Give Me More

It's always the quiet ones, isn't it? The unassuming ones, without bombast and fancy decorations which we tend to dismiss, that when we finally give them a chance, prove themselves beyond a doubt. Such is the case with Me Me, the Vietnamese restaurant in the heart of Fulham Broadway. The decor is certainly plain, functional and the lighting scheme (if you can call it that) unabashedly bright. Positioned as it is next that that night club that always seems to be shutting down, near the games hall and some of the other not-so-fancy features of the Broadway, I had always slightly dismissed it as a bit cheap, probably a bit nasty. But not so. For anyone who really enjoys Asian food (and not just for the bright colours, and exotic presentation), this is a true authentic gem.

Prices are really reasonable (£5-10, sometimes a little higher for fancy things like Sea Bass), especially as the portion sizes are fairly ample, and the food we had was fresh, fragrant and full of flavour. Service is quick, but a little haphazard (although very friendly, the restaurant is family run), so my advice would be to order several things to share, and let everybody dig in as and when it arrives. We sampled the traditional Vietnamese spicy noodle soup, Bun Hue, served with prawns and crammed full of fresh herbs and invigorating light and aromatic stock, as well as the Beef Pho, which was a pretty good rendition of the classic Vietnamese noodle soup. The stand out dish was the soft shell crab battered in chili, garlic, salt and pepper, but the 'sizzling beef' also drew inelegant grunts of approval.

Reviews of this place have been fairly mixed, but my experience was really positive. Don't go expecting a fancy night out, and do order a variety of dishes and share. There were plenty of things being carried out to other tables that caused me definite pangs of food envy. If you're looking for a casual, unpretentious evening, and some really refreshing, fragrant, light and spicy food, without breaking the bank, you may have found a new neighbourhood favourite.

Me Me Vietnamese Restaurant
565 Fulham Road, London
SW6 1ES
www.memerestaurant.co.uk

Eathai, Eat lots of Thai... at Busaba Eathai

Usually this blog prefers to focus on local independent businesses and restaurants, but I thought I might make an exception for one of my favourite London chains, and it's only a little chain, promise. There were a certain set of hoardings I saw appear on the Kings Road that caused a small squeal of excitement, and possibly a very tiny anticipatory dribble. Long having been a fan of Soho Asian diner, Busaba Eathai, I was pretty gleeful to have my own local branch.

Some of you may have visited the other Busabas - besides the venue in Soho I believe there is one in the City and another in Hoxton, and now Chelsea - but the concept has been faithfully transported into SW3. The interior is full of dark woods, big shared square diner tables, twinkling tea lights, glistening buddhas and the smell of incense. The menu is full of South Asian favourites, all of great quality, although not especially adventurous, and the prices are similar to those of Wagamama. Unsurprising that, considering that Busaba is an offshoot of the same stable.

On this occasion, the boy and I indulged in rather a feast. I think I've mentioned about a million times over that Thai and South East Asian food is pretty much my favourite thing ever. We kicked off with beers and orange and cranberry juice (Bottle Green rather than freshly pressed I'm afraid, but really delicious... must track some down when I'm next in Waitrose). For starters we shared Tom Yam Talay, a spicy and sour seafood noodle soup, goong tohd prawns in breadcrumbs with a chili lime sauce (this was beautifully fried, with the prawns still soft and juicy and the sauce was most refreshing) and lightly steamed chinese broccoli with garlic and brocolli which also tasted tasty and virtuous.

For mains we tucked into a Malaysian favourite of mine, Pad Kewtio, which features chicken, king prawns and holy basil in a chilli sauce around thick rice noodles. However, the piece-de-resistance was the red beef curry, with lychee, parsnip, lime leaf and chilli. The coconut sauce was thick, creamy and nutty, just the way I like it. Although true thai aficiionados might find the sauce lacking in spice, there are some loose chilis in there for the braver amongst you and I'd say the heat is about right for most western pallets.

Busaba Eatthai
358 Kings Road
London SW3 5UZ

A taste of Shanghai... in Parsons Green!

Sarah and I were recently invited by the wonderful DV8 Fulham to visit Mao Tai, New Kings Road, to do a cocktail review for the magazine. Having previously clocked the fabulous sculpted bar, and slightly outrageous yet elegant goose-feathered ceiling lamps, I leapt at the chance to sample a little chinois sophistication. For her part, Sarah (who had already visited) couldn't wait to return.

Close as it is to Parsons Green, with its triangle of hearty British pubs, Mao Tai fills an important gap in the New Kings Road market - that for a beautifully appointed, date-friendly watering hole and restaurant. Refitted 5 years ago to include a beautiful 1940s Shanghai inspired bar, hand sculpted in Bath to include a fusion of European baroque (the candle holders were inspired by tombs in France) and pan-Asian motifs, Mao Tai has been a neighbourhood favourite for the last 30 years. Run by a wonderful local couple, Mark and Pat (it was Pat who designed the sumptuous interior), Mao Tai offers Pan Asian cuisine, both at the restaurant and as small sharing plates at the bar, a beautifully lavish private dining room, and possibly the largest selection of spirits that I have ever seen in a bar of that size!

