Tastebud Deluxe

LIVERPOOL EATING PART 1 - Romios 20 Lark Lane, Aigburth, L17 8US‏

2010-04-08T10:47:00.000-07:00

WARNING

This greek restaurant is highly unpleasant and I wish it on nobody. When I go to a greek restaurant and ask for pitta bread what do you think I get? Well this time your wrong because they like to serve big shitty burger buns. The lamp kebab tasted like lighter blocks and the chicken had no flavor what so ever. The wine was vinegar and the Stuffed Vine leaves and this is not a joke tasted like sick,We had more but there's no need to go on. Oh and it weren't cheap either.

Mario's Cafe in Warren Street, London, does a big breakfast for £10.

2010-03-25T09:52:00.000-07:00

Eat it all in 20 mins with no drink to wash it down with and you get it free.

It's 10 eggs, 10 bacon, 10 sausage, 10 toast, 5 black puddings, tomatoes, beans and mushrooms. No Chips !!!

   Before    20 Minutes later

The breakfast packs in 5,000 calories - nearly twice the recommended daily intake for an average man.

A spokesman for the British Heart Foundation said: "Eating this amount in one sitting is not a good idea."

Miles Maynard

LEFTOVERS: Scandinavian Kitchen, 61 Great Titchfield Street, W1W 7PP

2010-02-24T06:20:00.000-08:00

This place is great for a quick light take-out or a speedy sit down. If I'm in the area I pick up selection they do of 5 open-face sandwiches for £7 to share with Mrs. Rajesh for a light dinner alternative.

They also stock pantry/grocery items for home-sick Scandinavian people, you can pick up some Kvikk-Lunsj chocolate (which I dig) or some Caviar Spread that they eat on eggs for breakfast in Norway and Sweden. Fish egg on egg action, don't you love it?

Excellent little Scando sandwiches, and healthy tasting too. My favourites are the meatball and beetroot salad ones as well as the prawn and egg. I started going there when they were fairly new but they've developed a bit of a following so it can get busy during lunch hours and resemble a fishmarket.

Recommended!

5 Sandwiches for £7.00

Fatter,

Rajesh
xx

LEFTOVERS - Frozen Food Review: Unagi

2010-02-24T05:06:00.000-08:00

I love eel, especially cooked the japanese way in that rich sweet barbeque sauce. A slab of unagi on rice is absolute heaven for me. I managed to buy some of the unagi sauce froma a Japanese supermarket and then proceeded to hit various fishmongers to score some fresh eel. Most of them, like my local one L. Mash & Sons in Brixton wouldn't stock it, "Too expensive!" they all cried. The estimated prices they were coming up with were extortionate.

Funny because I'd always thought that in London atleast, jellied eel was common place in the old days because it was cheap to acquire? I guess things have changed. Either way, I needed some eel so I hit the supermarket at Japan Centre to investigate the frozen variety, which can be grilled or baked.

This stuff is surprisingly good for frozen food, and tastes very close what you'd get in a small Japanese joint here. I'm convinced that some places do infact use frozen or premaid unagi, I can't think of where but I was once at a sushi place and caught a glimpse of a suspect look package from which the unagi was retrieved.

Bottom line, it's excellent value for money if you want a quick no-fuss Japanese fix at home, serve on some warm japanese rice with some pickles and enjoy.

£6.99 @ JAPAN CENTRE, 212 Piccadilly, London W1J 9HG
(You can get it in most Japanese supermarkets)

Getting Fatter,
Rajesh
xx

LEFTOVERS: M. Manze Pie & Mash House, 105 High Street, Peckham SE15 5RS

2010-02-24T03:40:00.000-08:00

Me and my equally brown skinned Cypriot friend known as 'The Moufflon" walked into this place to be greeted by stares, we definitely felt far away from home. They must've laughed at us, two novelty foreignors coming in for some British blue collar gastro tourism.

There's not many of these old fashioned Eel & Pie joints left in London, there's a few east, a few west and some down this way. Surprisingly Manze owns three locations. I've been dieing to try this stuff for ages, and when finally served up this opportunity I found it to be bland, very bland.

The pie pastry was nice enough but the whole plate needed a heavy lashing of salt and vinegar to get some sort of flavour out of it. The filling itslelf was minimal on meat volume. The liquor was flavourless and weak, I'd like to say it was 'subtle', but it was just weak.

I'd still give it another go though, because it's simplicity was kind of comforting.

Yours in Fatness

Rajesh
xx

LEFTOVERS: Maria's Market Cafe, Borough Market SE1

2010-02-24T03:07:00.000-08:00

So sometime towards the end of the summer I was hanging out with Doc Simon, we were picking up a rental car to head out to the country side for some secret business. To my pleasure the car was located in Borough so we decided to stop by for some breakfast before we hit the road.

I've been frequenting Borough for as long as I've been in London and I love the place, recently there's been talk of closure or partial closure due to some train line which is sad. Already, part of the market has been downsized and I'm not sure what the plans are for it's future, but I will investigate.

I've passed Maria's for years and but for some reason never went in for anything, I was usually too busy trawling the market to score some rabbit meat amongst other things. I recall it being the only thing open when Doc and I rolled up and were greeted by the very bubbly Maria. She informed us that her family has run this place for a million years and it was originally around the corner in a brick and mortar location. She told us a famous actor ripped off one of their recipes when he opened a restaurant a back in the day, and James Mcavoy apparantly steps in for the Bacon, Bubble & Cheese Bap which is somewhat of a cult classic.

And damn was she right! This sandwich is perfect, I know it's a simple little concoction but I'm convinced that there's some secret alchemy at play in the bubble and whatever she seasons it with. I smothered the little cheesey, salty bap of joy with brown sauce and surrendered to it's beauty.

Humble, honest and comforting, this sandwich is your friend.

Bacon, Bubble & Cheese @ £3.70 - Maria's Market Cafe.

Yours in Fatness,
Rajesh
xx

Footnote: I was so shell shocked with how good the sandwich was that when we returned to Borough to drop off the car off later in the day I raced like a Crack-Head past all the venison burgers, chorizo sandwiches, tourists and rabbit merchants until I reached Maria's again and literally inhaled the sandwich.

Leftovers

2010-02-24T02:49:00.000-08:00

Wow, I've been away for way too long and Melvin's been nagging me to get my gastronomic shit together.

So, to bring my posting up to date I'll be putting up what I'm calling 'Leftovers' which are all the posts that have been collecting dust on my harddrive during my sabbatical. Lots of good stuff to come...

Stay Tuned & Stay Fat

Rajesh

2010-01-22T04:14:00.001-08:00

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Mangal Ocakbasi aka Mangal 1

2009-10-29T17:10:00.001-07:00

This intimate Turkish spot tucked away on Dalston's Arcola Street (home of the legendary Arcola Theater) can be utilised as a takeaway vendor or eat in venue, and I'm sure that either would be equally enjoyed by those partaking.

On this evening we were eating inside, although a slight breeze from the open door could have suggested otherwise after a few minutes it was more than counter acted by the roaring open charcoal grill. This grill is manned in a serious manner by various members of staff and is the area from where the succulent lamb and chicken emerges.

The beer on offer is limited to Turkish brand Effes, but this beer is fine and sometimes I think that too much choice can be a bad thing (especially when it come to intoxicants).

The menu comprises of traditional Turkish dishes, this means plenty of meat, but if you are vegetarian you would not be left out in the cold. We started with a basket of thick slices of warm, soft bread accompanied by some extremely well made Tzatziki and and a dish of chopped fried aubergine in garlic and herbs which I recommend highly. Our waiter also brought over some hummus in place of the lahmajun that we ordered (people call this Turkish pizza to contextualise it in a western kebab shop setting, but it is not really a pizza) I think they did us a favor here though as we really didn't need a portion of doughy lahmajun on top of what was to Follow.

