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

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

Masala Zone - Covent Garden

If you fancy modern Indian Cuisine and want to stay away from the traditional Indian
'take-away' type atmosphere (and menu) ... step into Masala Zone (Covent Garden)
and you will be pleasantly welcomed into a colourful and vibrant restaurant where
you can relax and enjoy a different style of Indian Cuisine.

Their menu is well organised and offers a section of 'Street Food' which 

I would highly recommend as they are very tasty!

Tonight my girlfriend Ms. V and I entered the ' Masala Zone' 

for a catching up session and had a lovely time! 

After the waitress kindly explained how the menu worked to us, we  decided to go for 

their dinner set meal (£9.20) of two courses. 

For starters we selected the vegetarian cold dish - Dahi Puri.

It came as a couple on the dish  ^.^ and the waiter quickly advised: 

'do not break the shell', you have to put it all in your mouth to enjoy it as it should be ...

Dahi Puri - Puffed hollow biscuits filled with chickpeas & splashed with yogurt and chutney 

At first it does come to mind that it may be a bit big to take it as a mouthful, but just obey :)

As the crispy biscuit shell exploded inside my mouth, all the flavours just burst 

and it was deliciously tasty! 

The cold yogurt mixed with the texture of the chickpea and the sweet 

taste of the chutney. A delicious combination!

For mains, we both took the Chicken Thali which offered little bowls of different dishes. 

All you need to choose is the Curry type you wanted with the set.

Regular Chicken Thali 

I chose mine with the Chicken Korma and Ms. V with the Malabar Green Chicken Curry. 

As seen on the pic above, the Thali came accompanied with Rice,

 (you can choose to have it with Chapatti instead of rice), two sides of vegetables, lentils, 

a piece of poppadum and chutneys. Lovely! A simple meal but with great variety!

Masala Zone is a great place for an alternative to the usual Indian Place and 

I will definitely be going back!

MASALA ZONE

Covent Garden

48 Floral Street

London WC2E 9DA

Sa-wat-dee Kah : Busaba Eathai

Busaba Eathai, another restaurant chain conceived by Alan Yau, offers modern Thai
cuisine in a very casual atmosphere.

The story of Busaba Eathai : "Busaba is a Thai flower. Eathai is a fusion of the words
eat and thai, it replaces the term restaurant, which is associated with formal/fine dining
establishments. Busaba Eathai is a casual dining venue offering a single course
eating experience devised to feed you with minimum fuss."

I have been to Busaba Eathai several times now and each time did not disappoint.
The diverse but simple menu offers a flavoursome selection of Thai salads, noodles,
curries and stir-fries with an authenticity and freshness that surpasses expectations.

Let me share with you a few of the dishes not to be missed when visiting Busaba Eathai.

Pandan Chicken with garlic and coriander root wrapped in pandan leaf

Delicious Thai Calamari - You won't find better anywhere else!

Cod Fillet with Thai Garlic, Krachai, Kaffir lime and Chillis

A delightful dish filled with flavours and I just love the Tamarind Sauce! Yummm!!

Of course, the Green Curry is a must - we had the veggie option this time but the chicken one is also nice!

Accompanied with a refreshing glass of tamarind juice, Enjoy the delicious Thai Cuisine from Busaba Eathai ! 

There are many branches of Busaba Eathai all over London.
Simply check out their website to find out the nearest one to you!

www.busaba.com

Enjoy!

Marks and Spencer makes dinner easy !

Have you come across of the Marks & Spencer's latest deal?

Recipes to try for £6. Yes! For £6 !!

Pick up all the ingredients needed for £6 and you can be off for pretty delicious meal for dinner! I was a bit skeptical staring at the shelves for a bit, but it couldn't be any simpler.

I have tried the below :

And this is how it turned out! :)

Not exactly how it is on the picture but close enough! :)

Thanks M & S for the lovely dinner !!


Deliciously Yours,

Cafe Rouge - A trip to a typical french brasserie

Fancy a little French experience in Central London?

Only a few days left to enjoy the 2 for 1 deal at Cafe Rouge!

Sometimes when we don't feel like cooking and eating at home,
these deals often come in handy! { Especially when we're not looking to spend too much! }

Not usually the place we'd choose to go but with a good deal ... it's hard to let it go! :)
And we are most of the time pleased with the food! I have to say that here the highlight
was the french fries! The steak was okay-ish but the French Fries = Thin strips
and so crispy- recommended! If only the waiting staff were French, it would really
feel like being in a brasserie in Paris!

Get your voucher here and enjoy saving a little bit while enjoying a nice meal out!! 

