Tag Archives: soho

Clockjack Oven, Soho

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Rotisserie Chicken is a staple in European supermarkets and is a familiar favourite from my family holidays in the South of France. Here in the UK it seems to be an almost exotic method of cooking chicken, but Clockjack Oven is beginning to spread the word, and who knows it could be the new fast food fad.

Clockjack Oven pride themselves on offering the best rotisserie chicken, made from top free range chicken and lovingly prepared with a secret marinade. The menu is centred around the roast chickens but also offers a range of salads, sides and burgers.

Rotisserie chicken is served whole or as servings of three or four pieces, depending on your hunger. The meat was tender and tasty though I felt it needed a crispier skin to add more texture and flavour. Sauces are all made in-house: ranch, BBQ, chilli or gravy are all available… we chose the creamy garlicky ranch sauce.

Herb bites were a nice accompaniment but tasted quite like ready made stuffing, made with onion and crispy sage. Chicken bites were delish marinated in buttermilk and lightly fried, they are an addictive bite-size snack. The Caesar Salad was very fresh, but the dressing was too watery which sadly wilted the lettuce slightly, and double cooked chips were nothing special.

To finish the meal we really enjoyed the special dessert of the day, a warm, rich brownie. Soft and gooey it was divine, and particularly indulgent with the contrasting Cornish clotted cream ice-cream!

Located on the edge of Soho, Clockjack Oven is great for tourists wanting a quick tasty meal, though I think this restaurant has a little way to go before their chicken is unbeatable.

For more information, see here.

www.clockjackoven.com/

Ceviche, Soho

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Once known as the only Peruvian restaurant worth visiting in London, Ceviche now has a few competitors grappling at its feet. The restaurant reservation list is impossible to haggle your way onto at short notice with bookings taken months in advance.

A group of four of us took our precious table in the noisy Soho restaurant on an August evening. The service was friendly and enthusiastic, and we let our waiter’s advice sway our order choices.

A small bowl of cancha (crunchy Peruvian corn) arrived to accompany our South American cocktails. Simple and classic Pisco all round, the passionfruit sour was voted the preferred drink.

We tried a few of the stylish Ceviche dishes:

Ceviche de Alcachofa (artichoke and sweet potato ceviche with red onion in Amarillo tiger’s milk)

Don Ceviche (fresh seabass ceviche in Amarillo chilli tiger’s milk, limo chilli, sweet potato and red onions)

Not a keen fish eater I barely tried the most popular seabass ceviche, but my companions gave it rave reviews. The ceviche is served raw in a puddle of intensely citrusy marinade which I found overpowered any other flavour.

Ensalada de Quinoa (white quinoa, tomatoes, avocado, butter beans and coriander with lime and limo chilli vinaigrette) is a fresh and healthy salad to munch on, adding some contrasting crunch with the meat dishes.

Pollo Rico (marinated chicken in Amarillo chilli, with a celery and red and yellow beetroot garnish) are lovely chicken skewers, dressed in a tasty spicy marinade and served with vegetables.

Lomo Saltado (Beef fillet, sliced, flame cooked with red onions, tomatoes, and proper chips) was perhaps our favourite. Divine, tender meat with a subtle but sublime sauce that was perfect for chip dipping.

A conservative meal for four (we left still a bit hungry sans desserts) cost nearly £120, including one cocktail each but no other drinks. The website is bright, cheerful and informative (with a visually attractive interactive menu provided via Pinterest) so if you want to peruse the Peruvian fare before parting with your hard-earned dinero it is easy to do so here.

More information here: www.cevicheuk.com

Rosa’s Thai, Soho

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Rosa’s is the ideal little Soho restaurant, here you can enjoy authentic Thai food while watching the world go by. We sat outside on a warm summer evening and saw eccentric characters stroll by in gold trousers, silly hats and wacky outfits – it was great fun.

We were well looked after by our smiley waitress, she kindly brought us dish after dish of extra peanut satay sauce and topped up our wine instantly when needed.

There is a focus here on fresh Thai favourites and Rosa’s classic dishes which correspond with the cookbook. We tried fresh Summer Rolls and Chicken Satay to start, and Pad Thai, Pumpkin Red Curry, Chilli Stir Fry for main course. The meal was fragrant and addictively tasty: simple familiar recipes prepared with care and affection. Stir-fried Aubergine was a favourite all round the table… with yellow bean, chilli, garlic, soya sauce and basil, it was soft and sweet. The Pad Thai was one of the best I’ve tried, not too sloppy with plenty of crushed peanuts, and the curry was so scrumptious my friend had to request a second helping of sauce.

Rosa’s is the perfect pre or post theatre Thai fix. They don’t “do” desserts but Amorino’s round the corner is ideal for a take-away ice cream.

I can’t wait to get the Rosa’s cookbook so that I can attempt to recreate all these amazing dishes at home.

More information here.

www.rosaslondon.com