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

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

Spuntino // Soho

I admit. I spent months, months, finding the perfect restaurant for my birthday. I saved money, I need to have the perfect place. Last year I went to Dishoom and the food was amazing (photos came out way too dark for a post!). 

This year, I needed to find something that I identify with. A dim lit old fashioned Brooklyn style diner? What? Ok I needed to be there. This was in November so my memory may be a bit foggy, which doesn't hide the fact that Spuntino was a memorable experience!

Anyway, we headed there with time to spare - no bookings policy means a big queue, as most places in London. Some beers made the wait bearable, and it didn't feel long at all.

Sat down and was not worried about budget, being a place with a small plates style of food, you know you're down to spend some. And earn some (delicious food).

 Look how cool this is! On the way to the bathroom. 

We seem to have a tendency to order fried chicken a lot... This one was juicy and crispy, as it is coated in buttermilk.

I was mostly excited about the salt beef fritters (not sure what the sauce is now). It was good, but I was expecting chunks of salt beef. It was all a bit... creamy? 

Now here's the thing, I may not remember the other dishes as well, but this, this I remember. Truffled Egg Toast. Every blogger raved about this so my expectations were high. What could be so amazing about a piece of cheese toast with an egg in the middle. I am unsure of how they do it, but the whole thing is quite soft and every bit that is coated in runny yolk was amazing to eat. The star was the truffle oil. I love its intense flavour, it's quite hard for me to describe but the only word that comes to mind seems to be closed. A closed taste? 

This photo is quite the sad attempt of capturing the food! These dishes came last and I was not surprised about them. Smoked Mackerel (seems to be taken off the menu), came hot - for some reason I expected it cold - so the first impression wasn't that great, the warmth of the fish caused its flavour to be almost too fishy, and not in a good way. It was too strong for me. Luckily my boyfriend quite liked it and finished the plate. Bonus points, he didn't enjoy the truffled toast and left that one for me to finish!

The very last dish was a chilly hot dog, which interestingly I cannot seem to find on the online menu anymore. I was underwhelmed by these, as they came off as ordinary hot dogs - we still finished them, obviously. 

      

The cocktails were great, but their names don't come to mind now. I recommend you go there and try anyone off the list, as you won't find your usual mojito - there's always a twist.

I really liked Spuntino because of the vibe and the decoration. I appreciate the food concept but the flavours were hit and miss. Looking at the online menu, seems like they changed the dishes I enjoyed the least so I would be happy to come back and give it another go! This time I'll definitely order dessert.

Spuntino

61 Rupert Street

W1D 7PW 

London