Restaurant Review: Matsusakagyu Yakiniku M, Osaka

Since coming to Japan, beef is something that I eat quite rarely. It's pretty expensive to buy in the supermarket, and when eating out you're less likely to come across it on menus than you are pork and chicken. This is why when I choose a special meal out, I'm often tempted to opt for steak rather than something more traditionally Japanese like sushi. Eating steak definitely feels like an occasion here, whereas something like sushi is so ubiquitous that it can be found everywhere from your local convenience store right up to your michelin-starred restaurant. So when it came to having a meal on my last night in Osaka, I chose to eat at Matsusakagyu Yakiniku M. 

The restaurant name is quite a mouthful, so let me break it down for you. Matsusakagyu is a type of beef (gyu meaning beef in Japanese eg. wagyu which means Japanese cow/beef). These black-haired cows come from the Mie region of Japan. The lucky cows are fed beer when their appetite fails and are treated to regular massages. This results in a meat that is a grade higher than even Kobe beef (meaning the marbled beef has a higher fat to meat ratio). Yaki Niku is basically the Japanese term for barbecue - so it is a restaurant where you cook the meat yourself at a grill on your table.

I ate at the restaurant's Dotonbori branch, which was not only a convenient location but also has a sake bar underneath, the restaurant's Sake Bar M300, which seemed perfect for post-dinner drinks.

The restaurant itself is found on the second floor of a building directly by Dotonburi canal. The seating is divided into Japanese-style dining booths, so that each group is afforded some privacy from the next. The restaurant also had incredible ventilation, which seems an odd thing to praise a restaurant for, but I have been to so many yaki niku/yakitori/genghis khan restaurants that are so poorly ventilated that you come out reeking of smoked meat. Then you have to throw all your clothes in the wash as soon as you get home and have an exceedingly long and soapy shower to rid yourself of the scent. Luckily this didn't happen at Matsusakagyu, so I didn't offend the entire carriage on the train home with the scent of barbecue beef - definitely a bonus!

We opted for the Premium Set Menu which promised a selection of appetisers as well as of course a selection of beef, followed by dessert. We also went for a couple of local beers courtesy of Minoh Beer, because, you know, it would be rude not to.

Minoh Beer: Pale Ale & Pilsner

The appetiser selection interestingly enough didn't include beef. It was relatively tasty but didn't exactly set my taste buds on fire, just got my appetite going for the meal: which I suppose is the point of an appetiser.

Okra, sweet potato, omelette, chicken

The next prelude to the main event was the short rib beef with garlic sauce. This one definitely set me salivating!

The short rib with sauce, plus some fat to oil up the grill

Cook-it-yourself

Next in line was beef sushi... which I was really hoping I would like, but it just didn't do it for me. In fact I think it would have been fine without the wasabi on top but that kind of dominated everything. As you can see from the photos, it's quite a large dollop of wasabi for each piece, given how strong the flavour of it is. It should have worked in theory because it is essentially the classic beef and horseradish combination, but sadly it didn't live up to expectations.

Beef sushi

Luckily when the main course of various cuts of beef arrived and we started cooking and tasting each piece, it became clear that we'd made the right choice to eat here. The beef had a really great depth of flavour, and was very melt in the mouth. I think the fact that the restaurant only buys whole cows is a massive benefit, as not only can they guarantee the provenance of the beef, but it also means that they can offer a more interesting selection of cuts. This means that you get a real sense of the spectrum of flavours from different parts of the cow, from the leaner, gamier parts, through to the richer, fattier pieces.

Flap meat and Haneshita (loin/back)

Today's special (sirloin) and Kyukyoku (prime rib)

Dessert was a delicious yuzu ice cream. As delicous as it was, I always feel that getting an ice cream as your dessert in a set menu is a bit of a cop out from the kitchen -  I mean, I have ice cream in my freezer at home. I would prefer to get something a little bit more interesting: perhaps a slice of matcha roll cake or something along those lines.

The main star of this restaurant, the beef, is truly excellent, so I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to try some wagyu in Osaka. I would recommend skipping the set menu and simply ordering whatever beef and sides you want a la carte. The restaurant is really reasonably priced as well (in comparison to a lot of restaurants I've looked at that serve Kobe beef), so it's a good way to try some great quality Japanese beef without completely breaking the bank. I also thought that the beef tasted much better than the Kobe beef I'd tried. Admittedly the only Kobe beef I've tried was at a market stall in Kobe during Golden Week and wasn't what I'd call expertly prepared... but then again we cooked the Matsusukagyu ourselves at the table and we're not chefs, so I think the fact that the result was more delicious is certainly a result of the quality of beef. It just had a much more interesting flavour, and the cuts with the rich, melt-in the mouth fattiness were just amazing!

