Sticks n Sushi

After an invite to the soft launch in November 2013, I was excited to return to Sticks n Sushi.

The stripped back decor and loft vibe made it an excellent choice for a Friday night catch up with friends. We booked a table for 6.30 and loved the fact that we didn't have to give it back after 2 hours!

Sticks n Sushi is a sushi lovers paradise with an extensive menu filled with a variety of rolls, nigiri and sashimi. Equally, Sticks n Sushi is also a non-sushi lovers paradise with a wide selection of meats and cheeses on sticks.

We started off the meal with ebi bites and grilled edamame to share. Delicious. 

For mains, we decided to share a platter of sushi and individually selected some sticks.

Our customised sushi platter consisted of smoky rolls, black cod dragon rolls, & california de luxe rolls. All were extremely fresh and flavoursome. 

I initially ordered the beef with rougié-foie gras and was disappointed to learn that it had been removed from the menu. However, the Beef with herb butter subsitute was very satisfying. I also ordered the panko breaded pork, and chicken topped with chilli dip. I found the pork a little bland but the wasabi dressing on the side complimented the pork well. The chicken was very tender.

The feast left us stuffed but of course we had some room for dessert! As a lover of peanut ice cream, I was torn between the chocolate fondant with peanut ice cream, and the four tasters (white chocolate with sweet miso & popped rice; vanilla crème brûlée; chocolate fondant with caramel & hazelnut brittle; and matcha green tea ice cream with dark chocolate). In the end, we all opted for the four tasters and the waitress let me substitute the green tea ice cream for peanut ice cream - win win! All four were delicious, but I particularly enjoyed the white chocolate/sweet miso/popped rice combo. 

On a final note, the staff at Sticks n Sushi were excellent. Extremely friendly, attentive and we were pleased with their recommendations.

I would recommend this place to anyone reading and look forward to returning!

Food: 4*

Service: 5*

Value: 4*

Overall: 4*

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Jackson & Rye

The time had come for another catch up with friends and with payday looming we wanted something that didn’t break the bank. We had heard of Jackson and Rye and I fancied the idea of having brunch at an American style diner.

On first impression, it didn’t fall short of expectations. The moment you step inside you can really feel the hustle and bustle of a typical American diner and you couldn’t fault the decor.

Whilst browsing through the brunch menu, I could already tell there were more than a couple of meals that tickled my fancy. I opted for the Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich with a portion of Fries and in true American style, Creamed Corn Grits. 

Based on the price (£7.50), I expected a standard Chicken Sandwich, and was pleasantly surprised by a rather posh looking burger complete with a brioche bun, spicy coleslaw and chipotle mayonnaise.  The chicken was incredibly tender and the combination of flavours from the sweet bun and spicy coleslaw worked well. I personally feel it’s difficult to get a chicken burger just right without it being too dry but I can safely say this was one of the best chicken sandwiches I have ever tasted.  

The skinny fries complimented the burger perfectly (nothing like some fries to nibble on the side...), and the creamed corn grits were equally tasty and added to the all American experience.  

Moving on to dessert, I opted for the frozen raspberry soufflé with white chocolate. This wasn’t quite what I had expected. I couldn’t taste the white chocolate and it was unfortunately more of a bitter than a sweet dessert (maybe I just didn’t get the whole concept?) However, the popular choice on our table was the melting chocolate sundae. Warm butterscotch sauce was given to us in a little jug which you poured over the outer shell of the ice cream causing a melting effect. It was a delight to watch and tasted absolutely delish. 

The only downside of our experience was the service. We repeatedly had to ask for some mayonnaise (a necessity with fries!). Understandably it was very busy but we would've preferred a more efficient service. Nonetheless, Jackson & Rye lived up to its expectations and more. We were astonished by the quality of the food in relation to the cost and would like to return soon to try out the breakfast menu.

If you are looking for a buzzy American style diner without breaking the bank, this place sure is promising. 

Food: 4*

Service: 3*

Value: 5*

Overall: 4*

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J+A Café

In true American style, Sunday Brunch has become one of the hottest trends in London. Last weekend, we spent hours filtering through endless lists of “Best Brunch in London” and finally decided to try J+A Café in Clerkenwell. 

Tucked away in a small alleyway off Clerkenwell Road, J+A is spread over two floors of a warehouse style building, with a pleasant outdoor area, perfect for summer socialising.

Upon arrival, we were directed upstairs and the 3 of us were sat at a long canteen style table with plastic chairs. The seating was reminiscent of a school canteen and the exposed brickwork created a cool, laid back vibe – perfect for a lazy Sunday Brunch.  