The main course, on one side very tender well marinated lamb, cooked over the charcoal to perfection and plated up with a huge salad, chunk of lemon and grilled tomato and chili. On the other, lamb of similar delicacy but sliced and presented in a pot with strained yoghurt's a spicy tomatoe salsa and the same grilled vegetables, again a huge fresh salad but this time on a separate plate. Both very delicious, the only fault being the bread cubes placed in the yoghurt, but overall an extremely professional and satisfying display of Turkish cuisine.

The service is fine, maybe a little hurried, but not rude. And the price, very reasonable (even though I forgot my card for the third time since buying an new over-sized wallet and so could not pay) a meal for two with beer will set you back about £25

All over I would give this place 4 out of 5 or 8 out of 10 depending on which system you would prefer to use. But well worth a visit and especially after a trip to the fine theater across the street...

10 Arcola Street, Dalston, E8 2DJ
Tel: 020 7275 8981
www.mangal1.com
Travel: Dalston Kingsland rail/67, 76, 149, 243 bus
Times: Meals served noon-midnight daily

By Lomaxo

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MELVIN IN LA

2009-09-29T14:01:00.001-07:00

(Strictly no photos were aloud, so all photographs were secretly taken on mobile phones).

As I sat in the steam room in the Four Seasons Hotel with a glass of cucumber water in my hand, pampering myself before the 81st Academy Awards, I wondered. What gastronomic delights awaited me?

I was in LA for the first time . A celebrity friend of mine, who I shall leave unnamed, invited me to the biggest showbiz bash on the planet, The Oscars!

On arrival there are police and helicopters circling the Kodak theatre. Crowds of people swarm the streets like hungry animals wanting a bite from the perfect celebrity cuisines . People with homophobic and self promoting placards line up wanting to be seen. Me, I was just hungry and wanted this hell soup to end, so I could get to the main course, The Governors Ball. This is the big dinner after the show. So in we go, like cattle down the blood red carpet, lights blinding you every witch way you go, and oh look there's Danny Glover, is he hungry? When you eventually make it in your surrounded by the hollywood elite, Sean Penn walks past with his crew. Sarah Jessica Parker is being followed by a hired hand so no one steps on her dress. But he's always there holding it off the ground, so in effect he is part of the dress. Good look!

And so it begins The Oscars. The big show. It's all so golden and duty free smelling.

Hugh Jackman appears on stage and proceeds to go ape shit for the next five minutes. This is his opening. Throughout the evening if you get up to go out during the commercial break, and you miss the countdown to get back to the show, they lock all the doors until the next break, and a seat filler will sit in your seat so the show doesn't look dead. This is an out of work panic stricken actor.

I went out to get a glass of water, queued for 20 minutes, only to discover it wasn't a free bar, and damn I had no cash on me. So i'm sure for the first time in Oscar history, I used the public water fountain. People looked at me like I was shitting into a bucket, and shouting "Run Forest Run!' at the top of my voice. I got back to my seat and the show wizzed along. I dribbled, I laughed, I even cried a bit. It was good, bad and a little ugly .

Stage 2 of the mission. The Governors Ball.

We sit down at a very tacky looking table. There's a band playing dinner jazz, free CD style. Kevin Kline and the girl from The Gremlins are sat at the end of the table. One guy complains to himself about the food because he's on a no carb diet. The waiter comes over with an appetizer. A pizza dough with smoke salmon and caviar on top. Not the greatest combination, but the fish eggs and salmon where fine. And if it's good enough for the Gov, it's good enough for me. Whoever he is?!. Then some soup, and some not so good rice with meat was served. So unimpressed by this, I didn't take a photo. Thinking this was the only food going, and knowing that the Vanity Fair party was around the corner, and remembering how drunk I liked to get, down it went.

For desert, a cube of chocolate arrived with a removable lid, and an edible Oscar on top with chocolates inside. I bit the head off the oscar thinking it would be the finest co co in town, but to my surprise it took me right back to the little football chocolates I would get for Crimbo. You know the ones, that tasted like crayon. So, quite full and slightly board, we went for a stroll around the ball. " What is this?" I yelled. "Why did no one mention this?" We'd found a room full of lavish wonders. There were Oscar cookies, a chocolate fountain with strawberries, chocolate moose, a mountain of shell fish, and two mini hills of sushi. Actually not the most lavish. But after the weird rice and chocolate box combo I'd just had, this was lavish . The cookies were good, the fountain had an interesting flow, especially with the fresh strawberries. The sushi wasn't that good, a bit dry and lonely.

Stage 3 the Vanity Fair party. Now this was a proper celebrity squeeze. Within the space of a five minutes Mickey Rourke left the building, I saw Elton John sulking in the corner, and Ben Stiller was making big joke all over the floor. But lets cut the celebrity chit chat, and get to the food.

Since America and the Worlds economic crisis the good people at Vanity Fair cut down on the freebies. So no pyramid of Ipods, no taps of Channel No 5 running, and certainly no gourmet food. As I was hob knobbing and making no sense at all, I see a girl sheepishly appear from the crowd holding a soggy box of In and Out burgers. "I'll have one of those please", "yes sir". The In and Out girls were having the best time, meeting all the celebs and handing out cold burgers with the biggest smiles on their faces. I took a bite and on looking back it has occurred to me, that that burger summed up the hole evening. It looked good but was cold and tasteless and it always looks better in the movies.

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CLEMENTS ON CURRY PART 3

2009-09-29T13:47:00.001-07:00

6 Therberton Street

Islington, London

N1 0QX

020 7226 0504

www.parveentandoori.co.uk

We stumbled upon this curry house walking up Upper St from Angel in the hope of finding an Indian. We first walked past the chain Masala Zone, which I've eaten in before and didn't enjoy. Parveen is very near the cool, old cinema – Screen on the Green.

Decor

The Decor was pleasant, low-lit and, in the area we were in, the music was quiet. However, we were sat right by the door, which was open, causing us to be sat in a draught. The seat wasn't overly comfortable – a standard wooden chair.

Service

The service was prompt, despite the fact that our waitresses English was pretty poor. After poppadoms, which were good, we were kept waiting for some time for our food – perhaps as long as forty minutes. The food then came sans rice and we had to wait a couple of minutes for the rice to arrive, which was tortuous after waiting for the dishes to arrive.

Food

I ordered a Basil Fawlty (Balti) with chicken, garlic naan and Pilau rice. I enjoyed my meal and the meat was of good quality – not overly hot and stated as being med/hot. We were given hot towels after our meal. But no palette cleanser or mints etc. (Apologies for the poor pic, didn't have my camera – it was better than it looks!)

Cost

Pretty standard pricing really – around seven to nine pounds for a main. We were presented with 20% of our bill at the end, in a brick Lane style 'everyone gets a discount'. It was still appreciated though.

Toilets

The restroom felt a little neglected and a doorway had been left open to view old cans of oil outside. One tap was broken, but it was clean.

Overall

Friendly staff, tasty food. A few little things could have been better. Like cloth napkins instead of paper and an ice bucket for the wine. The wait for the meal was also slightly too lengthy. If I was in the area again, I would quite likely go back – although the Spanish Tapas bar just up the road may get my custom next time.

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CLEMENTS ON CURRY PART 2

2009-09-29T13:45:00.001-07:00

Eastern Eye

120 Queen St

Newton Abbot, TQ12 2EU, United Kingdom

+44 1626 331155

I'd been to this curry house a couple of times a few years ago and when going back this time found it to have become three times the size it was. This expansion represents how popular this restaurant has become. If you're going on a Saturday, expect it to be very busy and it's essential to book a table.

Decor

The Decor feels quite up-market, with large, heavy leather chairs, placed around nicely laid tables, with heavy white table cloths and napkins.

Service

Service was prompt and we had poppadoms and beers to start with – cobra and kingfisher on tap. I ordered the chicken Bhuna, Pilau rice, onion Bhajis and a peshwari naan.

Food

As the starter plates were collected my dad commented on how little mess he'd made in comparison with the rest of us – to which our waiter responded "the more mess you make, the more we think you're enjoying your meal". The waiter was very friendly and attentive and you could have a joke with him.