The sake bar downstairs is also not to be missed - you can try a range of different types of sake from around Japan for just 300JPY a shot! The menu also helpfully advises you as to how sweet/dry each sake is, and the knowledgeable staff are also on hand to explain the sake to you. All very helpful if like me you like sake very much but don't know the first thing about choosing one.

All in all I was happy with my choice of Matsusakagyu Yakiniku M restaurant to celebrate my final night in the city of Osaka. I doubt I'll have the chance to eat beef that delicious again for quite some time!

Have you tried wagyu beef?

NISEKO: Where to Eat

After nearly 6 months of living in Niseko-Hirafu, it is now time for me to leave. Although I'm sad to say goodbye, the time is right, as the town changes from a bustling ski resort back to the sleepy village it was when I first arrived in October. Besides, the snow has now turned to rain, and if I wanted rain, I would have stayed in England!

So in typical Foods for Thought fashion, I'm writing a post to look back on some of the meals I've had during my time here. There are so many great places to eat in the area that I could easily write a whole series of posts on my favourites. Maybe I will, when I return to work a second season here this coming winter. As I was working as a concierge this season, it's been part of my job to know where to eat, and I've been lucky enough to also dine at some restaurants through work. I've had too many delightful meals to be able to mention them all, but I've listed some of my favourites below.

Ebisutei
This tiny izakaya in lower Hirafu was one of my favourite discoveries this year. I was particularly interested to go there as I knew they served oden, which is a Japanese dish I had never tried despite holidaying in the country a couple of times previously. Although I've eaten a lot of Japanese food, there's still plenty I haven't tried yet! The oden was wholesome and satisfying in its simplicity. I was impressed by the quality of the other dishes on the menu too, plus Ebisutei is a bit cheaper than many other restaurants in the area, which is always a plus.

A selection of sashimi

Deep fried oysters with tartare sauce

Teriyaki chicken

Oden: tofu, daikon radish and fish cake

Squid tempura

Sessa
There's something really comforting about a hot pot dinner when it's cold outside! Sessa specialises in sukiyaki and shabu shabu of wagyu beef. The broth of your choice is simmered on a tabletop gas stove, and you add the vegetables and beef to cook to your liking. I personally really enjoy the sweetness of the sukiyaki broth and think it compliments the beef really well. With sukiyaki, you also traditionally dip the cooked meat into a raw egg before eating it. Although initially a bit odd, I actually quite like the texture the egg 'glaze' creates when covering the meat, but in terms of flavour I don't think it adds anything. Once only the broth remains, you can add udon noodles or rice to the pot to soak up the broth and finish your meal.

Sukiyaki broth with raw vegetables added to cook

Cooking the slices of wagyu beef

Yo (Hurry Slowly)
Yo is a great place to have a traditional Japanese set menu in a cosy, intimate setting. You have to choose the set menu you want to order when you place the reservation, and can choose from options including meat, seafood, vegetable, shabu shabu or irori (cooking over a sunken hearth).

I chose the meat set menu when I went. As well as the main course, which consisted of marinated beef and vegetables which you cook yourself over a gas stove at the table, the meal also included appetisers, salad, chicken kamameshi, chawanmushi, thinly-sliced rare roast beef, slow-cooked pork spare ribs, tonkotsu ramen and dessert. Altogether quite an epic meal!

Meat main course: cooked by the diner over a flame at the table

Hanayoshi
This restaurant is definitely one for lovers of seafood. They source their fish from both local fisheries and Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo, and serve an impressive quality of sushi and sashimi as well as other seafood dishes. They take pride in presenting their dishes very attractively too, so the table is always a feast for the eyes (and the camera!). The below dishes were all served as part of the set menu, and I actually lost count of how many dishes they brought to the table...

