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

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.