There were six of us and the food came in good time and all together. Each dish had it's on bowl with a nightlight in it, which is always a nice touch. Good weight (hot) plates and cutlery add a quality feel. We were also presented with a free dish of chicken tandoori to share.

The food is really excellent – medium hotness and perfectly cooked chicken. Everyone in my party was satsfied – with the exception of Kate, saying that she preferred the dish at the Chandi curry house in Berlin.

I couldn't possibly manage a desert as I was so full. We were then presented with hot towels and slices of orange to cleanse the palette. We were then given a round of complimentary shots of Sambucca (with a coffee bean floating in it) and Baileys. The waiter did a neat trick and blew out the flames with a click of the thumb. They came back several times offering more shots for free.

If that gets you warmed up for a night out, I recommend the Jolly Farmer pub in the centre of town – they've got a good selection of ales, table football and an outside area with picnic benches.

This is truly a great curry house, with many awards under their belt, that I like to return to everyone time I'm i the area.

4.2/5 (had to drop it a bit because Kate wasn't wholly satisfied with her Chicken Dupiaza)

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CLEMENTS ON CURRY PART 1

2009-09-29T13:41:00.001-07:00

Address: Immanuelkirchstr. 32, 10405 Berlin

Phone: +49 30 440 62 38

Type: Indian

This curry house is just across the road from The Loft hostel, in the Friedrichshain district of Berlin, where my girlfriend and I were staying. It was a warm evening so we sat outside on long picnic-style benches, although the decor inside was perfectly pleasant.

We started with some poppodoms and sauces which came very quickly. The poppodoms had crushed peppers and chilis in them making them the hottest ones I have ever had – the ice cold beer helped to quench this though.

The general atmosphere was good, with several other local (or at least German) couples sat around us enjoying a meal.

I ordered a chicken Rogan Josh, Pilau rice and a garlic naan – Kate had the same. The dishes came already served out onto a plate, rather than in separate dishes – I tend to prefer the latter. However, it was nicely presented and came with a small side-salad garnish, which helped to further quell the heat from the poppadoms. The dish had a very light, clean feel, it wasn't a heavy sauce as one becomes accustomed to in England. It was medium hot. I didn't feel overly full from the meal either.

There was just one woman working away in the kitchen, the food felt freshly prepared and the meat was tender.

The service was good and our waiter friendly – we started attempting to speak German to our waiter and we quickly established it would be easier for all of us to say everything in English.

We hung around and had another beer afterwards and felt no pressure to leave.

Overall, I enjoyed the meal, it was was of good quality but not outstanding. The lack of hot towels at the end was a disappointment.

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THE PIRATE AND THE BEAST

2009-06-23T06:23:00.001-07:00

Deep down in falmouth there lies a pirate who walks the streets in search of the beast.

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DRIED EEL AND OCTOPUS

2009-06-22T04:29:00.001-07:00

I love beef jerky or South African Biltong, and have a deep obsession with fish,so when Rajesh bought me some dried eel and octopus back from his trip to Dubai, I knew these gifts would fulfill my salty needs.

The eel was extremely tuff and took a good 10 minutes to get through, not the best. And had a slightly stale taste to it.

The Octopus was so good. Moorish and salty, having the same qualities as the Biltong but more subtle and tender. It was lots and lots of fun.

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THE NET SHOP JELLIED EEL BAR,OLD TOWN,HASTINGS

2009-05-26T10:18:00.000-07:00

One of the best things about hastings and most sea side towns is the fish bars or jellied eel bars. They serve all kind of fishy goodies. I had whole baby octopus,70p oysters,crayfish tails,mussels,cockles, and with a good dash of vinegar or chili vinegar it really is one of the best british food experiences you can have.

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SEASIDE FOOD PART 1-HASTINGS

2009-05-26T09:27:00.001-07:00

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THE BLUE DOLPHIN FISH BAR,61B HIGH STREET,HASTINGS

2009-05-26T06:54:00.001-07:00

When I first heard of The Blue Dolphin I assumed it was a gay biker bar that served fish and chips, sadly it wasn't. There are a lot of fish and chip joints in hastings, this is a very popular one, maybe because of its location right on high street in the old town, near the sea front. Cod and chips £4.80. Some days it's better than others but worth an eat.

MELVIN

COMLONGON CASTLE, CLARENCEFIELD, DUMFRIES, SCOTLAND, DG1 4NA

2009-05-21T15:38:00.001-07:00

I'v just got back from Scotland and for the first time in my entire life I ate a squre sausage. In a haunted castle Comlongon Castle at the bottom of Scotland in a place called Dunfries they serve not the best full Scottish fry up.

Sauteed Mushrooms
Lorne Sausage, a sausage prepared in a loaf pan. This one is a beef sausage.
2 Slice of Bacon
Fried Tomato
Potato Scone
Haggis
Poached Egg

Melvin

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Rajesh In Dubai: Adventures in Camel Milk

2009-05-20T05:05:00.000-07:00

My Mate Chef Bahadur poses with the Camel Milk

The brand is called "Camelicious" !!! How funny is that?

My mother actually visited the farm where this is made, it's run by a European lady. Here's the scoop on the lady from my mum:

"She walked the camels from Syria to Yemen. SHe did it to raise awareness and money for a mobile clinic in Palestine and Syria for women who can afford it. For breast cancer and other issues."

Mum recommended the normal one, she likes it a lot, camel milk is meant to have some good properties, not that I know what they are. While on the farm she said that they were given the straight up untreated fresh-from-the-animal milk and it was very very salty, she prefers the bottled one.

After the first sip of the date bottle I decided not to drink and review them in all one day, so I spread out the review, one camel milk a day...

Camelicious Date
Very sweet, thick and rich. It resembles what milk tastes like at the bottom of the bowl when you've had raisin bran in it and have finished the cereal, leaving the milk thats soaked up the sugary fruitness of the raisins. I liked it, but ultimately way too rich and sweet. Not too much of a 'Camel Vibe'.

Camelicious Saffron
Well, this was very interesting. Alot of middle eastern foods and sweets use saffron, the flavour of this one was similar to having a saffron infused dessert. A very unique flavour for a milk, with subtle nutty notes, I could have this after a meal as a dessert on it's own. Again very rich and low on the 'Camel Vibe'.

Camelicious Plain Camel
Wow. Now this was definitely proud to be born of Camel. It was a touch thicker than cow milk, with a slightly meaty undertone, not in a sick way ofcourse, but in the way Goat Dairy products have a bit of Animal in them. Much evidence of 'Camel Vibe', albeit in an inoffensive way.

Final Conclusion

Camel milk is too damn rich to subsitute Cow Milk but is a fun alternative for the adventurous. Also, I now want to eat Camel, I wonder if this sentiment is related to the drinking of the milk.

Yours in Fatness and radiating with "Camel Vibe",

Rajesh

xx

Dear readers

2009-05-19T03:31:00.001-07:00

I'm back from the Middle East and feel a bit fatter. My suitcase was filled so much food it could be considered smuggling.

Need some advice. Does anyone know of a good Arabic or Iranian Bakery in London? I want to make a dish that I need some special bread for.

All help appreciated.

Lots more Posts from my Gastronomic Travels coming soon...

Yours in Fatness,

Rajesh

BILL BUNYAN HAMBURGER TOUR

2009-05-17T07:44:00.001-07:00

Bill Bunyan, of Dodge City, had arranged a party at Paddy's Restaurant, in the Rice County town of Sterling, about 15 miles northwest of Hutchinson. He was marking two milestones -- his 65th birthday and his 105th hamburger. Unbeknownst to the Maichels, at the party he also mentioned his favorite burger from a three-year mission -- the one he enjoyed Feb. 18, 2002, at the Maichels' Topeka eatery.

Since June 2000, the retired elementary school teacher has traveled the state with the goal of eating a hamburger in each of the state's 105 counties. He chose locally owned "mom and pop" establishments on his way to achieving the goals of the Kansas Explorers Club -- inspiring, educating and encouraging the exploration and appreciation of Kansas.

