Sabrina's Passions' Reviews

Yes! It's over priced… Yes! It's ridiculously cramped with a long queue of people vying to get in at most times of the day… BUT if you can wait to get inside then it is a veritable feast for the eyes of colourful creations both savoury and sweet. In my mind, this is a little bit like what heaven looks like for a girl like me. Platter after platter of meat, fish, rice, vegetables, cakes, tarts, cookies and those inexplicably enormous meringues… Ahhhh, paradise. Of course do becareful not to let your hunger get away with you, those innocent little takeaway boxes, when filled, can end up costing you a tenner each! So might say that the food is unspecial and nothing that can't be done at home and this, of course, is true. But who has the patience, time and energy to do what had already been so beautifully done for you by someone else?

I just have to say that the two best things in the entire shop are 1) The cookies and 2) The passion fruit meringue tart. Both are simply exquisite and I have never tasted anything that remotely comes nearly as close to being so delicious. Their Spanish hot chocolate is pretty great too and pair it with a sugared ‘pretzel’ bread and you are good to go! Cheap it is not and some dishes don't always hit the spot but they very rarely disappoint and the fact that you can try a little of everything, is a winning formula for me.

Hakkasan has long been a favourite haunt of mine. I have personally never had a bad experience there to date, although sympathise with many over being hurried through your meal to ensure you don't exceed the alotted 2 hours. As long as service is swift and food arrives on time from the kitchen, 2 hours is ample with Chinese/Asian cuisine (unless of course you want to have a long meal) The only time you really suffer, is when you are in a group of more than 4 people.

The food is still phenomenal. Crispy duck salad flecked with ruby pomegranate seeds, crunchy coated salt and pepper baby squid with garlic, my favourite seafood dim sum basket and faultlessly cooked spare ribs in a rich, sweet sauce are all a great way to open the meal. For mains, the black pepper beef in Merlot is a firm favourite, along with the sweet and sour pork with pomegranate, tea smoked chicken, seabass and of course, the utterly fabulous Singapore noodles, which remain the best in town. Beware though as the main courses can be astronomically priced and sometimes I prefer to eat lots more of the starters than the mains, which not only bode well for group-sharing, but also work out to be far more pocket-friendly.

Desserts are safe and somewhat less interesting than the previous courses. Nothing particularly stands out with any wow-factor. The chocolate fondant is always a good bet and sometimes they do banana and chocolate donuts, which are delicious. I guess the thing with Asian and Oriental restaurants are that dessert is never the main focus of the meal and therefore less tempting.

The restaurant is still a great evening out in the West End; but once upon a time, you would dance all night in the old ‘Ling-Ling’ lounge, which has now been culled to make space for more diners. Lets see whether the new Hakkasan (due to open next month) can capture some of the old magic and sparkle that once made Hakkasan so great.

Having just tried the new menu, I have to say despite it being twice as long, it lacks the appeal it once had. How very disappointing that this group dim sum eateries have gone beyond the boundaries of formulaic chain and entered into the disappointing territory of poor quality dining. A couple of items, including a Szechuan beef had to be sent back. The meat was greay and flacid and not remotely resembling the glossy image of perfectly seared meat in the picture. The cuts were cheap, sinewy and even had those weird tubey-bits of undesirable parts that you really dont want to see at these prices. Even the once decent items are now past their best and seem to have plummeted in the quality sweepstakes. Stylish chairs, decor and tableware mean nothing if the food is under parr… another case of “Style over substance”.

Having been to E&O many times over the years, what always strikes me as somewhat odd is that very little on the menu ever seems to change. The thing about E&O is that it isn't really a destination restaurant; you don't cross town for it because the food or service is amazing. It's a trendy neighbourhood joint (that used to be trendier) and has now found an even keel, serving trustafarians and tourists and shoppers alike.

The menu is pan-Asian encompassing dishes from all over the far east with a dim sum and sushi section as well as a small selection of sushi, salads, bbq dishes and curries. Yes, the menu is essentially designed with size 0 locals and ‘Yummy-Mummy’ types in mind, which is ok I guess and dishes are good, but they aren't outstanding. Combinations are interesting yet some items like the dim sum, can be sloppy lacking the usual delicate preparation that you get at most Chinese restaurants. To be honest, if it is dim sum you are after, you're better off heading over to Royal China at Queensway. But if it's a general mish-mash of basically good (sort-of) Oriental dishes you are after, then you could do a lot worse than E&O.

The bar is also a key feature at E&O, drawing in crowds both day and night. In fact the dining room itself has little character and can often be a tad soul-less at times. However, if you are in the area, don't be detered from stopping by, especially with a group of friends as E&O can be a great place to meet, eat and drink all under one roof in a very trendy part of town. Beware though, what tends to be trendy never comes cheap and if they don't get you on the food, they sure as hell will on the drinks!

