You Doughnut, London

I am fond of indulging in a doughnut (or three) from time to time. 

I'm counting down the days until I can merrily stroll down Brighton seafront and stop off at one of the food stalls dotted around the pier. I'll order a portion of their freshly fried doughnuts and request for them to slather it with melted Nutella. I'll then skip towards the sun whilst it's still piping hot and fend off the seagulls that have set their beady eyes on it.

The problem is, I'm back in London with no plans to return 'home home' for another two weeks. No need to fret though, I've found us a replacement to tide us over in the mean time.

Allow me to present... You Doughnut @ Hawker House.  

 

Always trust a vendor that promises you hot and fresh doughnuts with twinkling fairy lights to match. Warm salted caramel? Cinnamon sugar?? Mini marshmallows?!?! This is the place that dreams are made of - well, where amazing doughnuts are born but that's basically the same thing.

We ordered 10 bites for £6. 

Please Sir, May I have five of your finest cinnamon sugar covered doughnuts with warm salted caramel sauce topped with chopped walnuts...

...and five of your cinnamon sugar covered doughnuts with coffee maple syrup and chopped walnuts please?!

I handed over my coins and watched in awe as he prepared the batter and conjured them up with a flourish. Why don't I have a personal doughnut station in my bedroom?

 Look out for this lovely chap a.k.a the doughnut connoisseur, he very patiently endured my rambles before happily sending me on my way with the decorated fried goods in hand. 

It was a marriage of the sweet and savoury. 

We quickly blew on it as an attempt to cool it down. As you sink your teeth in for your first bite, you're met with an explosion of textures and flavours. 

There's the piping hot dough, the swirl of salted caramel/coffee syrup sauce, the crunch of the nuts before ending it all with a lick of the lips to get the rest of the delicious cinnamon sugar off. Not a lot compares to this, does it? 

You can find You Doughnut on Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date with where they'll be next! I hear they'll be moving to the Southbank from April - you'll know where to find me...

Five Guys, London

Five Guys

Nearest Tube Station: Covent Garden

In honour of Fat Friday (yes, I've classed this as an official day of the week) I thought it was time to set stomachs rumbling with a deliciously filthy burger review. 

Warning: If you haven't had your lunch yet, I hold no responsibility to the inevitable groans that'll escape from your mouth once you see the picture below. 

Ready?

I know.

With over 1000 locations in the US (and new stores opening up throughout the UK), Five Guys is undoubtedly a popular burger chain with a cult following. We visited the one based in Covent Garden and with a growling stomach and a queue that snaked down Long Acre, we were ready to take on the biggest burger that they could offer.

London is long forgotten as soon as you step into the restaurant. Five Guys is decked out in a classic 50s American diner theme with crates of free monkey nuts and quoted posters from popular publications splashed across their walls.

We met up with the manager, Martynas (who's so very lovely and welcoming!) and he proceeded to give us a tour around the restaurant and the history of the brand. Similar to the layout of American fast food chains that you see in the movies, a huge lit up board of the menu is hung up above you like a holy burger-shaped beacon of light.

Just a quick note, Five Guys' serving sizes are very generous. A standard cheeseburger is made up of two beef patties whereas a 'little' burger is made up of one. They're also available bunless too. All the burger toppings are free so if you feel like taking on a Man Vs Food challenge, roam and be wild.

Feeling ravenous, Jordan and I both opted for a cheeseburger with bacon, grilled onions, jalapenos and chilli sauce with a small portion of their normal fries and cajun spiced fries to share. Martynas told us their potatoes are only cooked in 100% peanut oil and the beef are always served well done with no option to customise upon ordering.

This surprised me a little and as a lover of medium rare beef, I asked him why. It's to ensure the final product is consistently juicy and meets with the health and safety requirements of ground beef. All sounds fair but I won't be converted anytime soon... I like me a pink patty.

After ordering, you're given a paper slip with a number on and urged to join the large crowd of hungry diners. Help yourself to free monkey nuts whilst you're waiting!