Speck's" burger, the specialty at Seabrook Tavern, at 2100 S.W. Mission, is 3 pounds of ground beef, topped with onions, tomatoes, pickles and lettuce on a 14-inch homemade bun.

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Rajesh in Dubai: For the Love of Buttermilk.

2009-05-15T04:14:00.001-07:00

Man, this brings me back to my childhood.

Laban-Up is a Middle East favourite. A sour buttermilk drink that's so refreshing when served chilled on a sweltering hot day. It has a very distinct and comforting flavour and a cute old fashioned carton that I miss seeing.

Costs roughly 10 pence, found in all good (and bad) grocery stores and supermarkets around here.

Rajesh

PS: For those who have tried 'salty' Indian Lassi, it's similar to that.

Rajesh in Dubai: Pa cooks an Arabic Breakfast

2009-05-15T03:32:00.000-07:00

Click photos to Enlarge.

Foul madammas is the traditional arabic peasant's meal. Meant to fill you up and keep you going for the day. I woke up with a craving for it and my father seemingly had the exact same craving so he decided to whip it up. He did warn me that it'll be like "cement in your stomach, you won't eat for the rest of the day" he was right, this is good cheap desert fuel. We popped over to the lebanese supermarket to get the needed components.

Foul is Fava Beans, sauteed with green chilly, garlic, lemon and tomato. Once cooked it's doused in olive oil. On the side he made some 'reverse' ( as I like to call it) Coarse hummous, whipped up in about two minutes by mashing chickpeas with tahini, garlic, parsley, salt and lemon. It's a quick hummous fix. This was all served with slices of onion, chillies and Nabulsi Cheese - a great salty cheese from Palestine that makes Halloumi look dumb.

The breakfast was amazing, so hearty and filling, I'll be skipping lunch and dinner. What made it extra special was the Palestinian Olive Oil that my dad doused the hummous and the Foul in. It's truly special and he treats it like the rolls royce of olive oil. It's not a commercial brand, it's from a small farm in Palestine, he had it brought over in big barrels. It's a lot more deep in flavour and complex than the Italian Olive Oils, you could drink this stuff.

I'm smuggling that shit into London this weekend in a cola bottle.

xxx

Rajesh

PS: My dad said the best Foul he had was in a tiny little joint down a backstreet in Jordan, I keep trying to get him to blog his Jordan trip but he's too lazy.

Rajesh in Dubai: Coming Soon

2009-05-06T04:26:00.000-07:00

I'm in Dubai becoming very fat.

I'll be uploading some new things shortly, including: 'Adventures in Camel Milk', a meat laden lunch of Goat Trotters and other interesting details of Gluttony. Also a special look at odd products in Supermarkets such as "Mayo-Chup" - What is Mayo-Chup? And much, much more, there's still lots to eat out here, and more for my folks to cook too.

Stay Tuned

Yours in Fatness,

Rajesh xx

PS: Both Melvin & I have been preoccupied with the real world, we shall resume normal transmissions soon, there's tonnes of posts waiting in the wings.

Guest Recipe: Raphael's Date & Pecan Muffins

2009-04-20T10:12:00.000-07:00

Raph is back with Muffins, Rajesh reviews them...

RAPHAEL'S DATE AND PECAN MUFINS

100g Brown suger

300g brown flour

chopped up dates

pecans

100g butter

60ml milk

1 teespoon of baking powda

2 eggs

3 bnanas

1 teaspoon of vanilla essense

wizz up the butter and sugar until they are soft. then put in the mashed bananers, beaten up eggs and vanilla essense and mix that up. then put in the rest of the stuff. dollop the mixture into 12 muffin cases and bake for 25 minits at 190 C. then you have to cool them on a wire thing. they are very nise warm. actually scrumptious

love RAPHAELXXX

RAJESH'S REVIEW

Muffin was brilliant!

I think the hippy flour is the way to go, it worked well with the flavour combination and had that homely rustic vibe a walnut cake induces. I dig!

Rajesh

Watch This: "Fish! A Japanese Obsession"

2009-03-29T06:37:00.000-07:00

Check out this interesting documentary all about Japan and it's preoccupation/love for fish. Lots of insights into Japanese culture and elements of it that we don't get to see much.

Watch out for the gang of maniacal fishmongers who turn into a rock band by night and play nothing but songs about Tuna, using song to educate the public about the benefits of fresh fish over processed convenience foods. Oh, Japan! We love you...

Watch Fish! A Japanese Obsession on BBC iPlayer Now.

I think I now have about 15 pending posts to put up, I keep eating and cooking like mad and the posts keep piling up, waiting to be released into the world.

Will I ever get around to putting them up? Who knows...

Rajesh

Pickled Peppers

2009-03-19T10:11:00.000-07:00

Decided to pickle some peppers today...

Roast, grill or griddle them till charred. Let them cool, place into a jar with large pinch of salt, garlic clove, some mustard seeds, oregano and vinegar. I used regular white vinegar with a bit of White Wine Vinegar thrown in, also decided to add some parsley for no apparent reason.

I shall pickle for 2 weeks.

More belated posts coming soon...

X

Rajesh

Chilli site!!

2009-03-15T12:29:00.001-07:00

More wise words from Kebab Guru Mehmet Hussein:

I just met a geaser in the toilet in the Services off the M4- junction
11. Unbelivable!! He had worse guts than me! Like me, he's addicted
to Chilli and as a result, spends an average of one and a half hours a
day straddling his turd throne. My daily average is 50 mins. The
things we do for flavor!

He told me about this site for like minded chilli lovers!

http://www.chillisgalore.co.uk/pages/chilli_facts.html

M

Guest Recipe: Raphael's Beast Cakes

2009-03-14T03:43:00.000-07:00

Raph Returns with a recipe of his, AND he reviews his own creation...

RECIPIE FOR RAPHAELS CHOCOLATE BEAST CAKES

150g Chocolate
4tbsp Golden syrup
50g Butter
80g Cornflakes
jellee bean

Melt all the stuff ecep the corflakes and the jellee beans then stir the cornflakes in. put the stuff in paper cases and then put a jellee been on each one and then put them in the fridge for an hour. Abracadabra you have 14 beast cakes!

Review:

"I made these for my school mad hatters cake sale and i tried one and it was scrumptious . they were beutifull made with a few cracs but he cracs made it nicer.

XXXRAPHAEL"

Well done Raphael! They look...beastly.

-Rajesh x

Guest Reviewer- Mehmet Hussein

2009-03-09T15:28:00.001-07:00

Mehmet made his mark on the London food scene in the early nineties when he opened the now legendary Kebab Delight - Wood Green. Known as the 'Doner Don' throughout the food world- he is regarded as the inventor of household classics such as: 'Pitta bread and chips' and The Special- (Doner meat with chips in pitta).

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Guest Reviewer- Mehmet Hussein-Nicky’s Café and Sandwich Bar AKA ‘Phelpsy’s’- 8 WELL STREET LONDON E9 7PX

2009-03-09T15:25:00.001-07:00

My Nephew- Youssef has got a Garage over the road from Nicky's Café
and he's been banging on about this place for ages. They all call it
'Phelpsy's' because Olympic swimming legend Michael Phelps- who
munches down 12,000-calories every day- wouldn't be able to cope with
the immense portions of this establishment. I had a bit of time to
kill while the boy replaced the Carburettor on my 'Autumn- beige' S-
Class, 1987, Mercedes Benz so I went over to test my belly.

I'd been recommended the homemade Chicken Escalopes on a crusty roll
with Cheese, Salad, Mayo and Chilli sauce. I'd also been warned to
keep an eye on them when they were applying the mayo because they have
a habit of 'Phelpsing it up too hard!' They weren't wrong! The bird
slapped on 2 fat table- spoons of mayo. The Missus has told me that my
expanding waistline is affecting her sexual arousal so I asked them to
scrape a bit of Mayo off. They did.