I loved Bodeans when it first came to town. The BBQ was always excellent, with some of the best ribs I have EVER had in this country. Over the years, I have seen a decline in the quality and ingredient use which is terribly disappointing and there was one occasion where I ordered a delivery of food from my local Bodeans and it was absolutely awful. On this occasion, 4 of us headed to the Soho branch and despite not taking bookings, the manager was incredibly accommodating of a back injury I had and reserved a nice booth for us to ensure we had a table on arrival. The basement dining room is incredibly dark and a little dingy, with bizarre tartan carpetting and wooden panels. TV screens show American football, baseball and whatever US sporting events that were taking place.

I ordered a half rack of baby back ribs and a half portion of spare ribs. To my disappointment, the spare ribs were a little dry and not as gloriously meaty and fatty as they once were. The baby back ribs were still very good and next time I dine here, that is what I would stick to ordering. My friends chose a selection of side dishes included pulled pork, cornbread muffins and creamed corn. The creamed corn, although tasty and homemade, lacked any kind of seasoning but the cornbread muffins were light and sweet and really very good. I didn't try the pulled pork but my 3 fellow diners were cooing over how delicious it was so I can't imagine it was anything less than superb.

Bodeans may not be what it used to but it is still a great place to head to for some fun and a few beers. Also great for kids too as they use proper ingredients in their cooking rather than the vile processed hideousness of places like TGI's and other dodgy American-themed chains.

It is disappointing how these once great restaurants have now seemed to go so very downhill. Its a real shame as I used to go for Saturday lunch every week and the staff were always so bubbly and friendly, with an abundance of Italian staff who really made the brand feel authentic. I rarely go there these days, the food is nowhere near as nice as it used to be and the staff can be abrupt and inflexible. Even the counter staff at the deli aren't as friendly or knowledgable as they used to be. The food never looks fresh, the point blank refuse to slice certain salamis for you (ridiculous!) and a request to order Arancini from the kitchen after 2pm was met with the kind of expression reserved for someone who had made some kind of obscene or absurd request. Disappointing all round and the prices just seem to get higher and higher. I would much rather get my deli meats and Italian dishes elsewhere. What a terrible shame.

After years of avoiding Mango Tree like the plague, I finally succumbed and went there for dinner and I stand corrected! Mango Tree turned out to be surprisingly good! The room is huge and despite our 6pm arrival, it was more than 75% occupied within 20 minutes! The banquette seating is, quite possibly, the most comfortable seats I have ever sat in at any restaurant!

The menu is quite daunting with page after page of Thai dishes, which if you do not know your way around Thai cuisine can be difficult to choose from. I, however, had no problem whizzing through the pages ordering a selection of yummy dishes. The 50% discount is also incredibly helpful, although it does get frustrating when the menu seems to have so many dishes that are exempt from the discount; in fact it is down right cheeky really. But there is still plenty to choose from and we decided to order lots of appetizer dishes to maximise the chance to taste more. Glass noodles with prawns and minced chicken were delicious with a zesty and spicy dressing, Thai beef salad was seared to perfection and fiery to boot. Assorted skewers of satay, grilled pork and classic papaya salad were also fantastic.

I didnt order dessert but my friend ordered a couple of rum and cokes and commented that they were nice and strong, which is rare these days, so at least you get what you pay for! Within an hour, the restaurant is heaving and the noise level escalates to an all time high, not helped by a trio of shrill chavs who clearly had one glass of vino too many and would laugh like hyenas causing the whole restaurant to stare furiously at them as they carried on oblivious to the disturbance they caused. But apart from that, I am pretty impressed and will definitely be going back.

Arriving at 6pm ensured we were spoilt with plenty of attention, which is always nice at a top restaurant such as this. Even better, you escape the head-thumping noise levels of the popular Brasserie next door which is always teeming with patrons and instead the tranquil confines of the ‘Restaurant’ offers a much needed civilised break from the jungles of the Square Mile

We chose the degustation menu for dinner, to ensure we got a good selection of dishes to try and the meal started with an Amuse Bouche of chilled cucumber and mint soup with lemongrass oil served in a dainty shotglass, which was crisp and refreshing. Carpaccio of tuna with pickled ginger and wasabi oil was the perfect follow-up. Other dishes included a salad of wild mushrooms, artichokes, green beans, foie gras and pears with a chocolate reduction and the most perfectly cooked fillet of lamb I have had in a long time accompanied by fondant potatoes and pea puree.

Each course was paired with wine that complimented the components of each dish perfectly. Dessert was a bit like with simple strawberries soaked in sauternes and a scoop of creme fraiche ice cream, I would have preferred something with some kind of carb/pastry in it… or even some cheese to follow? Overall, you can't really complain as both food and service are excellent and in the City you should really not expect anything less; although I would have to say that 1 Lombard Street remain a cut above the rest.