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Bodean's BBQ Smoke House in London
- " Need no teef to eat my beef" -
If you fancy an all American BBQ Meat fix... Bodean's is the place to go.
I've been to 2 of their branches, one in Soho and the other in Tower Hill, and both times had a crazy meat-fest which was finger-lickin good!
As we had my cousin visiting from abroad last week, I thought it'd be nice to have him try the All American BBQ at Bodean's and more specifically the pulled pork.
We went to the Soho branch and as we were a group of 6, we were seated downstairs where there were more comfy booths for us to sit.
The Bodean's Menu is pretty extensive with lots of options and combinations to try. Naturally, being a greedy cow and wanting to eat bits of everything, we ordered the Platters to Share.
Beware ... they are HUGE and although they say platters for 2, they are definitely big enough to share between 3 or even 4 if you are also going to have sides and starters... and desserts!
We had 2 X Boss Hog Platter to share between the 6 of us and trust me... it was more than enough!
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| Boss Hog Platter |
The Boss Hog Platter consists of a full selection of their finest meats including Spare ribs, Baby back ribs, a Jacob's Ladder Beef Rib, Burnt Ends, Pulled Pork, Chicken Things and 2 Smoked Sausages all served with Fries and Coleslaw. AND as if this was not enough ... we also ordered succulent Hot Buffalo Chicken Wings and Onion Rings as sides.
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| Hot Buffalo Chicken Wings |
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| Crispy Onion Rings |
Too good to resist! The Buffalo Wings are really really delicious and there's no other way to eat them but with your fingers!! The milkshakes are also nice if you want to go for the Full on American experience! Just ensure you go there hungry so you can actually eat and drink everything they have to offer! :p
If you're planning to be a regular at Bodean's, then sign up to the Bodean's BBQ - Q Card.
This can be done online on their website and then they send you a card via Post.
As a member of Q Card, you can then benefit from great deals such as free desserts or free 1/2 dozen of Buffalo Wings! :p I've signed up and waiting to receive my card ... it's free and there's no harm in having one in my purse 'just in case'! :)
Enjoy!
10 Poland Street
London W1F 8PZ
Tel: 020 7287 7575
Favourite Korean Restaurant - Kimchee
Just by writing about the dishes at KimChee makes me hungry!
This Korean Restaurant is set few minutes walk away from Holborn Station and you will notice it immediately as there will either be a queue of people waiting to be seated at the door ( dinner time), or you will be attracted by its beautiful interior with their signature light shades made from bamboo.
I have been to this restaurant a few times now and the food never disappoints!
With an open kitchen visible as soon as you enter the restaurant, I always enjoy watching the Chefs at work prepping all the delicious food or BBQ-ing the meat, viewing from their lovely reception/ waiting area which has a beautifully put together water feature with pebbles on the floor.
Usually at traditional Korean Restaurants, the BBQ (Bulgogi) is done at your table and this is one of the reasons which discouraged me going for Korean food because you always end up smelling of the food after leaving the restaurant!
At KimChee, the BBQ is done by the Chef in the open kitchen where you can still see the cooking process without taking in the smell all over!
Here are a few dishes tried so far and I would definitely recommend all of them!
First, the Sides ...
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| Crab Tuigim - Soft Shell Crab |
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| Veg Tuigim - Vegetable Tempura is the familiar name ... |
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| Yuk Hwae - Raw Beef served with egg yolk and pear slices at the bottom |
This dish requires an acquired taste to enjoy. I was first put off by the look of it as everything is raw on the dish, but once I tried it (with peer pressure), I loved it and now ... always have it on my order!
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| Gogi Mandu - Chicken Dumplings |
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| Kimchee Pa Jeon |
Pa Jeon is Korean pancakes. Here we tried the Kim Chee one but there is also a seafood version which is also really nice!
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| Calamari Tuigim |
Now the MAINS : Bibimbap is a MUST try!
