0207 224 3484
www.askrestaurants.com
After a very full day of work, and a much needed gym session after it, I was definitely in the mood for some good food. Spending a few days in London already, I see that there's never a shortage of restaurants or quick little cafes to get a casual bite.
On my way home, I noticed a colorful, modern sign that said "Ask Italian." I thought it was a restaurant, but wasn't 100% sure, so I walked by and indeed, my suspicions were confirmed. Glancing at the menu, I liked what I saw and decided to go in and experience it first-hand.
Atmosphere:
The bright, cheery atmosphere of Ask immediately captured my attention. I liked how simplistic it was, with lots of open white space and really funky lighting (see above photo). There was a nice mix of intimate seating as well as long tables with bright red benches for larger groups.
It was also nice to observe Ask's big open kitchen, where their deliciously fragrant specialties were made and delivered to enthusiastic diners. The restaurant keeps late hours, especially for London, so you'll see a lot of young 20 and 30 somethings enjoying a late dinner (like me) or some small bites and wine.
Food:
As soon as my waitress warmly greeted me and set in front of me a pretty red and white vellum menu, I had a hunch that something good was in store.
Bread and Olives - Offered up by my waitress, this pre-meal snack sounded absolutely perfect, and I assumed it was complimentary. Guess again (and I should've known) but this was a hidden add on item. While it annoyed me a little after the fact, while I was eating it, I had no idea and enjoyed both the bread and the olives tremendously. The bread was wonderfully crusty on the outside and perfectly soft on the inside, coated with good quality olive oil and sprinkled with a variety of Italian spices. I very much enjoyed topping a small piece of bread with each a green and black olive and then placing a few drops of house balsamic vinaigrette on top.
Terrina Mediterraneana - A highly recommended dish, I was intrigued by its description, which promised a terrine of chicken breast, king prawns in a homemade tomato sauce, also dressed with butter beans, olives, red peppers, etc. Basically, everything under the sun.
Because I adore stews, I was really looking forward to tasting how these eclectic flavors would blend together. The result was brilliant (as the Brits often say) and offered up a rich complexity in flavor. From hearty chunks of chicken to the slightly sweet tomato sauce to the salty olives, the stew sent your mouth on a multi-faceted sensory tour. And the fact that it was also served with a side of fresh, warm rosemary bread was an added bonus, and a perfect vehicle for scooping out that extra, leftover red sauce.
Apple Rustica - Having a really tough time choosing between this, and a dessert called "Our Chocolate Nemesis," in the end, I think I chose wisely. Presented in a black ramekin, it reminded me of spoon bread because it was soft enough to break and scoop up with your spoon.
Essentially, this was an Italian version of an apple tarte, with shortcrust pastry, interlaced with slow cooked sweet apples with almond cream and a scoop of really good quality vanilla bean ice cream. Even though the actual tarte was clean-tasting and gorgeous, my favorite part was the ice cream, which boasted beautiful little black vanilla bean specs. The quality and that extra detail wasn't lost on me.
Service and Cost:
As I mentioned, my waitress was personable and helpful and came by to check on me once in a while, without being intrusive. She let me relax, as a solo diner and only came over when she sensed I had a question or a request.
The above dinner would've amounted to less than 20 Pounds if it wasn't for that extra bread and olives. Lesson learned, and even despite this, I would wholeheartedly come back again.
Appetizers - 2.60 - 11.25 Pounds
Salads - 8.45 - 11.95 Pounds
Pizza - 6.55 - 9.15 Pounds
Pasta - 7.15 - 10.15 Pounds
Mains - 9.45 -12.25 Pounds
Dessert - 3.95 - 5.65 Pounds
3 Mmmms
020 7224 1692
www.galleriarestaurant.co.uk
After what was a long trip over from NY, I was a bit disheartened but not completely surprised to find out that my hotel room wasn't ready when I arrived. And being that I didn't eat a thing on the plane, I was appropriately famished, therefore deciding to get a bite to pass the time (and to satisfy my hunger).
Not walking too too far over from my hotel on Welbeck Street in Marylebone, I hit New Cavendish Street, which offers a pretty walkway with some charming brownstones and a helping of cafes, bakeries and some trendy boutiques.
Right away, I noticed a nice eatery called Galleria with outdoor seating and an eclectic Persian menu. This was automatically a big plus for me, as I love ethnic food, and something meat-focused is just what I needed to sustain myself.
Atmosphere:
As I mentioned, I was initially drawn to the Galleria for its casual outdoor seating. The overall feel was very different from my dining experience on Marylebone High Street, as you didn't get the background noise from the car or the pedestrians traffic.
And while the interior of the cafe was attractive and inviting, boasting a variety of modern art and portraiture, it was a lot more nice to sit outside and enjoy the sunshine. While I felt that the service must've been quicker inside, I didn't feel neglected outdoors and got to relax and even do some sparse people watching, which is always fun to do in a foreign country.