{ Remember only 3 days to go! }

CLICK BELOW 

The Perfect Bento Box @Satsuma

I love Japanese Food.

The Japanese Cuisine offers a very wide variety of dishes, with different delicious
taste and textures. From its fresh tuna or salmon sashimi dipped in wasabi and soya
sauce, to a simple bowl of rice with grilled chicken teriyaki, or a bowl of miso soup
with tofu and seaweed in it ... one can never get bored of the Japanese cuisine.

I have tried quite a few Japanese restaurants in and around London and I have to admit
that being the greedy cow that I am, I usually end up ordering too much food wanting
to have little bits of everything and stuffing myself so much that often the whole
experience just loses a bit of its sparkles!

This time, I was happy to be able to combine most of the dishes I wanted to eat
- all in one Bento Box order- all in just the right amount ...

Sorry the picture is a bit blurry! 

So, on the menu :  Bento Box -  Salmon and Tuna Sashimi, Ebi Karaage
{ instead of the tempura because I like how super crispy this version is!  }
, yakilori { tender marinaded meat on stick with sweet teriyaki sauce } ,
California Rolls and a spicy seafood salad!

A very copious meal already but of course {bad habit} I had to order a bit more!

On the side, I could not resist ordering the soft shell crab roll ...
with the spicy mayo ... ooomfphh!!!
My mouth is salivating already just by the thought of it! :p

Ahh... well, with some green tea at the end of the meal, it was perfect!
Although I would have loved to have the green tea ice cream for dessert,
I just had to say No! Let's not be too greedy!

Oh and do try the Strawberry and Kiwi juice that they make fresh!
Had a sip from my other half's drink and it was pretty good!

SATSUMA Japanese Restaurant  

56 Wardour Street

London W1D 4JG

  

Cafe de Hong-Kong in China Town London

Fancy a typical meal Hong Kong Style?

Before we went through the whole menu meticulously at Cafe de Hong Kong, we quickly chose our drinks first. Bubble Tea anyone?

         

On the left, I had the Fluffy green tea pearl drink, and Mr. A had the ice coffee and tea mix {not sure what it's called but this is basically what it is! } (^.^)

So what are we eating today??

Malaysian Food in London Chinatown

After a long day of wandering the streets of london {Chinatown and Nottinghill} during the weekend with my foodie companions, we decided to have dinner at this tiny little place on a little street off Wardour Street: C & R Malaysian Cafe & Restaurant.

Mr. D, a keen foodie himself, has been recommending their food quite a few times now and after we've tried it already once, it is now one of our favourite places for great value delicious food!

At first glance, it doesn't look like much but just take a seat and wait till the food arrives in front of you...

Some of the dishes tried and tested :

>> Stir fried, two types of noodles with seafood and vegetables <<

WAGAMAMA in London Bridge

What's for dinner tonight?  It's Friday night and most places are usually busy but
I didn't feel like cooking tonight...

Luckily, just before I made my way home, Mr. A {my lovely fiance} invited me
for a 'hot' date at Wagamama!  (^.^)

Wagamama | positive eating + positive living
Wagamama is a chain of award-winning pan-asian inspired noodle restaurants.

It's been a while since our last visit to Wagamama and it was nice to go back for their
'positive eating philosophy' : combining fresh and nutritious food in an elegant yet 
simple setting with helpful and friendly service and value for money. 

Gourmet Burger Kitchen - GBK

What's for din-din tonight?

Feeling a bit lazy after a Very Cold Day at Work today, My Fiance and I decided to make the
most of the Capital FM Voucher valid at GBK { Gourmet Burger Kitchen } -
Buy one and have a second one for £1 - of which 90p goes to charity.  

Bargain! And also contributing to charity!

Vietnamese Restaurant in London ChinaTown

After a late morning stroll in Covent Garden and ending up in Chinatown one weekend, 

My Fiance and I started to feel a bit hungry ...  

This time, we didn't want to go for the usual chinese Dim Sum 

so decided to try the Vietnamese Restaurant with a bright Red entrance 

located just next to one of Chinatown's Big Metal Gates.

To keep it light and healthy, we had the Vietnamese Spring Rolls for starters - 

thin rice noodles, fresh & crisp mint leaves, crushed peanuts and cooked prawns 

wrapped beautifully in wafer thin wrappers. 

Dip in the sweet chilli sauce and yummm ! 

It was so Fresh and so Tasty!

For Mains, I decided to go for the typical Vietnamese Pho - 

flat rice noodle soup, with beef balls and beef slices. 

This is served with a side plate of Fresh coriander and mint leaves, 

beansprouts and chopped fresh chilli.