New Diwan i Am, Chiltern Street, W1. Well received local Indian Restaurant.

29th April 2014
When the students we used to go to the old Diwan i Am which was on the corner of Warren Street Whitfield Street near Tottenham Court Road. You can tell how long ago that was because when I started going there initially I was paying £1 for a chicken biryani. The business was definitely there until about the early 1980's when it fragmented and turned up at various other locations in London under different names such as the Red Fort and Diwan i Khas and I even found somewhere in Southport that had one of the cooks.
I had a satisfactory outing to this new edition of the Diwan with my wife in the past and I knew my friend I was hanging out with would welcome a surprise trip to this location as he had also favoured the old Diwan. There is no web-based information from this restaurant, but there are plenty of reviews. There are many reviews of this restaurant on trip advisor which are mainly positive but the owner seems to add his comments even after unfavourable reviews. I guess the problem with all (food) review sites is that people who have an unsatisfactory experience use them to vent their frustration, and interrupt the flow of business. I think that is the way of the free market and people can vote with their feet either way. There is some suspicion over glowing reviews on Tripadvisor, because it is easy enough for the business to plant its own reviews, or alternately plant damning reviews of the competition. I have even heard that there is a war of words between various Indian restaurants in North London conducted through the pages of TripAdvisor.
Nothing can quite replace the memories of taste and smell from ones youth, and I realise it is now so long since the original unique tastes of the old Diwan, that one just judges a place on its own merits rather than comparing it to memories.
Remembering a decent experience last time at the New Diwan, and needing somewhere within walking distance of Marylebone station, which would not break the bank, this fitted the bill. The menu is fairly conventional. The surroundings are new fashioned Indian restaurant with white walls and modern furniture. This small restaurant seems cosy, and the staff seem keen to please.
For starter I had my usual benchmarking Sheek Kebab.

This was pretty standard stuff. It was well cooked, very tasty and hot enough probably scoring about 7.8 on the CHOF scale.

For a main course I chose the special chefs Biryani. What made this particularly special was at the sauce came with it was based on dhal rather than a vegetable curry. This meant it was by definition not particularly spicy but the ingredients for the Biriani were very tasty and it was an unusual mix of meats.

In retrospect I think I should have plated it out so you could see what was actually in the dish. Suffice it to say, I would recommend a special biryani but the dhal sauce was probably a bit too mild for my taste and I think I should have ordered the dish a bit more spicy. I also think it should have been a bit hotter as it only rated 7.8 on the CHOF scale. I really ought to know better and I should order my dishes hot at the time of discussing with the waiters.We had eaten fairly early in the evening and it's not possible to say what the restaurant is like later on. Judging by the fairly positive reviews this restaurant attracts, I would be loath to go there at a normal dining time without reservation. Staff are friendly and efficient and this is my second experience of this restaurant which has proved to be positive. I will definitely go there again.

Comptoir Libanais, South Kensington: something slightly unusual for lunch

29th April 2014.
One of my buddies wanted to do a trip to the Science Museum and as we were planning a early supper we needed a snack, but we are both snack enjoyers, so would have no problem with a big one. I have used this cafe as a take away previously. Its premium position at the tube station end of Exhibition Road more or less guarantees it a lot of passing trade. There also seems to be a significant amount of trade from local business people looking for somewhere to have lunch. It is an attractive eclectic mix of cafe, takeaway, shop and middle eastern decoration.There is a web site on http://www.lecomptoir.co.uk/ with the menu. There are several locations, and the chain seems to be growing around London with the web site advertising 6 places. It seems to have caught the eye of the fashionable and this may be a place to be seen as well as eat. The influx of Middle Eastern guests and residents in London assure the future of this style of restaurant, and for those that want something a little more sophisticated than kebabs, this may fit the bill.
I had the kofte wrap

This is attractively presented and very tasty. It was never going to be hot, as most of the trade is takeaway with no expectation, and I would give it a 7.5 on the scale. However, as a substantial snack I could not fault it, and my companion, who had the same, was entirely satisfied. A decent cup of coffee accompanied. It turned out to be a bit of a hit for a quick lunch, and the wrap and a coffee and service came to £10. I like this place, but will reserve it for special days. Everyone is looking for lunch around the museums, so it is a sellers' market. At least the prices are the same everywhere in this chain.

Gastro Clapham: More or less French Food.