Food:
My area of focus quickly became the sandwiches, as they sounded delicious and filling, but at the same time, they had an attractive price point (under 7 Pounds). I wanted to get something more interesting and ethnic versus the ordinary bruschetta, chicken club or tuna melt, so I went for the Pan-Fried Persian Cotlet Wrap.
Pan Fried Persian Cotlet Wrap - I adore lamb and the fact that this sandwich was made up of a fried version of it totally sold me. Not to mention that it was lighter on carbs, served on thin Lavash bread that resembled a wrap. What I loved about the latter is that it had an almost tortilla like texture, but in terms of flavor, there was a lot more there.
The actual lamb cotlets were delicious and boasted a thick crispy skin that made this sandwich feel like an indulgence. Dressed with a bit of mayo (maybe slightly too much for my liking), fresh tomato slices, and tangy, long slices of pickles (or gherkins as the British say), it was a nice way to try something new without dipping into too much uncommon ground. I'd recommend this option to anyone who loves Middle Eastern food, including falafel, as this strongly resembled it in texture but not so much in flavor.
Service and Cost:
Giving off an authentic vibe, I believe that our servers were native Persians and they had a clear control of the menu and what it offered. Their attitude was more or less low-key, which I liked but at the same time I felt taken care of - but in a more lax way.
Costs are moderate for this expensive neighborhood and the aforementioned lunch with a drink set me back about 9 Pounds, including tip.
3 Mmmms
(020) 7486 9584
One of the first places I hit in London, purely a result of my geography, was Marylebone High Street. For those of you who've been there or have heard of it, you won't be surprised about how enlightened and charmed I was by it. What a food and specialty store mecca! There were restaurants, coffee shops, patisseries on every corner, and I naturally had a hard time choosing what to try first.
Being that I had lunch at a nearby Persian restaurant (more on that later), I wanted to get a little something sweet to satisfy the sugar fiend in me. First seeing Paul, a high end French bakery and patisserie chain that's also located in the U.S., familiarity made me feel comfortable, but the exorbitant prices did not.
I walked down a few steps only to find a cute corner cafe and pastry shop called Bonne Bouche, which looked just as inviting and charming, but the prices were about a quarter of those at Paul. Hmmm...I was intrigued, and decided to try it.
Atmosphere:
What first drew me to Bonne Bouche was the wonderfully informal outdoor seating and its exterior quaintness. Even before walking inside, I could tell by the exterior that it'd be a sweet little French cafe and pastry shop with all your favorite classics such as eclairs, shortbread, tartes and more.
Once I actually walked inside the pastry shop, which is located right next to the Bonne Bouche cafe, I saw that it very much matched my perception. An enormously long display case dominated the room that showcased a plethora of beautiful baked goods. I liked the chilled out vibe in there and I felt that I could take my time admiring all the goodies and then ordering at my leisure, which I did.
Sweets:
After some deliberation (chocolate eclairs...marzipan...fruit tartes...etc), I decided on a chunky hazelnut treat.
Hazelnut Chocolate Shortbread - When I first looked at this dessert, I was transfixed - hazelnuts, chocolate, caramel, and shortbread? All my favorite things in a tight little package! Being in an unfamiliar place and liking recommendations, I asked my server if this was a good way to go and she affirmed it.
Before I dug into this gargantuanly rich treat, I walked for about two miles in and around Regents Park, with the hazelnut shorbread being my reward. Chocolatey and carameley on the outside, it had a lovely crunch from the chunky hazelnuts on top. I think that was my favorite component - making sure I got a bite of the nuts, loving the way their earthy flavor married with the indulgence of the chocolate and caramel. The sweetness of this dessert was dulled out by the buttery shortbread inside and while I didn't have any on hand, it begged for a tall glass of milk for a chaser. As the portion was quite large, I saved half of it for later, which I plan to savor soon.
Service and Cost:
As mentioned, the service was quick and informal and my server was helpful and knowledgeable when it came to suggesting products.
Costs are competitive, and for a very large treat that lasted me for two sittings, I paid 1.40 British Pounds, which is about $2.25.
3 Sticky and Sweet Mmmms
I'm on the road again readers, this time in London for work. So this week, you can expect to see posts that are greatly influenced by Great Britain. Known for eclectic food and colorful ethnic cuisine, I'll bring you everything from Middle Eastern eats to good ol' British comfort food. Lucky to be staying in the posh Marylebone area, there's never a shortage of something interesting when food is involved - and as you can tell by this picture, there's also no shortage of William and Kate wedding frenzy.
Stay tuned for my adventures this week - I'll start with dessert and end with some solid dinner options. If you have any specific recos you'd like me to try, please holler until the end of this week. I hope I get to try a little bit of everything. Cheers!
