Sunday 20th March 2011
Restaurant: Viet Grill, Kingsland Rd
Price per Person: £30 upwards
Rating: 3 out of 10
It was a lovely sunny day, and thanks to the wonder that is Twitter I had got wind that The Chatsworth Road Market was on today, and was a stones throw from my home in Hackney. We wondered down and had a lovely mooch - The Chatsworth Kitchen was packed and buzzing, likewise Le Creperie on the corner. There were lovely cupcake stalls, The Vegan Peasant making yummy salads, American hot dogs, and Japanese pancake stall, fresh cheeses and organic meat...lovely, lovely, lovely neighbourhood market. I really hope this market continues to grow and grow as it is a great asset to East London. You might even see a Hungry Londoner stall there one day soon...
Next on the agenda was making brownies. After seeing a recipe for brownies using Hellman's mayonnaise in place of butter in many magazines over the last few weeks I thought I would give it a go as I am allergic to dairy so brownies are normally a 'no-no.' The recipe called for the following:
40g Flour (I used white spelt flour as I am also allergic to wheat!)
25g Cocoa
140g Chocolate
3 Eggs
225g Caster Sugar
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Vanilla Extract/Essence
55g Chopped Walnuts
8 'Dollops' Hellman's mayonnaise
You have to sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa. Then you melt the chocolate over the stove (we used Green & Blacks 70% as it is dairy free). You whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla together then whisk in the melted chocolate. Finally fold in the flour mixture, walnuts and the tablespoons of mayonnaise. Pour this into a greased tray and put into an oven heated to 160c for 30-35 mins. Leave to cool in the tray(while you go to the Viet Grill) then cut up and munch! They are incredible: and dairy and wheat free! Literally the softest, squishiest brownies ever; crispy top then proper roof sticking oozing middle. I am going to make them again but with Lindt 'Touch of Seasalt' to see how they turn out...
While the brownies were cooling, my housemates and I decided to use a £50 voucher I had received from Viet Grill due to a previous bad experience of poor food and poor service in what had been until then a favourite haunt. On arriving we were seated quickly in the not even half full restaurant (it was 6pm by the way). We waited...and waited...and waited...more than ten minutes for anyone to offer us a drink (we didn't even have a drink menu mind!). When someone finally came over we were asked if we were ready to order, and on asking were finally given a drink menu. Only one of us ordered a starter, Vietnamese rolls, the rest of us wanted just prawn crackers. Three of us went for Sizzling Seafood, number four order beef cooked in a clay pot,and we had some greens in oyster sauce and a couple bowls of rice for the table. We also asked for four tap waters. We waited...and waited...the restaurant was still not even half full...the starter came...we still had no drinks...no prawn crackers...starter cleared no drinks, no crackers...Mains arrived immediately. Actually no, greens and rice arrived then almost five minutes later the rest did, so our accompaniments were already cold. We had to ask twice for our water, twice for our prawn crackers. Our one cocktail that we had ordered with our food arrived finally halfway through the meal (so twenty minutes after ordering); the place is even emptier by now as a party of 4 adults/4 children had gone. The food itself was very tasty: lots of squid and lovely fresh vegetables, a few slices of scallops and 3 fat fresh prawns in a thick and flavourful garlic sauce served on s still sizzling cast iron pot did the trick just grand. The greens were crunchy (but cold). The beef dish was literally just beef strips in a pot but flavourful. We were cleared and promptly ignored for over twenty minutes. We were not offered desserts, drinks, the bills - ignored. We finally waved our arms to get the bill. The price before discount was £82, which was for one stater, four mains with 3 sides, one cocktail and one beer. I find that really extortionate for what we had: it was good but no better than any other Vietnamese establishments on that strip. After the discount we paid £8 each which we decided was exactly what it was worth and nothing more. Considering we were going to the Viet Grill after a previously poor experience, I have concluded I will never go back again. It is over priced, poorly served and no better than any of the other restaurants on Kingsland Road - please go somewhere else!!!
Disappointing breakfast at The Breakfast Club Hoxton
Saturday 19th march 2011
Restaurant: The Breakfast Club, Hoxton
Price per Person: approx £15 per person, including a drink
Rating: 4 out of 10
Currently Munching: Ready Salted Chipsticks...mmm...
