Tag Archives: soho

Smoking Goat, Soho

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There are waves of cuisine fashion in London, recently Peruvian has been popular, and now there’s another trend for Thai. Smoking Goat is the latest “it” venue, found at the unpopular end of Denmark Street, it is characterised by the long queue of hipsters waiting outside. Noisy, crowded and dark, you have to be really keen to try the food to put up with the chaotic conditions. The team have recently extended opening hours so you can eat from 5pm, and having arrived at 6pm we were safely in our seats when the 6.30 rush came. We were rubbing shoulders with a pair of chefs who were gratefully enjoying every plate whilst critiquing the latest London restaurant openings. One of them was talking excitedly about his soon-to-open Middle Eastern restaurant – who knows maybe this will be the next cuisine to catch on.

Smoking Goat offers sticky, spicy and saucy barbecued meat and fish, impossible to eat with any dignity but absolutely, addictively delicious. Having researched the critics’ favourites before arriving, I knew what I wanted without even seeing the menu. We started with the unmissable Fish Sauce Wings and the Coal Roast Aubergine Salad; priced at £6 each, these are small plates which can act as starters. Coated thickly in a crispy aromatic casing, the chicken wings were our favourite dish of the night. The meat inside was tender and succulent while the outer layer was cooked to crunchy perfection, the pile of wings were then slathered in sticky sweet sauce. The gloopy, gooey, soft-baked aubergine was a delight, subtly flavoured and dressed with herbs, I was appreciative to have a break from the meat feast.

For main course, diners only have three choices to ponder over, of which the Whole Cornish Chilli Crab with aromatic herbs, roasted chilli, palm sugar, fresh coconut cream, hot mint and salted curry leaves is fast becoming the restaurant speciality and blogger favourite. Arriving fully shelled in a bowl coated in sauce you will be given an assortment of tools and then be expected to just get on with it! My friend looked up slightly despairingly after five minutes of cracking, poking and licking. Needless to say he kept going for a while longer, addicted to the spiced coconut goodness and fleshy crab meat. I opted for the Slow Roast Duck Legs, though Smoked Lamb Ribs only narrowly missed out. The duck was slightly dry but with a lovely crispy edge, you can dunk it in the jaew dipping sauce for a bit of moisture and a kick of spice.

The drinks menu is definitely not an afterthought with a fine selection of unique craft beers and intelligent wine choices. Smoking Goat doesn’t do desserts, there is thankfully no over-sweet sticky rice and mango here, and you shouldn’t need it after the savoury feast.

When I got home I stank of spice and still felt vaguely sticky… this is not a restaurant for the faint-hearted but boy does the food taste good. My advice? Once you have been designated a table, try to sit back and go with the flow, chances are in two weeks time it will be even more impossible to get a table at London’s new Thai concept, so enjoy the mayhem while you are in the midst of it.

Follow the Smoking Goat team on Twitter here to hear more.

Palomar, Soho

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Every week there is a new must-try restaurant in London, and the Soho area has more than its fair share of these. On the edge of this popular district is Palomar, a new eatery serving delicacies from Jerusalem. The restaurant is full of character and charisma, with mad, musical waiters behind the bar, and a menu of tasty unusual dishes.

If you can, sit at the 16-seat bar to appreciate the eccentricity of the staff’s daily performance (rhythmic pan banging along to the music and dancing whilst cooking). Our waiter Eyal (they are all named on the menu) posed for photos and was extremely helpful and fun. We took his recommendations seriously as my knowledge of Israeli food is not up to scratch, and ordered many of the established favourites. The speciality ‘Polenta Jerusalem style’ with asparagus, mushroom ragout, parmesan and truffle oil was a gooey delight, creamy wet polenta with a woody collection of ingredients – we polished it off in no time.

