Pitt Cue

 Not so long ago Pitt Cue were dishing out their popular plates within the streets of Soho but since then they've ditched the street look and given themselves a tiny makeover. Now, they're smack bang right in the heart of the city with a polished look and offering a more sophisticated menu.

Therefore, is the "new look" Pitt Cue worth visiting? Well if you're after big fat cuts of juicy meat and not bothered about having a heart attack, it might just be the place for you. As for me, it's a safe bet but it didn't set the world alight.

First things first, lets get the crap part of the meal out of the way.

The green chilli slaw is simply a big waste of time. Once you tuck into this garlic fest, there's no point in eating anything else. Not even a bit of chewing gum will be able to save your ass. As for the grilled sourdough, perhaps not bother with it due to the lack of bone marrow it's meant to have and speaking of bone marrow, the mash was ruined by a dollop of unnecessary garlic butter. Why? just why?.

Pitt Cue do however slightly re deem themselves with their meat. I suppose after all that is the whole reason why I visited in the first place.
The house bacon is coated in a sweet glaze and just like the slow cooked ox tongue, is soft and falls apart with the slightest touch of the fork.
With the mangalitza pate, you wont be short changed, with a thick generous serving of fatty pork spread over homemade toasted bread. However it did lack seasoning.
With the mains and special, the cured and smoked jowl is a big bit of juicy meat with a thin crisp skin on top and as for the feather tip steak, its succulent and beautifully cooked medium-rare.

Pitt Cue is good don't get me wrong and certain aspects of the menu is worth while i.e. the meat they produce. But in the long run it left me somewhat frustrated. Parts of the meal were dense, heavy, under seasoned and way too rich especially for this time of the year. You won't go home disappointed but you wont leave thinking it was a meal to remember.

Potato Cake

Grilled Sourdough & Bone Marrow

Ox Tongue

Mangalitza Pate

Hpise Bacon

Cured & Smoked Jowl

Special - Feather Tip Steak

Artichoke & Fermented Celery

Bone Marrow Mash

Dishoom

Dishoom certainly takes you back in time. Escape from the 21st century and walk through the restaurant's door and experience the hustle and bustle of a place that pays homage to Irani cafes in Bombay during the swinging sixties. Slow rotating fans, low level lighting and walls plastered with vintage records and pictures gives Dishoom that elegant and colonial feel.

Don't be alarmed by the mammoth scale of how busy it is. I managed to get a table within twenty minutes and even if you have to wait, head over to the bar and crack open a nice large bottle of Kingfisher. It'll be worth it.

Ordering food can be tricky because every dish on the menu looks and sounds so god damn tasty. The front of house staff recommend that each person should order around two to three dishes. Trust them, that's ample.

Small plates such as the lamb samosas, bhel (puffed riced surrounded by pomegranates, tamarind, lime, mint, onion and tomatoes) and the okra fries go down a treat especially when you have a variety of dips on the table. Try the garlic and chilli dip, it will literally blow your top, amazing stuff.

When it comes to the mains, The Carnaby special is a must have. Tender pieces of diced lamb slowly cooked in a rich, spiced gravy are accompanied with a couple of soft buttery rotis (which are made in house) to help mop up every bit of that delicious sauce.

If you like your grills, the murgh malai is a winner. Succulent, juicy chicken thighs marinated in garlic, ginger and coriander will certainly give you the wow factor.

You can't have mains without having a number of sides. The house black daal is rich and comforting and is undoubtedly a match made in heaven with any dish on the menu and if the rotis aren't enough, order a load of naans (cheese one for me) and fluffy, seasoned basmati rice.

If things do get too wild, the paneer and mango salad will certainly tone things down. Dressed leaves, thick slices of juicy mango and strips of marinated paneer will appeal to any vegetarian out there.

Let the food keep coming and the drinks keep flowing because Dishoom will not disappoint. At such affordable prices you won't be breaking the bank, so forget ordering a takeaway at your local as Dishoom will provide you with some tantalising curries.

Dishoom Carnaby special

Murgh Malai

Lamb Samosas

Okra Fries

Cheese Naan

Mango & Paneer Salad

Bhel ( Puffed Rice, Bombay Mix, Pomegrante, Tomato, Onion, Lime, Tamarind & Mint)

House Black Daal

White Rabbit

Dalston is a place most people shy away from. OK, so it may not be the most glamorous of areas in London but it certainly doesn't lack character or good food for that matter.

A mere stone throw away from Dalston Kingsland Station, on Bradbury street, lies a number of trendy bars and a restaurant that is well worth the travel.

White Rabbit is a place that some people are unfamiliar with, but being set up in the most unlikeliest of locations it has certainly made itself at home with the locals. It's funky, modern layout is a breath of fresh air and as for the food, bloody amazing.

So let's get down to business.

The menu is pretty much designed for sharing and trust me, its worth ordering a s*** load of dishes. Sit back, down a few cocktails (the super cool front of house staff will recommend them) and go to town by shaking things up with the variety of meat, fish and veg on offer.

To get the taste buds warmed up, knuckle down with the fruity, tangy sea bass ceviche and the tender charred leeks with brown shrimps from the "straight ups" section of the menu.

If you're still wanting more fish, then the charred mackerel is an obvious choice and winner. The fish dishes here are clean, simple and executed with minimum fuss.

