CLOSED: La Table Exquise- Bed Stuy's Best Kept Secret

This establishment is unfortunately no longer in operation.

La Table Exquise's Weekend Special French Toast: so good it should be illegal.

$5 per portion, or unlimited amounts (yes!) with the $19 Sunday brunch buffet

All-you-can-eat slider burgers served hot on homemade brioche, as many omelettes as you want cooked to your liking, a huge spread of salads and grilled wings and cereal and quiche and rolls and pastries AND juice and coffee and tea and to top it all off, endless heaps of buttery, caramelised, so-good-I-could-die French toast... all for $19, at a shop two minutes walk from where I've ended up living.

Holy wow. What a welcome to New York City, bless you foodie guardian angel!

I apologise dear readers that it has taken me a month to post any updates- since my arrival life in this new city has proven intense, exciting, exhausting and inspiring all at once, with my course at the Actors Studio Drama School living up to its notorious reputation of being tough and challenging (hence the lack of time for blogging). I assure you though that I have been doing my duty to eat as much as possible (ha!), and although I should be doing my homework I simply HAVE to share this little gem with all New Yorkers out there.

La Table Exquise- 370 Tompkins Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11216

Tel: 347-663-6066

"Do or Die Bed-Stuy" is the last place you'd expect to find French baking at its best, but I am not kidding when I say this little nondescript joint is home to the flakiest croissants and pain au chocolat as well as the most sublime desserts (5-layer chocolate cake anyone?) that you can get your hands on. The 11am-4pm all-you-can-eat Sunday brunch also redefines the meaning of "buffet"- far from being a way for restaurants to use up the week's leftovers, mega-talented Chef Sebastien whips up hot omelettes, slider burgers on cute little baby brioche buns and that unbelievable French toast using his own homemade baguettes at your demand.

The menu varies from time to time, but if you love good grub La Table Exquise is a must-try. Go go go, before the crowds find out.

My brunch buffet plate- serving number one :)

Chef Sebastien's alluring dessert cabinet- selection varies daily.

Prices range from $1 (for chocolate mousse cups) to $4

The sublime 5-layer chocolate cake- $4

Profiterole with hazelnut cream (chocolate eclair and pistachio pear tart in the background)

Croissants and pain au chocolat, piping hot from the oven- $2.75 each

La Table Exquise- 370 Tompkins Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11216

(Nearest station: Nostrand Avenue, Kingston-Throop Aves)

Tel: 347-663-6066

Emerald Thai Restaurant, Leicester

Happy new year and apologies for the long absence dear foodies- I have been in Leicester for the past 7 weeks doing The King & I (click here if you're interested :) ) and so have not had the time to cook/blog/do much else other than turn up for work 8 shows a week and try to get enough sleep in between!

I have however, been unable to resist the urge to check out several local restaurants, and I am thrilled to say I have discovered a little Thai gem smack bang in the city centre which serves a mean tongue-tingling Pad Kee Mao amongst many other authentic tasty dishes. Having just been opened for 5 months or so it seems this unassuming place is struggling to get a crowd in as it's almost always empty- a real shame as it's a cosy little joint offering some excellent grub at great prices, with everything from the chefs and waiting staff to the King Bhumibol poster and piped in music all authentically Thai.

Emerald Thai restaurant

56 Charles St, Leicester LE1 1FBTel: 0116 251 4749 ‎

Most of the items listed below are from the set lunch menu, which offers excellent value for money at £4.95 per main course or £6.95 for starter + main. This is not their only deal though- they also give a 10% discount on takeaways (which includes complimentary prawn crackers in the evening) and for loyalty card holders (just ask for one) a free soft drink at lunch and a 20% discount to dine in for dinner. On top of that they don't charge service and try quite hard to please, so I would say it's worth popping it to show them some support and help them stick around!

STARTERS

Tom Yum- a generous bowl of the famous Thai spicy sour clear broth made with chillies, lime leaves and lemongrass, complete with a heap of mushrooms and four large king prawns

Tom Ka- like the Tom Yum above, but with the added richness of coconut milk.

Tord Man Plar- traditional Thai fishcakes, with a sweet chilli and plum sauce dip. Not the best I've ever tasted, but a nicely seasoned and spiced beginning to the meal none theless.

Po Pia Goong ("Prawns in Blanket")- a simple starter of prawns encased

in spring roll pastry, freshly fried and crunchy.

Toong Tong (Golden Parcels)- Seasoned chicken twisted up in little crisp pastry bundles.

MAINS

(For the set lunch noodles come with a choice of either chicken, pork, beef or tofu. In the evenings the more expensive Tiger prawn option is also available.)

Pad Thai- Thailand's most famous fried noodle dish, with spring onions, carrots, beansprouts, Chinese leaves, eggs and chopped peanuts. Deliciously sweet and tangy, complete with the authentically Thai touch of having elaborately carved vegetables garnish the plate.