I hope I am not wrong in saying that it is the most popular dish in all Korean restaurants, as I always see everyone ordering this... so here in 2 versions.
It is basically a rice dish served with vegetables and your selection ( Beef, raw beef or seafood) in a super hot stone bowl. The way to eat this dish is to mix everything while the stone bowl is still super hot so that it cooks everything in the bowl and the flavours of the meat and veg is well incorporated with the rice. If you like it spicy (like I do) you can add a spoon or 2 of the chilli paste provided with this dish and mix mix mix! Then eat ... so yumm!!!
The Raw Beef and the Seafood version below.
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| Raw Beef BiBimBap |
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| Seafood BiBimBap |
So Korean loves their BBQ meat (Bulgogi)!
In the Bulgogi section you can choose from different meat and fish dishes and we chose the Beef and the Pork Belly. Served with Lettuce leaves, the way to eat this dish is to dip the BBQ meat in the sauce provided and then use the lettuce leaf to wrap the meat and take a bite!
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| Pork Belly Bulbogi |
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| Beef Bulgogi |
And now to the DESSERTS ... ( if you still have space! )
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| Green Tea Jelly with Red Beans |
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| Black Sesame and Strawberry Pannacotta |
This dish didn't look exactly like the one on the picture but was still a nice dessert to have!
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| Patbingsu |
For the 'Healthy' option? :) As soon as the Patbingsu arrived, we all had eyes on it!
This dessert looked huge and massive enough for all to share but in reality ... there is a good amount of crushed ice below to keep the fruits cold so ... it's just enough for one ... not for EVERYONE to share! Hehe! Sorry guys!! :p
For Drinks, I usually go for the Hot Plum Tea. Served in the really heavy cast iron tea pot, it can be really really sweet so then I ask for some extra hot water to mix it in. The cocktails and mocktails are also good and they have a good selection of fresh juices to choose from.
Overall, I've always enjoyed the food at Kim Chee and I really like the casual yet elegant atmosphere it offers. The only downside is that there is a NO-BOOKING policy ... so on busy nights, prepare to wait for quite some time!
Service-wise, sadly, it is not as consistent as the food. It depends on who you get serving your area.
Service-wise, sadly, it is not as consistent as the food. It depends on who you get serving your area.
We had occasions where we had great service (good dialogue, recommendations, smile, constant checking if we were ok!) and others when we could see that the waitress felt overwhelmed and could not cope with the 'business' of the place. She failed to bring our drinks, took ages to clean our table once the dishes were finished and did not even offer us the dessert menu ... Depends on your luck!
Let's hope you are lucky when you do go there!
Let's hope you are lucky when you do go there!
Price-wise, it is a little bit on the pricy side as the dishes are quite small and you do need to order quite a few to feel content but I'm guessing it reflects on the quality of the food. It always felt very fresh and tasty. As a guide, prepare to spend about £25-£30 per person if you'd like to go for a selection of everything ... sides, mains and desserts with drinks.
71, High Holborn London
WC1V 6EA
Let's Burger and Lobster !
Who hasn't tried Burger and Lobster yet?
It has been super popular since its very first opening in Soho about 2 years ago and now has a few branches opened around London for everyone to enjoy. The surrounding is trendy and buzzing all the time and is a great place to hang out with friends! But above all, I don't know anywhere else where you can enjoy a Lobster feast for £20! Definitely worth a visit if you haven't done so yet!
The menu is as simple as its name : Burger or Lobster? :)
Then, all you need to choose is the size and which sauce you want it with.
It cannot be simpler than this!
We tried them all! :p
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| Lobster Roll - Chunks of lobster in a brioche roll served with fries and salad |
Lobster Rolls are for the ones who do not want to get their hands too dirty trying to 'scrape' the meat out of the Lobster Shells! Still yummy though and I love that they use brioche instead of standard bread rolls as the brioche adds a special sweetness and crunchiness when it's toasted!