First off, I want to clarify that I love The Breakfast Club establishments. My first experience was the one on Great Marlborough Street, and I stumbled across it while killing time before a job interview. I had a huge cup of tea and watched door stop sausage sandwiches leave the kitchen with my mouth watering. I laughed at the 'we are not a fast food restaurant, please be patient or the chefs get angry' poster. I loved the kitsch decor, and I told everyone I know about this hidden jewel I had found. My sister went to the Angel branch, and raved similarly: we took my dad and HE raved. So you see, this place is a family favourite and it actually pains me to have to write negatively about the chain.
This was the first time my sister and I had been to the Hoxton Branch. First off, we joined a small queue, which was no problem; its part of the experience of The Breakfast Club I have found and causes me no qualms. What was disappointing was the amount of empty tables there were, and the fact that no one seemed to be in charge of 'hosting/seating.' The poor waiters were running all over the place, appearing to do a section and be clearing and resetting, AND be seating. We were eventaully lead to a table in a side room area. Now the front section and back section of the main restaurant are bright, chatty, lots of natural light and bustling energy. This side room however seemed like a complete after thought: almost as if it was decided 'got enough storage rooms, I guess we'll stuff an over sized sofa and the wobbliest tables and chairs in there and forget about it.' You could not even hear music, and it was dark and grey and miserable. My chair was so unstable it is a miracle it did not collapse. We decided to go back to the queue and wait for another table, which the staff didn't make us feel awkward about which was great. We were seated on a shared table quickly (one that had been empty since we got there...). I don't mind the shared table thing but I know its not for everyone.
The menu is extensive. There are loads of American influenced options, as well as traditional 'fry ups'. There are pancakes with bacon and maple syrup, breakfast burritos or porridge and fresh berries, bagels, wraps - literally think all breakfast desires are covered. There are also a great selection of fresh smoothies, milkshakes and juices too. Since we waited over ten minutues for someone to acknowledge us we decided when we finally got someones attention to order everything at once. I had a lovely fresh and spicy Bloody Mary for a very reasonable £4.70. My sister had a mango based smoothie which she nodded encouragingly towards when I asked if she approved. For the food my sister had the Green eggs and Ham, which I had at the Angel branch last time. I had the Chorizo Hash Browns. We ordered a toasted bagel on the side as well.
Our drinks arrived about ten minutes after ordering. The food then appeared within 30 seconds of that which was a shame, as we had sat there empty handed that whole time. As I said I have had the Green Egg dish before so I know how much better it can be. The portion was smaller than I had experienced, it was very dry, there was merely a suggestion of green herbs and it was cold. The accompanying wedges were over cooked, misshapen and looked like they were on their fourth or fifth re-fry. The bagel was a bagel...bit over priced at £2.40. My food was also disappointing. The hash browns were again soggy and squishy potato chunks that seemed on their last 're-heating' legs. The pepper cutting through them was raw and therefore very crunchy, which created a strange contrast with the luke warm and soggy potato in my mouth. The chorizo sausages were two big fat ones, and were delicious. The fried eggs were runny but on the underside they were brown and dry, like they had a toasted skin on them. If this dish was done by throwing potatoes, onions, chili, peppers and diced chorizo all together in a pan to be warmed through then served with a bursting poached egg on top you would have a winning dish. Instead, I finished my plate confused about what just happened.
We asked the girl who cleared the table for the bill. She responded with "I will tell your waiter", which I always find a bit rude; don't make me feel bad because I have asked the wrong person for a service! We waited...five minutes...ten minutes...toilet break...fifteen minutes...twenty minutes...We then did the waving arms in the air thing as subtle eye contact was lost on the staff. Now, the whole time we are waiting, the girl who cleared our table was simply standing there doing nothing. A guy with face piercings finally came to our aid, but with an attitude of 'what you want to pay, I am a bit to cool to talk to you but I will.' There seemed to be 2 waiters on the whole floor actually doing anything, the rest seemed more concerned with how 'Shoreditch' their outfits were today. The man with the piercings even criticised how our very nervous (clearly first shift) waiter was serving us IN FRONT of us, not making eye contact with us, perhaps explaining why he was belittling the waiter in front of customers; pierced face boy simply had a really bad attitude.
So I left disappointed in this branch, it was such a shame. The decor rocked, the music was great but the staff largely were stuck up and had terrible attitudes and the food was really below standards. I recommend the Angel branch out of all of them, go if your mates are a bit funky, and I am looking forward to the Spitalfields branch opening soon...as long as they drop the 'we're so East Londoner sceners' attitude and sort the kitchen out!
Restaurant: The Breakfast Club, Hoxton
Price per Person: approx £15 per person, including a drink
Rating: 4 out of 10
Currently Munching: Ready Salted Chipsticks...mmm...