Pad Kee Mao ("Drunken Noodle")- the shining star of this restaurant in my opinion, spicy, fiery and flavourful flat noodles cooked with hot basil leaves, bamboo shoots and peppers. Be sure to specify how hot you want it as they can tailor it to your taste- foreigners do be warned that the Thai definition of "spicy" is usually too hot for people who aren't used to it!:)

Pad See Iew- a milder dish stir-fried with soy sauce, eggs, broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. An option for those who want flat rice noodles without the chilli kick of Pad Kee Mao.

Koe Tiew Tom Yum- a thicker broth than I expected (assumed it would be clear like traditional Tom Yum), but tasty with generous amount of toppings albeit of a more

unusual Chinese variety (i.e. BBQ pork and wonton)

Gang Dang (red curry with tomatoes, pineapple and lychee)- the one dish I would not order again. Large portion with steamed rice, but waaaay too sweet for my liking.

Yam Woon Sen- usually not available at lunch, the chef obliged when I ordered this hot and sour vermicelli salad in the afternoon. Asked for a "small" and got this massive plate

full of seafood priced at only £4! Overall quite tasty with coriander, spring onions

and lemon dressing, but it would have done better with more heat.

Rasa Sayang Revisited

Wed 21 April 2010

Following this very unflattering review, I am heartened to say that instead of just pacifying me with a gift voucher or something along those lines, I was contacted by the manager Fee Bee Chong with an apology and invited back to dine personally with her and the two proprietors of Rasa Sayang (Ellen Chew from Singapore and Teddy Chen from Malaysia) so they could gain honest feedback face-to-face.

In what turned out to be a very productive and insightful evening, it emerged that they have since introduced more training sessions to improve what they know is a serious recurring problem with their service staff. I did not ask nor did they mention what directly happened with Ms Fungal Infection, but seeing as they had CCTV footage to go on (news to me- many Chinatown restaurants apparently have them) I trust they identified and dealt accordingly with the correct person.

In terms of their menu it also seems to be a continued aim (and challenge) to meet both Malaysian and Singaporean expectations of what constitutes "authentic" versions of our cuisine, the startling differences of which to date I had been unaware of (being a Malaysian who has only ever stepped foot in Singapore once). For instance, Singaporean Hokkien Mee refers to a white, non-soupy version of what Malaysians call Penang Prawn Mee, whereas Malaysian Hokkien Mee will no doubt shock Singaporeans with its fat udon-like noodles stir-fried in a thick black sauce and crispy rendered pork fat. I also learnt that the sweet Mee Goreng which my partner and I were so appalled at (as Malaysians used to a spicy, robust mamak style) is what Singaporeans would call accurate, that Singaporean Char Kuay Teow is wetter with none of the smoky charred characteristics we deem essential and so on.

The sense I get is that labelling itself both a Malaysian AND Singaporean restaurant may be in itself contradictory, the inherent obstacle responsible for Rasa Sayang's hit-and-miss menu as far as a Malaysian is concerned. One thinks that perhaps they would benefit from choosing one style and sticking with it, rather than risking a compromise and pleasing neither.

It is only right however that I give credit where its due to the other dishes I got to sample on this return visit. As a hardcore Hainanese Chicken Rice fan I thoroughly approve of their new improved version (it is thankfully a dish that Singaporeans pride themselves on and isn't wildly different from what Malaysians like), and the chef's handmade taufu starter also impressed, deep-fried until crispy with a soft silky interior and a sweet sour mango sauce. Indian rojak was of an acceptable standard, though I found the other starter of otak-otak (spicy fish mousse in banana leaf) rather tiny and far too firm. To round off the mains, the admittedly Anglicised version of Nasi Goreng (to give Western tastebuds an easy introduction) was still tasty and enjoyed by my Malaysian friend, particularly the meaty sticks of satay that accompanied it.

To its advantage, Rasa Sayang's dessert menu is far larger and more varied compared to other Malaysian joints in the area. We enjoyed the warm bubur pulut hitam (black glutinous rice), though we found the handmade cendol and sago gula melaka (tapioca pearl pudding in coconut milk and coconut palm sugar) rather small in portion and slightly odd in flavour- perhaps Singaporean palm sugar is different? The rest of the menu offers intriguing one-of-a-kind items such as roti bakar with homemade kaya (toast sandwich with coconut jam- see my recipe/description here), Milo Dinosaur (Milo= a much-loved chocolate malt drink, Dinosaur= an ice-blended frozen smoothie topped with extra Milo powder) and kuih ketayap (pandan crepe filled with toasted caramelised coconut), which looked good in the pictures though I cannot yet personally attest to how good they are.