Sashimi platter

Hairy crab

Blackened cod

Seafood salad

Sushi platter

Seafood miso soup

Ichimura Soba
This restaurant on the outskirts of Hirafu is a great soba alternative if you fail to get a reservation at the famous Rakuichi. Ichimura Soba make their own soba freshly each day and are only open for lunch. When I visited I ordered the Kamo Seiro, which is cold soba noodles served with a hot duck and spring onion broth. I prefer to order cold soba noodles as they retain their texture better if they're not submerged in hot soup! You can then dip each mouthful of soba noodles into the soup to soak up some of the broth as you eat. The soba noodles had a wonderful texture here, and the soup had a surprisingly rich, gamey flavour. 

Kamo Seiro lunch set

Other notable mentions in the Niseko dining scene go to The Barn (mouth-watering French-style food made with local produce), A Bu Cha 2 (lively izakaya), Asahikawa Ramen Tozanken (hearty ramen with 100% Hokkaido wheat noodles), Green Farm Cafe (great breakfast/lunch/brunch spot) and Graubunden (continental style sandwiches and delicious cakes).

One of the things I love best in Niseko is the amount of great restaurants. There are far more (and better quality) restaurants within a mile radius of where I work in Niseko than there are in the neighbourhood where I used to live in London - and London is known for its foodie scene. I'm just glad that there's a mountain where you can ski off all the food, or I would be leaving significantly heavier than I was when I first arrived!

Do you have a favourite restaurant in Niseko? Have you been to another ski resort with an impressive selection of dining spots?

Restaurant Review: Shoryu Ramen

Having recently announced my sojourn to Japan, it seemed like a good time to write up the review of a ramen restaurant that I went to a while back - Shoryu Ramen.

I actually first ate at Shoryu Ramen a couple of years ago, as a pre-theatre dinner before seeing Book of Mormon (it's brilliant, do go and see it if you haven't already). Created by the team behind Japan Centre, Shoryu Ramen had a pop up restaurant on Denman Street for about a month at the time (it has now became a permanent restaurant). I remember having the Dracula Tonkotsu, which was topped with caramelised black garlic oil and garlic chips. It was pungent, fiery and delicious. It really did live up to its name... there was so much garlic in it that you didn't have to worry about a living being, let alone a vampire, wishing to get too close to you after eating it.

I visited Shoryu Ramen again more recently, and this time decided to go for a slightly more sociable ramen. I ate at their branch on Regent Street (they now have four dine-in restaurants, including the original Soho restaurant and locations in Liverpool Street and Carnaby Street).

All of the ramen served at Shoryu are tonkotsu style - this means that the base of the ramen broth is created by slowly simmering pork bones for over 12 hours to create a rich stock. At Shoryu, the ramen are specifically Hakata tonkotsu, hailing from the Hakata district in Fukuoka in Kyushu, Japan. I'm actually stopping over in Fukuoka when I fly over to Japan in October, so I'm going to see if I can find any authentic Hakata tonkotsu ramen to sample at the airport!

So, as I was saying, I wanted to steer clear of the garlic this time, and so I kept it simple and went for the signature ramen: Shoryu Ganso Tonkotsu. As with all the other ramen on the menu, this comes topped with char siu barbecue pork belly, nitamago egg (soft-boiled and seasoned with soy sauce), spring onions, sesame, ginger and nori seaweed.

Shoryu ganso tonkotsu ramen

There is something so soothing about ramen: the combination of hot, savoury broth and hearty, filling noodles does it. Soup is said to soothe the soul, and this one certainly does -  the rich, creamy flavour of the broth has a real depth to it, making it incredibly satisfying. All the toppings help to take it to another level, - the pickled ginger really cutting through the richness, the tender, sweet pork belly echoes the flavour of the broth, and the soft boiled egg is simply delicious in its own right. The different textures and flavours of the toppings really help make it an interesting dish - usually I would get bored halfway through eating a bowl of soup but certainly not with this.

And because you can never have too much pork (never!), I also had a char siu barbecue pork belly hirata bun.

I love the soft, springy texture of these buns! A slice of cucumber and some salad added welcome crunch to the mix, either side of the tender, flavoursome pork. The lashings of mayonnaise made the whole thing particularly moreish. I could have eaten a couple for sure!

I'm looking forward to trying some more regional variations of ramen when I travel to Japan. And because I'll be living there for a while, I'm sure I'll also be tucking into instant ramen pots every now and then, particularly on those days when I just can't face cooking (or need a quick hangover cure!). Instant noodles were actually voted the invention most Japanese are proud of recently. You can't deny that they are kind of brilliant.

But if you're looking for real ramen in London, Shoryu Ramen is a good place to start!

