Notorious Foodie

Dinner at @kolae_london
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Kolae really bringing the heat at dinner the other night. It’s rare to find restaurants that satisfy my craving for spice - but Kolae did just that. The restaurant focuses on food from Thailand’s southern provinces, using the best of both British and Thai ingredients. To start, my go to at any Thai restaurant is an ice cold tamarind soda (if it’s on offer). They do a great one here, think I had 4 of them. Sweet, sharp, and perfectly refreshing when you’re having food with this much punch. Highly recommend. To start, had a couple favourites. Firstly the deep fried prawn heads with red chilli nahm Jim. Wasn’t sure at first, but after trying the first one I quickly realised how tasty they were. Super crispy but somehow melting as soon as they hit the tongue. Buttery and hot. Dangerously addictive. Loved. The other snack that left an impression were the biryani rice crackers. A firework of flavour - salt, fat, heat, acid - every bite hitting you with different pops of sensation. A very nice way to start. For mains, my favourites were that Phuket style soy-braised pork belly and ribs with chewy rice, the sour tiger prawn curry and the chicken bamboo skewer. For sides, the wok-fried flourish farm greens and those delicious kale and herb fritters were just as exciting. The pork belly was soft and bouncy - super tender and with a really deep, sticky soy sauce coating it all. Layers of flavour in this thing that seeped into the pork. It was the prawn curry though that hit me with the most satisfying heat. Very spicy, but very addictive. A fiery hot curry but with a consistency of a loose soup which was welcomed. Solid food here. It’s a different style of restaurant to somewhere like kiln though - different food, different vibe.. still v good. Might have to pop in for more prawn heads if I’m walking by! #notoriousfoodie 🙅🏽‍♂️
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#london #londonfood #wok #thai #thailand #thaifood #londonfoodie #londoneats #spicy #noodles #boroughmarket #eastlondon #londonrestaurant Less

Lunch at @dorian.nottinghill @maxcoen_chef 🔥🥩
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Nothing quite like the lunch service at Dorian. A totally full dining room with the counter completely packed out and all the chefs working hard behind it. The menu here is a seasonal one and so you can always count on there being new dishes utilising the best ingredients of the month. Max got super creative on this menu. Lots of new Rosti combinations - ordered all of them! Loved the brussel sprout and caviar Rosti, the Vacherin and black truffle Rosti + the crab and pomello Rosti. These little morsels always pack so much punch - well balanced flavours and textures all working hand in hand to create the perfect bite. The bluefin tuna crudo with green chilli was wild. Two different bites on one skewer. First a cube of otoro on black radish, sprinkled with chilli sugar and green chilli. The second, Akami on winter tomato with barley citrus vinaigrette. Don’t know how he comes up with this stuff but the flavours were wild. A delectable skewer. The skewered beef tongue was also new, served with mustard, crispy garlic, greens and egg yolk. Perfectly grilled and utterly tender - delicious all together. Tempura langoustine was super crispy but soft in the middle. Sweet itself, but served with a citrus and ginger dressing that worked so well. Of course, the tartare is a must here, as is some form of beef. Opted for the bone in sirloin. Lovely char and cook on this thing. A little tough in parts but beyond flavourful. I actually ordered a nice bottle of Chablis but a very generous follower offered me a few glasses of this incredible 1969 barolo - would be a fool not to try it. Deeply flavoured and smokey - so much complexity. Thank you if you’re reading this g! Only in Dorian! #notoriousfoodie 🙅🏽‍♂️ Less

Very good pizza @circuspizza_panzers @panzers_deli @kitdelamain ♥️🍕
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Excellent stuff coming out of the all new pizza spot inside panzers. The best quality ingredients, excellent dough and just all round delicious pizza. I had two favourites though. The pizza genovese was just amazing. It combines two of my favourite things, pizza and a proper Genovese ragu. A white pizza topped with dollops of a slow cooked ragu made with beef shanks and lots of sweet onions. A little sprinkle of parsley for colour, lift and freshness. The undercarriage on this one, perfectly browned, crusty and spotted all over. Lots of olive oil but still so light and moreish. The marg was delicious too. A robust, well balanced tomato sauce and just enough creamy mozz. Fresh, hot pizza with really nice dough! My second favourite was the sticky toffee pizza, made with Panzer’s secret honey cake, sticky toffee sauce and double cream - this was a magical bite. Sweet enough but not hurting the teeth. Puffed up crusts and a subtle smokiness to the bite but really addictive. I’m not into sweet pizzas but I was very into this! A great new addition to the london pizza scene #notoriousfoodie 🙅🏽‍♂️ Less

