BAO

Well, here it is – my first 10 out of 10 review.

It’s elbow-to-elbow cramped. The service is hectic and rushed. The stools you must sit on are back creakingly uncomfortable. The queue is (probably) absolutely horrendous at peak hours. But when the menu is handed to you before being pointed to the back of the queue across the road, it can only be a good sign when there is literally nothing you don’t want to eat.

The Joint

All the reviews of this place seem generally positive, and with barbecue being done right in London the past few years (Miss P’s, Pitt Cue, SmokeStak and Big Easy to name a few of my favourites) we decided to stroll down and check this place out on a sunny Saturday afternoon.

Smoking Goat

I think I must be about a year late to the party on this one. Twitter has been blowing up for months now, about this authentic little shack situated in a long neglected area just by Tottenham Court Road.

Deeney’s

Scottish haggis purveyors Deeney’s made an appearance at Finsbury Avenue square today.

Pod – Protein Box

Like about 98% of the population, my New Years resolution was to get fit. Going to the gym seems to be the easy bit at the moment – eating the right food before and after seems to be a minefield when you’re at work and at the mercy of takeaway lunches or dodgy canteens. I am a greedy b*****d too which doesn’t help.

Luckily, every lunch-peddler in the city seems to be pushing some kind of health food range at the moment, so I thought I’d put Pod’s to the test.

Upon opening the ‘Protein Box’, the strong smell of fish and dill smacks you across the face, the kind you only smell from slightly-past-its-best fish. Chopped raw salmon (offcuts?) is mixed with way too much dill, and just tastes a bit… Dodgy. 3 boiled egg halves (what happened to the 4th?) are just eggs, pretty hard to screw up. Next to them are about 10 watery little prawns, a bit like the crayfish u get in those industrial sized Costco tubs. And last but not least, weird wet chicken that looked like canned salmon.

In conclusion, barely a mouthful was eaten before I gagged and binned it. £5.50.

2/10

On The Bab

Hmm. I wanted to try the new Beer & Buns pop-up which is a stones throw from my office, but they are currently only open in the evening. Craving KFC (Korean fried chicken) now, a quick Google for nearby places brought up Jubo (also evenings only according to their website) and On The Bab.

After a longer-than-planned walk, I arrived and immediately wondered what possessed them to name it this. I assume it’s a play on a Korean word (‘bibimbap’? Something to do with rice? My Korean is non-existent) but it sounds like either a term for a dirty kebab when pissed, or a euphemism for when aunt Irma visits…

Smack Deli

One of three new casual lobster joints to open in central London this past month, Smack Lobster Roll Deli is probably the one with the best credentials. Coming from the people behind the hugely popular and ever expanding Burger & Lobster (who have recently crossed the pond to New York), they have decided to take the best item on their limited menu and turn it into a fast food concept.

Dumplings Legend

After meeting up with friends in Soho, it promptly began to chuck it down. We got to Chinatown at precisely the wrong time, queues for dim sum snaking out of entrances and around the shop fronts.

Recipe: Simple braised short-ribs

It looks like Summer is over, which, to me, means it’s time for slow cooked, falling off the bone meat. Short ribs are a little scary to most people, but they are one of the most versatile cuts of beef you can buy because they can be sliced thin and grilled quickly (e.g. Korean galbi) but are also perfect for slow braises like this.

Meatopia 2014 – London, UK

Meatopia returned to London for the second time this weekend, this time spread over 2 days, allowing double the dishes and calming down the obscene queues from last year. For those who aren’t aware of what Meatopia is, here’s a quick spiel – it was founded by one of my food heroes, Josh Ozersky, a writer, author, editor and general meat fiend based in New York, approximately a decade ago. Having followed his work through magazines like Vice and Esquire, as well as his own channel Ozersky.tv, I am delighted that his events have now become a fixture in London.