Local Heroes: Favorite Neighborhood Eateries

[circeplum]

my very favourite local restaurant is the hunan in pimlico road, staggering distance from my des res in the local bijoux council estate.

specialising in the cuisine of the eponymous region - chilli heat a keynote -  my meals there have never been other than startling, eye-opening and delicious.

the owner, mr peng, is what you might kindly call a control freak.  he'll give you a menu, sure, but you're unlikely to be allowed to order from it.  instead, he'll insist on bringing you dishes (he grudgingly takes into account likes and dislikes) one after the other, often as many as 8, and each one a revelation.  like the little bamboo tub filled with aromatic clear soup and a greyish sludge which turns out to be ground pigeon.   i would never voluntarily order this, but it's sensational.  or the slow-cooked belly of pork whose treatment gives it the sensation of melting, good quality liquorice.  and don't get me started on the camphor and tea-smoked duck ...

anyone else got a neighborhood fave rave?

[Simon Majumdar]

I am a great fan of The Hunan and the much loved Mr Peng.  hell it is even worth me travelling from the epicentre of London's fashionable EC1

I am lucky in that I have a few walkable joints from my place

Eyre Bros

The Viet Ho

Green papaya

St Johns

tend to be the most visited.  

None quite as much "fun" as the Hunan, though

[cabrales]

The Viet Ho

Simon -- What's the Viet Ho like? I assume the menu includes soup noodle dishes with beef balls and thin beef slices. What's the spicing like in the soup?  

[Simon Majumdar]

The Viet Ho gets a mixed crit.

It is always packed and the prices are reasonable.

They do some things very well like Summer Rolls which are always fresh because of their turnover, and also sugar cane prawns.

Some things are not as good as the Green papaya ( Mare St ) which does much better deep fried talapia.

Their Pho's are OK, no more. No spicy enough for my liking.

A meal for two ( depending on how greedy you are ) is c£30-40 inc service.

S

[Tonyfinch]

The Viet Hoa does another soup (not called Pho,I think its called Can Hua,or something) which you can order in two sizes and with fish or chicken or beef (fish is best)

It comes packed with okra, onion cherry tomatoes,chunks of pineapple and is suffused with chili and lemongrass and is the best hangover cure I know in NE london.

Other local favourites are New Tayyab,where I normally eat at least twice a week-try their sizzling grilled foods and thick,unctious dahls-Il Bordello for basic Italian(reliable but not exciting),the |Butler's Wharf Chop house BAR(not the main restaurant) , Pellicci's Caff on Bethnal Green Rd for a fry up and Faulkner's in Dalston for fish and chips.

[mogsob]

Simon, I am eternally grateful for the Hunan recommendation (as are several of my friends).  Hunan is staggering distance from my flat, so you can appreciate just how great a recommendation that was.  Also, Ziani, Le Columbier, Le Poule au Pot, and Zaika Bazaar are in my current rotation.

Of course, this depends on just how far you can stagger.

[Andy Lynes]

The Harvester restaurant at The Black Lion is just a short stagger from Chez Lynes in Patcham, Brighton and one I make only when they have the freshest and most tasty bacon bits on offer on the salad cart (confirmed by telephone in advance). Otherwise, The Elizabethan Tandoori is our most regular haunt (at least once every 5 years, major flooding allowing).

[Winot]

Brixton has increasing numbers of moneyed young people but few decent restaurants (the estimable Helter Skelter in Atlantic Road has been replaced by ... yet another bar).  

"Highlights" include:

Fujiyama - good value noodle bar

Franco's - great pizza in the market but only open lunchtimes

Fish and chips on Brixton Water lane

Greasy spoon in Brockwell Park

Lowlights are:

Neon - overpriced and undergood (great design though)

Brixtonian - has anyone ever survived the noise and eaten there?

It has no good off-licence either.  How can a man survive (without going to Clapham)?

[sorry - meant to post this on "Unlikely restaurant hotbeds" and have copied it there]

[circeplum]

I am lucky in that I have a few walkable joints from my place

Eyre Bros

simon - do you really like eyre bros?  i was really disappointed by my meal there.  My pappardelle were chewy ribbons with overwhelmed by too many overcooked and undertrimmed chicken livers.  Medium-rare lamb fillet had a marvellous smokiness but was a tough, sinewy mouthful;celeriac mash tasted unpleasantly antiseptic, despite lashings of double cream.

plus the fierce lighting made me look about a hundred and three - so totally not a desirable effect.  and all that so-last-century dark wood panelling ...