Food is served in large brown paper bags. This amused me greatly and continued on my act of pretending that I was secretly in America. We were led to a hidden booth under an alcove away from the hustle and bustle of the restaurant and after spreading our food haul across the table, I hopped over to the drinks machine. Unlimited soda? Let's go!



Behold soda lovers, this is the Coca-Cola Freestyle Drinks Machine. Although I stopped drinking coke a year ago, I still had plenty to choose from with the 100+ different flavours available.

Fanta Zero Grape and Fanta Zero Peach, I choose you.



After a few slurps of my drink, it was time to chow down. I unwrapped the silver parcel to reveal my double patty burger. Heck, that's a lot of melted cheese.



I don't like bacon.

I hear the gasps of disgust thrown at me from every direction but it's too salty and oily for my liking. Jordan persuaded me to add it to my burger and proclaimed that it would d be a 'life-changing' experience so I took the chance... and I liked it. Scratch that, I loved it so much that I even overlooked the fact that it was served in a sesame seed topped bun. It wasn't lazily served as a slice of streaky bacon and result in awkward 'let me just chew at this meat mid-bite' faces. It was cut up and served between the patty and bun. It was deliciously smoky and I'm also eating my words as the beef was in fact juicy despite being well cooked through.

The cheese was as artificial as it could get but what's a classic American burger without a slice of the processed plastic, ey? There was one thing about it that made my eyebrows knit themselves together though - it wasn't chilli despite having jalapenos and added hot sauce. I prised one from its nest of grilled onions and nibbled away at it - nope. There wasn't even the smallest of kicks. I wasted no time in reaching for the bottle of chilli sauce and proceeded to drown my burger and fries in an ocean of spice. That's better.



Jordan was obsessed with the cajun spiced fries. They were a little too salty for my liking but I generally prefer my sides to be hardly salted so it was just a personal preference. He gathered them with his hands and shoveled them into his open mouth whilst going 'these are some of the best fries I've ever tasted!' They were seasoned well but having one too many did make me reach for my fizzy drink. A small size would be more than enough for two to share. Ours were served in the plastic cup... with practically another portion overspilling into the paper bags. I repeat, Five Guys are very generous with their serving sizes.



In the future, I'd definitely opt for a little burger with a single patty as I definitely produced the mother of food babies after demolishing this beast. I was ready for a nap.



I asked Jordan what his thoughts were and he replied with this:

I think it's time we nurse our food babies and head home.

This was actually my second time visiting Five Guys - the first being a hot summer's day in which I had little patience to appreciate the food. I didn't care for the burger initially but was very pleasantly surprised the second time round. I don't know whether it was my mood, the fact that I had a double patty than a single one or whether the quality had changed since its opening in July but I enjoyed it a lot better this time. It will never beat the likes of Patty & Bun (my ultimate favourite so far) but it's a good one to grab and go if you're in the area and fancied a splash of an American vibe. It's a grown-up McDonald's and I have no doubts about going again (and also attack their freestyle drinks machine).

Spit & Roast - Street Feast @ Hawker House

I really love fried chicken.

And chilli anything.

I love burgers too.

So what do you get when you combine them all under a sesame topped bun with slaw and a river of Korean hot sauce?

Perfection that is Spit & Roast's Buttermilk Fried Chicken Bap, that's what. 

  

Specialising in rotisserie meat and known for their buttermilk fried chicken, Spit & Roast were another food trader that I was keen to try out at Hawker House (click here for more information about Street Feast and my post on Yum Bun). 

With my appetite now in full swing, we joined the queue and waited excitedly for our turn to get our hands on their baps (couldn't resist). The slow rotisserie pork belly sounded pretty dandy with their Memphis BBQ sauce but my eyes were fixed on the chicken.

It's marinated overnight in buttermilk before it's soaked in a secret pillow of spice and deep-fried until it's at the delicious shade of golden goodness. The Korean hot sauce appears to be a concoction of Sriracha sauce (instant win), peanut butter (double win), rice wine and light soy sauce.