I sat down and they brought me a perfectly coloured cup of tea to go
with my sarnies. I tucked in. What can I say! A true blinder! The
escalope had just been fried so was still warm and crunchy. The crusty
roll had just the right level of resistance. And all for £2.80!!
That's a Credit Crunch Munch!

While I was eating I had a bit banter with Moustafa the owner. He's a
Chelsea fan like my best mate Effendi. I told him my Chelsea joke-
"What's the similarity between Kathy from Eastenders and Roman
Abramovich? - They both fucked Phil and Grant!" He laughed. I told him
he could have that one.

Word of warning. One of the ladies who work in there- the slightly
slimmer of the two- wears a particularly strong perfume. Youssef has
told me that from time to time his sandwiches taste a bit like her.
Some of you might find that disgusting, me- I'm a fan of a well-
scented lady!

M

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Mr apple and Miss Orange are having a party with Sir Lemongrass and Dr Mint, when all of a sudden Lord Lemon juice stage dives all over them

2009-03-04T09:49:00.001-08:00

This is extremely tasty.

. Chopped apple

. Chopped Orange

. Chopped lemongrass about half a stick

. Chopped mint three or four leaves

. Fresh Lemon

Take the lemon close your eyes, squeeze all over the apple and let the juice flow.

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Quick & Easy Recipe: Arabic Snacks

2009-02-28T01:01:00.000-08:00

I've mentioned before that I still long for those Middle Eastern flavours while stranded here on Her Majesty's Rainy Shores. The ones below are extremely simple and tasty, either as a light snack on a Sunday, or to serve to guests before a meal. Serve these with real arabic bread, the big flat variety which you can find in most good Arabic/Ethnic Supermarkets, the 'pita' you get in chain supermarkets is rubbish compared to it.

Tahini Dip

1/2 Cup Tahini (Arabic Sesame Paste, available in Arabic Supermarkets)
4 Heaped Tablespoons of Greek Yoghurt
1 Garlic Clove
Juice of one Whole Lemon
Optional Fresh Parsley to Garnish
Sea Salt to Taste

Chop Garlic Finely. Add to the Tahini. Plop in the Yoghurt, mix till combined, watch as it thickens up into a nice paste. Incorporate the lemon, (add more depending on your your palette), season with the salt. If the dip is too thick for your tastes, thin it down with a little water till it reaches your desired consistency. This dip also goes well with fish!

Arnabeet Meklah (Fried Cauliflower)

One Head of Cauliflower
Sea Salt
Oil for Frying
Optional Fresh Lemon Juice

You won't believe how special this is until you try it, and it's so darn simple. The frying unlocks the beautiful flavours in the cauliflower that usually languish in boiling water and dodgy cheese sauces. This nice rustic treat is really addictive.

Slice up the cauliflower into florets. Shallow fry in hot oil, cook till nicely browned and a little crispy in places. Pat down and dry off oil. Sprinkle with Sea Salt (and optional lemon). Serve with Tahini Dip and warmed Arabic Bread. It's cheap too!

Enjoy!
xx

-R

Tip for the Lazy: Most UK Chain Supermarkets sell a Tahini brand called 'Cypressa' if you can't make it to an Arabic shop.

Guest Review: Raphael Returns!

2009-02-27T09:14:00.001-08:00

Raphael is back, this time spreading his critique onto Dad Pete's Pancakes...

REVIEW OF DADDYS PANCAKES

"These pancakes were a bit out of shape but very delishus. I had seven pancakes! the not nicest filling was the cheese one and the two lovelyest were the honey and nutella fillings. mummy and daddy tried to make me have strawberry and banana but i said no way daddy.

LOVE RAPHAELXXX"

Thanks Raphael! Come back soon. By the way, where's the recipe for that new snack you created?

-Rajesh x

Dear Friend

2009-02-26T06:31:00.000-08:00

My friend Sandra (she who is owned by Raphael) and I spent one whole week emailing back and forth about Lasagne. Since then I have had lasagne on the brain. I have experimented and over-complicated what is essentially a very honest, simple comfort food many times. All the while I keep imagining what Sandra's must be like, I'm still waiting for it...

There is no me without Lasagne.

MELVIN IN LA- COMING SOON

2009-02-25T13:58:00.000-08:00

MELVIN IN HAVANA PART 3 - CAFETERIA 304, APTO 4 INTERIOR

2009-02-25T12:29:00.001-08:00

On the day before I left havana a friend i'd made took me to another paladar in the new town. Id asked him to take me to a typically cuban eatery. He explained that this kind of place was the cheapest and most popular in havana. Cafeteria 304 is down an ally way, and leeds to a small flat where you wait outside to be served. An old lady, the mother of the chef, sits in the living room making the boxes that are used to eat from. She has a nice little pile going. There is a young man asleep next to her and a radio is playing cuban music. I place my order, and ask to go inside to see it being cooked. On the menu was pork, rice, potato and salad. Liver, rice, potato and salad, and homemade lemonade. Which i didn't drink all of as it was made from the local tap water. But the bit I did try was damn good. The slab of pork I had was beautifully seasoned, with a chili kick and a dash of lemon on top. I tried some of the liver too which had been seasoned the same and was equally as good. A box of this great food set me back about a £1. While we were there two lads sat munching on this local fast food and a dog took a turd a few metres away. As a tourist you would never find this kind of place but if you do know anybody in Havana, ask them for Cafeteria 304 or somewhere like it, because this is the real deal.

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Is this really necessary?!

2009-02-18T09:51:00.001-08:00

I was shopping for a spatula today and came across this scary looking thing. I'm totally freaked out by the sight of it. The gall of the bastards as well, the box says it "Improves Taste", what is going on here? It's just wrong. Plain and simple. Although, I'm sure Marco Pierre White would disagree - but he's just a wee bit bonkers isn't he?

Taking a little blog break, have been neglecting my duties in the real world. Melvin leaves for L.A. on Friday, wish him luck as his Fantastic Botox Vacation begins. May he return swiftly with perky cheeks and tangerine skin, like a young George Hamilton :

-R

Guest Review & Interview: 6 Year Old Raphael

2009-02-16T02:49:00.000-08:00

Interview with Raphael:

What was the last thing you ate?

TOAST WITH BLACK BERRY JAM AND PEANUT BUTER .

If you would cook a meal for us what would it be?

PASTA WITH PESTO AND STICY TOFFEE PUDDING.

Would you eat a worm?

OF COURSE NOT. ARE YOU CRAZEY.

If worms were out of season would spiders do? Maybe with some ketchup?

YOU ARE SO CRAZEY MAN.

What is your favourite meal?

SOSAGIS AND MASH AND STIKEY TOFIE PUDING

How's your Mum's Lasagne? We hear it's great.

I DONT LIKE LASANGE. TOO MUCH SORCE

What do you think of Vegetarians?

I WHOLDNT WANT TO BE ONE

Warm Milk or Hot Chocolate?

HOT CHOCOLATE PLEAS

Raphael Reviews Mum Sandra's Cooking:

Move over A.A. Gill, here's Raphael...

"ROST BEEF AND ROST POTATOES AND GRAVEY.
THE VEGETABLES WERE BROCOLI SWEET CORN AND PEES. ALL OF THEM WERE SCRUMPTIOUS EXCEPT FOR THE BROCOLI SWEETCORN AND PEES. THE MEAT WAS MY FAVORITE BIT. IT WAS NICE AND TENDER.

LOVE RAPHAEL

XXX"

Dear Raph, We especially enjoyed your use of 'Scrumptious', a wonderful choice of adjective.

Thanks to Raphael and Family, it's been a riot!

'Rost Beef' Picture and Self Portrait by Raphael.

Get ready for Raphael!

2009-02-15T14:49:00.000-08:00

Don't children (or 'Young People' if you want me to be PC) make you melt?

My good friends Sandra & Peter lay claim to a little creature known as Raphael. I've asked them to send us an article about what Sandra cooks and then bookend it with a little review from Raphael. Raphael is a true ruthless critic, and very soon he'll be laying instruction on you.