28th April 2014
A meeting of people involved in some other writing I do led me to a middle of the road bistro in Clapham. It is bang opposite the picture house at Clapham Common, and is therefore easy to reach from the Tube station. This was the night of the start of the first 48hrs strike, but the Northern Line was running so I did not need a plan B to get home.
Claaham and St Ockwell have become the haunts of the young professionals and monied who work in the city and other well paid jobs. Their survival needs have followed them, and the area is full of places to not eat at home, wine bars, clubs and bicycle shops. If you want to pay £20 for fish and chips, this is the area to be.
There is no web presence for this bistro, but there are plenty of mixed reviews to be seen elsewhere. (One discusses the presence of a rat, and this fits with the advice of a colleague of mine who said it is always a risky business eating in restaurants a stone's throw from underground stations, but I saw no evidence.)Inconsistency is the consistent finding, and it may depend on when you use the Gastro. It serves breakfast as well as meals during the rest of the day, and the early diners seem to be the most satisfied. Many say it is like a splash of Paris in London. This is sort of true in appearance and ambience, but the menu is French for average British tastes in my opinion. A place for everyday eating rather than special eating. I got there early (partially as a result of misunderstanding) and at 1900, the place was empty. At 2000 on a Monday it was pretty busy, and as our reservation had been 'lost' it was just as well there was some space.
The menu is French as Brits would expect. The staff seem to be a mixture of geographical origin, and our waitress seemed to have neither French or English as a first language. Lighting was very low, a pictures are bit dim and noisy.
For starter, I had the suitably French option of Onion Soup:

The somewhat exotic Clapham Common tube station

For those that know, the camera automatically set itself to ISO 12800 which accounts for this somewhat noisy picture of a bowl of soup. This was a bit of a d.i.y. event, and the soup could have been a bit hotter to disseminate the cheese. Scored a 7.8 on the CHOF scale. Warm enough, but should have been hotter.

For main course I had chicken stuffed with garlic mousse with French beans and a side order of frites. This tasted better than it looks, with a smooth mildly garlic filling, but could have done with being a bit hotter. Scored 7.8 on the CHOF scale.

Fortunately, as my publisher was footing the bill, I did not pay too much attention to the costs, but the prices were consistent with the location and food. Whilst this was an entirely satisfactory experience, it was not so good as to make me say I would definitely go there again. I might put it as second choice, or use it when someone did not want to go to one of my favourites. Service was patchy, but as this was an evening for chat rather than the dining experience, it did not matter. A bottle of pinot noir was indifferent.

My conclusion: if you want comfortably priced French style Bistro food, and don't want to go to Cafe Rouge, this fits the bill. It feels more of a bistro experience than Rouge. Food could have been a bit hotter, as it consistently missed the 8 mark.

The Haven Bar and Bistro: Jewel in the Crown for Whetstone's Restaurant Row

21st April 2014
The Haven has long been a local high spot of better dining. When we first started using it a decade ago you had to book a Saturday night table at least a month in advance. I don't know how it is currently, but for a Monday night after a bank holiday, there was no trouble getting in. One of our reservations about the Haven is that when we have been before, and it has been busy, it has been very noisy and difficult to converse. On this occasion, as there were very few customers, it was not a problem. Monday night may be a good night to go if you do not need the busy restaurant atmosphere. We have also used the bar area in the past as they serve good reasonably-priced cocktails and bar food. This can be busy on Thursday through the weekend. They have a fairly comprehensive web presence at http://www.haven-bistro.co.uk/Welcome.html

The atmosphere of the Haven restaurant is modern and hard. The walls are plain, with illustrations, and the floor and wall hardness mean that when it gets busy, it is noisy. The staff all wear a corporate black T shirt and trousers, which whilst making a clear distinction between staff and customers, seems a little out of place for this atmosphere. Whilst sufficiently upmarket to expect clients to be a bit dressed up, this was not the case on the night we went, and the 'anything reasonable goes' rule for dress code seemed to be operational that night. The menu is fairly short, and changes frequently but there are some old favourites which are frequently seen. In recent times, there has been a move to fixed menu pricing, which is a good thing, as you know where you are as you know the cost of a two or three course meal, but there are several supplements and it seems a shame that the 'know where you are status' is disrupted by having to pay for their bread basket. Nevertheless if you take the big view, the overall costs are normal for North London.
I had a somewhat unbalanced but highly satisfactory meal that night:
I started with chicken livers in a sauce with spinach:

As it is an important couples venue, the lighting was low, and got even lower during the evening. I was using my 'phone camera, and found that the flash had to be used to get an adequate image. I did not notice the chip in the rustic bowl at the time, which was hopefully what it had been cooked in. This was a significant portion (have to judge by the knife at the side) for a starter. It was well cooked, and scored an 8.4 on the CHOF scale. This was a good choice which I would have again, if it is available, but I have not seen it on the menu before.

For main course I had the calves liver. I know it was liver and liver, but that is what I wanted.

I had a discussion with the waiter when ordering, and explained that whilst I did not want it well cooked, I did not want blood pouring out when I cut it. The message was clearly received, and this was tender and sufficiently well cooked. Not a huge portion size, but sufficient given the size of the starter. This was an 8.2 on the CHOF scale and was well presented and tasty. I would definitely order this again.

Here are two deserts, mine being the one on the right and was a chocolate pudding with ice cream. I am not the greatest of desert fans, but this was pretty good.

A three course meal from the set menu is £23. Bread basket was about £3. Wines are not cheap, and one can expect to pay £18-20 for an low end product, but their wines are good, and you are unlikely to be disappointed  with the cheap end of the bin. So a meal for two including bread, wine and service came to a little over £80. Whilst a bit above the local average, the meal was also well above average, so you get what you pay for. The staff on this night were helpful (need to see what a busy night is like to get the real idea) and service was prompt which would expect. As the place was empty, and one could see in their eyes a need to shut shop for the night, there was no lingering.