SRIRACHA AND PEANUT BUTTER TOGETHER?!
Just give me a second.

   

This is Jordan after his first bite of the bap. That smug face of his says it all.

Too bad that shortly after this, I snatched the second half to spend some much-needed quality time with it. Note, at this point, I wasn't concerned with being particularly lady-like and devoured the burger in a matter of seconds (stopping occasionally to utter a 'oh my GOODNESS' to a sulking Jordan. He had his turn.)

 

The chicken was beautifully crisp with the perfect amount of spice. It was lightly battered and wasn't soaked in grease. Chicken has a danger of being marinated well on the outside but be extremely dry and bland as soon as you bite into it but there were no dangers of this happening with Spit & Roast's offering. We were wiping away the juices dribbling down our chins and licking away at the tell-tale signs of chilli sauce on our lips.

Speaking of the Korean hot sauce, it was the perfect marriage with the buttermilk chicken. Everything is always made better with spice and this was no exception. My tummy is already rumbling at the thought of this.

I'm never a fan of sesame-topped buns but would happily overlook it when considering the quality and taste of everything else. 10/10. Perfection. Beautiful.

GIVE ME MORE.

We were getting full at this point so couldn't stomach the food from the other vendors but Fundi's Pizzas, Breddos Tacos and Bleecker Burger were rustling up dishes that smelt and looked incredible too. Don't worry, we'll be back for you.

Unfortunately, Spit & Roast aren't currently trading at Hawker House but you can find them at KERB Kings Cross and Brockley Market. Follow them on Twitter to be updated with their latest news and for the love of fried chicken, give their buttermilk baps a try.

Yum Bun, Street Feast @ Hawker House

Street Feast @ Hawker House:

Address: 38-50 Pritchards Road, London, E2 9AP

Nearest Tube: Bethnal Green

Nearest Train: Cambridge Heath

 

Has this gotten your attention?

Good. It's about to get better. 

Forget roses, chocolate covered strawberries and teddy bears for Valentine's this year - the key to the heart (well, to mine at least) is good food and I've got just the ticket if you're scrambling for a last-minute date idea or fancy a foodie weekend.

Behold: Hawker House.

Every Friday and Saturday from 5pm-midnight until 21st/22nd March, London's finest street food magicians are here to feed you with the best grub that they have to offer. Think of an old factory filled with a giant disco ball, twinkling fairylights, mulled wine, hot cider and the greatest (but positively filthy) food stalls you can imagine. Now, I don't know about you but that's my perfect night ever right there.

Forget romantic candlelit dinners, I want my hands on the filthiest burger, fried chicken baps and steamed buns that these people have to offer... and go back for thirds.

 

I know, I couldn't believe something as amazing as this exists either.

Time for a drink to let this magical land sink in:



The view from the bar - isn't she a beauty? We turned up at 6PM (I had been saving my tummy all day for this and couldn't wait any longer. Going earlier means you're one of the first in the queue whereas going later means you can be merry, have a dance and eat your burger too. It's entirely up to you!)



El Diablo: Tequila, creme de cassis, lime, ginger and soda. Summer in a festival-sized cup.



After slurping that down (and predicting my tipsiness in 3...2...1...), I ran towards the first food stall I was keen to check off my list: Yum Bun. I've stalked them on Twitter for the longest time and have waited for the day that I could try their famous steamed buns. They used to have a pop-up shop but have since left. No fear though, they'll be returning in April this year with a bigger shop (with apparently more variety of buns) - look out for me - I'll be the first one in the line. In the meantime, keep up to date with their trading days on their Twitter page.



If you know me, you'll know my love for dim sum and my penchant for steamed buns. Inspired by Asian cuisine, these pockets of heaven didn't escape my eyes (or tum) and I think I scared the staff when I excitedly squealed upon ordering. Patience, young grasshopper.