Sandra responded with a "No Way!" about getting roped into this scheme, but Raphael prevailed, this is what he had to say:

"YES WAY I WHOLD ,LOVE TO SAY WOT I THINK ABOUT THE FOOD. SHE IS DOING ROST BEEF NOW.

RAPHAEL"

Also a special bonus interview with Raphael himself, expect this all tomorrow.

Goodnight from Tastebud Deluxe South.

-R

Valentine's Day Cupcakes from Rosie's

2009-02-14T07:39:00.000-08:00

Just realised I had nothing sugar-related for tonight, (not that Mrs. Rajesh and I really celebrate it) so I raced down to Rosie's for some Cupcakes.

They look pretty don't they? I nearly ate one ahead of schedule, which would've been bad, I shall save them till evening arrives and The Mrs. returns from her travels. There would be nothing more embarrassing than her finding my fat ass sitting around with pink icing in my moustache.

Get home already!

-R

Valentines Day Cupcakes from Rosie's Deli Cafe, 14e Market Row, Brixton

Recipe from Home #2: Mustard Salmon

2009-02-14T04:51:00.000-08:00

Do you like the little drawing I made? I do! This recipe arrived from home without a picture, but I'll update it with one once I've given it a spin in the Tastebud Test Kitchen.

Ingredients:

Fresh Salmon Fillet
Handful of Mustard Seeds (Rye)
2 Fresh Green Chillies
1 Teaspoon of Colemans Mustard Powder
Pinch of Turmeric
Mustard Oil - SHOULD BE INDIAN OR BENGALI BRAND, NO OTHER WILL DO
2 Tablespoons of Yoghurt mixed with 2 Tablespoons of Water
Sea Salt

Grind mustard seeeds in a pestle and mortar (or coffee grinder) with Colemans mustard powder, salt and turmeric and green chilly. The result should be paste-like, add a little water if necessary. Add a few drops of mustard oil.

Baste the Salmon in the mixture and leave for 15 minutes.

Place the Salmon in a Steaming Pan. Pour yoghurt/water mixture over the fish, drizzle with a little more mustard oil. Steam for 5 to 6 minutes or until cooked but not dry!

Serve with white rice. Eat with your hands.

Enjoy!

Recipe from Home #1: Ma & Pa's Tomato Chutney

2009-02-14T02:47:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1/2 kg small red tomatoes
Fresh Thyme leaves or Basil (My Dad's preferred addition)
4 Fresh Garlic Cloves, crushed with the back of a knife
2 Tablespoons Vinegar
1 Teaspoon Palm Sugar or Cane Sugar
1 Tablespoon Kalongi or Nigella Seeds
2 fresh green chilis, slit.
Sea Salt

Cut tomatoes into fours. Heat oil in frying pan, sputter kalongi, add green chillies and garlic.

Add tomatoes and braise slowly with a lid on for 5 minutes. Ad palm sugar and salt, cover and cook for a further 5 minutes, until stewed. Remove from flame.

Once that's done mix in the 2 Tablespoons of Vinegar.

Garnish with Thyme or Basil and,

Enjoy!

(Thank to Ma & Pa for the Pictures and recipes, more to come...)

Recipes from Home coming soon...

2009-02-14T02:32:00.001-08:00

Okay, I know I've got a boat load of posts collecting dust that I need to put up, some for things I ate or cooked last year even, but I just got some recipes sent from my Folks and their good friend Arvind from the other side of the world and will be putting those up shortly!

My Folks are obsessed with food, and they work in the food industry.

Some great stuff coming! Stay Tuned...

-R

HELP SAVE BRIXTON MARKET!

2009-02-10T06:41:00.001-08:00

A big bloated corporate entity is going to demolish Brixton Market and extinguish a lot of small businesses in the process. This may be old news to some but it pisses me off royally that this market that for me atleast make's Brixton, Brixton will be replaced by flats.

Visit www.friendsofbrixtonmarket.org

They're having a Launch Party tomorrow night, details below:

11th Feb 2009, 7:30PM

@ Hootananny - 95 Effra Road, SW2 1DF

Spread the word and support if you can.

-R

Cannoli at Arancina, Notting Hill

2009-02-08T02:46:00.000-08:00

Arancina is family run Italian that has aspirations to be a big franchise, and they've already begun to expand with their concept of fresh Italian food on the move. They sell a host of snacks such as the Arancina that they're named after, a rice ball filled with ragu and an assortment of pizzas by the slice and confectionaries.

Having been overdosing on the Sopranos recently I felt an urge to pop into Arancine for some Cannoli. Their Cannoli are really rich, and really big. The photos don't do them justice, one is almost a meal on it's own. Cannoli should be bannned, they're dance with death, they hurt so good. You know once you have ingested that the ever looming heart-attack will be hard and fast. Recommended.

TRIVIA: They named a Sandwich here after my friend Dr. Simon Godley, the infamous Dentist-Comedian, ask for 'Doc Simon's Sandwich'.

Cannoli, £1.50 Each

Arancina

19 Pembridge Road, Notting Hill W11 3HG

Upcoming Posts

2009-02-07T11:59:00.000-08:00

Some upcoming posts to look forward to:

Review of Tom Ilic in Battersea,
Goat Trotters in Dubai.
Franco Manca
Fucking Awful Japanese food at Fujiyama, Brixton.
Chicken Gizzards with Portuguese people.
Cannolis from Arancina, Notting Hill. ✔
Recipe: 3 Ways with Rabbit.

They shall surface shortly...

Also, hopefully Melvin and I will meet up for a joint lunch review soon before he heads off to Los Angeles for his Botox appointment.

Rajesh

Effra Hall Tavern, 38 Kellett Road, London, SW2 1EB

2009-02-07T05:27:00.000-08:00

Okay, you've probably guessed it but I live in Brixton. You'd think that with the Carribean population down here it would be easy to get a good plate of Jerk with Rice & Peas, it's not. Most of the places around here tend to serve Jerk cooked with that shiney, gooey sauce that comes straight out of the bottle, even the overrated Take 2Wo that people seem to love does the dirty with the bottled sauce. If you've been eating that shit, you need get your head checked.

Luckily there is the Effra, a sweet dingy little pub that does live Jazz every night except Friday and Saturday. The Effra is a humble and honest place. You'd probably not even noticed they have a kitchen, they don't seem to advertise the food much. But fuck me they should! It's a goddamn revelation. I remember the first time I had a plate of the Jerk there, I was blown away by all the flavours exploding in my mouth. I had to investigate, apparently the nice little old Carribbean Mamma who runs the kitchen makes all the sauces from scratch daily! It's phenomenal, each bite picks up notes of a whole array of spices and herbs I could taste Star Anise in there. It's really hearty, earthy and above all tastes REAL! This is cooking with Soul.

Don't think twice, give it a try.

Jerk Chicken w/ Rice & Peas, £6.80

Rosie's Deli-Cafe, 14e Market Row Brixton Market, SW9

2009-02-07T05:14:00.000-08:00

Rosie's is a cute little joint in Brixton's Market Row. I've started frequenting it since last year. They do a selection of homemade soups, cakes, wraps, sammiches, have a deli counter and assortments of great pantry items. As the chalk-board proclaims, everything is served with 'Love and Lemons'.

I pop in a few times a week for a sandwich and a chat. The staff are very warm and open, and are great to exchange recipes and cooking tips with. They love their food as much and Melvin and I do.

The sandwich I've been lusting after recently is Copocollo, Spinach and Pecorino Sardo. The bread is wonderful and comes freshly baked every day from Franco Manca around the corner. Copocollo, or 'Gabagool' as the Sopranos call it is an Italian Salume made from pork neck, shoulder and fennel. It's got a delightful salty flavour, you can really taste the pork's nice bits mingling with the fennel. Combine that with creamy gooey melted Pecorino's subtle nutty notes and you're in heaven. The sandwich is not on the menu, but the staff are nice enough to whip them up to your needs and specifications. I love this goddamn sandwich, I've eaten it twice this week.