The juggling act between fulfilling Malaysian and Singaporean tastes is a challenge I don't envy, and whilst the food may not be firing on all cylinders (in my biased Malaysian opinion) I do applaud their open mind in accepting customer insight and the efforts they have put in thus far to improve. Upcoming plans include a 15-item taster menu for those unfamiliar with the cuisine, as well as offering the uniquely Malaysian/Singaporean yee sang during Chinese New Year (a salad of shredded vegetables, crisp crackers and fish that is tossed high to symbolise prosperity and health). It is a fairly new establishment after all, and given their constructive attitude I look forward to seeing where it goes from here.

Rasa Sayang- THE Worst Service Ever Encountered in London

*Update 21 April 2010- Following this review, I am heartened to say that instead of just pacifying me with a gift voucher or something along those lines, I was contacted by the manager Fee Bee Chong with an apology and invited back to dine personally with her and the two proprietors of Rasa Sayang (Ellen Chew from Singapore and Teddy Chen from Malaysia) so they could gain honest feedback face-to-face.

Read a full account of the revisit here.

Rasa Sayang 3 March 2010

5 Macclesfield Street

London

W1D 6AY

Tel: 0207 734 1382

First of all, let me categorically state that I rarely return to give restaurants a second chance if I didn't like them the first time round. However, due to a Metro 2-for-1 dining offer currently available under the 2010 Malaysia Kitchen campaign, I thought it may be a good opportunity for me to re-evaluate some of the participating joints on their list (some of which I have never tried, others which haven't really impressed in the past) just in case I happened to catch them on a bad day previously.

Boy oh boy was that a mistake in this case- whilst my initial visit to Rasa Sayang in March 2009 left me severely underwhelmed (read the full review here), even that feels like a Michelin star experience compared to the lunch from hell we had today, where a waitress with about as much social grace as a fungal infection left us angry, frustrated and united in our conviction never to step foot there again.

Let me break it down for you.

1) As specified on the voucher, I phoned up in advance to book a table, only to have Ms Fungal Infection curtly state that they don't do bookings before hanging up on me. That's right, even before we met she was getting under my skin. Bad sign no doubt, but we proceeded anyway.

2) Upon entering the restaurant, we were greeted by a smiley lady who asked us how large a table we needed. This smiley lady would eventually be our waitress, thank goodness. I responded and mentioned I had a Metro voucher, to which Ms Fungal Infection, whose voice I recognised and who turns out was stood behind the counter with evidently more seniority than smiley lady, interjected with a loud "I need to see the voucher first", arm outstretched. Bad vibes round 2, but hey ho.

3) I had both a Metro paper cut-out as well as a printout of the online version from the official website on me, and happened to pull out the latter first. This did not impress Ms Fungal Infection, who stated immediately that only newspaper versions would be accepted. I attempted (in vain of course) to question this, clarifying that it was an official voucher downloaded from the official website and not a photocopy, but her repeated response was simply "No. Management policy." to which another staff member close by chipped in "not Rasa Sayang". Hmm. Luckily I had a cut-out anyway, but if I hadn't I'd have been turned away- wonder how the organisers of the 2010 Malaysia Kitchen campaign feel about their efforts being spat on like this.

4) We sat down and were presented with a laminated 2-for-1 menu card, which listed the only seven items included in the offer. Each voucher entitles you to order up to four dishes for the price of two, so we went ahead and chose Nasi Lemak, Roti Canai with Chicken Curry, Mee Goreng and Curry Laksa.

Nasi Lemak- probably the best of all our dishes in my opinion, though personally I

still prefer

Sedap in Old Street and Malaysia Kopitiam round the corner.

Roti Canai with Chicken Curry- or more accurately, frozen store-bought r

oti paratha

that I could

have reheated myself at home. Note the absence of chicken curry,

which would

later give Ms Fungal Infection great cause for a furore.

Mee Goreng- a tad too sweet and ketchupy with an altogether un-mee goreng

colour. Satisfying if you're hungry, but not exactly what I'd call authentic.

Curry Laksa- found this to be much tastier and richer than my last visit,

though for some reason no one else seemed to like it.

As you can see, whilst hit-and-miss the dishes overall were actually more favourable than I remember (though my partner found everything bland and inauthentic), but this temporary interlude of acceptable lunching was erased when- yes, you guessed it, Ms Fungal Infection plonked us with a bill that gave us only one dish free instead of two.

When we attempted to clarify this, we were told that we had only ordered three eligible dishes and not four. Absolutely flabbergasted and by this point irritated beyond belief, we insisted that we did order four, to which Ms Fungal Infection then claimed our Roti Canai did not qualify as it was off the main ala carte menu and not the special 2-for-1 selection! What ensued next was the last straw- when my partner tried to explain that we had only ordered from the laminated card and never even saw the main menu, she proceeded to lecture him condescendingly, saying he was too loud, needed to "cool down" and stop shouting!