Omakase at @sushikanesakalondon 🍣
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20 courses, 8 seats and 1 Michelin Star. Great to be back in here again. The menu is constantly evolving as it adapts to the seasons and so no seating is ever quite the same. Lots of new plates on the menu and a number of fresh favourites. Head chef Hirotaka Wada is fun to watch - a warm and friendly chef that makes for the best experience. Absolutely loved the lobster cream croquette, served with an egg and onion salad. This thing was super savoury and creamy. Lusciously soft in the centre whilst golden and crispy on the outside. The egg salad reminiscent of a 7-eleven tamago sando. Amazing. The yariika nigiri with beluga caviar was beautiful - I loved the texture. Slightly chewy but creamy at the same time. So satisfying to eat. The hotate isobeyaki took me by surprise. Huge binchotan grilled scallops, wrapped in nori and eaten like a taco. Buttery soft and sweet. Big portion - was expecting this to be cut in half but glad it wasn’t! There were also two hand rolls I couldn’t get enough of. The unagi kabayaki and the negi toro maki at the end. The unagi was piping hot - glazed with a sweet sticky soy and so tender. Could have had four of these things. Cut into strips and piled into the seaweed with warm sushi rice before being wrapped. Addictive! To finish, lots of incredible Japanese fruit as well as some strawberry daifuku that Wada-San made at the counter #notoriousfoodie 🤣
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#london #londonfood #londonfoodie #omakase #japanese #japanesefood #sushi #finedining #mayfair #sushitime #sushilover #seafood Less

Bluefin tuna e melon @ninamarylebone 🔥
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Test drive of Nina, the all new modern Italian in Marylebone. Loved the mood in this place. Dim lighting, lots of candles and a rustic-chic fit out. Quite the atmosphere for dinner. The menu here is a fun play on Italian classics with lots of innovative twists and interesting flavour combinations. There were three standouts on the menu for me. First, that incredible bluefin tuna with melon. What a plate. I loved this - had to order a second. So fresh. Essentially it’s a dish of cubed melon, thinly sliced chutoro and a house made Italian ponzu. The melon was ice cold and perfectly ripe. Juicy, sweet and just soft enough. The tuna, fatty and rich. The dressing - a sweet and acidic mix of citrus and dashi. Such addictive, well balanced flavours. An amazing creation. Up next, the house focaccia with Parmesan butter. The focaccia here is charred and served with a Parmesan butter that is outrageously good. Tasted almost like toum - I got lots of garlic in that bite and couldn’t stop eating it. Definitely order. The third, a white duck ragu and paccheri pasta. Nothing quite like a white ragu. The sauce was super creamy but light. Slow pulled duck with hints of sage running through it and perfectly al dente bite. A great plate of food. Having tried all of the pastas here, this was by far my favourite. Other bits from the evening were the taleggio arancini, which may seem basic, but were super tasty. Excellent balls of gooey, cheesy goodness. The cecina and grissini to start were lovely too. A solid new spot for dinner in W1 #notoriousfoodie 🙅🏽‍♂️
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#london #londonfood #londonlife #tuna #melon #italian #finedining #londonfoodie #eeeeeats #marylebone Less