Have you been to Shoryu Ramen? Do you have a favourite ramen bar or Japanese restaurant?

Restaurant Review: Barrafina Adelaide Street

I recently visited Barrafina's new(ish) opening on Adelaide Street - located just off the Trafalgar Square end of the Strand. The original Barrafina on Frith Street was opened about eight years ago by brothers Sam and Eddie Hart (who also own Quo Vadis). Barrafina serves modern Spanish tapas, whilst diners sit at high stools along a bar where they can watch the chefs working their magic. Their new opening on Adelaide Street recently won best restaurant in The National Restaurant awards (as well as picking up the award for best Spanish restaurant). 

The menu at Barrafina.

The menu at Barrafina is divided into various sections, including frituras (fried dishes), cold meats, vegetables, chargrilled dishes and seafood. There are also daily specials. The menu is based on quality ingredients that are prepared expertly but also with simplicity. You can order a couple of dishes here and there as you go along, and they arrive one by one as they are prepared. It's always a good idea to keep an eye on what others are ordering and following suit if the dish looks good!

Fresh produce and the daily specials boards

One thing I always have to have when I go for tapas is the Pimientos de Padron. I'm sure some people probably think they're boring (they are just shallow fried green peppers, sprinkled with sea salt), but they're the quintessential tapas dish in my mind so I usually go for them. Plus the mild thrill of wondering whether you'll get one of the hot, fiery ones turns eating them into a kind of edible game of Russian roulette. I got a couple of hot ones this time so I guess I got lucky/unlucky.

Pimientos de Padron

Another one of my favourite tapas is Stuffed Courgette Flowers. Eating fried courgette flowers is something I was first introduced to during my childhood summer holidays in Umbria, and now whenever I see it on the menu my heart leaps! This one still had the baby courgette attached (so cute!), whilst the flower itself was stuffed with goat's cheese and drizzled with honey. I just love the contrast of the savoury cheese and sweet honey, and the delightfully light crispiness of the flower itself.

Stuffed courgette flowers

Sometimes a small plate just isn't enough. This was the case with the delicious Arroz de Marisco. The rice was cooked in an intensely rich fish stock, had a beautifully creamy texture, like a loose risotto, and was topped with grilled squid and prawns. It was so damn good that we had to order another.

Arroz de marisco

There are some slightly unusual dishes on the menu at Barrafina... such as Milk Fed Lamb's Brain and Ortiguillas (a type of sea anemone). I wasn't brave enough to try either of these, but the Suckling Pig's Ears were safely within my comfort zone. These were deliciously savoury, with a crisp exterior and a nice bit of chew in the middle. They were topped with some deep-fried sage leaves and a mayonnaise dip on the side.

Suckling Pig's Ears

Other dishes we tried included a whole cooked mackerel, some incredibly tender suckling pig, and beautiful English asparagus on a sauce that I think is best described as a crunchy fresh tomato pesto, and topped with cheese shavings. Sadly I'm only human so I had to stop eating at some point, even though I didn't really want to! On the plus side, there are still plenty of dishes left to try next time I go back. 

Having been to both the Frith Street restaurant and now the Adelaide Street, I can safely say that Barrafina produces the best tapas I've experienced outside Spain. Visiting Barrafina always makes me think back to my trip to San Sebastian many years ago when I first experienced real pintxos. I strongly recommend trying Barrafina - it's the kind of place you can enjoy sharing lots of different dishes with a small group, but you can also just pop in solo after work (but get there when doors open if you don't want to queue!) and enjoy a couple of plates all to yourself. 

I have a trip to Barcelona planned for September, so this recent trip to Barrafina has made me even more excited about it! Barrafina was very much inspired by the Hart brothers' love of Cal Pep tapas bar in Barcelona. Please comment below if you have any tips (food or otherwise) for my trip!

Have you been to Barrafina? Or do you have another favourite tapas restaurant?

Restaurant Review: Chicken Shop

Last week a new branch of Chicken Shop opened in Balham. Chicken Shop is the sister restaurant to the just as accurately descriptive Dirty Burger and Pizza East, all of which are owned by Soho House company. It's strange that this exclusive private members club should open a string of restaurants dedicated to the very populist concept of fast food. However, Chicken Shop is not your bog standard chicken shop. All the chickens used are free range and hail from Banham's farm in Norfolk. As a former vegetarian, any restaurant serving free range meat instantly has my attention, as I know I can eat there relatively guilt free.

