Now? When? Then?

Working in the city, I'm always looking for new places to grab a quick lunch that's different to your standard Pret, Eat, Leon. Moving offices to the middle of Moorgate helped this, with the resources of Liverpool Street, Bank, Clerkenwell at my disposal the world is my oyster (for lunch at least)


So when I realised I could try Ping Pong's Now store, I thought why not? Dim Sum to take away in a flash.



When I saw that among their offerings was something called a Meat Basket, I couldn't resist.






ABBAABA. These were the standard style dim sum you get at Ping Pongs across London, but still good for a fast lunch.


Also on the menu was a Chinese Burger; Char Siu pork in a steamed pork bun, seeming a bit like someone read about the Momofuku pork bun and thought they could copy it;

While an interesting attempt, the chewy bun let this down, making it more of an effort to chew through than it should have been. I'd probably give it another shot if I see it again, just as something different though.

Overall,for cheap and easy Dim Sum to grab quickly on a workday, Ping Pong Now does well and I'll definitely return, but it's not as good as the sit down Ping Pong restaurants, or any of Chinatown's Dim Sum destinations

Pitt Cue Co - Under the bridge, but I'm the only troll

The South Bank in London is a hectic place, full of chain restaurants and various touristy things. This is why when something like the Pitt Cue Co pops up, it's always a pleasure. These guys are bringing brilliant American Style BBQ to London from a van under a bridge.

Going for the pulled pork (which after ordering I found out was something my dining companion had never been too impressed with when ordered elsewhere) I was presented with a heaping box of meat, beans and coleslaw. Firstly I'd like to point out anyone can win my allegiance with meat and coleslaw, so I may be a bit biased with this, but I'd put this offering as one of my favourite pieces of Street Food in London at the moment.

From the Pork that falls apart as you push a wooden fork into it, to the slightly spicy beans and the crisp bread, this is what I'd always imagined pulled pork should be. It also impressed my companion, who admitted that she'd never have ordered it without me, but definitely would if visiting again.

Also, for those New Yorkers in London, they have PBR...

A Quick Lunch with Peyton and Byrne

As you may have noticed, I haven't been updating much over this last couple of weeks. This is mainly because I have flown north for the summer. And for the rest of the year. Not too far north, just north of the river up to the dizzying heights of Kings Cross.

One of the things that comes part and parcel with moving house is buying new furniture, so in order to go and gawp and stuff we couldn't afford, myself and my lovely little lady (awesomely alliterative) headed to Heals on Tottenham Court Road.

Within this den of pricy furniture we discovered another den, one of tasty food (not scum and villany as one would assume) - Peyton and Byrne

Seven pounds for grabbing a couple of quick, quality quiches, a small side salad and a drink isn't too bad for city prices (although anywhere not London, probably a lil bit of robbery)

Two quiches; one Bacon and Cheese, the other Spinach and Goats cheese, both brilliant for a quick lunch to refuel in style, with a tasty salad with a sticky, sweet mustard dressing.

Overall,a useful resource to know about when stuck shopping department stores for furniture. A situation always improved by good food

Weekend Breakfast - Baked Eggs in Rolls

Waking up at the weekend is harder than it has any right to be, that's why its always good to get some breakfast treats to encourage movement from bed to...well...most likely to the sofa.

Deciding to mix things up from my usual routine of bacon, fried eggs or cereal, I decided to try baked eggs. However, since I don't own any ramekins, I had to improvise a container. For this, ciabatta rolls, hollowed out and lined with Feta and Spinach did the trick.

Filled in with two eggs and baked at 200c for 10 mins, gave a perfect egg with a blast of salty feta in every bite, and crisp rolls to absorb the juices.

Definitely a good way to get out of bed. Possible ideas for next time include adding chorizo, cheese on the top or tomatoes inside. But that's my changes for most if not all recipes

One Good Reason; Rhodes 24

Rhodes 24, Tower 42.

The food isn't bad, definitely the sort of cuisine designed for expenses bills. But there is one good reason to go;

The best view of a gherkin this side of a McDonalds

Recipeasy - Grilled Salmon with Avocado and Mango

A hot and balmy summers night it's difficult to resist the lure of something fresh and new. This usually for me means I start craving fish as for some reason I associate that with fresh and light flavours. Unfortunately I am not very good at cooking fish, a situation which I have decided to remedy.

To this end, I did a quick marinade of some Salmon Fillets in a splash of Pedro Ximanez sherry vinegar and pepper and put together a salad of rocket, avocado and tomato.

While this seemed like it would be a good combo, there felt like there was something missing, something to add a bit of colour.

To this end, I quickly sliced up some mango and put it on the grill after the salmon was done, to colour it. This gave a fun extra element to the dish, complementing the spicy and peppery rocket and providing some surprising contrasts to the mango.

For a 10 minute dinner, definitely one to remember and the combo of grilled fruit and fish bears further thought...

One Good Reason for Shelling those Broad Beans

You can't say you wouldn't finish this Broad Bean and Pancetta penne in less time than it'd take to shell a single bean