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| Burger and chips |
So when given the choice of Lobster or Burger for the same price, surprisingly some people do opt for the burger ... Seafood allergy maybe?? (-_-)
Ah well... Nothing special about the burger but it is a Good burger so it you are a burger person, you will not be let down.
And the Best for Last ....
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| The Star Dish - The Lobster |
And there it is. We opted for a platter to share between ourselves so we ended up with a huge lobster with unlimited fries and salad.
When dining with a big group (at least 4ppl), this is what I will recommend as the unlimited fries and salad is a nice bonus to share!
For drinks, the complimentary water came in handy :) and they also have a good collection of cocktails and for me, mocktails to offer! They can prepare any cocktails you want even though their menu is on the simple side.
So if you're looking for a special place to go for Valentine's Day and Burger and Lobster is still on your list of places to try out ... I say go for it! :) You will not be disappointed! Just Dig in! :D
Cheers!!
Mayfair - Soho - City - Farringdon - Knightsbridge
We enjoyed the one in City and Soho. Both lovely locations although the Soho one can get really really busy in the evenings, so my preferred location is the branch in City near St Paul's.
Enjoy!!
Lunch at Antico Restaurant & Bar
Bermondsey Street. Located just a few minutes from London Bridge Station and The Shard.
Not usually our hangout area but that weekend, we fancied trying something local and as we were walking up towards Bermondsey Square, we ended up in Antico Restaurant & Bar.
As we walked into the restaurant, we were warmly welcomed by the hostess who seated us in the very bright dining room with very rustic decor and very large windows. I loved it! The room also had a few pots of lavender by the windows which looked surprisingly real! (they were plastic!) hehe.
Nevertheless, it made the room pretty!
As we were handed the menu, they had a great Set Menu Lunch which was perfect for us to try out a few of their specialities. We learn that the Chefs used to work at Theo Randall, an amazing Italian place on Park Lane, and that their passion was for traditional Italian flavours (more specifically from Tuscany) which they automatically transfer on their dishes.
As a starter, we decided to share the Antipasti Board. The trio of colours on the board were all really yummy. The Focaccia bread was really soft and tasty, the selection of meat were of good quality as well and I really enjoyed the Olives! I wish they gave more focaccia bread!! :)
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| Antipasti Board - Selection of Cured Meats, Olives and Focaccia |
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| Beautifully presented Tortelloni with sage butter and parmesan |
Both dishes were absolutely fantastic!
The Tortelloni had an amazing flavour and the pasta was just perfect. Not too thick, not too thin. Perfectly cooked with just the right texture to go with the slow roast pork shoulder filling and the sage flavoured melted butter ... it was almost heavenly! :p
Just needed some freshly ground pepper on top to add that last bit of Ooumpfhh!!  |
| Pan - Roasted Hake with capers |
My fish was also very good. A crispy layer on top but still very soft on the inside, covered with capers and much more than a drizzle of lemon butter! I am not to complain as I love butter!
Wasn't too sure what the Cavolo Nero was but at that time I thought it was just the Italian name for Kale but when I 'googled' it later, it was from the Kale family but just a different type which is popular in Tuscany. I do love my veg so enjoyed that too!
As we finished our mains, we were very hesitant to go for dessert but as we were enjoying such a comfortable setting, we said 'why not!' ...
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| Pot of Chocolate mousse with a sprinkle of seasalt |
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| Traditional Lemon Tart with Mascarpone |
While the Chocolate pot was a bit too much, the Lemon Tart however was very 'lemony' and tasted really nice! Felt like a homemade dessert which had lots of flavour and just the right amount of sugar!
What a Great Treat this was!
My. Hubby and I left very satisfied and happy and definitely will be going back.
(Please note that this restaurant can get very busy in the evenings so best to book in advance! We tried going there few evenings after work but always always buzzing and difficult to get a table. So it is more advisable to go for a Weekend lunch! )
214 Bermondsey Street
SE1 3TQ
Tel: 0207 407 4682
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