First off, I want to clarify that I love The Breakfast Club establishments. My first experience was the one on Great Marlborough Street, and I stumbled across it while killing time before a job interview. I had a huge cup of tea and watched door stop sausage sandwiches leave the kitchen with my mouth watering. I laughed at the 'we are not a fast food restaurant, please be patient or the chefs get angry' poster. I loved the kitsch decor, and I told everyone I know about this hidden jewel I had found. My sister went to the Angel branch, and raved similarly: we took my dad and HE raved. So you see, this place is a family favourite and it actually pains me to have to write negatively about the chain.
This was the first time my sister and I had been to the Hoxton Branch. First off, we joined a small queue, which was no problem; its part of the experience of The Breakfast Club I have found and causes me no qualms. What was disappointing was the amount of empty tables there were, and the fact that no one seemed to be in charge of 'hosting/seating.' The poor waiters were running all over the place, appearing to do a section and be clearing and resetting, AND be seating. We were eventaully lead to a table in a side room area. Now the front section and back section of the main restaurant are bright, chatty, lots of natural light and bustling energy. This side room however seemed like a complete after thought: almost as if it was decided 'got enough storage rooms, I guess we'll stuff an over sized sofa and the wobbliest tables and chairs in there and forget about it.' You could not even hear music, and it was dark and grey and miserable. My chair was so unstable it is a miracle it did not collapse. We decided to go back to the queue and wait for another table, which the staff didn't make us feel awkward about which was great. We were seated on a shared table quickly (one that had been empty since we got there...). I don't mind the shared table thing but I know its not for everyone.
The menu is extensive. There are loads of American influenced options, as well as traditional 'fry ups'. There are pancakes with bacon and maple syrup, breakfast burritos or porridge and fresh berries, bagels, wraps - literally think all breakfast desires are covered. There are also a great selection of fresh smoothies, milkshakes and juices too. Since we waited over ten minutues for someone to acknowledge us we decided when we finally got someones attention to order everything at once. I had a lovely fresh and spicy Bloody Mary for a very reasonable £4.70. My sister had a mango based smoothie which she nodded encouragingly towards when I asked if she approved. For the food my sister had the Green eggs and Ham, which I had at the Angel branch last time. I had the Chorizo Hash Browns. We ordered a toasted bagel on the side as well.
Our drinks arrived about ten minutes after ordering. The food then appeared within 30 seconds of that which was a shame, as we had sat there empty handed that whole time. As I said I have had the Green Egg dish before so I know how much better it can be. The portion was smaller than I had experienced, it was very dry, there was merely a suggestion of green herbs and it was cold. The accompanying wedges were over cooked, misshapen and looked like they were on their fourth or fifth re-fry. The bagel was a bagel...bit over priced at £2.40. My food was also disappointing. The hash browns were again soggy and squishy potato chunks that seemed on their last 're-heating' legs. The pepper cutting through them was raw and therefore very crunchy, which created a strange contrast with the luke warm and soggy potato in my mouth. The chorizo sausages were two big fat ones, and were delicious. The fried eggs were runny but on the underside they were brown and dry, like they had a toasted skin on them. If this dish was done by throwing potatoes, onions, chili, peppers and diced chorizo all together in a pan to be warmed through then served with a bursting poached egg on top you would have a winning dish. Instead, I finished my plate confused about what just happened.
We asked the girl who cleared the table for the bill. She responded with "I will tell your waiter", which I always find a bit rude; don't make me feel bad because I have asked the wrong person for a service! We waited...five minutes...ten minutes...toilet break...fifteen minutes...twenty minutes...We then did the waving arms in the air thing as subtle eye contact was lost on the staff. Now, the whole time we are waiting, the girl who cleared our table was simply standing there doing nothing. A guy with face piercings finally came to our aid, but with an attitude of 'what you want to pay, I am a bit to cool to talk to you but I will.' There seemed to be 2 waiters on the whole floor actually doing anything, the rest seemed more concerned with how 'Shoreditch' their outfits were today. The man with the piercings even criticised how our very nervous (clearly first shift) waiter was serving us IN FRONT of us, not making eye contact with us, perhaps explaining why he was belittling the waiter in front of customers; pierced face boy simply had a really bad attitude.
So I left disappointed in this branch, it was such a shame. The decor rocked, the music was great but the staff largely were stuck up and had terrible attitudes and the food was really below standards. I recommend the Angel branch out of all of them, go if your mates are a bit funky, and I am looking forward to the Spitalfields branch opening soon...as long as they drop the 'we're so East Londoner sceners' attitude and sort the kitchen out!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)