It’s a rare occasion when I walk in to a restaurant and have no idea what I’m ordering, but pleasantly this was the case when visiting Korean restaurant, Asadal. Conveniently situated next door to Holborn station, our group of 3 had no problems finding the place, but like any childhood fairytale, you have to want it to be able to see it.

Walking down a set of stairs we arrived at a dark basement restaurant and were pleasantly greeted by a member of the bar staff. We we asked to wait a few minutes as we didn’t have a reservation and were eventually politely asked if we minded sharing a table with another diner. We agreed and there was plenty of space for us and the business man quietly eating his evening meal for one.

I’ve never been to a Korean BBQ, so having no expertise, experience or expectations allowed me to sit back and let my two friends decide what we should order… BBQ Set I. 4 courses comprising of soup, appetizers, bbq main and desert.

I was pleasantly surprised. The Yuk Gae Jang soup was a well-balanced mix of beef and vegetables, with a level of spiciness that for me was just right (Some might disagree). The appetizers were basic but flavourful, which I had no problems with at all.

And then came the main… CLUELESS! I had absolutely no idea how to play this one, do we cook the meat ourselves? How is the meat supposed to go with the sides? Am I supposed to build some sort of Korean meat-veg-leaf sandwich?? The waiter arrived and laid out all our veg and plates. He then turned on the bbq in the centre of the table and filled the hot plate with meat, then simply walked away… What were we supposed to do?? Do we watch and cook ourselves? Or risk leaving the meat to become a smokey charred block that only true English bbq-ers can achieve. We decided on the former and my friend began individually turning each piece of meat on the plate… 2 minutes later the waiter came back and quickly mixed up the meat in, what we assume to be, the correct carefree method. Lesson learnt, let the waiters do their jobs.

We could have benefited from a little guidance on how to eat our food, but in traditional oriental fashion we went for the meat+sauce+veg+rice method. Not sure if it was right, but it was delicious nonetheless! Our mix of spicy pork and beef was tasty and succulent and the dips and veg really added an extra dimension to our palettes. It was something that I really wasn’t expecting, it was lovely.

The desserts were the basic fruits or grapes, apple, melon and orange slices, but with the addition of a cup of cold, cinnamon smelling, loose syrup. Again, do we dip our fruit in it, or do we just drink it? Imagine the embarrassment of dipping when we should be drinking or drinking instead of dipping, it would’ve surely be on par with drinking ‘lemon soup’ after a lobster course! Luckily one of our party had actually read the menu and they informed us that it was advertised as a dessert ‘drink’, crisis averted. The drink itself was nice, a strong aroma of cinnamon was countered by a sweet cold drink, not unlike a chinese Tong Sui. Those not used to sweet dessert drinks could compare it to a sort of cold mulled wine. I liked it, but it wasn’t something that I could drink all evening.

Overall I really enjoyed my meal at Asadal. It was a brand new experience and an experience I would probably do again. And now that I know what I’m eating, I can be a little bit more specific and order from the a la carte menu rather than the set menu. Price-wise, I would say it was a little on the pricey side, but with Korean BBQ being quite a niche product, I can understand why Asadal would charge a premium. It’s a nice place in a convenient location, I recommend it.

I like steak, I especially like 28 oz Porterhouse steak (T-bone to those of the old school) and that was the reason why I had to visit Sophie’s Steakhouse on a Monday evening.

The great thing about Sophie’s Steakhouse is that they don’t take reservations, you just turn up and ask for a table. I suppose it would be harder for larger groups but on this occasion it was just me and an old friend so there was plenty of space for us to dine.

Unlike many of the South American style steakhouses in London, this was much more of the British/North American ilk. Instead of steak and cheese, it was steak, chips and onion rings, which appeals a lot more to my upbringing.

With complimentary salami and Belgian beer in hand we both ordered the Porterhouse with sides of chips and onion rings, there was no other alternative as far as we were concerned, we’d come for the T-bone and the T-bone is what we would get. The atmosphere was relaxed and the service was friendly, very helpful and the food arrived in no time at all…

And what an arrival! 2 steaks, the size of Joseph Merrick’s face, arrived to our table accompanied with 3 dipping sauces and our sides. The group sitting next to watched in awe as they gracefully landed and they themselves had been convinced that the Porterhouse was the way to go.

Beautifully cooked, initial concerns of a rare order being well done were soon quashed as near 2 inch thick was sliced closer to the bone to show some high quality cooking skills. Moist and with perfect texture and flavour, my thoughts drifted to the question, ‘Why don’t we do this more often?’, coronary heart failure and a Jeremy Springer special soon came to mind.

But I’d do it again, as many times as I can get away with it, I’d do it again. I’m spurred on by the £25 price, our bill totalling just over £37 each for 3 beers, 2 sides, and probably the best Porterhouse I’ve had in years.

Sophie’s Steakhouse may soon become a monthly regular spot of mine, I just need someone to keep an eye on my cholesterol levels…

I’ve known about places like Ba Shu and Ba Shan for a while now, but I’ve never been able to convince myself to go in and eat. So on a quiet Tuesday night, I venture with a couple of my visiting friends in search for food.

I’ve always had the belief that food, especially chinese food, should not be over a certain price. We use the same ingredients, the same spices and the same seasoning, but the only difference is the way we prepare and cook them. This why I’m always weary of visiting the more pricier establishments.

But on this occasion the choice was not mine to make and we were soon being shown to our seats on the first floor. It was silence as we browsed through the menu, this was no ordinary chinese restaurant. Roast duck, roast pork and chinese bbq pork was nowhere to be seen and I was beginning to fear the worse. We tentatively selected 5 dishes, 3 meat and 2 vegetable, along with rice for 5 and waited for around 10 mins (good timings, especially for a chinese).

I was surprised. The food was good… Very good. The twice cooked pork may have looked a little like bacon, but the flavour of pork and Szechuan spice was wonderful. The chicken pot was succulent and the chicken with mixed peas and sweetcorn dish was so clean that you could taste every flavour. The biggest surprise for me was the vegetables. A simple bok choi and garlic was excellently cooked, with a flavour of garlic that ran all the way through the crunchy yet soft leaves. And finally the green beans in a spicy Szechuan sauce, again the flavour was not just coated on the outside but ran through with every bite. VERY surprising indeed.

For the price of the dishes (between £9-£16 per dish), I would say they were a little on the small size. I was seriously eating conservatively here, but it also allowed me to fully appreciate the range of flavours. I wouldn’t make it a regular outing, but every now and again when I feel my palate dulling from the oil riddled ducks and porks of Chinatown, I may walk that extra 50 yards and pay that extra £20 for the Szechuan delight that is Ba Shan.