I like the haven and was not disappointed. With the set price menu you more or less know where you are.

Viking Hemming: Good Portuguese food on a floating hotel

23-29 March 2014
This entry concerns a cruise on the river Douro in Portugal. The cruise has been reviewed elsewhere on TripAdvisor and a link to my report about the cruise can be found here.
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g189180-d1549777-r199569793-Douro_River_Cruises-Porto_Porto_District_Northern_Portugal.html#REVIEWS
Whilst there were issues with the actual cruise bit of the holiday, I have to say that the food on Viking cruises is excellent in my opinion and what we received on this trip was up to the standard of previous trips. The big difference was that previous trips with Viking had been supplied with Austrian Chefs, and the one on this trip was Portuguese, and we were seeing Portuguese cuisine. Portuguese cuisine is not world famous for several reasons (the ingredients and style are a bit limited and rustic), but what was offered to us left a positive impression. Accompanied by decent local wines, I found little to complain about.

This was the menu from the first night on board. It was probably not as good as some of the subsequent menus. There was some evidence that they were still getting their act together on the first night but things settle down fairly rapidly. Typically there was an amuse-bouche to start then followed by a starter, main and desert or cheese and if you wanted both desert and cheese that was no problem. On this occasion not being certain what roasted meagre was (turns out to be a local white fish) and not particularly wanting duck or the vegetarian dish I opted for the 'always available' option and I knew from past experience that there pan-seared New York steaks were good.

I think the one below is the Portuguese Sausage.

The steak.

None of the individual portion sizes are big, but invariably, by the end of the meal, one was replete. Hotness was not an issue, and was better than Restaurants, probably because they knew they were dealing with a largely UK and American client base who wanted their food hot. I was happy to give 8's to the food on the trip, but never more. The food appeared already plated up, with covers after a bit of a wait. It looked like it was being brought up from down below. Not an easy job. The staff were new to the roles, as this was the maiden voyage, and as we did not have assigned dining tables, we found one with a particularly helpful waitress who looked after us during the holiday. I hesitate to use the work voyage, as we did not actually go very far, but that is another matter dealt with on TripAdvisor.

Portuguese cheeses,whilst interesting are not what you might go looking for. There was nothing of particularly interesting taste or texture, and I guess the French probably have the cheese thing sewn-up.

As always on this sort of trip, there will be people who do not find the choice of food or its taste to their satisfaction. I have to say that I have never had a problem with food on Viking River Cruises and have always looked forward to that aspect of the holiday.

More pictures of different meals:

There was no evidence of resupplying the ship; we never saw the supply wagons arriving. We can therefore only assume that the whole of the catering supplies for the voyage was there when we left Porto and stored in it either chilled or frozen. As there were only about 80 passengers, and the trip only lasted 6 days, this sounds entirely feasible.

Hotel Tivoli, Lisbon:

22nd of March 2014
The Hotel Tivoli is a well-known long-standing fixture in the Avenue Liberdade in the north of the centre of Lisbon. I had actually stayed there many years ago when I was looking at a new job and it was with positive recollections that I remembered that the rooms in the hotel were quite comfortable and the breakfast had been OK. That was well before the days when I used to record methodically what I ate and so I welcomed the opportunity to record this hotel now. On entering the hotel one can be quite impressed by the somewhat open but dark public areas. Rooms are quite comfortable but given that this should be a five star hotel it is probably not five-star in UK expectation.  We were there for a couple of nights as an organised tour group prior to a river cruise and although we did not eat any meals in the restaurant we used it for breakfast. I enjoy hotel breakfasts and among the various entries on this blog I have recorded some excellent examples of what I would call first-class breakfasts. Last year during a trip to Lisbon, where I actually stayed out of town in Sintra, there was a truly first class experience in the Pena Longha resort, which is also five star. One of the acid tests of a five star breakfast is the presence of smoked salmon and sparkling wine. Whilst the Tivoli had the former, the latter was not to be found. These are hard times still in Portugal. As noted elsewhere, Portugal is a country where hot food is not an essential component of life, and it was no surprise that the various hot food stations were only modestly hot. I guess I should know better and just stick to the cold buffet. Maybe it is just that it is accepted that Southern European Food may not be hot.

No steam and not much in the way of flames

As you can see it is all very old fashioned and a bit silver service in style.

My modest selection from the hot buffet: not very hot, and probably about a 7

Bitter experience of eating in group tours indicates that the early bird gets the choice of fresh worms. We were there pretty much just after the restaurant opened. It was the weekend, so they were catering to tourists and groups. Within about a half hour when the more leisurely of the group decided to stir, all the tables were occupied, and there was a queue to get in to breakfast. In my opinion, this is something that should not happen in a five star hotel, even with a group that is adhering to a strictish timetable.

In conclusion, five star it was not, but it was a comfortable hotel. The breakfast was four star at best, and could have been hotter.