Bone Daddies // Soho

I was anticipating the day when I'd be really hungry to be able to finish the epic ramen bowl from Bone Daddies. The so called coolest ramen place in London. No reservations, hidden away in the middle of Soho, but we're getting used to that kind of restaurant, and honestly, I love the concept.

The very first thing the waiter said to me as we arrived at the queue was: "Why do you look so miserable?" I suffer from Resting Bitch Face Syndrome and that left me very hesitant about the restaurant! But ramen, think ramen! He ended up being very nice and all, so I overcame the minor setback.

We ordered the ribs to begin with. It's not very often that I take the first bite and do the face. The face is a rare occurrence that happens once you eat something so amazing from the start and you're afraid it runs out too quickly. The meat was so tender it slided off the bones easily, the seasoning was strong but not overwhelming, coated in a sesame seed layer. Still today, I can't stop thinking about those ribs!

We also asked for the fried chicken, having read great reviews about it (and, well.. loving fried chicken). Cooked to perfection and crispy, but not too crunchy, which gave them more of a comfort food quality.

The main course arrived shortly after - no long waits here! - and I was too excited to manage to sort a decent photo. I asked for the Tokontsu Ramen with extra nori seaweed, which is served still dry, transforming into a smooth and creamy leaf texture as it drowns down the bowl. The noodles and cashu pork were the highlights of the dish but my love for noodles of all kinds makes me biased. The only thing I was concerned about was the richness of the broth, this is no light ramen and I came prepared for that. Don't feel pressured to finish it as the bowl is quite big and there is no need to slurp all the liquid fat. What started as delicious taste of 20 hour cooked pork bone gradually became too heavy for me to bear, which did not occur completely until the other dish elements were gone, so I didn't insist on finishing it. The solid components were amazing and, for me, the broth served as an great enhancer, to be taken in moderation.

I left the venue feeling full but with a smile on my face, ready for the cold outside. There is no better option for a wintery evening in Soho (from the few I've tried!), and I recommend Bone Daddies as the perfect excuse for japanese food... with a rock'n'roll twist.

The overly full glass of sake is always a nice sight.

Bone Daddies

31 Peter St

W1F 0AR

London

Bird // Shoreditch

There are many places available for when you're craving fried chicken in London. It's a popular thing. And if you're drunk, it's seriously the best meal of your life. I refuse to give in to that. The cardboard boxes make me sick just to look at them, especially if eaten by people on the bus (who conveniently like to chew on the bones and just toss them on the floor, but don't get me started on that...).

I can even refrain from this menace when I'm drunk, but let's face it: even I have cravings at times. And refusing to step into a KFC does not help. Luckily there's always a cool looking alternative for all the junk food desires. This one is Bird. And bonus points: it has chicken and waffles.

I had been planning this visit for a while so I had to get the chicken and waffle dish. Sounds so American. I'm weak and I love the USA.

The restaurant was empty as we arrived at 12pm in the afternoon, which is always the best thing if you are going to eat fried food. The whole day ahead to burn it off. Except that if you're like me you will be in a comfy food coma and very excited for sofa + netflix.

Beer goes well with chicken. And everything else.

They arrived and came with maple syrup. I looked at my plate and thought: "Ah, ok so this is quite a small portion so I am gonna eat it quickly and have room for more in the end. And have to spend more money on desert". I was wrong. 

I bet you can easily imagine how crispy this is. Right??

So we began. Not only it was crispy, it was also super juicy inside. That's what you want with fried chicken. It didn't taste like a late night drunken treat, it was good. Very good. Especially with the maple syrup, which was something new for me. The waffles were quite nice and savoury with bits of onion and cheddar cheese. What initially looked like a small portion turned out to be way too filling, way too quickly. I tried my best to finish this as I despise food waste, but, for the first time, I couldn't bring myself to eat the second waffle. I believe I didn't finish the second piece of chicken as well. That's something to keep in mind if you order this off the menu - I never had trouble with this before!

On the other hand, the deep fried pickles were too good and this big portion was almost not enough for me! I absolutely adored this and am considering coming back just for them. They don't taste like your average pickle, they were moist (sorry if you hate the word) and the batter gave them a salty but addictive taste. My boyfriend was not happy about them and barely ate anything, which I have to admit made my meal. Isn't it great when someone hates something you love? More left!!

I am still not ready to come back to Bird as my fried chicken craving happens once a year or so. But I would return for a smaller chicken portion - no waffles this time. And two plates of fried pickles, please.

Bird

42/44 Kingsland Road

E2 8DA

Sketch Gallery // London

After finding out about the ₤50 voucher for a meal for two at Sketch, I was super excited and booked my table immediately. One of the most unusual and beautiful restaurants in London, something I needed to experience for myself at least once. The prices are quite steep so I decided in advance to order a few sharing dishes and just enjoy the venue.

The dining room at the Gallery is as impressive as the photos. The original artwork on the walls and the ongoing pink theme makes it all quite magical.

Cute little pop up forks inside the menu just draws the attention for the effort put into detail, which was interesting to see, as I am not a regular customer of high end restaurants.

Our first and easy choice was the escargot. Meaty and tasty, it came with black garlic and spinach gallette, salty but in a good rich way. I have had "snails" before but nothing compares to this and easy to see why it is considered a delicacy.

The morel ravioli was super creamy and flavorful thanks to the hint of coffee and easy to finish. Perhaps a bit too familiar, I must say that the cream overpowered the dish a bit and made it slightly heavy, which is surprising in a small portion.

The pig's trotter with kimchi was an unexpected big portion but only because the amount of kimchi was quite high. I love kimchi and could eat it for days but cannot understand the need to use so much of it, especially in big chunks that were not at all easy to cut. Let's just say it went very well with the trotter's meaty but light flavour, although we could do with a more balanced quantity.

Having said this, I am glad we asked for some bread to help us finish the plate, dark and airy, making sure we wouldn't leave the premises hungry.

Guess the toilets are one of the most attractive sights at Sketch Gallery. Very peculiar, made me feel like I was in a sci-fi film. Sadly the door closed enough to let me peak outside. Not comfortable at all! The place was empty, luckily.

I left Sketch with many mixed up thoughts. First, the place is indeed beautiful. Something quite unique in London that I am happy to have visited at least once. Second, the service is very attentive and nice. Maybe they have a lot of staff for a Monday night but we were being very well catered for. Maybe a bit too much? There was one person whose role was to top up the water glasses, and would do it as soon as we had our first sip. Every time. So if you want privacy this might not be the ideal location.  Finally, the food. The execution seems quite simple to me. It's the ingredients that make the prices so high. I appreciate the fact that they look for the highest quality components for their dishes but cannot say I was impressed. Overall, my idea is that this restaurant exists for the novelty of the place as you would not go there solely for the food. 

Sketch Gallery

9, Conduit Street

W1S 2XG