It doesn't stop there FoodPunkers, because if you're a proper meat head, White Rabbit will serve up food that will put a massive smile on your pretty little faces. The crispy lamb belly is coated with a sweet, salty miso glaze and has a jalapeno puree to give it that extra punch and as for the lamb rump, it's succulent, juicy, perfectly pink and is on a bed of fat capers, fresh peas and mint.

The dishes are a match made in heaven, but for me, the wood pigeon was probably the weakest of the lot. Visually appetising and the beetroot is moreish, but the star attraction could have been cooked less and just didn't have that wow factor the others had.

Sea Bass Ceviche, Pomegranate, Grapefruit, Avocado Puree

Charred Leeks, Beurre Blanc, Brown Shrimps

Charred Mackerel, Cucumber, Mooli, Lime

Crispy Lamb Belly, Miso Glaze, Jalapeno

Lamb Rump, Pea Fricassee

Wood Pigeon, Beetroot, Halzelnut

Nevertheless White Rabbit is a restaurant that you should go to as soon as possible. Mouth watering food, refreshing, tasty cocktails and all of it at decent prices, no one will argue with you for going to Dalston.



Smokey Tails

International DJ Seth Troxler has mixed his beats with his love of good old dirty, finger licking barbecue and smoked foods.

Inspired by his old family recipes, he and goods friends Jo Vidler and Jona Ahearne have created a hub that is surely going to make waves in Hoxton.

FoodPunkers, you're going to absolutely love Smokey Tails. Why? Because you'll get the best of both worlds. Lunch and dinner is served Monday to Friday and if you're a 24/7 party animal, this sort of concept will suit you down to a T.

But if you're like me and you've had a messy one in town on a Saturday night, having brunch on a early Sunday afternoon and listening to proper old school rap, funk and soul might just do the trick to cure the hangover and stop yourself from hitting that damn wall.

So lets talk brunch shall we?

The choices are simple, you can either play it safe and have the classics such as eggs and avocado, (which I'm sure will satisfy the masses) or you can man up and go all out by making a proper good go of the more meatier options.

The porky pig bun is a beast of a plate. Its crammed with two smoked Toulouse sausages, smoked streaky bacon, pulled pork, soft poached egg, Gruyère cheese and Seth's own BBQ sauce. Yes people, this isn't for the faint hearted but devouring this meaty package will undoubtedly set you up for the day and wanting another one. But steady on,  ff you're feeling like a greedy pig (excuse the pun) and that bun isn't enough, then having Grandmat's crispy, juicy fried chicken ( three pieces for a small plate, six for a large) alongside with a serving of fresh seasonal slaw and fries will do just the trick. 

Now if you're a veggie, don't be alarmed by this place because their vegetarian options are just as awesome. There's no way you'd turn down their bun filled with halloumi, poached egg, avocado and lashings of rocket and tomato relish.

Porky pig bun

GrandMat's Fried Chicken (small), fries & seasonal slaw

Classic bun

So whether you want to party like its 1999 or take it easy like the Eagles, Smokey Tails will indeed make you a very happy chappy. I'm already planning my next visit for dinner to indulge myself in those bad boy smoked lamb belly croquettes and BBQ spicy baby back ribs.

Come Get Som.

What an explosive year it has been for Som Saa. After a hugely successful fund raiser, it has transformed itself from being a tiny little joint at Climpson's Arch, London Fields, to now being the talk of the town in the East End with its rather impressive walk in restaurant.

That's right FoodPunkers, forget your generic Thai Green Curries and Pad Thais, Som Saa will take you on a journey that for a period of time, you will literally think you're in Thailand.

There are some unforgettable treats at this place and in my opinion you should go for a dish from each section such as The "Penang Curry" with its rich, creamy sauce and delicious chunks of salted beef cheeks, which just falls apart at the slightest touch. If you're a serious meat head, the succulent grilled pork and the chicken leg is a no brainer.

As for the fish option, you can not go to Som Saa without ordering the deep fried sea bass. It is a monster of a dish and one that you'll regret if you don't have it. Flaky bits of white flesh fall from the sides with ease. Even the skin is worth eating especially as its super crispy and the fish is dressed in a generous amount of some sort of sweet, sour and fiery sauce, garnished with fresh delicate herbs.

If things get too wild, just take it down a notch and go for some salads, The "Yum Karmin Khao" is a winner, Juicy prawns, tender pork, crunchy peanuts ( I know right? Me eating peanuts) all party together with loads of fresh tangy lime juice. Seriously impressive stuff.

Penang Curry ( Salted Beef Cheeks)

Deep Fried Sea Bass

Thai Style Grilled Chicken Leg With Tamarind Dipping Sauce

Grilled Pork Neck With A "nahm jim" Dressing

Prawn, Pork, Peanut & White Turmeric Salad

Som Saa is a place in demand that everyone wants to check out for the first time or simply return for an umpteenth time. If you're going as a pair, prepare to wait for over an hour. My advice, go as a group because then you'll be able to book a reservation (as well as ordering everything off the menu).

Regardless of waiting times, this restaurant has raised the bar in Thai cuisine, so get your foodie asses to Commercial Street and feast on some proper authentic Asian food. Pad Thai's and Green Curries are a thing of the past people.