Dinner at @mangal2restaurant @sertacdirik @ffferhatdirik 🔥 🇹🇷
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A solid dinner at Mangal II the other night. The place has got a lovely mood to it - warm, cosy and with a subtle scent of the grill floating in the air. The pass was covered in butter glossed, chargrilled pide and naturally, it was the first thing I ordered. It wasn’t actually butter that made the pide shine though, it was the mutton fat that they brush across the top. That beautifully rendered cull yaw fat mixed with the smokey spices gave this pide such a meaty and moreish flavour profile. The charred lamb ribs with smoked grapes and sour cherry molasses were great too - nicely charred, tender and fatty. The grapes were fresh and the sour cherry gave these things the perfect lift. I had two favourites from dinner though. The mushroom manti and the ex-dairy beef rib with çemen butter. The manti were big. Perfectly chewy and toothsome, filled with wild mushrooms and served on a bed of creamy garlic yogurt. The crispy mushrooms on the top were crunchy and satisfying to eat alongside. A really well made plate of dumplings. Now then, that beautiful rib of beef. Blushing pink and licked with çemen butter. Çemen is basically a fenugreek seed powder that’s mixed with things like paprika, cumin, garlic and chilli. It’s a potent spice mix that is intense and smokey. It worked so well with the beef I had to ask for some extra on the side. Not particularly hot in terms of spice level but more of a warm, fruity hum. Very nicely cooked, properly rested and with a solid crust to complete the bite. The tahini and apple tart was knockout too. Flavours on flavours. Lovely service, lovely vibes #notoriousfoodie 🙅🏽‍♂️
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#london #londonfood #londonfoodie #eastlondon #turkish #turkishfood #eeeeeats #steak #ribeye Less

Snacks at @qualitywinesfarringdon // lunch at @qualitychop cc: @nick_bramham @shaunsearley ♥️🔥
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Today was a good day! I got to try the new special at Quality Wines in Farringdon and also managed to grab a walk-in at Quality Chop straight after. A quality afternoon with quality food. The Périgord truffle croque Monsieur from QW was outstanding. A sandwich that features some highly curated fillings. Peak season Périgord truffles, Brie de meaux, provolone and jambon ‘Prince de Paris’ - all sandwiched between two slices of house-baked milk loaf, toasted in clarified butter. If you’ve read all of that you can probably already taste the flavours. Super rich and indulgent - the cheese was properly melted and gooey; and the slightly heated truffles really leak their flavours into each bite. It’s all I had space for here today, but will be back soon for more of Nick’s menu. Now onto QCH. I skipped starters and went straight for that braised beef cheek cavatelli. Damn. What a plate. The handmade cavatelli was chewy and dense - really satisfying to bite into. All tossed together in a rich beef (Demi-glace style) sauce with scatterings of beef cheek throughout. The grooves in the pasta were hanging on to the glossy sauce which was so flavoursome. The black garlic added lots of intensity and there was a subtle sweetness in every spoonful. Served with black truffle and corra linn, a sheep’s milk cheese that’s almost nutty in flavour. Super yum. Also went for the special today: QCH’s Holstein schnitzel. Breaded veal, basted in clarified butter and topped with a fried egg, anchovies, capers and parsley. Thin, crispy and with a lovely jus to tie it all together. A solid choice! Sirloin was just decent today, super rare, well below medium rare. Not bad but not the best I’ve had from here. Desserts on point as usual though. Always save space for them. The white chocolate mousse with malt ganache and candied peanuts was toppp #notoriousfoodie 🙅🏽‍♂️
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#london #londonfood #eastlondon #schnitzel #steak #british #farringdon #clerkenwell #londonfoodie #londoneats #londonrestaurants #eeeeeats #finedining Less

Dinner at @anglothai @englishhippy @dizwest_ 🔥🇹🇭
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Had a lovely dinner at the all new AngloThai in Marylebone last night. Modern Thai cuisine using hyper-local ingredients from the very best British suppliers. A refined set menu here with lots of variety from land and sea and a real mix of flavours. Think spicy, sweet, sour and umami, all worked into the food in a balanced and elegant way. The trio of bites to start were delicious. I’m not a big oyster guy but damn, the Carlingford oyster with a sea buckthorn and fermented chilli dressing was seriously good. Nice and acidic with some super potent but welcomed heat from the chilli. I love spice and this really hit the mark for me - it woke up the palette and set me up for the rest of the menu. HOT how it should be. The Brixham crab with Exmoor caviar and coconut ash cracker was light, cold and fresh. Perfect after the heat from the oyster. Balanced, sweet and satisfying to eat. Next up was the wild mushroom flatbread. A lovely looking plate. I found the flatbread a little doughy but the flavours were there - earthy, peppery, smokey notes with a super buttery bite. I would have loved some more heat in this one and I could really see some mussels working in there too. Chalk stream trout with green chilli and watermelon radish was delicious - I scooped up every last drop of the green chilli dressing. It’s a plate where everything worked - the crunchy radish was lovely. For mains I went for both the pollock and venison. Definitely preferred the grilled Windsor Estate venison - it was so tender and served with a delicious peppercorn curry sauce. Spicy, tangy and warming with a really satisfying chewy/crunchy rice on the side. The pollock didn’t quite do it for me though, just not as interesting or punchy flavour-wise. To finish, it was the palette cleanser that stole the show - rhubarb, white cardamom and coconut - three elements that worked so well together. Sweet, creamy and fragrant - so addictive. A warm and cosy setting for dinner - perfect ambiance and food in this kind of weather! #notoriousfoodie 🙅🏽‍♂️
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#thai #thailand #thaifood #spicy #eeeeeats #finedining #[instagram]#london #londonfood #londonlife Less

