London is a vast jungle of restaurants, bars, cafes, food markets, food stalls and supper clubs. Navigating this gastronomic labyrinth is either by chance or experience. Luckily there are those on hand, like me, who have sacrificed my waist, health and money to guide you.
I’ve compiled a list of my top ten comfort dishes in London. I've eaten them time and time again but they don't necessarily belong to my top ten restaurants. These dishes are menu residents that stay despite the seasonal availability of ingredients, they're dishes that call you back when you need a hug or a reliable friend, they manipulate you into never trying new things on the menu because they're just too good. So here it is, in no particular order:
Lahore Karahi, Tooting - Butter Chicken
Lahore’s grilled meat and curries are as good as any in Tooting, a hub of Indian, Sri Lankan and Pakistani restaurants. Their star dish and the sole reason I return (except for the cheap dishes and BYOB) is their butter chicken (main photo above), which I once described as crack cocaine (FYI I’ve never had crack cocaine but I can only imagine) because it’s addictive, not great for your health and makes you surprisingly aggressive if someone does try and take it from you. A piece of advice: don’t share it.
Oriental Dragon, Fitzrovia – Aubergine in Brown Sauce
I first went to Oriental Dragon after reading a review by Jay Rayner. My first visit was some years ago and I’ve been going back at an average of once a month, in fact the staff know me and welcome me back like a child returning back to the family home. A few dishes on the menu are described as being a vegetable/meat/fish in an ambiguous and unappetising sounding ‘brown sauce’. This ‘brown sauce’ is not the one by HP beloved by Northerners and smothered over breakfast but is an umami enriched sticky garlicky wonder; coupled with soft chunks of aubergines fried in a crisp and light batter. This dish is a staple order in every one of my Oriental Dragon trips, so much so that the staff has tried to encourage me to order something different, with no success.
Iberico, various locations (Fitzrovia branch)- Arroz con Leche
The Iberico restaurants on a whole are quite average. They’re well decorated establishments with a menu of Spanish classics such as paella, cured meats and tortilla and a handful of dishes which are Spanish inspired such as their ‘Iberico Pork Burgers’. It’s all very nice but perhaps a little forgettable with the huge exception of their dessert, Arroz con Leche, a subtly cinnamon spiced rice pudding with a brûléed topping. The consistency is runny without being soupy and the rice has been cooked just enough so there is still a perfect bite. Skip the mains and just go straight to dessert.
Silk Road, Camberwell - Xinjiang Lamb Shish
Silk Road is a perfect example of Britons firmly embracing authentic regional Chinese cooking. Food from Xinjang is distinctive with its use of ingredients and dishes such as mutton, tomatoes, potatoes and kebabs which is not common to the mainstream Chinese cuisine that most people are familiar with. The food is a reflection of the Uyghur, Kazakh, Han and Kyrgz population present in this Northwest region of China. Everything I have tried so far at Silk Road is delicious but the unmissable dish here is the Lamb Shish; cumin spiced, chilli lamb grilled over charcoal. Lamb fat, crisped up over the grill, is intermittently skewered between fresh lamb pieces basting and flavouring the meat. The most ridiculous thing? Each skewer only costs £1 (yes £1!!!) with a minimum order of 4 skewers. It is utterly and ridiculously fantastic value. Too cheap and too delicious to miss.
Il Bordello, Wapping- Coda di Rospo
I love this place. The food is served in generous portions and brought to you by charming old Italian waiters; it’s like a scene from an Italian Mafia movie. The menu is vast, something that has always put me off a restaurant but their food is always fresh and well cooked. Navigating the long menu and the specials menu can be a challenge but look no further than the coda di rospa, in other words a creamy tomato monkfish stew on rice (served along with an unnecessary portion of roasted vegetables and potatoes). The portion is pretty much good for two people or maybe one person with a considerably stretched stomach. The monkfish is always cooked to perfection, swimming in a light creamy sauce flavoured with rich tomato and plenty of garlic. Little tip: come hungry with an elasticated waistband and don’t eat the side portion of roasted vegetables and potatoes.
Mac and Wild, Fitzrovia- Venimoo Burger
A burger might not be the first choice at this venison specialist but the burger is just too good to ignore. Comprised of a venison patty, a beef patty, cheese and not much else the quality of the burger shines through the superior quality of the meat. It looks like a heavy slog to get through it but the burger is surprisingly light and just rich enough. Every morsel is bursting with flavour and delicious venibovine juices. Meat is king here at Mac and Wild and this is key to one of the most delicious burgers in London.
Barrafina, Covent Garden (Adelaide Street)- Iberian Pork Ribs
I’ve already talked about Barrafina in my review and you would of read about my love of their Iberian pork ribs. It’s no surprise then that it’s on my top ten dishes in London. If you’ve read my review you’ll know that I think the only way to describe this dish is sexy. Smoky, sweet and wonderfully slow cooked the meat falls delicately off the bone. It’s just a beautiful, beautiful thing.
Pure Indian Cooking, Putney – Prawn Masala
I discovered this restaurant recently and despite living not too far away for five years I had never heard of it. Craziness, I don’t know how I didn’t have this in my life for five years. There is no gimmick here, just brilliant cooking using top quality ingredients. The chef here has worked at Quilon and it’s obvious from the menu combining traditional Indian flavours with quality British ingredients and occasional touches of French flair. Their prawn masala is the dish that caught my attention; a delicately spiced and simple curry with jumbo prawns the size of a small baby (ok, slight exaggeration). It’s not the fanciest dish on the menu nor is it the most complex or unique but there is just something about it, I can’t help but gravitate towards it every time. That’s love for you though.
Tomoe, Putney- Sashimi and Sushi (all of it)
Tomoe is nestled away in quaint and charming Putney. It's a not very modern looking, traditional decorated Japanese restaurant and therefore a favourite at Putney for those looking for authentic Japanese food without annoying hipsters and city workers. Having eaten all over London at various sushi restaurants Tomoe is by far one of the most superior in it’s quality, craftsmanship and value. The owner stands quietly behind the sushi bar who is on full display, his job is only to skilfully prepare and plate the seafood for the sushi and sashimi; this is his craft. Hot food is cooked by separate chefs; every dish that has left the hot kitchen has never disappointed. But back to the sushi- the quality of the seafood is impeccable, it’s superbly fresh and consistently cut with expert precision. Seafood here is not outrageously expensive unlike some very trendy Japanese inspired restaurants, but nor is it cheap and it shouldn’t be because lets face it, if you can find a portion of salmon sashimi for less than £5 or tuna nigiri for less than £2, be suspicious. Tip: sit at the counter where you can watch the sushi chef prepare your food.
Stick and Bowl, Kensington- Stick and Bowl Rice
Okay, so you’re probably wondering WTF? But I just can’t leave this out (well first of all it’s my list) because the best dishes don’t necessarily need to be the best,sometimes it’s about happy memories and reliability and Stick and Bowl rice has all of those things. I first went to this cheap Chinese with my mum and sister when I was about ten (maybe even younger) every time we visited the Philippine embassy in Kensington. It was always a chore to go and sort out our visa but knowing we would get a Stick and Bowl meal after always made the trip worth it. A couple of decades later this place hasn’t changed; the menu is no different, the food tastes the same and mysteriously the staff have not aged one bit. You can give the rest of the restaurant menu a miss really but it's the house dish, Stick and Bowl rice that I have always ordered and always enjoyed. A slightly thick saucy concoction of mixed meat (don't expect it to be organic or free range), seafood and vegetables is heaped onto a generous helping of rice. Simple, undeniably delicious, cheap and filled with the best memories of my mum. What’s not to love?
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