Koya Japanese Udon

I hate "foodies" because every restaurant that I discover soon after they invade and make my return almost impossible.Look at them queuing out side Koya!

I discover "Prince" Italian bakery long before them, see it now, impossible to go!Always full!
Well, going back to Koya...

 My favorite  dish was Kinoko, a delicious mushroons and walnut miso.You can have it in cold or hot broth.

There are three main types of Japanese noodle:
Udon- is thick, soft flour noodle The speciallity at Koya, it is home-made, i heard that a special flour is imported from Japan.
Which comes from the south.
Soba- is a thin, firmer buckwheat noodle, which comes from the north.
Ramen- originally from China but now a Japanese speciality, is a wheat noodle that is always served in a bowl of stock.
Try Kakuni a delicious pork belly braised in English cider, soya, brown sugar and ginger, it's a combination of tart and sweet which works very well in this dish.
There is also available a "daily specials" on a board. I've tried another winner, Monk fish cooked in its liver broth, doesn't sound very appetizing but i promise it's worth it!

http://www.koya.co.uk/
Koya Japanese Noodle House 

49 Frith Street, London W1D 4SG020 7609 7460 ‎

Maroccan spiced couscous and grilled salmon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF7lgqAjClI

Quorn and Vegetables Ratatoille

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaWmMi56hbc

My first video on You tube! What to do with leftovers?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06YegehCfUE

The Flavour Thesaurus by Niki Segnit

Ever wondered why one flavour works with another? The Flavour Thesaurus is the first book to examine what goes with what, pair by pair.
This book is my bible right now! I do recommend if you have a curious nature like mine and have no fear of new ideas, enjoy!

Cafe Spice Namaste

I saw an article at the Evening Standard about Chef Patron Cyrus Todiwala and his restaurant Cafe Spice Namaste’s commitment to the environment and sustainability. The restaurant holds a Green Apple Award for Environmental Best Practice and was Highly Commended in the Sustainable Food Category of the 2009 City of London Sustainable Cities Awards.

Well, let's say from the entrance you see lots and lots of certificates and pictures on the wall, and one can't stop thinking...if you are really good, do you really need to prove it or can you just let people acknowledge it? That entrance put me off a little, I must say, but I was decided to check for myself.

Anyway, I went in and I was greeted by an Asian (Chinese) man which was a surprise! Did I get the wrong address I wondered...

The decor is an “India meets Egypt” kind of thing, very warm and vibrant colours, the menu is innovative and I could see their commitment to staff training.

I had the £15 at 15 Menu celebrating their 15th anniversary.

For starter I had Shammi Kebab, Mughal yellow peas cake served with date and tamarind sauce, which was very spicy (too spicy for my taste) and sadly dry.

For my main I had Goan fish crurry with coconut extract, butternut berry served with organic unpolished red rice. It was creamy and tasty with not very much on the plate. Nevertheless I enjoyed it.

The pièce de résistance was Mr Todiwala’s Rose and Cardamom ice cream - simply the best item of the menu.

Cafe Spice Namaste:  16 Prescot Street, London E1 8AZ

closed on Bank Holidays and Sundays

Trullo, truly delicious!

Good News! You don't need to go to Italy any more to find good hearty Italian food  One example is a restaurant in Islington called Trullo

 In the kitchen is Tim Siadatan, one of the original recruits to Jamie Oliver's Fifteen project, where I work. Front of house is run by Jordan Frieda, who used to be front of house at the River Café and my dear friend Sara who also used to work at Fifteen with me.

The place is different to what I'd expected: quite small and the walls are all white, with net curtains that give the place a cosy feel. I can't stop thinking that the place might have been a very ugly shop before. Now, it's totally transformed with kind of Trattoria-Chic feel.  Around me are a very distinct clientèle that seem to know what they expect from eateries... and Trullo doesn't disappoint!
We started with a generous bruschetta topped with caramelised onions and cheese sauce ( I recommend pairing this with a very chilled glass of Prosecco ) then we moved on to a fresh salad of blood oranges, duck breast and radicchio, my companion Jonathan had a puntarelle (chicory sprouts) and anchovies salad, I preferred mine.
Our main course:
I had a grilled T-bone veal steak with roasted aubergines and green salad, Jonathan had a roast rack of lamb served with beetroot and farro, a kind of Italian barley. They were both delicious!
For dessert we had a Caramel Panacotta followed by a plate of Italian cheeses : Umbriaco (drunken cheese), Taleggio La Baita and Gorgonzola.
All washed down by a bottle of Negroamaro - Puglian red wine. That's satisfaction!


The Trulli are an exemple of building technique that has survived from prehistoric times until to date.
they are individual buildings in Alberobello town, Italy.
Trulli are built using mortar: the stones are laid on top of each other.
They are also characterized by their dome-shaped roofs. The roofs are in some cases painted with magical or pagan symbol. Also it is said that this way of building makes it easier to quickly dissemble the house and relocate, or that in this manner taxes could be evaded.
I've been to Alberobello where you can also find the best mozzarella in Italy named Burata, very soft and creamy.

Trullo Restaurant
300 - 302 St Paul’s Road, London N1 2LH - t: 020 7226 2733 - e: enquiries@trullorestaurant.com