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Coriander as a herb is quite similar to marmite. People either love it or hate it and some even say that it is based on genetics too. So, I have to my thank parents yet again for making sure that I love coriander.
Why the preamble about coriander? Well, the latest restaurant I was invited to visit was called Coriander. I was grateful that Humayun Hussain, food consultant and future restaurant owner, got in touch about a trip here. After a few emails back and forth and date changes, Laura and I scheduled a visit in for a Wednesday night curry session. 
Fish Tikka and Spicy Veg Parcels
Coriander based in Hatch End, north west London is a popular venue for locals and many, many more. Just recently, Coriander and its owner Salim, won restaurant of the year award at the UKBCCI awards - a UK Bangladeshi awards show. Some words below about Coriander, by Coriander:
"The founders of the Coriander bring over five decades of experience and passion in offering traditional menu classics, together with a subtle, contemporary twist. Just as the Coriander name is inspired by the subtle embellishment the coriander leaf lends to classic cuisine, so too. Fine dining at the Coriander brings a connoisseur’s experience to all who visit." 
Lamb Chops
We had open minds this evening and with such prestige and high praise awarded to Coriander we decided to let Salim choose what we would have. We only had one requirement, no shellfish, as Laura is now pregnant.
Salim, ordered for us Fish Tikka, Chicken tikka, Lamb chops and Shingara (spicy veg in pastry parcels). It sounded like a lot for starters but I couldn't say no as they all sounded amazing. I was initially unsure about the fish tikka, as previous trials of fish dishes weren't that great. They usually are a bit bland and they have tended to be a bit watery too. This one thankfully was different. The fish was cooked like a tandoori chicken, which meant it was both smokey and had a good char. What was great too, was that the fish was still very tender and by no means watery. Nice, crisp and tasty fish and out of all four starters was the dish that Laura and I finished off. The plate was nice and clean. The rest of the starters were a bit of the same ol', same ol'. They chicken tikka and lamb chops were both tasty, chicken more so as it was juicier. The lamb chops, were a bit tougher but the flavour of spices came through strongly to make this a go to dish, when I go back. The spicy veg enclosed in the parcels were more hot in terms of temperature rather than spiceness. Once it cooled down, it was a good package, but not that great. Probably, the least favourite of the starters for us. A great way to start from Coriander and Salim. A lot of starters for two/three hungry people. 
Aromatic Lamb Shank
Laura and I have been here before. We had too much to start here and therefore could not manage a lot for the mains. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.We only went for two main courses along with a Portion of rice and two garlic naans between us.
Salim recommended we have the lamb shank and the chicken karahi. These are two contrasting dishes for me, the chicken is a dish I get quite frequently and the shank is a dish I love, but don't order much as previous attempts have not been that great. The chicken karahi at Hatch End was cooked in a nice creamy sauce with mint and other herbs with a good range of spices and heat. It was an okay dish, tasty enough but it didn't blow me away. That tribute went to the lamb shank. The lamb was as expected, fall off the bone tender. This was never in doubt and has been the case at other venues too. Where Coriander stepped up was the taste and flavour of the shank and the sauce which drenched the meat. The aromatic spices and use of herbs in this dish made it stand out. The thick tomato sauce was doused in such flavours too and made it part of the dish instead of an overpowering sauce. Great choice Salim; thank you for this early Christmas present. 
The Coriander team stood up and delivered. Well done Hatch End with hosting the winner of the best restaurant of the year. A good friendly service was provided by the team who were very busy at the time too, due to many Christmas parties.
Hatch End with its raft of restaurants and people to feed is definitely home to a good curry house; this is essential to any British high street. Salim and the team are deserving of a great award earlier this year and this will be a restaurant which I will be back to. Thanks for the hospitality and the food Coriander. Have a great 2017.
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Chicken Chicken, the new craze is chicken. Once again, The Life of Shayan team took their time coming to this party. Yet, thankfully, Clutch Chicken in Hoxton has kept the party going and welcomed me with open arms.
This along with Chick 'n' Sours and Chicken Shop were the originators of the London Chicken Scene and now we have Mother Clucker, Ma'Plucker and many, many more. Why not, the Chicken mark up is so good and so many wonderful things can be done to this meat. especially when fried. 
As a FYI
Clutch has been around for a minute and I am glad I had this impromptu visit on a pub crawl. A table was booked and the excitement began to set in, this was enhanced by five cocktails and the chance to be indoors on a rainy day.
What is Clutch? Well, let Clutch tell us: "Tucked away in the backstreets of east London, Clutch Chicken is one of the city’s leading restaurants, and one that truly offers dining with a difference. It’s a place for people to eat, drink, relax and let loose in an atmosphere like no other. We invite our guests to come and enjoy our truly exquisite, guilt-free food, the finest quality drink and, last but by absolutely no means least, life’s ever important R’n’B beats!" And they truly deliver. Long benches which cater for both small groups and large ones. They have a thrice frying process and free range chickens too. What more do you people want? 
Wings
More wings
Chicken in its various guises is delivered to you. They call it Soul Chicken. To me Soul means fun and hearty. Soul means love and family. To Clutch it must also mean, Chicken, Fried, Crunchy and coated in many flavours.
