All reader reviews by paddy

Young Cheng

This was my first experience at Young Cheng, and I must say I was very impressed! It's important to set expectations of a restaurant like this - it's all about tasty, authentic, no-frills Chinese food, ideally suited if you're after a quick bite to eat rather than a drawn-out sophisticated meal. It didn't disappoint on any score - the food was good, cheap (2 soups, a noodle main course and a rice main course - both very adequately sized - and chinese tea for 2 set us back a shade over £15) and the service simple and effective! I'd definitely recommend this place and will definitely be back again.

Sunday, September 07, 2008
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 10

Archipelago

Had dinner at Archipelago recently - after checking out the menu online I had really high expectations as it really did look delicious. Unfortunately I was left slightly disappointed. I knew that it would be reasonably expensive, so I was expecting much more for my money that I got. Though the food is very unusual (offering meats such as Zebra, Crocodile, Wilderbeest to name a few) it seems that you pay quite a premium for this novelty - for 2 people, two courses each plus a couple of sides to share and a few canapes, and a bottle of house red set us back around £100 inc the service charge. The food itself was very pleasant, with reasonable portion sizes (the starters were actually fairly large) and uncomplicated presentation, but if you take away the novelty factor, it was nothing overly-special as the price tag might have you hoping. The service was good, the decor very interesting and quirky and this all came together to create a relaxed atmosphere.

Overall, I'm glad to have tried the food at Archipelago, but I probably wouldn't return as I know you can get much, much more for your money elsewhere in London.

Sunday, September 07, 2008
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 2

Sen Nin

We went to Ah-So as a group of 6 for a birthday celebration, and it was fantastic - a perfect choice for an entertaining meal for such an occasion.

Aside from the usual skills demonstrated by any good Teppanyaki chef, our chef was a real performer and interacted with the diners superbly - it was great fun.

The service was very attentive, and the food was very good. Prices were pretty reasonable (I've not been to another Teppanyaki restaurant in London before so I can't make a fair comparison, but I understand that they tend to be quite expensive). Our total bill came to around £35 per person, which included 2 starter platters which we all shared (Sushi and Gyoza, 6 pieces per platter) a set meal with 4 varieties of meat/fish and fried rice, and a fair amount of drinks which probably totalled around £10 per person. The bill also included a 10% service charge which I felt was wholly deserved, so it was well worth the money we paid all-in-all.

In summary, I'd definitely recommend Ah-So, especially if you're looking for entertainment as well as a good meal.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9

Med Kitchen (Kensington Church St)

Decided to eat at Med Kitchen after checking out a number of restaurants around High Street Kensington at short notice on a Saturday night, and decided that the menu looked interesting and also reasonably priced when compared to a number of other restaurants in the area.

We certainly felt we made the right choice for the occasion. The Italian meatballs and the goat cheese salad with rocket and pear were both very tasty starters. For main we had char-grilled chicken with cous cous and harissa, and confit of duck with chorizo and beans, both of which were delicious. The desserts we had (pot au chocolat, and tiramisu) were enjoyable. The food was all well-presented, and the staff were both friendly and attentive. The total bill for the two of us (3-courses each plus a bottle of house red) came to around £60, including the 12.5% discretionary service charge added (which I was not aggrieved to pay).

Med Kitchen is a great place to dine if you're not looking for fancy "special occasion" food, but just interesting, tasty Mediterranean dishes at reasonable prices. Definitely Recommended.

Sunday, February 17, 2008
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 9