Sunday 22 April 2012

Tsuru - Japanese cuisine

Summary
                          

Snapshot

Cuisine:
Japanese
Price:
£6-7 average lunch price without drinks.
Healthy:
Yes.
Tasty:
3.5/5
Address:       
Tsuru Mansion House, Aldermary House, 10 Queen Street, EC4N 1TX

Opening times
11am-10pm
Eat in/Takeaway:
Eat-in and take-away
Recommended dishes
Curry rice dishes – Chicken thigh Katsu curry with rice.
Vegetarian dishes
Yes vegetarian options from sushi to rice dishes and salads.
Loyalty card
 Yes.
Website
http://www.tsuru-sushi.co.uk/ (See website for other branches and more details)
Note
Delivery is available.


Lunch Analysis
I like the Katsu curry rice dishes here as the sauce is not thick like gravy but full of good quality free range stock makes up this tasty curry sauce.
The chicken is free range and you can tell as the meat is succulent, tender and less fatty which is found in the cheaper chicken meats served in other eateries.
The price is standard for London lunch and so it is not a cheap eatery. However, the curry here is much fresher and healthier in taste – no stodginess!
I also like the choice of being able to choose from chicken thigh or breast. For those, in the know about which is best, I prefer the thigh as it is smoother but the breast is healthier.
The curry also comes with carrot pieces which balances out the large chunks of meat. It is also a very filling meal making it a great choice for the cold weather we still have.
The sushi counter looks very good but I am not sure the portion is enough if you are really hungry. I have yet to try the sushi but next time I will find out.
I have only tried Tsuru at lunch time but there is an evening menu as well which features simple and basic Japanese dishes. This is a hearty and healthy option for lunch.
                                                        Chicken Katsu thigh curry with rice





Square Meal

Monday 9 April 2012

Burger & Lobster by After 5 + City Pig

After 5 + City Pig’s Summary


 Summary
Snapshot

Cuisine:
American (Burger and Lobster)
Price:
Only 3 dishes on menu all priced at £20.

1.    Whole lobster which can be grilled or steamed with garlic and lemon butter or normal butter sauce.
2.    Lobster roll served in brioche roll.
3.    Burger

All the above is served with salad and chips.

Healthy:
No but indulgent!
Tasty:
4/5
Address:       
29 Clarges street, Mayfair, London, W1J 7EF
Opening times
Monday to Saturday, from 12 to 10:30pm (last orders).
Closed on Sundays and Bank Holidays. No Reservations.
Telephone: 0207 409 1699

Eat in/Takeaway:
Eat-in
Recommended dishes
Limited menu – cannot go wrong in choice as very affordable luxury!
Vegetarian dishes
No.
Loyalty card
 No.
Website
 http://burgerandlobster.com/


Note
Come early to avoid queuing as no booking is allowed.

Lunch Analysis
This was another restaurant on the top of my list to try even though it only opened last year in Q4. I heard there is no booking allowed and big queues often form at the doorway! I arrived at lunchtime to avoid the dinner time crowd as I truly wanted to discover this place without waiting out in the cold.
Get here early this is what I did and managed to get a seat for two but inside it was already full of people at 12.20pm! It opened at 12pm!
Anyways, it has a nice relaxed weekend vibe, where people at the bar are sipping cocktails or mocktails while others were already tucking into their lobsters or burgers.
There are high tables with one side being a booth style seat and the other is a high chair and there are lower tables available as well.
Service is very friendly and attentive.
So what is so special about B&L? Well, they only serve 3 main courses and are priced all at £20 each:
1.     Whole lobster which can be grilled or steamed with garlic and lemon butter or normal butter sauce.


2.     Lobster roll served in brioche roll.


3.     Burger
All the above is served with salad and chips.
So don’t come here if you don’t eat any of the above unless you opt only for dessert! Desserts are only two options being a mousse or a cheesecake. I think they change the flavour of the mousse and cheesecake.
I have only tried the lobster and the lobster roll by sharing each other’s dishes which I recommend, as a whole lobster is quite a bit even though there are lots of shell to get through. Also, try to be patient!
The burger does look divine as I took a peek at the guests at the other table. However, I just couldn’t say no to lobster when they are the same price! Sorry burger, maybe next time!
I think the idea is truly genius and is great that lobsters are not for the rich and wealthy only! It should be available to all!
I opted for grilled lobster and the garlic and lemon butter. It tasted delicious but later found that some parts of the meat was cooked too much that it stuck to the shell. Maybe the steamed option would have cooked it more evenly.
Nevertheless, a meal of lobster or lobster roll for £20 was amazing! The lobster roll is very tasty and although it looks more petite, there is a lot of lobster meat jammed in the roll. The brioche roll is very tasty too!
I couldn’t make it to dessert but will have to try next time! Will I be back? Oh yes I will!
Tips:
1.     Pre-open your wet tissue sachet before eating and getting hands dirty. I found it difficult when I had finished eating and fingers were rather greasy from the lobster that opening a small sachet seemed a challenge!
2.     Use the lemon provided to you from your lobster brioche roll to cleanse your fingers by squeezing juice to remove seafood smell as it can be strong!
3.     My side salad had cheese powder sprinkled over it! Disaster, as I don’t like cheese powder and certainly not on my salad! I asked if this could be changed and it was!
4. Choose garlic and lemon butter sauce it is very good.