On this eve, pub crawl eve, we ordered between the six of us: Chicken Wings (2 x 6 wings of Sour & Chilli and Buffalo) Chicken Tenders (Fried fillet pieces) Chicken Thighs (LARGE = 2 x thighs, 2 x legs 2 x breasts) Korean Chicken Burger (Special - spicy garlic mayo) Fries & Coleslaw 
Chicken again
How did it go? GREEAAAAATTTTT
In the season of Christmas times and many birds of various sorts to be eaten, the chicken is still legendary. When you have the buttermilk coating in such quality, you know for sure you don't have to travel to the good ol' US of A. The sweet and sour chicken pieces were a favourite amongst the group and these were literally finger licking good. The sauce was nice and sticky and clung onto the coated chicken first and then my lips and tongue. These were a fave of all of us and woudl of been the top dish if not for a special. The special was the burger below. Off Menu Special in fact. The Korean BBQ spicy garlic mayo burger. A mouthful in many ways. 
Burger: Korean BBQ special
The chicken burger was absolutely amazing. The garlic mayo coupled with the Korean BBQ sauce packed a punch, right in the B&@LS!
Filling food, relaxed vibe ( proper seating would have been better, instead do benches) and good times. Clutch does fried chicken thricely and nicely. With good music banging throughout, this is a venue for a good evening with friends and a destination initself. Thank you Clutch, a good way to enhance a pub crawl and more importantly, your SOUL. We keep on going. N was fun, M was a glorious achievement and L was lovely. What will P bring. The options are below; so have a look at Vote please. 
We all like good food and foodies will try most things in the quest for good food.
As an Iranian meat eater, and someone who medically needs red meat in their diet, Hearing about Vegans and Vegetarians does make me slightly uneasy. However, in the last few years, I have definitely learnt to appreciate vegetarian food. 
A Plate of good food
So how does Ethos work? Two words, weight plate. Think ottolenghi style food; vegetarian salads, with broccoli, butternut squash and kale and then add more veg main dishes too.
On offer this evening was a full array of dishes. On my plate abve I had a beetroot salad, some dauphanoise potatoes, gnocchi (more potatoes), flat bread, Guacamole, broccoli, humous and a veggy scotch egg. A mismatch of food, a pick 'n'mix of flavours and an assortment of textures and flavours. Exactly what the doctor ordered. This plate above price was at £10.50 as they measure the weight. Not bad for such a variety of food. 
Desert too
Basically there is no reason to feel sorry for Vegetarians. After a visit at Ethos and a chance to see what is on offer, I can easily why so many people like Ethos and visit here.
A nice location in London in Fitzrovia, Ethos I good for a date, a quick meal after work and a healthy meal too. With everything on offer, you can choose your own selection of starters and mains and then tuck into the desert later too. Thank you to JPR Media Group and Ethos for the invite. My brother and I really enjoyed it and look forward to going back. Maybe when the new year diet needs to kick in. 
A nice and busy venue; even on a Tuesday
I had always thought curries were in east or west London only. But in the last month alone, London Bridge and South London is standing up and representing too. Est.India and now Mango Indian are part of my curry club adventure which is taking me across London and even Kent.
Mango Indian, off Southwark Road have crafted bespoke menu options by fusing traditional dishes and modern concepts to deliver food that is full of natural flavour. They have been open for many years and are very popular with the locals. The aim now, is to spread the word and get pople from far and wide down to this nice restaurant. 
Popadoms and Chutneys
Kebab Platter for 2
Classic starters and then some. I let Laura decide what she would like as she is the boss and it was our 12 year anniversary too. I went for the kebab platter as a sharing dish and Laura chose the Paneer. We obviously shared the starters together, but I luckily ate more than her.
The kebab platter, came with sheekh kebab, lamb chops and two types of chicken; haryali and tikka. The chicken pieces were both moist and tender and the haryali (crushed garlic and ginger marinade) had a good spicy kick to it, which I could just about handle. The sheekh kebab went perfectly with the garlic naan, which was the perfect vehicle to transport the meat, onions and mint chutney to my mouth. The platter was ideal for two hungry people and is a must when you are here. I wish we could have had other dishes such as the prawns and squid, but we just couldn't eat much more. Next time. 
Paneer
The paneer was a modern take on a classic and Mango Indian did this well too. A light texture, soft with some firmness, this was a delicate dish. Three big pieces to share and once again, I had more than Laura. She really does love me.
The salad on the plate isn't really needed, but I guess it is there more for decoration and to look healthier too. 
Main Courses
The starters were the usual but with a different take on Indian food. This continued with the main courses and provide another reason for traveling here for food. Variety is key and sampling different dishes and versions of dishes are important for all foodies.
As we were not too hungry, Laura and I only ordered two dishes. This was the Kadai Murgj and a creamy aubergine curry. The Kadai Murgj was Chicken breast cubes tossed with red and green peppers with caramelised onions and green chilli. This dish was a new curry for me and I am glad I tried it. It definitely felt like a fusion type of dish with warm mediatterean type flavours coming through. The aubergine curry too was different then the usual Dahl (Aubergine). These baby aubergines were not completely mushed up and this texture and creamy sauce made it a very filling dish. These two dishes coupled with the huge starters meant that we did not need any rice with our mains. Instead we orders some more buttery garlic naan and used these to mop up our courses and soak up all the flavours. Thank you Mango. 
Chicken Curry
Mango Indian and Est.India are two great places for Indian cuisine in the area. I would have to say that I preferred Est.India but Mango is a good find.
Here the food has the more modern and western take on the dishes, whereas Est.India has the local down to earth feel about it. No need to compare as they are two good restaurants to visit. The staff and team were on hand at all times to help and their recommendations were greatly appreciated. London Bridge and Southwark is becoming a new foodie destination, especially with Flat Iron Square bringing delights to foodies locally. Well done and please do venture here for good times. Be Merry all, it's Currrryyyy time! |
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