Old Saigon - Vietnamese Dinner in Putney

For a change, that weekend, a friend managed to convince us to travel to Putney 

( South Central London)  to try this Vietnamese Restaurant 

where he has been having lunch almost everyday! 

We rarely travel so far for a meal, but because he did not stop praising the food at Old Saigon, 

we had to go see what the fuss was all about! 

And we are glad that it did not disappoint! 

We had a selection of starters as our meal to be able to taste maximum dishes and it was the best idea.

Recommending : 

vietnamese crispy pancake - chicken & bean sprouts

fresh summer rolls with prawns

Spring Rolls

Soft Shell Crab with Salt, Chilli and Garlic 

Chargrilled quail with honey and garlic 

We were not all willing to try the Frogs Legs but as I have never tried it, we gave it a go ...

It was nice ... but I wouldn't be craving for that ... ever ... :p

Fried Frog legs with butter, chilli and garlic 

Our last dish was the beef medallions which was superb. 

Well seasoned and full of flavour, it was simply delicious!

Stir fried beef medallions on salad 

No doubt that if this restaurant was not so far, we would be visiting very often but sadly ... 

it is quite the trip away for all of us. Lucky for you people who live in Putney!

The Restaurant also offers home delivery in Putney which I think is great! 

It was a lovely experience, very affordable and cheerful! We HEART Old Saigon! 

OLD SAIGON 

4 Chelverton Road

Putney, London

SW15 1RH

l'Atelier de Joel Robuchon

To celebrate my other half's birthday this year, I took him for a cosy lunch 

at l'Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Covent Garden.

I have always heard good reviews about this gem in London with 

2 Michelin Stars and finally I'm going to experience it myself.

Feedback:  AMAZING!

As we arrived at the restaurant, it was clear that it was a different world. 

Our welcome was warm and polite and we were quickly seated to our lovely table 

where we could see where the perfectionist chefs were at work. 

I loved it! So much care and attention to every single dish. 

Let the images speak for themselves as it will be hard to make justice to the wonderful meal we had!

Amuse-bouche : Layered shot of Fois Gras, Prunes coulis and Parmesan Foam

A complimentary amuse-bouche to start the experience. 

Sea bass Carpaccio served with Tobiko Eggs and Espelette chilli

Soft boiled egg with Japanese Aubergine mousseline flavoured with cumin

Our starters were very delicately prepared and the flavours were just so perfect. 

I had the Carpaccio of Seabass which was already yummy, but when I tried the other starter...

 Oh My! The oozing egg yolk mixing with the aubergine mousse was simply Fabulosio!! 

Now to the mains... 

Lamb saddle stuffed with fresh herbs, confit potatoes with lemon and garnished with a croustillant

Braised beef chuck in Red wine served with Canelloni of Carrots with aged Comte cheese

Side of Mixed coloured cauliflower with a light vinaigrette

Apologies for the blurry picture of the Braised Beef main! (-.-)  

But hey, pictures can't say it all ...  Everything tasted heaven!

Some may say the portions are small but I thought ( and even hubby agrees ) that 

the amounts were just enough to enjoy and feel satisfied...  

and most importantly, leaving room for dessert! 

For our desserts, we were moved to the Roof Top Lounge area

which also had a little open terrace where we could get some fresh air if needed. 

We chose to sit by the fire place to keep warm and then came our desserts ... 

Yuzu Tart with passion fruit and lime jelly and Banana Toffee sorbet

La Religieuse: Choux pastry filled with toffee ice cream, a 'croustillant' touch with vanilla ice-cream

What a treat! Absolutely fabulous gourmet food and a very well-fed happy couple! 

A very thoughtful touch for the Birthday Boi! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY WONDERFUL HUSBAND! 

l'Atelier de Joel Robuchon

13-15 West Street, London WC2H 9NE

Wahaca - Mexican like I never had before!

After "movie night" with the girls last week, we ended the evening in WAHACA Soho.

What is Wahaca? - Well apparently, Wahaca is a phonetic spelling of Oaxaca, a place in Mexico. 

And in the markets of Mexico, it's all about delicious, authentic Mexican food made 

from fresh ingredients, eaten at any time of the day without any fuss and we loved it!

The place was busy when we arrived and we were directed to the bar to have some drinks 

while waiting for our table to be ready. The bar was located in the basement and it was actually 

more like a game room with a modern decor, with two foosball tables and a bamboo 

hanging/ swing chair which were pretty cool. 

{ Note to self: gotta bring the boys here for a game! :) }

Sooner than we thought, our table was ready and we were excited to start ordering! 

The menu was printed on the paper place mats and was very easy to choose from.

WAHACA - SOHO 

We started with some Tortilla Chips with Guacamole which also came with two salsas 

made fresh everyday -  the tomato salsa and the salsa verde. 

{ Be careful the salsa verde is pretty hot!!} 

 It was not outstandingly special but who doesn't like Tortilla with guacamole ...

Next we had some tacos with strips of beef, tostadas and taquitos. 

The Tacos were served tapas size. Small soft, corn tortillas topped with salsa, 

steak strips and some guacamole, just roll it up and give it a big bite! 

Maybe it was because we were hungry, but it did taste very nice. 

No need to say that the hint of spice did give it a pleasant kick!

For the tostadas, we selected the 'ceviche' option { with prawns }.  

Again a small tortilla but crispy this time, topped with shredded iceberg salad and 

ceviche mixed with a light creamy dressing which was very light. 

Would advise to have one order per person!

Crispy and Light - The Ceviche Tostada 

Finally, the Chicken Taquitos { which means 'little taco' } .  

Made from a small corn tortilla, filled with chicken, rolled and lightly fried, 

the taquitos were served topped with some salad, mixed salsa and cheese on top.

Chicken Taquito : "Tah - Kee- Toh" - 

Wahaca made a very lovely evening meal and I will be coming back for more! 

The bill was very friendly  too which is also a plus. 

Wahaca definitely does not offer the hot Mexican food we all are used to 

but it does offer a nice alternative to Mexican food.

WAHACA - Soho 

8 Wardour Street

London W1F 0TF