The most amazing dinner at @adalinedubai @chefizu @evgenykuzindxb 😍🔥
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What a space. The all new Adaline in DIFC from @fundamentalhospitality serves up old-school Italian cuisine in the most beautiful dining room. Cosy booths, dim lighting and live jazz really make for the most intimate yet fun vibe. It’s the only restaurant in Dubai of this calibre where there is live jazz throughout the evening and it’s done very tastefully - just loud enough to create a warm atmosphere and with the right style of music. The salt baked carabinero red prawns were one of my favourite dishes. Gorgeous plating with the red prawns served whole and blanketed in a salt crust. Sweet, well seasoned and so tender. Fresh and delicious.
The conchiglioni with duck ragu was great too. A really rich tomato based sauce with slow cooked duck ragu tucked into every crevasse. Plenty of Parmesan, sage and basil worked into the glossy ragu. Full of flavour and the shells were nice and al dente. Rigatoni alla vodka was tasty too, love the sweetness from the cherry tomato sauce - more spice needed imo though. Lots on the menu here, the caviar service is really nicely put together - the potato blinis are made fresh to order and were super warm and fluffy. All the condiments just as the should be. For mains, I hit the fiorentina - a big piece of beef. Grilled on the josper for a perfect crust and served with a well reduced peppercorn sauce and tender Parisian potatoes. Delicious and perfectly cooked. Overall a lovely spot for dinner, would definitely recommend - it’s a very different vibe to everywhere else in Dubai! #notoriousfoodie
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#dubai #dubaifood #difc #downtowndubai #dubaifoodie #dxb #mydubai #visitdubai #caviar #finedining #seafood #seafoodlover #michelinguide #dubailife Less

Bowl of goodness @itadaku_dubai 😍
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An amazing lunch at Itadaku. This restaurant on Al Wasl road in Jumeirah 1 is without a doubt the most authentic Japanese that I’ve been to in Dubai so far. The menu features a few key sections from sushi and sashimi, to robata, tempura, yoshoku and unagi. It’s a menu that adapts with the seasons and so you can expect lots of ultra fresh seafood and vegetables with new dishes appearing each time you visit. I loved the uni and amaebi kodon - the sweet shrimp were so delicate and tender with a hint of crunch. The bafun uni was cold and creamy, sweet and earthy. Warm sushi rice underneath and just a hint of wasabi and soy over the top - perfection. The unagi kabayaki here is special. Nowhere really does this in Dubai and it’s worth going just for this. The grilled freshwater eel is brushed with sweet soy and served over warm rice. It’s so flaky and flavoursome - the glaze was rich, sticky and had a lovely shine to it. Miso soup was great - really hearty and with so much depth. Their Robata is a must - I went for the yakitori momo which was incredible, had to order another portion. Super juicy and perfectly charred / glazed. Tempura uni was v good. Had this at tempura kondo in Tokyo earlier this year and these guys really did it well too. So much on the menu here.. tried to have a little bit of it all. My only reservation with the sushi was the nigiri. They use LOTS of rice and the nigiri are a little too big for my liking. Taste wise, solid, rice was good too, but size wise, not quite right imo. Definitely a spot to visit. Will be back soon to scour through the rest of the menu! Their Hokkaido milk soft serve is a MUST #notoriousfoodie 🙅🏽‍♂️
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#sushi #sushilovers #uni #seaurchin #shrimp #seafood #dubai #dubaifood #dxb #mydubai #dubaifoodie #finedining #japanese #japanesefood #omakase #michelinguide #michelinstar #eeeeeats Less