Don’t be put off by the strip club next door, or the walk up to a first-floor room, Phetpailin was a top tip from a Manchester local for a Saturday night out in town. Located in the city’s Chinatown district, the restaurant has been serving up traditional Thai food since 2006. Even better: if you like wine, there’s a bring-your-own option, with a bargain charge of just £1 corkage per bottle.
Harrow is famous for its school, perhaps its eponymous hill, but little else. Although it is located less than ten miles from where this reviewer grew up, he was not aware of its dining options – until recently. Step forward Jay Rayner. I have long been a fan of the restaurant critic of The Guardian and have enjoyed several of his books, including My Dining Hell. This is a summary of his most damning reviews. 19 of the 20 places subsequently have shut. Fortunately, his recent piece on the incongruously named Panda’s Kitchen was praiseworthy – and rightly so.
People love to make lists, however arbitrary they may be. KOL is one of only two UK restaurants to rank in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, placing at number 17. It must, therefore, being doing something very good. Your reviewer had written two highly praiseworthy pieces about KOL in the past (see here and here), but a recent visit to the venue demonstrated to our group of four – all of whom were previously familiar with KOL – just how much it had raised its already strong game.
Like Yossarian in Joseph Heller’s “Catch-22”, it was love at first sight for your reviewer when he stepped into the Parakeet. Full marks for décor, vibe, service, food, drinks and pricing. This was the broad consensus view among our party of four but – and you knew there was going to be a catch – the Parakeet failed in one crucial respect: if you’re vegetarian, then you’re very poorly catered for. This should be fixed to make the venue truly excellent.
Los Mochis is full of juxtapositions, in a good way. We’re in plush Notting Hill, but the exterior of the building is covered in graffiti-influenced art. Fine dining is married with street food. Japanese and Mexican flavours jostle. But, both atmosphere and experience delivered. My dining comrade and I enjoyed the fun vibes outdoors in the late summer sun, but Los Mochis apparently comes truly alive in the evenings. Think dark interiors, cool cocktails and a soundtrack to match.
Think of the Kingly Court as the food equivalent of a tech incubator. If you’re a budding restaurateur and you’re looking to graduate from a market food stall to the next new thing, then this is where you come. Donia follows in the footsteps of recent Kingly Court successes such as Darjeeling Express and Imad’s Syrian Kitchen. It provides a wonderful showcase for Filipino food, a much under-represented cuisine on the London dining scene.
New experiences are good for the soul. What better, from a culinary perspective, than enjoying a sarap lechon? Know your Filipino: ‘sarap’ means delicious and ‘lechon’ is pig. At this pop-up venue on the site of the former Fallow, lucky diners can enjoy a whole suckling pig. Yes, you read that correctly. There is, of course, a caveat: you need to order it two days in advance, require a group of at least six like-minded individuals, and need to stump up £295. It’s not too steep a hurdle to climb and it’s undoubtedly worth every penny.
