan fish At the 3 habibis stall, a spicy fillet of fish is griddled fresh in front of you. Choose your selection of vegetables and either rice or a wrap to go with it. All for only £4.50. Just divine.

 

Moroccan fish with rice + veg @ £4.50
 

03. Satay Bangkok The chicken in the chicken satay is so tender it’s as if it’s been slow cooked for hours (perhaps it has, in their industrial size woks?). Served with a smooth, peanutty sauce and a side salad at only £4.50 this is great value for such a tasty meal.

 

Satay chicken – really tender, served with rice and side salad

 

04. Thai Tasty Takeaway
Choose from the suggested dishes pictured around the serving hatch (or you can go off-menu) and watch fresh ingredients being cooked to order right in front of you.

Individually cooked Thai dishes served at Thai Tasty Takeaway

The spicy (eye-wateringly so) tofu Thai red curry is excellent value @ £4.50 and  contains sweet basil, red and green peppers, peas, bamboo shoots and mixed veggies (carrots, mange tout, cauliflower and/or broccoli) cooked in coconut milk. Excellent.

Tofu Thai red curry @ £4.50

Chicken green curry

Yellow massaman curry

 

Other stalls include Japanese katsu, Beijing dim yum, Jordanian rice and meat dishes, and more. Very, very good – check it out.

 

Restaurant info:
~ Lardbutty rating: 4 / 5
~ Type: international
~ Address: Goulston Street, London
~ Postcode: E1
~ Nearest stations: Aldgate East, Aldgate
~ Photos on flickr: images of Goulston Street food court
~ Location: Goulston Street food court

 

RELATED LINKS
Nearby street food markets:
~ Goulston Street food court
~ KERB at Spitalfields
~ World Food Market at Devonshire Square

 

Needoo Grill – Whitechapel

You wouldn’t know it from looking at the small shop-front on the street, but inside Needoo Grill it’s cavernous. There are lots of different rooms split over three levels. It’s huge.

Piles of samosas + onion bhajis to tempt you inside

Step inside and you’re immediately in the small counter area where piles of large samosas and onion bhajis await.

Cavernous rooms – note that ‘Needoo’ is carved into the back of the wooden chairs

At 7pm last Friday night (another rainy day and night in London) Needoo’s was already packed, despite being tucked down a side street off Whitechapel Road (in an area with plenty of curry houses).

J, who’s a vegetarian, had been here before (we came on her recommendation). For starters we shared a large vegetable samosa @ £0.95, pakora @ £1.75 and chilli paneer @ £3.50 – all very good (particularly the chilli paneer or chilli cheese) and such good value too. The starters were served with plenty of refreshing salad and a jug of tap water was placed on the table as standard.

It’s a BYOB restaurant, so bringing your own beer (or whatever alcoholic drinks you prefer) also keeps costs down if you’re on a budget.

Three veggie dishes to share: aubergine, pumpkin + chickpeas

For main course, we shared three veggie dishes: daal baingun (aubergine) @ £5.50, Punjabi tinda (baby pumpkin) @ £6.50, and special Lahori chana (chickpeas) @ £5.75, along with a portion of pilau rice @ £2.75, a peshwari naan bread @ £3.50 and a garlic naan bread @ £2.80.

Needless to say, we over-ordered. There was enough here for three – our left-overs could certainly have fed another person.

Total bill for two (or three!): £34.90 – before service

This was a great recommendation. I’ll certainly be back (and will be prepared to queue, as it’s a popular spot) and look forward to trying the meat grills next time.

Restaurant info:
~ Lardbutty rating: 3.5 / 5
~ Type: Indian
~ Address: 87 New Road, Whitechapel, London
~ Postcode: E1 1HH
~ Tel: 020 7247 0648
~ Nearest station: Whitechapel, Aldgate East
~ Website + menus: Needoo Grill website ~ Photos on flickr: images of Needoo Grill food
~ Location: Needoo Grill map

RELATED LINKS
More East London dining:
~ Fora – Mediterranean restaurant, City branch
~ Kastner & Ovens – great salad selection
~ Mama Thai – Indian + Thai take-away curries + noodles
~ Momo’wich – outstanding Thai + Malaysian