Pakistan: Taste of Lahore

For years I have passed the Taste of Lahore with only a vague acknowledgement of its existence.  On the odd occasion I glanced through the window the place was always busy which seemed odd for somewhere that on first glance seems like a down market kebab shop.  Then, one Saturday, when every other eatery on Wembley High Street was full to bursting with football fans on their way to the stadium, Taste of Lahore became my only option for lunch.

To my delight I discovered that this Asian greasy spoon serves more than just kebabs and chips.  The menu includes a wide variety of meat, veg and fish curries, Tandoori dishes, biriyanis, rotis, naans and prathas.  Which explains its popularity with the local Asian community.  The food served here is not just quick and cheap, it's also extremely tasty.

We were shown to a table by a waiter in a bright orange and green t-shirt and ordered the Paneer (Pakistani type of cheese) and the chicken Tika (both served with naan and salad) from the snacks section of the menu and when they arrived we were plesantly surprised to find that each dish was enough for a main course. 

Both dishes were excellent and the Paneer was so spicy it cleared my sinuses (I probably should have said no to the hot sauce).  We tried to visit again a few weeks alter to sample a few more dishes but they were so busy there was que for tables, so we left and went to Subway for a disappointing sandwich which made us wish we'd been a little more patient. 

Address: 417 High Road, Wembley, HA9 7AB 

Telephone: 020 8902 2744

Opening hours: Sat - Thurs 12pm- midnight, Fri 2pm - midnight

Tube: Wembley Central (Bakerloo & London Overground)

Bus: 10 bus routes stop along the High Road

Car: Metered Parking & car parks near by (Lonsdale Avenue and Central Sq)

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Taiwan: Bubbleology

I first encountered bubble tea while backpacking around Australia. Every day I would see gaggles of Asian teenagers surrounding a kiosk in a Brisbane shopping centre drinking weird looking concoctions through extra large straws, until one day my curiosity got the better of me and I purchased one of the less weird looking drinks - and my love of Bubble tea was born.

Bubble tea is simply flavored tea (hot or cold) with tapioca pearls at the bottom. Sounds nasty doesn't it ? But trust me, don't knock it 'till you've tried it. And if you do want to try it, Bubbleology is the best place in London to start.

The Bubbleology team trained under renowned Bubble tea masters in Taiwan to ensure that the bubble tea they brought to London was as authentic as possible. Bubbleology offer 13 varieties of tea both fruit and milk based, which come served in over-sized transparent cups with a wide straw through which you drink you tea and suck up the soft chewy tapioca pearls.

So far, I have tried 3 different varieties, kumquat, green apple and coconut and I loved them all. I'm sure in time that I will work my way through the other 10 flavors too.

Address: 49 Rupert Street, Soho, London, WD1 7PF
Opening hours: 8am - 12pm Mon-Fri, 11am-12pm Sat-Sun
Tube: Piccadilly Circus (Bakerloo, Piccadilly)
Bus: Lots of buses stop here, check the TFL website for a full list
Car: There is very restricted parking in the area, probably better to take public transport.



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Canada: Tim Hortons

Canada; big country, small population, one national dish: Poutine (chips with gravy and cheese curds). Unfortunately, Poutine is impossible to find in the UK.  I, along with every Canadian ex-pat in London have been unable to find a place that serves up this most Canadian of dishes. Legend has it that Canadian pub The Maple Leaf in Covent Garden once served a very poor version of Poutaine, but that was before the new management took over and turned it into a tacky theme pub.

So giving up on the Poutaine I turned to the other Canadian dietary staple Tim Hortons Doughnuts. Tim Hortons (or Timmies as it is lovingly known) is a massively sucessful chain of doughnut and coffiee shops.  There are nearly 3000 shops in Canada alone with another 550 in the northern USA, several franchises in the UK and even a shop on the Canadian Military base in Afghanistan.   In fact Canadians love Timmies so much that when I was in Toronto a few years ago our tour guide gave us a 20 minute lecture on the history of Tim Horton and his company.

A few years ago when the first Timmies franchises started popping up in the UK, the Canadian ex-pat community got very excited.  And if you want to see for your self what all the fuss is about I suggest you head down to the unlikely location of a Spar convenience store off Picadilly Circus to find out.

The small display stand in the middle of the shop holds 6 varieties of Tim Hortons doughnuts - all fluffy and light on the inside and covered in sugar or chocolate.  I ate one and I liked it.  Whether they are better or worse than any other doughnut is for you to decide.  But I defy you to tell 34,000,000 Canadians that Tim Horton's aren't the best doughnuts in the world, ever.

Address: Spar, 58 Haymarket, London, SW1Y 4RN
Telephone: 020 7930 2522
Tube: Picadilly Circus (Bakerloo, Picadilly)
Bus: Lots of buses stop here, check the TFL website for a full list
Car:  There is very restircted parking in the area, proably better to take public transport.




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Taiwan: Leong's Legend III

I've heard nothing but praise for Leong's Legend and it's Taiwanese Dim Sum so I was looking forward to trying it out.  But in the end I was less than impressed with my dining experience. 

First off there is the weird decor which was inspired by the restaurants name sakes Leong's Legends - a group of 12th century Robin hood type outlaws who stole from the rich to give to the poor.  Unfortunately the result is more tacky Kung Fu movie set, than ancient outlaw drinking den.  

On approach to the restaurant you are greeted buy a mock bamboo sun-shade over the front window.   Followed by a dark and wooden interior with booths separated by wooden partitions bound together with twine.  Strange bamboo lamp shades hang low over big wooden tables which are accompanied by uncomfortable wooden stools and benches.  The look is completed by a mock tiger skin hanging on the wall, and a bizarre banister made of fake weaponry.  This whole place just looks weird and feels awkward. 

The staff all dressed in Chinese style tunics don't  make the place feel any more welcoming,  in fact I found them unfriendly and most of all unhelpful.  The small specials menu on the table was just a list of dishes with Chinese names and and most of them didn't have an adequate description.  When I asked my waitress what some of the dishes were, she replied "I don't know".  So, I randomly picked two from the menu. 

The first to arrive was a basket of Classic sui loung bau.  I don't know what sui loung bau are or why they're such a classic but they looked good and smelt and tasted quite nice too.  I still have no idea what was in them but my best guess is pork. 

The second dish I ordered was called a Casket.  It was described as 'minced chicken and mixed veg in crispy bread shaped box'.  I was intrigued. 

What arrived was literally a box made of white bread that had been deep fried and filled with a very think and gloopy chicken soup type filling.  It looked and tasted like that really thick Campbell's soup out of a can. I felt sick after eating it. 

I wasn't impressed and I won't be going back.

But at least I crossed Taiwan off the list.

Address: 82 Queensway, Bayswater, London, W2 3RL

Telephone: (020) 7221 2280
Tube: Queensway (Central Line), Bayswater (Circle line & District line)

Bus: Lots of buses stop here, check the TFL web site for a full list
Car: Metered parking on nearby streets and pay and display in Whitley's car park

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