[Simon Majumdar]

I have eaten at Eyre Bros 6 times.

My first meal was very disappointing and I wrote a dismissive review.  I think I called it "close but no Cigala" which summed it up.

As it was so close, I have been back a few times and it has improved both interms of the food, the wine list and the service.

My last meal there was

Cocido

Mozambique Prawn

both were well prepared and spiced

The service is no much more able and at £100 for two, it is a good mid level place to try

S

[cabrales]

circeplum -- In case you might have missed the thread because of its title, please see "TimeOut Vouchers" in this forum for further discussion on Eyre Brothers and the prawns.  

[circeplum]

next time, it's the prawns.  i guess i just chose badly.

[Miss J]

My fav 'local' (though it's no longer local to me) is The Salusbury in Queens Park, which I reported on in the Lively London Meals thread.

A little closer to home, I keep casting longing looks at the newly (and beautifully) renovated Crown pub on Cricklewood Broadway, and wondering what on earth the ENORMOUS pit they're digging in the lot next door and right round the back is going to be for. I fervently hope it's the beginning of a huge kitchen staffed with marvellous chefs. If I don't get a good Sunday lunch provider within hungover-stumbling-distance SOON, my generally chirpy demeanor could start to slump alarmingly. 

Miss J

Waving the flag for suburban London

[cabrales]

The Viet Ho

Simon & Tony -- I unsuccessfully sought to obtain the address of The Viet Ho through directory assistance. Where is this restaurant located?

[Miss J]

Simon & Tony -- I unsuccessfully sought to obtain the address of The Viet Ho through directory assistance. Where is this restaurant located?

cabreles - it's one of three or four Vietnamese places on Kingsland Road, within walking distance of Old Street tube.

Miss J

[Tonyfinch]

Cabrales

               Viet Hoa-70,Kingsland Rd.Walk up Kingsland Rd from Shoreditch and its on the right hand side.

020 7 729 8293

[Charlene Leonard]

Miss J - Someone else who lives near the Cricklewood Broadway - hooray!! I also used to live in Queen's Park and have frequented the lovely Salusbury on many an occassion.   I have alredy enquired as to when the Crown is going to serve food and apparently it's sometime later on this year, I am so pleased that it as been renovated it looks fab, heard rumours that it might be a hotel they are building next door...?.  BTW -Pedros does a mean fry up

[Miss J]

I have alredy enquired as to when the Crown is going to serve food and apparently it's sometime later on this year, I am so pleased that it as been renovated it looks fab, heard rumours that it might be a hotel they are building next door...?.  BTW -Pedros does a mean fry up

Charlene - I've been doing a little research, and I've found out that the Moran Group (known for a number of hotels, pubs and restaurants in Dublin) is building a 155-room four star hotel next to The Crown. I have to confess I'm a wee bit disappointed - I was hoping for a big kitchen and accompanying garden - but as long as he gives me some decent food I won't complain.

I've tried the toasted bacon sarnies at Pedros, but think I got a bad batch - they were a little gristley. I've been going to the Red Rose up the Broadway, which looks much dodgier but hasn't let me down yet.  

Miss J

Campaigning for better dining options in Cricklewood. Or at least for the closure of the Anchor Fish & Chip Shop...  

[Simon Majumdar]

Wasn't Cricklewood where the Goodies were from?

Goodie Goodie Yum Yum.  

S

[cabrales]

The Viet Ho gets a mixed crit.

It is always packed and the prices are reasonable.

They do some things very well like . . .  sugar cane prawns. . . .

Their Pho's are OK, no more. No spicy enough for my liking.

Simon & Tony -- I had dinner at Viet Ho tonight.  The meal was quick (intentionally so), and reasonably priced. Simon was on point with respect to his mixed assessment.

(1) Chicken "Bun"

Rice vermicelli with spicy soup (Pounds 3.50 for small, 4.50 for large; alternatively available with beef, prawns or tofu)

-- The chicken pieces in this soup were nicely prepared; smooth, not in any way overcooked (including by reason of immersion in the soup) and with a bit of skin in the case of some pieces. I liked the coriander and spring onion in the soup. However, the noodles were average and the soup component of the dish was weak. The soup base was a bit undeveloped, and the only reason that it could be called "spicy" (as indicated on the menu) was the utilization of chilli oil as a film on top of the clear bouillon. Perhaps without the oil, the dish would have been a "pho".