Go on, say it, "Gabagoooool"

Capocollo, Spinach & Perocino Sammich at Rosie's, £4.50

Quick & Easy Recipe: Home Made Pesto.

2009-02-07T04:50:00.000-08:00

Pesto is so damn simple and gratifying. Follow the easy recipe below.

Homemade Pesto in a Pestle & Mortar

Half a Clove of Garlic
Handful of Pine Nuts
Handful of Parmesan, finely grated.
Big bunch of Basil, 400g should do
Salt & Pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Lemon Juice (optional)

(Invest in a good Pestle & Mortar, one made of stone or even those fancy ones made of hardened lava, I bought a cheap wood one that has a smell of its own and likes to sprinkle splinters around, it's horrible.)

Lightly toast the pinenuts, but don't brown them or the flavour will overpower, this way you get a slight nutty sweetness out of them.

Mince the Garlic with a little salt and the basil in a pestle and mortar, add olive oil as an when you need it for texture. Add the nuts and keep working it, add the parmesan and oil. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Spoon into freshly made spaghetti. Enjoy.

TIP: To make your meal a little more lush, crumble some ricotta on top of the pesto-incorporated spaghetti before serving. You'll thank me later.

Brazas 45 Tulse Hill Tulse Hill London, SW2 2TJ

2009-01-29T05:36:00.001-08:00

Brazas is a portuguese bargain explosion!! For £5 you can get a burger with fries.I had a chicken bacon and avocado sandwich in a grilled ciabatta and it was fucking great.

Also at Brazas
grilled sardines and cod cakes
spicy chicken with rice and salsa
spicy or plain grilled chicken (available as a ¼, ½ or whole
grilled ribs with sweet soy sauce
whole chorizo
pasta with Broccoli or melanzani (aubergines, tomatoes, mozzarella)
They also have a mini delicatessen with a variety of meat and cheese

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Guest Review-LOMAXO IN THAILAND

2009-01-16T10:25:00.001-08:00

Here is a comprehensive report comissioned by Tastebud Deluxe showing photographs from Lomaxo's recent trip to Thailand. The trip took Lomaxo to Central, North and South Thailand, incorpoating, land, sea and air travel and visiting many eating esatblishment along the way. Various restaurants were vistited in Bangkok, Chang Mai, Yao Noi and of course road side joints in between, sampling local dishes and produce from each region...enjoy!

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MELVIN IN HAVANA PART 2- Concordia No.418 /Gervasio y Escobar. Centro Habana. Ciudad de la Habana. Cuba.

2009-01-15T15:36:00.001-08:00

After my Pollo experience my gastronomic spirts were down. I needed something to get my juices flowing. Luckily I found myself at the British ambassadors house for drinkie poos, and she pointed my sorry ass in the direction of La Guarida a paladar which are places to eat in peoples houses. La Guarida is in the old town and like all the buildings in the old town was absolutely amazing. As you walk in through the giant wooden doors, up the dimly lit stairs you feel as if your entering a secret hideout. You are actually walking though peoples flats. A kid was kicking a ball against the wall and washing was hanging out to dry. When I reached the third floor I rang on a door bell to get into La Guarida itself. As you can see by the photos its a great setting to munch in. We had pork, seafood, potato's and a side salad. The food was good but not excellent but after POLLO it was just fine.

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MELVIN IN HAVANA PART 1- POLLO L entre 21/19 Vedado, Havana Cuba.

2009-01-14T14:57:00.001-08:00

Before I went to Havana people told me that the food was nasty, and it would be hard to get something good to eat. Over the next few reviews I will take you to a range of very different eating establishments.

Very pissed one night I wanted to munch on something kebab like. I kind of remember being taken to this shack on the side of the road where we ate POLLO, its like KFC but the chicken has no bones its dry, stale and comes in a soggy bag. Then there was err potato cheese nuggets, as I put one In my mouth, quickly I found myself putting another in and then another, one thing was very clear I was extremely pissed, because when I look back at the photos I cant believe I put almost a whole bag of that shit in to my body. The next day I felt very low and a bit upset and tried to forget the POLLO brothel.

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Gastro, 67 Venn Street, Clapham, SW4 0BD

2009-01-13T10:28:00.000-08:00

Andouillette (aka Colon Sausage) & Frites

Why is it that we pay such steep prices for the honest food of the poor?

At £15.40 including service, this dish is not cheap. Especially when you consider that it's made from Pig Colon, surely this by-product of butchery is just that, a by-product that was cheap and affordable for the poor. Either way it was tasty, but be warned it's not for everyone. I've heard some people describe the odour of the sausage as something akin to a mens urinal at Victoria Terminus in Bombay.

I must say I've always liked it, the sausage, not the smell. It's an interesting sight when you sever the crispy skin with a knife to see the slippery bits of shriveled colon spill out. The combination of the crispy skin, the salty soft colon stuffing and a frite done good with mustard sauce is gluttonous beauty. The food at Gastro can generally be hit and miss, but they do their fries perfectly like only the french can. Try going there for breakfast and get the Croque Madame which is quite cheap.

A great meal, but vastly overpriced.

£15.40

Hval Biff, or my tumultuous love affair with Whale Meat

2009-01-13T10:09:00.000-08:00

Whale, something I said I'd never eat. As a young lad my mum and I sent off five dollars a month to sponsor a humpback whale, in return I got a little t-shirt, a black and white glossy of my whale friend and the occasional message from whale friend thanking me for saving his life. My five year old conscience felt morally warm and fuzzy whenever I went to bed.

This all changed however when I grew older and developed an appetite for taboo meat, and ofcourse the constant statements from a norwegian friend telling me there's "Shitloads of Minke Whale out there" helped brainwash me pretty good.

So here it is, my second date with Whale Meat, this time in the form of Whale Sashimi, as any whale lover will tell you, raw is the only way to eat it. It tastes like amazing buttery beef, a bit like Kobe or Wagyu with a slight livery aftertaste that just melts in your mouth. We finished it off pretty quickly, my Norwegian friend very gently declared after we'd eaten it, "That was great I don't feel like we're going to hell". Sorry Whale Friend, wherever you are.

Nippon-Art, Oslo, Norway

Hval Biff Sashimi, 68 NOK (roughly £6.00)

Ass Reaper Hot Sauce

2009-01-01T08:29:00.001-08:00

Ass Reaper Hot Sauce With Skull Cap and Cape. Habanero peppers, water, african oleoresin, scotch bonnet peppers, salt, onion, vegetable oil, acetic acid, garlic & xanthan gum

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THE BREAKFAST CLUB 33 D'Arblay Street London W1F 8EU

2008-12-01T14:06:00.001-08:00

The Breakfast Club is a lunch spot full of trendy Soho media types having meetings and squeezing the juice out of the free wireless internet. Apart from that major off putting feature and the fact that there's pictures of the 1985 film of the same name all over the wall, it serves good food. I had tuna salad with goats cheese and humous for £6.50 Click on menu to have a look.

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YOSHINO 59 SHAFTESBURY AVENUE LONDON W1D 6LF

2008-12-01T13:15:00.001-08:00

Oh my god its like a sweet shop for sushi freaks and its well cheap. Yoshino is a take away sushi joint and its the cheapest we ever came across. Heres a list of what we had.

4 VEGETABLE TEMPRA ROLL - £1.00

4 ROCK PRAWN CALIFORNIA ROLL - £1.50

4 CHICKEN KATSU ROLL - £1.30

6 TUNA SMALL ROLL - £1.80

8 ORGANIC SALMON CALIFORNIA MAKI - £3.50

8 TUNA MAYO ROLL - £1.80

8 SQUID TERIYAKI ROLL £2.20

And it's great quality

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MISATO 11 Wardour Street, London, W1D 6PG

2008-11-23T11:34:00.001-08:00

If like me and Rajesh you fucking love your sushi but feel you don't quite get enough when you want to pig out unless you spend all your pocket money. Then Misato is the place to go. It's cheep and always hits the spot. When me and the big R were last in I had the sushi bento and he had the katsu curry, we didn't talk much just got down to some silent eating.