So as I was saying, Chicken Shop opened its fifth London location in Balham last week. This new opening had been on my radar, but evidently my invitation to the opening night got lost in the post (ahem). On the opening day they were offering a 50% discount on meals. Unfortunately I only realised this two days later whilst making my way to a pre-arranged dinner date at the Tooting branch with Hannah. They do say timing is everything... this time we evidently got it wrong (by 2 days and approximately 1 mile). Nonetheless, it turns out that Chicken Shop is pretty good value, even at full price.

Chicken Shop has a super short and simple menu. Which I generally see as a good thing - I'd rather a restaurant do one thing well than have a menu that's longer than my arm but full of mediocre dishes. The chickens are marinated overnight and then cooked on a rotisserie. Depending on how many of you there are and your hunger levels, you can choose to have a quarter chicken, a half or a whole. Then you can choose from a handful of sides: chips, coleslaw, corn on the cob and a butter lettuce and avocado salad. With a menu that short it doesn't take long to decide. Nor, it turns out did it take long for the food to arrive - I think it was placed in front of us less than 5 minutes after we ordered. This is nothing less than efficient, but I personally prefer a few more minutes to soak up the atmosphere, sip my drink and chat before a meal arrives, but I suppose this is a fast food restaurant. And soon after our arriving there was a queue that led out the door, so I can understand why they want a quick turn around.

Leg, breast, thigh, wing: half a chicken

The chicken was really tasty with its lightly spiced marinade and chargrilled flavour. It was basically what Nando's chicken wishes it was. The skin was nice and crispy too (especially on the wing - yum!) and the meat was mostly succulent, apart from the breast unfortunately. Usually rotisserie chicken succeeds in not being dry because the meat juices are redistributed through the meat as it rotates and cooks. I can only assume that this chicken must have stayed on the rotisserie a few minutes too long. Luckily we were provided with two sauces (hot and smokey) to tackle any drier meat. I used the smokey one which had a good flavour and didn't overwhelm with chilli spice. We also had some mayonnaise on the side which was really tasty... it took me most of the meal to figure out why it tasted different and then I realised it tasted like it had been made with olive oil. Which was kind of unusual, but good. I'm not sure whether the mayo was home made or if it's that new Hellman's they've been advertising on TV. Either way, I liked it.

The works.

The sides impressed too - the crinkle cut fries were crisp, the coleslaw was nice and tangy and not overly doused in dressing/mayonnaise, and the corn on the cob had a delicious garlic butter on it, which had melted and formed little pools between the lightly charred kernels.

When it came to dessert, the menu was just as succinct as the mains, with three choices: deep-filled apple pie, zesty lemon tart and warm and gooey chocolate brownie. All of which were served with either whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. As a chocolate fiend, the brownie was obvious choice. With ice cream of course.

I was slightly concerned when the waitress mentioned that the brownie had nuts in it, because to my mind chocolate and nuts should be kept entirely separate. I love them both individually, but I just think the world's a better place when the two don't meet. However, my fears were alleviated when I discovered the brownie was full of macadamias, which are, after all, the king of nuts and my favourite. And their smooth texture and creamy taste actually work really well with chocolate.

The brownie was so tempting and delicious that we dove straight in and I forgot to take a photo, so you'll just have to imagine the warm, fudgey brownie with crunchy macadamias studded through it like diamonds, and the creamy vanilla ice cream melting all over the top of it. Sorry about that.

How do you feel about single dish restaurants? Have you tried Chicken Shop / Dirty Burger / Pizza East?

Kingston's Riverside Edge // The Cereal Bar

The medieval market town of Kingston-upon-Thames has been experiencing a bit of a Renaissance in terms of restaurant options. First there was Five Guys. Then we got a Bill's (love that place!). Now we even have a Cereal Bar. I can only attribute this incredible upturn in the fortune of the town to my very own presence and influence, having started working here at the end of 2013. After all, Peckham experienced a similar explosion in new eateries when I worked there in 2012/13. I seem to be a harbinger of culinary gentrification *ahem*

Kingston's Riverside Walk has become quite the dining destination since its redevelopment, with some big names popping up along the waterfront including Cote Brasserie, Comptoir Libanais, Busaba Eathai and Cau. At the end of the walk, on the corner of Kingston bridge, there's a new concept called Riverside Edge, which describes itself as 'five new pocket kitchens' (how trendy!). As far as I'm aware the vendors have been the same since it opened, so as yet these pop-ups have popped up and stayed up, but perhaps we'll see some different restaurants in the future. Currently the eateries are Lorenzo's Pizza, champagne and macaroon bar Folie Macaron, mediterrenean fare from Cloud Kitchen, coffee from Local Hero and burgers by Le Bun. I feel like I've sampled hundreds of burgers in London over the last couple of years. But I'm still unable to turn the offer of one down. So fellow burger connoisseur Hannah (of Bow Dream Nation) and I decided to check out Le Bun, to celebrate/commiserate my last couple of weeks of working in Kingston.