 We opted for 2 buns to share (as much as I wish that we could've had 2 each, I had to prepare my body for the many other food stalls I had on my list, why don't I have 4 stomachs like a cow?! why?)

The first was the chicken bun:
Japanese fried chicken, tartare mayo, lettuce and chilli dressing.



An Asian twist of a traditional chicken burger. It won't excite your taste buds with extraordinary and mind-blowing flavours but it will offer you the comfort of a well-loved classic (with a winning steamed bun in replacement of the standard sesame topped bun).  

It wasn't greasy in the slightest and the lightly battered chicken had the perfect amount of crispiness. The cloud-shaped buns were fluffy and light yet had no problem with providing enough structure to the over bursting fillings.

The second was the pork bun:
Slow-roasted Blythburgh pork belly, cucumbers, hoi-sin sauce and spring onions. 



If you're a lover of the components that make up duck pancakes and a fan of tender meat, this is a must order and as usual, Jordan and I made some pretty awkward sounds when we first bit into it. It was delicious.

The pork belly was beautifully cooked and melted in your mouth upon contact. The hoisin sauce blended with the texture of the meat perfectly and the drizzle of sriracha sauce just about topped it off. The cucumber slices were refreshing and the steamed bun held their own, held the fillings and wasn't soggy in the slightest but offered a touch of chewiness (which worked well!)

I'm drooling just thinking about it.

Oh, the anticipation. In the tum, you go!

My reaction says it all - love at first bite ;)

I had a hard time eating only a half of it and begrudgingly handed it over to a waiting and open-mouthed Jordan. They're simply too good to share and the good news is, they have a more extensive menu consisting of fish, mushroom, duck and salmon buns all with their respective fillings and fair share of sauces. Two months to go and those babies will be mine.



Out of excitement and pure clumsiness, some of the sauce landed on my lap. I don't care, I would still lick it clean.

To the other buns, I'll be back for you.

In the wise words of Pokemon, I gotta catch them all (and eat it all up).

Look out for the continued Hawker House posts in the next week or so, I'll be reviewing Spit & Roast's chicken burger and You Doughnut (prepare yourselves, they're good'uns and will make your stomach groan with longing)

Grab your other half, your best friends or a randomer off the street this Valentine's Day and head down to Hawker House. You won't be disappointed. Forever alone? Bring your stomach and treat it to a wild night of food and booze.

Who says love is dead?

New Mayflower, Chinatown

New Mayflower

Address: 68-70 Shaftesbury Ave, London

Nearest Tube Station: Leicester Square/Piccadilly Circus

恭禧發財! 

In honour of Chinese New Year, I thought it'd only be fitting to put up my review of a Chinese restaurant I went to a few weeks ago. It's the New Mayflower (五月花) in Chinatown and it came highly recommended by my mother, a strict judge when it comes to authentic Cantonese cuisine but also guilty of drowning her dishes in soy sauce (the bane of my life) so I took it with the slightest pinch of salt...

We all huddled in on a cold Saturday evening and a packed restaurant full of happy diners greeted us. Now, I've always stood by the idea that the authenticity of a cuisine can be judged by the amount of locals seated there. In New Mayflower's case, 80% of guests were Asian - a sight that's very uncommon during the weekends!

This leads me to my next point... don't bother coming here if you're after Westernised Chinese food. You'll be paying double the price and it won't taste any better than your local takeaway. Canton is after all, hailed as the food capital of China and when in Rome (well, Chinatown), don't opt for the usual sweet and sour chicken balls, go ahead and try out the real deal! I promise that it's a LOT better!

We were seated in a small alcove that perfectly fitted in a table for 5. It felt like a little escape from the rest of the restaurant; I sat back and people-watched with my cup of Oolong tea before consulting the menu. Secret tip, ditch the English menu (and the stereotypical set meals) and ask for the Chinese menu instead for the best that they have to offer! Alternatively, ask the waiters to recommend you the best authentic dishes. 