Whilst sipping one of the exotic Garden of Eden cocktails, I observed the activity around me, the plates are prepared at super speed behind the bar, while friends chat loudly and relish the thrilling cuisine. You must try the hot challah bread, it is sensational; the staff plop it out from its moulded tin straight onto the plate, a bouncy, sweet sort of brioche that you can tear off and dunk in the dip. Towards the front of the venue, the neon illuminated Raw Bar carefully prepares all the uncooked dishes, pretty and healthy. Though we didn’t try these, I’ve heard the Salmon Tartare with Aubergine two ways is unmissable.

The Daily 6 is a tempting offer of assorted meze, but we opted for dishes from the main menu. My favourite was the Deconstructed kebab (Shakshukit) with minced meat, yoghurt, tahini, ‘the 4 tops’ and Yaeli’s pita. The crumbly meat was marinated in a rich mix of spices with a contrasting cool yoghurt. The tahini sauce was a little bitter drizzled over the top and I would have preferred it without. Pork Belly Tagine with Ras el Hanout, dried apricots and Israeli couscous is an impressively rich and sweet concoction, the meat is caramelised and melts in the mouth, surrounded by pearly grains and a handful of fresh coriander.

We omitted desserts, but I was tempted by the Chocolate Cremeux – puffed rice crunch, pomegranate coulis, cocoa tuile and almond strusel, it sounds like a devilishly indulgent invention.

Down a dark and dingy London street, Palomar glows with hope and happiness, the pink sign encourages guests to come in… and once you are seated you’ll never want to leave.

More information here: thepalomar.co.uk

House of Ho, Soho

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When people ask me where they should eat in London I normally tell them to head to Soho. Here one finds a cross section of the best restaurants in London and almost every cuisine you could imagine represented. Last week I headed to House of Ho, Bobby Chinn’s exotic and sexy restaurant which offers a modern twist on traditional Vietnamese food.

The exterior is dark and mysterious with just the open air tables offering a clue as to the food and atmosphere inside. The design is simple; the food and drinks demand all the attention. Groups of friends and couples cluster around the unusually shaped restaurant in cosy dimly lit corners. We were seated at a lovely better lit table by the open window, I loved observing the manic Soho life outside.

The cocktails are exciting and feature a range of intriguing Asian ingredients. The Ho’rny Devil was a divine mix of lemongrass vodka, chilli infused vodka, coconut water and lemongrass syrup served in a martini glass with a coconut rim, the ultimate beachside drink. I also loved the Saigon Sour made with mint Bourbon, crème de peche, agave nectar, pomelo and rhubarb bitters,  a recent creation inspired by the musical Miss Saigon.

The House of Ho food menu is split into different sections depending on cooking method: grilled, wok tossed, fried, steamed, braised. The dishes are all served as small plates, three plates are recommended per person. The food is beautifully presented in original ceramic vessels, incredibly photogenic particularly in the natural light. It is lovely to have a variety to share rather than picking only one dish, and gives a much more eclectic range of flavours. Our favourites included the tender cubes of Shaking Beef which were soft and velvety inside but crispy and salty on the outside, Lemongrass Chicken in sticky sweet caramel sauce and Smokey Chilli glazed chicken wings which were piping hot and covered in a wonderfully fragrant marinade. I was pleased to discover, despite usually disliking fish, that I loved the Vietnamese 7 spice marinated squid, which was light and perfectly seasoned. Morning Glory is a great green addition tossed in shallot oil and scattered with crispy garlic.

There are so many savoury delights to keep you occupied and I rarely crave dessert after Asian food, but if you do need something sweet, the lemon scented crème brulee would be my recommendation. Rich and creamy, it is a satisfying treat. We finished with a calming and cleansing cup of fresh mint tea.

Ideally located near to Theatreland, House of Ho offers the perfect pre-theatre menu for those heading to a show. Choose three dishes from the Taste of Ho menu for £19.50 or from the Showstopping Ho for £23.50.

House of Ho is an eclectic and vibrant restaurant in the heart of buzzing Soho, ideal for an exotic cocktail or an indulgent Vietnamese feast.

More information and book here.