Stomachs rumbling, we approached the kitchens. I noticed that the lights seemed rather dim inside... and then we got to the door and read the sign explaining that they were closed due to technical difficulties. The dismay! I was particularly annoyed as Hannah and I had been exchanging tweets with Le Bun, explaining that we would be visiting their Kingston branch on Wednesday - so it would have been nice if they could have given us a heads up earlier that day, letting us know they had been forced to close. But they hadn't. Oh well. Luckily Byron, located just down the river, could satisfy our burger cravings, and as ever, it didn't disappoint.

Happily, The Cereal Bar, which we had planned to visit for dessert, was open, and two very eager bar staff welcomed us in immediately. The bar staff looked like cartoon characters, talked like children's TV presenters, and acted a bit like kids who have had one too many bowls of sugary cereal. Maybe they had. But hey, if you're going to open a themed bar you may as well go all out.

Of course this venue follows in the footsteps of the similarly themed Cereal Killer Cafe which opened in Shoreditch recently, and got a fair bit of stick when it did. I'm not entirely sure why as it's just a bit of fun guys, lighten up! East London has been the subject of gentrification for some years now, and new businesses like this (that admittedly won't be to everyone's tastes) are products of gentrification rather than the root causes of it. If you want to blame someone, I suggest turning your attention to the successive governments who have failed to build sufficient affordable housing. I'm going to end my gentrification rant there before I write War and Peace (and property markets).

Cereal aficionados come in all sorts of guises, shapes and sizes, and not all of them live or work in East London, so I'm sure The Cereal Bar in Kingston will attract a certain clientele. It seems to attract the breakfast/commuter crowd in the morning, school kids in the afternoon, and students at night, remaining pretty busy all day (I walk past it every day on my way to and from work). We arrived during a quiet period, and had the place to ourselves for a bit as we pored over the extensive menu and stood mesmerized in front of the wall of cereal boxes. I felt very much like a kid in a sweet shop.

So. Much. Cereal.

The menu was a little bit too busy to be honest - this place does everything from milkshakes to crisp sandwiches and pop tarts. I just focused on the cereal. There were so many varieties that caught my eye... from Reese's Puffs to Cap'n Crunch and Cinnabon.... so eventually I decided to have the decision taken out of my hands by opting for one of the suggested mixes on the menu. I went for a peanut butter and chocolate one (obviously!) that consisted of Reese's Puffs, Hershey's Cookies and Cream cereal, with toppings of chocolate chips and a Reese's cup, and served with hazelnut milk. I asked them to substitute this for almond milk as that's my favourite milk. I was really impressed that they had such a range of dairy free milks actually (they also had soy and coconut). The milk was thoughtfully served in a separate container so that you could splash or drench the bowl to your desired consistency.

The result of this cereal cocktail was the sort of breakfast you always wanted as a kid but would never have been allowed. Rightly so because I quickly reached a dizzying sugar high and began to doubt that I would ever be able to get to sleep that night.

Chocolate and peanut butter cereal 'cocktail' with a side of almond milk.

This place is fun, not overly expensive (given how much you'd be charged for a whole box of one of these imported cereals in a specialist store), and I think makes cereal exactly what it should be: something that's a treat and a bit of a laugh, but not a kid's breakfast (of course kids will be attracted to the bar, but it seems more aimed at creating an environment of nostalgia for adults). Sadly, the producers (Kelloggs, Nestle et al) of these brightly coloured boxes of cereal with cartoon characters on them, directly target children. You don't even need to look at the nutritional information on the boxes to know they can't be good for you: a couple of bites are sufficient to make you wonder how on earth any government's nutritional advisory committee or advertising standards regulator could allow these to be marketed as an acceptable breakfast for children. You can only assume it's because governments are afraid to stand up to these big brands. I'm not for a ban on junk food - I think adults, who are responsible for their own actions and can make their own decisions - should have the opportunity to eat whatever they like. But of course, the rules are different when it comes to children.