At the bar, bartender Daniel explained that the emphasis is on bringing back some of that Old World Shanghai glamour, producing clean, classic drinks with a modern twist, using a selection of high quality spirits. For example, we sampled the Aviation cocktail, which was a firm favourite amongst the bohemian arts set (think Hemingway) at the Ritz, Paris in the 1920s. Clean, sharp and elegant, the Aviation takes gin as its base, and is sweetened with lime and maraschino cherries prepared on site. We also tried the sweet, but warming and reassuringly girl-friendly New York Sour, which takes Bourbon as its foundation, topping it up with Claret and maraschino. Continuing the classic cocktail theme we had a Gin 'n' Fizz (light and refreshing - made from Plymouth gin, elderflower and an artfully curled slither of cucumber) and the 'Spritz', which is made of Aperol (a slightly weaker version of Campari) and prosecco, and which is amazingly zingy and energising, with a perfect balance of sweet and sour flavours.

As mentioned before, Mao Tai stocks a huge range of spirits, many from lesser-known boutique producers. My Lychee Martini was made with gorgeous rose-infused Pinky vodka, and gin-lover Sarah was treated to a tasting session including Brockman's (blackberry infused) gin, UK staple Fifty Pounds Gin and Dry Fly, which is produced in a small Washington distillery.

I love Asian cuisine, so I couldn't wait to get stuck into some of the sharing platters served at the bar. Like the opulent yet elegant surroundings, the dishes were exquisitely presented, and bloody delicious. We tucked into Indian Ocean Tuna Rolls, Mediterranean Seabass Sashimi, Rock Shrimp Tempura, lightly battered chilli Salt n Pepper Squid and Crab and Ginger Vietnamese Rolls. I can honestly say they all totally hit the mark, and for those looking for a great date venue, cocktails and bar snacks at Mao Tai is guaranteed to impress (hint hint boyfriends)! If you're looking for a sophisticated place to catch up with the Ladies, you couldn't pick somewhere better for that either. All round - 5 stars. No wonder this place has been a such a firm local favourite for the past 30 years.

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Eating until I swell into a Phat Phuc

I am a big Asian food fan. I love it. I pride myself on knowing, and having tried, all my local Asian outlets. But I confess the only reason I came to hear of this one, hidden away as it is, is because of its simply AMAZING name.

I had been walking back from an amazing meal at El Gaucho (no, not the posh one) in the Chelsea Garden Centre, and saw an unprepossessing sign tacked to a brick wall just off the Kings Road. How could you fail to be intrigued? But I looked around... no restaurant in the immediate vicinity, so on I walked.

At this point my curiosity is less piqued than enflamed. Where is this restaurant with the frankly awe-inspiring name? Turns out, it's completely hidden away, in a below street-level courtyard just behind the Chelsea Garden Centre. Yup, right by that big ole sign that so frustrated me. Stupid Jess.

This place completely charmed me. A far cry from the swanky, over-styled and frankly, over-priced eateries that usually populate the Kings Road and it's environs, Phat Phuc doesn't even occupy a commercial space. It is a wonderfully quirky and authentic caravan-esque open-fronted van serving food, at lunchtimes only, to a small selection of rickety wooden tables set in an idyllic courtyard (think foundations etc), at entirely reasonable prices. The menu is brief, encompassing a whistle-stop tour of western-approved salads and spicy noodle broths, with light and refreshing starters like hoisin duck wraps and satay chicken. We ate on a gorgeous, bright but cold March day, and so eating outside under the gas heaters felt like a rare treat.

I settled for the Prawn Laksa, which has always been a favourite of mine but I've seen done in a myriad of ways, ranging from divine to revolting. The boy went for a Pho Bo (vietnamese beef noodle broth). We started with the Hoisin Duck wraps.

The food arrived pretty promptly, but for this kind of place (particularly as you are sat outside - although there are heating towers) that's quite normal, and I think a fast speed of service is acceptable. The duck pancakes (2 pieces for £3.50) were of a reasonable size and pretty damn tasty. My prawn laksa contained just the right amount of spice, and was pretty peanutty, which personally I love. I ate this dish all over it's native Malaysia and I have to say, this one was one of the best I've had. The boy was slightly less impressed with his Beef Broth, saying that it lacked kick. Luckily, there are plenty of spicy condiments on all the tables, and he was a pretty happy camper after a generous dose of chili sauce. Both mains were £6.50 for a pretty hearty portion.

I'm so pleased to have discovered this place, and will definitely be back. I just hope they decide to open up in the evenings once Summer approaches... I need more opportunities to visit and lunchtimes-only is a bit limiting. Great for a quick and delicious lunch, in quirky surroundings, at far below the usual Chelsea rate, provided the day is warm enough.