All reader reviews by SC

Snazz Sichuan

I am not sure whether the previous reviewer (Kit) has much idea about Chinese cuisine specifically Sichuan cuisine. I have been to Snazz Sichuan on numerous occasions and whilst some of the dishes are a bit rustic in presentation, I have not had a bad meal.

Twice cooked pork is similar to bacon as it uses the same cut of pork. And you do not have to be Sherlock Holmes to work out that it would be served with chilli sauce as it is a Sichuan restaurant. I am not surprised the waitress mocked him about sending this back for being "like bacon and in a chilli sauce". This is akin to sending sashimi back in a Japanese restaurant for being raw.

As for his friends, why did they select prawns with sweetcorn - not a particularly great choice given the wide selection on offer. I have ordered the dumplings and they taste fine and £6 is reasonable as it was quite a healthy portion.

Perhaps the last reviewer would feel more at home eating tired stereotypical Anglo-Chinese fare such as sesame prawn toast, crispy duck and sweet & sour pork leaving more sophisticated regional Chinese cuisine for those who appreciate it.

Thursday, August 07, 2008
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8

Cha Cha Moon

I eat regularly at Busaba and liked Hakkasan the one time I went but Alan Yau's latest venture fails for me. Whilst all dishes remain at £ 3.50, it is not actually that great value for money when the servings are snack sized. I've tried four dishes and my verdict in descending order is as follows:

Jasmine tea smoked chicken - the best of the bunch with juicy tasty chicken served on a bed of noodles with a side bowl of broth. The broth was a tad tasteless (see later) but it's only there to soften the noodles so this is forgiveable. Slight pandering to western taste with boneless chicken but I guess this is only to be expected

Shuijiao Noodle - this dish when done properly is one of my faves. It's supposed to consist of plump firm king prawn dumplings served with springy noodles in a rich broth, Unfortunately, the version served here has dumplings that fall apart with none of the firmness I expect. The broth was flavourness and needed chilli oil to pep it up and inexplicably there were raw beansprouts at the bottom of the bowl. Also there were only 4 dumplings and they were a bit on the small size. Mind you it was not offensive like the XO Vermicelli.

Spring onion pancake - bit soggy in the middle not resembling the spring onion pancakes I've had in China. Definitely not worth £ 3.50.

XO Vermicelli - 3 miniscule prawns in a gloopy sauce in which there was a small amount of XO sauce with bits of pork scratchings scattered over vermicelli. I might have given the food a slightly higher mark but for this truly hideous dish of gloop.

I know I've gone on a bit but when somewhere is so hyped people need to know the truth. I'm also not a big fan of the canteen atmosphere and service is a bit scatter brained with staff having to double check the order as they can't pronounce the name of the dishes.

I may give Cha Cha Moon one more try as I do honestly want it to do well. But this venture is a missed opportunity to showcase the various noodle dishes of China and Chinese communities from HK, Singapore, Taiwan and Malaysia.

Friday, July 25, 2008
Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 7

Las Iguanas (Royal Festival Hall)

It's not going to win awards for authenticity but as it goes, the food served up is of an average standard.

But at the end of the day, you come here for the atmosphere and the vibe over a few cocktails.

Thursday, July 24, 2008
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 7

The Harrison Gastro Pub

Lunchtime menu was good value and the food was certainly well put together. The fat chips are particularly good. Good options with sandwiches and meals on offer.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9

Broadway Place Fish Bar

I usually order take away here but met up for lunch with a mate and we were both happy with our cod and chips !

London chippies are not usually that great but I reckon Broadway Place could hold its own if it relocated to the North !

Saturday, July 05, 2008
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8

Hungs (formerly Crispy Duck)

Despite the change in name, the menu, staff and surroundings are unchanged. Granted its not somewhere you'd go on a date but if you're looking for good cantonese BBQ at bargain prices, you can't go too far wrong.

Service is also pretty decent. I was particularly impressed that they pointed out separate bills were issued for eating-in and the take-out BBQ I'd ordered i.e. I wasn't being charged 10% service on the take-out.

Saturday, July 05, 2008
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 10

Masala Zone

I had the Chicken Mangalore Thali which had some daal and an aubergine side dish - all very tasty ! As it was the 2-course lunch special, the meal was also good value.

However service was a bit amateur hour - as it was 3pm the restaurant wasn't busy but I had to chase up my drinks order and the bill a couple of times. The Soho branch itself is in need of a refurb and is starting to look a bit jaded compared to other casual dining options.

Sunday, June 29, 2008
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 8

Bayee Village Chinese Restaurant

If you're looking for authentic Chinese cuisine then don't come here. However, for a quick feed on a night out you could do a lot worse. The food is well prepared but essentially undemanding Anglo-Chinese fare albeit in a very pleasant setting.

Sunday, June 22, 2008
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 6

Snazz Sichuan

Enjoyable and authentic sichuan cuisine. The drifting fragrant chicken is truly excellent. Other dishes also good. In terms of presentation, it is more earthy than say Bar Shu.

Friday, June 20, 2008
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7

Phoenix Palace

We had very good dim sum for a party of 10.

We particularly enjoyed the suckling pig from the Specials menu and the octopus patty was also excellent. The filling in the chicken gyozas were a bit dry and bland - otherwise I would have gave 10 for the food.

I'm looking forward to trying their evening menu soon.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9