The staff aren't always friendly but that doesn't matter as its a quick eat and isn't the kind of place you'd have your 30th birthday. There's almost always a que but its worth the wait.

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GUEST CONTRIBUTOR- AN APPETISER THAT ML MADE 10/10

2008-11-23T10:38:00.001-08:00

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Papa DelS 347 Archway Rd London N6 5AA

2008-11-23T08:19:00.001-08:00

Papa Dels has been around for about 10 years and with just two big old lord of the rings type tables to dine at its quite a nice setting to munch pizza in. From 9pm-11pm its only £3 for any pizza with 2 toppings. They also make their own cookies which is great if you want to get a bit fatter I have and I feel fantastic for it. So if your in the N6 area give it a munch.

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LOCH FYNE SEAFOOD BAR AND GRILL Covent Garden 2-4 Catherine Street London WC2B 5JS http://www.lochfyne.com/

2008-11-22T14:06:00.001-08:00

There are 49 Loch Fyne restaurants in the UK and more are being built, probably out of bricks glass and some kind of wood.My recent trip to the one in Covent Garden was extremely pleasant and as you can imagine quit fishy. I turned to the lovely waitress and my order went something like this...to start 18 oysters which got me all reved up and very giggly, then a grilled whole sea bass with new potatoes and rosemary and herb butter, and to finish a very cheesy cheese board. It was excellent, the sea bass cooked nice and crispy just like muma used to make, and as for the oysters well they fucking rocked. The cheese wasn't bad i've had better in the past. All in all a great eat and at an affordable price its all good at the Loch Fyne.

CASA DON CARLOS 5 Union Street, The Lanes,East Sussex, Brighton, BN1 1HA

2008-11-22T10:47:00.001-08:00

Casa Don Carlos is a spanish tapas restaurant tucked away in the lanes of Brighton. I would recommend that the hardcore tapas eating freaks book to get a table or it will be tears at dinner time. When I was there the delights that I encountered were meat balls in tomato sauce, paella, sardines, a bottle of red don't you know. And I often when sitting on public transport look back and think those meatballs were something special and I won't them now. Over 40 different tapas (£3-6) are offered and wines range from £10.95-£19.95 a bottle . So the next time your in Brighton go eat tapas.

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Olley's Fish Experience, 65 - 69 Norwood Road, Herne Hill, SE24 9AA

2008-08-05T05:03:00.000-07:00

Considering England is the "Home of Fish & Chips" I have had some of the worst mutations of this dish here on Her Majesty's very own shores.

Having read great reviews of Olley's I decided to check it out. It's located near Brockwell park, which serves as a great spot to eat your battered sea creature and chips on a nice day.

They do a lunch deal from 1PM to 3PM, £6.50 for Fish of your choice, chips and mushy peas. I ordered the Haddock. The Haddock was great, covered in a very nice batter that wasn't feral or out of control with oil and other anomalies. Tasty chips to accompany. I'm generally not a fan of mushy peas, but these had a very gentle home-made taste to them, if a bit bland. A splash of vinegar spruced them up. They are ultimately better than the offensive processed varieties.

Olley's do their fish grilled too if you're not into batter, however why is it that you can't find any breaded fish in most Fish & Chip joints in this country?

A good cheap eat at £6.50.

Olley's Website

Quick & Easy Recipe: Muttabal aka Baba Ganoush

2008-08-05T03:52:00.001-07:00

Having spent a large part of my life in the Middle East I occasionally get flashes of flavours that I can't shake off, one of these being Muttabal which is a smoked aubergine dip. It's really simple to make, cheap and tasty! It's one of those simple dishes that always surprises you and your guests with it's distinct bold flavour.

Muttabal

Ingredients:

3 Cloves of Garlic
1/2 Cup of Tahina (A sesame paste available in all Arabic Supermarkets)
1 T/S Salt
1 Large Aubergine
Lemon
Parsely to Garnish
Paprika powder to Garnish

Directions:

The best way to smoke the Aubergine is to literally roast it on the hob, this sounds dangerous but works great. Turn the flame up up high, slap the Aubergine down onto it and roast, turning occasionally till you can feel it has softened inside and the skin is burnt.

Put aubergine aside to cool, and peel off and discard skin. At this point, chop it up into four or five pieces and put into a large mixing bowl.

Chop garlic cloves till fine and throw them onto the aubergine. Add the teaspoon of salt, lemon juice and 1/2 cup of the tahina. Mix thoroughly and set aside to cool.

Spread the Muttabal on a plate and garnish with small sprinklings of Paprika Powder, a bit of Parsley and Olive oil if you like.

Serve with warm Pitta bread and enjoy the garlicky smokey goodness!

Dear Melvin,

2008-07-29T06:37:00.001-07:00

Why am I eating alone?

Your brother in gluttony,

Rajesh

The World's Worst Hotdog, 37 Berwick Street London W1F 8RS

2008-03-26T13:49:00.001-07:00

We all know it's a pretty hard task to find a decent hotdog in
London. So today while walking around Soho I came across this little
joint proclaiming to be the 'Gourmet Hotdog Company'. I should've
known from the inclusion of the word 'gourmet' that this would be a
disappointment.

So how was it? Awful!! The worst hotdog I have ever
had in my entire life! Stale bun, stale frank that was tough and felt
like an eraser. Avoid at all costs, and damn is it
costly! £4.25 for a 'Chicago Dog', which was NOT a Chicago style
hotdog at all! The sheer audacity of these people to charge money for
this rubbish! You have been warned!

Rajesh

Curse of the Francesinha

2008-02-20T12:34:00.000-08:00

Melvin seems to have had a change of heart today...

He has been unhealthily lusting after another Francesinha. I think he should eat a salad and call it a day.

(According to wikipedia there are many variations on this cholesterol love-fest. Even one that is cooked in a wood-fired oven, have a look)

-Rajesh

Encyclopedia of Chili Sauce, No. 2: Chinese Hot Chili Oil

2008-02-20T10:21:00.001-08:00

Nice heat and flavour that goes well with Won Ton noodle Soup.

Wong Kei 41-43 Wardour Street, London, W1D 6PY

2008-02-20T09:48:00.000-08:00

On a cold day in the west end when you're on your own and looking for a quick and cheep eat, the Wong Kei is the place to go.

Won Ton noodle Soup takes about 5 mins to arrive with 5 or 6 nicely cooked won tons, a good basic stock, noodles, chinese greens and a free pot of jasmine tea all for £2.80 you can't go wrong.

Encyclopedia of Chili Sauce, No. 1: 'Macarico Hot Sauce'

2008-02-19T10:06:00.000-08:00

While at Cantinho we came across this sauce.

Not as hot as we'd like, but it's nice olivey flavour went well with our Francesinha.

O Cantinho de Portugal, 135-137 Stockwell Road, London, SW9 9TN

2008-02-19T09:08:00.000-08:00

A Portuguese friend brought this very curious sandwich to our attention, the 'Francesinha'. The Francesinha is not for the feint hearted. Beware, this is not the sandwich of your lunch-break.

The Francesinha consists of: A minute steak, ham, portuguese sausage and frankfurter between a fluffy portuguese roll covered in melted cheese. All this is served up to you basking in a rich sauce that has been stewed for four hours and that includes (allegedly): beer, wine, whiskey and port.

The first thing that hits you when it is brought to your table is the overwhelming size (with chips on the side). The smokey saltiness of the four meats combined with the twang of the sauce makes for a very interesting first bite. The cheese fuses nicely with the sauce, the whole experience is very rich. Melvin thought it was good but wasn't crazy about it, he feels there is a lot of potential in this dish and wants to investigate it in it's natural habitat of Porto one day. Rajesh on the other hand liked it very much, however feels he may be slightly intoxicated off the sauce.

Overall a heavy assault on your gut, but a good one nonetheless. We recommend ordering one and sharing between two. A cheap eat at £6.50.