(2) "Chao Tom"

-- Prawns with sugar cane, noodles with rice vermicelli (5.75)

-- This dish was prepared as one would expect it to be, and there were stretches of shrimp along two sugar cane rods.

I had Vietnamese iced coffee, which contained a lot of condensed milk and was quite dense (even with the effects of melting ice). I had wanted to order the banana fritters with ice cream (2.50), but didn't have room.

The place was full, with seating (particularly for groups of less than 4) likely to be along almost "communal" tables without necessarily space between tables. While inexpensively furnished, this restaurant appeared cleaner than most Vietnamese restaurants I have visited. Note there was background music.

Selected, more unusual (for me) menu items included:

-- Tilapia Fish (available stewed; with pancake and a salad containing pineapple ?; fried in fish sauce with mango; fried in tomato sauce with vegetables)  Pounds 5.50-7.70

(I am generally reluctant to order fish at Vietnamese restaurants, though)

-- Drunken fish (unspecified fish prepared in white wine sauce with Asian "cloud ear" mushrooms) 6.70

[rmajumdar]

Just visited Mangal on Upper Street for the umpteenth time and they outdid themselves - yet again.  A couple of starters with great bread and olives were no more than time fillers for the main event: mixed grill for two with a side order of sweetbreads.  We had lamb (adana, chops, rolled breasts and little nuggets), chicken, quail and sweetbreads all cooked perfectly.  Accompaniments , a large salad, more bread, rice and a couple bottles of Yakut (not the greatest wine in the world but it seems to go well with this food).  We finished with a couple of coffees and mint teas, lokum, baklava and Turkish liqueurs - all on the house.  Total cost: sixty quid.

Service was friendly and efficient.  I want to eat here for ever and ever.

[Charlene Leonard]

Wasn't Cricklewood where the Goodies were from?

yes and Alan Coran and Smith's crisps were invented there...erm that's about it.

Campaigning for better dining options in Cricklewood. Or at least for the closure of the Anchor Fish & Chip Shop...  

The Big Bite at Willesden Green is about the best in the area but that's not saying much.  Have you tried Shish!?  It's a bit hit and miss but their aubergine salad is delicious.  Still trying to find a decent Indian in the area...

[Gavin Jones]

There are good vegetarian Indian places more towards Willesden/Kilburn - Gita's (?) & others.

As this is North London my geography goes a bit funny.

I do agree about the Salusbury, and I like the Vale too - though not eaten there for 1 year +.

Have you tried the Colombian place just off Kilburn, Dona Olga?

[Miss J]

Gavin - I've heard about Dona Olgas, but not actually been yet - it's on my list of places to try.

Charlene - I have tried Shish (around 3 days after it opened, so desperate was I for a shiny local style bar), and think they do some things well and other things horrendously. Their falafel are a nice variation on the traditional ones, and I'm quite fond of their chicken-sausage-skewer-brunch thing. I haven't had the aubergine salad, but a cucumber one I tried was an unpleasant mix of astringent & sugary that I've no desire to repeat. And I had an awful caipiriniha there. But then their drinks may have improved, I just haven't been back in a while.

I think the best eatery I've found in that area so far is Sushi-Say on Willesden High Road, which is a shame as it's terribly expensive. Their homemade green tea ice cream is really comforting, and whisks me back to the summer exchange I did to Yokohama when I was a teenager. (Blissful sigh.) It's a great place, but I'm sure they're VERY aware of our lack of choice and are squeeeeeeeeezing us accordingly.  

And finally, Cricklewood is also justly known as the best place in London to catch a little hurling on a Sunday afternoon. When I first moved to my 'hood in the 'wood, I saw a play-off match between Tipperary & Galway on the big screen at The Crown (pre-refurbishment). I distinctly remember that, when the Irish national anthem was played, the ENTIRE pub rose to solemnly their feet.  :wow:

Miss J

[Tonyfinch]

Opposite The Crown on Cricklewood Broadway is Kebap 49.

From the outside this looks like an ordinary take away.Go through to the restaurant and you will be served with a delicious Turkish meal,including wonderful stuffed aubergines and vine leaves,herby salads,Turkish pizzas and Kebabs and fresh breads straight out of the oven.Finish with home made Turkish Delight and coffee and you have the best meal in Cricklewood for a bargain price.