 

  

Look at all of the food spread across the table *insert drool here*. The dishes are normally placed in the middle for everyone to share (with communal cutlery provided). Perfect for people like me who are extremely indecisive with their food and end up having major food envy with no matter what I order ;)

 

First up, salt and pepper chilli beef fillets. No bones, just oh-so-tender meat. It's lightly battered to a dark golden crisp (alway a plus as heavily battered dishes are usually doing breast strokes in the ocean of oil) and served with a smattering of shallots, extra chillis and garlic. Very tasty but it was slightly too salty for my liking (the teapot was my friend). The others didn't complain though. A great alternative to salt and pepper prawns/squid; it offers more flavour and the beef works better texture-wise in comparison to fried seafood.

 

I admit that this doesn't look very appetising but hot damn does it taste good. Qing Ping chicken (wait, imma let you finish but this is one of the best Chinese dishes of all time... OF ALL TIME.) It was my favourite dish growing up and it was extremely hard to get hold of as back in the day, only one restaurant in Chinatown had sold it. My dad would bring a whole chicken back from time to time and my week would be made. Easily pleased and not much has changed since then - good food is the key to my heart. 

It's marinated in a secret magical potion which makes the skin crisp (but not crispy), the meat retains its moisture, isn't dry and has an addictive slightly sour taste to it. The sauce... OH THE SAWCE. It's a white vinegar, garlic and red chilli dip. The combination of this and the chicken is a marriage made in heaven. It will quite literally make your tastebuds sing and angels cry. My explanation of it will never do it justice so promise me that you'll try it! Quick note, Cantonese chicken is normally served cold and unboned so don't be alarmed when it first arrives! 

 

I was slightly taken back when these arrived... 10/10 for looking so homemade, bro. These are mini water chestnut, sweetcorn, pork and squid cakes. What a mouthful, eh? The Chinese name wasn't any shorter ;)

Whilst they looked like they were ready for lashings of clotted cream and jam, they were actually pretty good. Never judge a dish by its scone-like cover. It wasn't greasy in the slightest and the flavour of the ingredients worked well - only made better after I drowned it in the chilli vinegar dip. Can they just send me a bathtub of that marinade please?

The fail of the meal and it was also the only one ordered from the English menu. The misleading Chinese title 'chilli prawn balls with peppers on a hot sizzling plate' made me think of prawn moulded fishcakes... not generic tiger prawns. 90% of the dishes I eat are chilli but I also despise food that's chilli for the sake of being well, chilli. No other flavours accompanied it, it was bitter and the green peppers even lost its natural sweetness with the overwhelming amount of spice used. Sticking to the Chinese menu.

 

Stir-fry ong choi (water spinach) with garlic, chillies and fermented beancurd. This is the part my mother interrupts to say that this is yet another golden dish in Cantonese cuisine and 'everyone from Guangzhou loves it' - it must have some truth behind it because I practically inhaled this and glared at anyone who even attempted to aim their chopsticks towards it. Must order.

Finally, I present to you... supreme soy sauce fried noodles. Guess who wanted this? My mother has a kitchen cupboard dedicated to 1L soy sauce bottles (she currently has 9) so this didn't escape her radar. My sisters and Jordan wanted it too and slurped it up. This wasn't actually swimming in salt and was flavoured well but seemed overwhelming when paired alongside the other flavourful dishes. It's a cheaper option than boiled rice though, don't order it thinking it'd be cheap. They sneakily charge you £3.40 per head for a bowl of rice - you're better off ordering a £6+ noodle dish and sharing it amongst you. 

All in all, the New Mayflower is a great restaurant if you're after authentic Cantonese food. It's served quickly and the staff are lovely (you get free fruit after dinner too, always a winner in my books) Most importantly, it tasted good. It's not mind-blowingly out-of-this-world delicious and there most definitely are places that have better food but for the price, location and the dishes on offer - I'd recommend it! Just let me at the Qing Ping chicken again.