The brunch menu is varied and consists of popular choices such as Eggs Benedict, and Pancakes, as well as Homemade Granola, and Smoked Salmon & Scrambled Eggs on Irish Soda Toast. It took a while to decide but we opted for 2x Eggs Benedict (£6.50) and 1x Eggs Royale (£9.50). 

The buttered muffin was toasted perfectly and the poached eggs felt very fresh. The eggs, muffin, ham (Eggs Benedict) and salmon (Eggs Royale) were complimented by a very flavoursome hollandaise sauce. The combination of flavours was very pleasing. 

Unfortunately, as a result of polishing off the generously sized mains, we were too full to try one their delicious looking cakes… (Definitely next time!)

Aside from the satisfying food selection, the staff were friendly and we didn’t feel rushed. We look forward to returning to J+A and can officially include it on our unofficial “Best Brunch in London” list.  

Food: 5*

Service: 4*

Value: 5*

Overall: 5*

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Buddha Bar

When it comes to family, especially cousins, it is very hard to see them on a regular basis because of life, work, children, husbands etc (two of these don’t really apply to me). So when I meet with my cousins I always look forward to it and make an extra effort.

This time our chosen venue was Buddha Bar. I have heard many good things about this place so I was excited to finally be going there but I was told beforehand that we would be having sushi. Now let me tell you, I was never really a fan of Sushi, the idea of eating raw fish pretty much made me want to gag! However, it was four against one so I had to suck it up and go for it.   

Upon arrival, we were greeted by friendly staff, our soaking wet coats were taken and we were shown to our table. The venue is your typical bar/restaurant with minimal lighting and modern decor. It made the place look classy and ‘high end’ (I think an episode of Made in Chelsea was filmed there).

  

First and foremost, we ordered house white, you can't go wrong with it! Next we ordered some spicy edamame. There is no classy was of eating edamame, my fingers were covered in the sauce so you could say the edamame were finger lickin' good? 

Now on the Sushi, looking at the menu there are a lot of options so the girls had a tough choice. In the end they settled for the prawn, salmon, and cucumber & avocado. I was very reluctant to try at first but I was told to just go for it…and I did and wow! They actually tasted really good. There was a lot of flavour in each bite. The presentation was picture perfect and there was enough to share between five people. 

I experience good service frequently but at Buddha bar it was top notch, they made sure we were happy with our food, our wine glasses were never empty and even when everything had been eaten and cleared away they allowed to stay for one more bottle of wine.   

Our bill at the end appeared to be pricey but that may have been the four bottle of wine we had (oops). However, at £42 per person I thought it was totally worth it. Good food, good service and amazing company, what else could you ask for?

I would definitely visit Buddha bar again to see what else the food menu has to offer and to try some of their cocktails, especially with their impeccable service and the cool, laid back atmosphere. All in all it was a good Friday evening.

Food: 4*

Service: 5*

Value 4*

Overall: 4*

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Flat Iron

One spontaneous rainy evening, five of us ventured into Soho in search of good food. After a quick drink in Two Floors on Carnaby Street, we headed south and stumbled upon Flat Iron, a minimalist steakhouse hidden amongst the hustle and bustle of Central London. 

We were greeted by a friendly patron who advised that the wait would be around 90 minutes. Luckily, we were able to leave a telephone number and we headed over to a local pub (The Old Coffee House). 

Over 90 minutes and one packet of crisps later, we still hadn't received a call. We headed back to Flat Iron and they asked us to wait in the bar downstairs with a buzzer. 5 minutes later, the table was finally ready!

Flat Iron is a very intimate venue with minimalist decor. Long wooden benches form the majority of the tables which are decorated accordingly with tea lights and quirky cutlery! The atmosphere is reminiscent of a hipster restaurant in SoHo, NYC (Back Forty West springs to mind). 

We were given small cups of popcorn as an appetiser whilst we decided what to order.

The menu is very small but the main star of the show is it's trademark Flat Iron Steak. I ordered this (medium) with 2 sides (Dripping Cooked Chips & Creamed Spinach), one sauce (Peppercorn), and a drink (Dandelion & Burdoch).  

For a £10 steak, we were all surprised by the quality. The meat was seasoned well, cooked to perfection and very tender. The peppercorn sauce complimented the steak and the delicious sides brought the whole thing together. 

There was only one thing on the dessert menu, a delicious salted caramel mousse, but the light and airy texture was perfect to cleanse the palate and complete the meal. 

The bill came to under £25 per person for a main, dessert, drink and service. Flat Iron is incredibly good value for money and despite the queue length, an excellent alternative to popular steakhouses such as Hawksmoor.

Food: 5*
Service: 4*

Value: 5*

Overall: 5*

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