On that note, responsible adults will experience an enjoyable sugar-spiked trip down memory lane in this new Kingston cafe.

The Cereal Bar
66 Fife Road
Kingston upon Thames
KT1 1SP

Restaurant Review: Silk Road

When I started working in Camberwell a few years ago, I immediately put my ear to the ground to find out which local food spots were worth checking out. I soon realised that Camberwell and Peckham have a wealth of interesting eateries, both well-established and newcomers, more of which are popping up all the time. One name that I heard on the grapevine again and again was Silk Road. Intrigued by what I heard, I made it a priority to try it. Over the course of my first meal there, it swiftly rose to the top of my list of favourite Chinese restaurants in London, taking joint first place with Mandarin Kitchen. Although serving the same national cuisine, the two restaurants couldn't be more different.

Silk Road specialises in food from China's Xinjiang province, which is situated in the far north west of the country, and populated by a mixture of ethnic groups including Han, Kazakhs and Mongols. With most Chinese restaurants in London serving either Cantonese or Mandarin cuisines, this is a style of cooking that's not often found on the menu. It's astoundingly different, which I'm sure is in part due to the ethnic diversity of the region. The closest cuisine I can compare it to is Szechuanese, due to the abundance of garlic and chilli, but with so much lamb and cumin thrown in, some of the dishes wouldn't sit uncomfortably on a Middle Eastern menu. Most of the dishes are what I would call robustly spiced rather than 'hot' spicey, making for some rather mouth-watering results.

Home-style aubergine

Alas, I no longer work a stone's throw away from Silk Road, but it's always worth the journey back to SE5: and I made the pilgrimage there this week. The restaurant is becoming increasingly popular as it gains more and more (well-deserved) recognition, including a notable mention in Observer Food Monthly's best cheap eats 2014. So these days it's worth booking a table in advance. But if not, you can always put your name down and then head a few doors down to Stormbird and while away the time with a craft beer or two of your choice. Or, if you live nearby, you can get a takeaway if you're stomach's rumbling and you simply can't wait.

There are so many intriguing dishes on the menu, and they're all incredibly reasonably priced, and generously sized, so that it's quite easy to find yourself biting off more than you can chew. But don't worry - you can always ask for a doggy bag and take the remainder home with you. I can vouch for the fact that the food makes for an excellent lunch the day after the night before.

Lamb shish skewers

Some menu favourites that I order again and again are: the lamb shish skewers (succulent and rich chunks of meat and fat, pungently flavoured with cumin and salt), shredded kelp (a cold salad of slippery slices with lots of bite, doused in chilli and sesame oil), dumplings available with a number of fillings (you get 10 of these fat beauties in one order! 10!) and special lamb noodles with cabbage, onion, garlic and chilli. All the noodles are made fresh on the premises, and if you get to the restaurant early enough you can often see the owners making them at the tables at the back. The noodles are rugged, thick, and served al dente: and there's something really comforting and wholesome about them.

On my last visit I also tried a dish I hadn't ordered before: home-style aubergine. I'm not quite sure why I'd never had it before because aubergine is one of my favourite vegetables; I suppose I'd just overlooked it. Anyhow, it didn't disappoint: the meaty chunks of peeled aubergines had soaked up all flavour of the delicious, sweet garlic and chilli sauce.

When making your selections from the menu - and if you're going with a group do share plates - it's pretty hard to go wrong, although I would recommend that you pay due respect to the chilli symbols placed next to some of the dishes' names. The dishes suffixed by several chillis are genuinely very, very hot. And this is coming from someone who handles spice quite well. I once ordered a dish on the menu, which I can't remember the exact name of, but I would describe it as dry (without a wet sauce or broth) spiced lamb noodles. It had two or three chilli symbols next to it on the menu, and the waitress did ask, with some surprise, if I was sure that I really wanted to order it, and I said yes, I can handle it. And I was so, so wrong. It was incredibly aromatic and delicious but I really did struggle with the level of heat. Lesson learned - always listen to the recommendations of the waiting staff!

At Silk Road you can eat like a king for £10 - £15 per head. I strongly suggest you go there and do exactly that. Just remember to take heed of those chillis.

Silk Road
49 Camberwell Church Street
London
SE5 8TR
0207 703 4832