Soon after, she realised that the mistake was indeed on their part- our far more polite smiley waitress had mistakenly given us the smaller starter-size Roti Canai from the ala carte menu, which only comes with a tiny bowl of sauce, rather than the larger main-sized Roti Canai with Chicken Curry included in the deal. This essentially meant they owed us an extra bowl of chicken curry in addition to the refund, but by that point we were really beyond caring.

To top it all off, Ms Fungal Infection then refused to print a new bill, choosing instead to tell us verbally the new amount we needed to pay. And then as if to grace us with her trademark etiquette one last time before leaving, she went on to refuse to let me pay by credit card, saying the wrong bill had already been rung through and she was "using her own money to top up" the difference and therefore cash was the only way. Suffice to say we chucked the necessary bills on the table and left as fast as we could, though not before our nicer smiley waitress caught my eye and mustered a quick "sorry about that". Bless her soul.

From reading other online reviews, it is clear that we aren't alone in our fury and frustration at Rasa Sayang's abominable service. How bad this restaurant is is summed up best by Matthew Norman of the Guardian, who in this fabulous review accurately concluded that it is "the planet's most sensationally misnamed restaurant" with nothing to fix "other than service and the cooking".

Rasa Sayang (Feeling of Love)? Far from it!

Little Hanoi Vietnamese Restaurant

Little Hanoi Vietnamese Restaurant 22 January 2010

147 Curtain Road

The City

London EC2A 3QE

Tel: 0207 729 6868

Rule no. 1 at this little family-run institution: stay away from the bog-standard Chinese trappings on the menu, get head waiter Michael Luong to help you order correctly and your tastebuds are in for the feast of their lives! Super-talented chef Phai (Michael's father) dishes up mouthwatering, robust Vietnamese dishes using the freshest of seafood, meat and vegetables paired with the most flavourful of herbs and spices that will leave you salivating for more.

Located above the club Plastic People on Curtain Road (near but not on the "Pho Mile" that is Kingsland Road), there is no doubt whatsoever that Little Hanoi more than holds its own. I will leave the pictures to speak for themselves :)

STARTERS

Grilled Scallops on Shell (£10.50 for 4 pcs- they looked so good Arivind ate one before I could take a picture!)- DIVINE, an absolute must-try. Topped with crunchy peanuts and a luscious tangy sauce,

no wonder some call it the best scallops in London!

Fresh Summer Rolls (£3)- packed with prawns, crunchy lettuce and carrots with a

thick hoisin dip. Good and generous, but pales in comparison to the

scallops (but then again most things would...)

King Prawn Sweet Potato Pancake (£6.80)- fabulously fried,

crisp and crunchy on the outside and chewy inside.

MAINS

Grilled Venison (£12)- Mmm mmm MMM! So tender, so moist, so deliciously charred

yet sweet yet peppery all at the same time... a true work of art. Little Hanoi claims to be

the only place that serves this divine creation in the whole haven of Viet cuisine

that is Shoreditch- if that isn't reason enough to go I don't know what is!

Grilled Salmon in Banana Leaf (£12)- Praise. The. Heavens. OMG. I thought the

scallops and venison were my favourites, till waiter Michael plonked this gorgeous

melt-in-the-mouth slab of perfectly cooked flaky pink goodness with a beautiful

fragrant sauce in front of us. Totally SUBLIME with hot steamed rice.

A new discovery in July 2010- Phai's genius creation of deep fried giant scallops with Parma ham.

Priced the same as the previous scallop dish if I'm not mistaken.

Vietnamese Pork Chops (portion here shown for table of 10, can't be certain of the price as it was for a party)-

grilled to sweet succulent perfection

Some crab dish (again for a table of 10)- no idea what it's called but it comes with a

mouthwatering spicy sweet gravy!

Vietnamese pho- personally I still prefer Song Que's version of this, but Phai's

is delicious and comforting nonetheless.

Little Hanoi don't do desserts (traditionally the Vietnamese finish meals with fresh fruit or liquor), but you can rest assured you'd be too stuffed anyway to want anything else. If you have the opportunity to give 24-hours notice in advance of your visit, I would also highly recommend these two other specialities which they are happy to arrange for you on special order as long as you call beforehand:

Dover Sole Boat (£50)- fleshy chunks of dover sole served on a crispy "boat"

made of the fish's skeleton, deep-fried til it's crunchy and edible

Lobster (£70)- can't remember the exact name sorry, but it is YUM.

If you've previously walked into Little Hanoi for nothing more than their cheap lunch buffet or Chinese standards, I implore you to return and go for the ala carte specialities as this is where their true strengths lie. Good food at good prices- GO TRY IT!

Yummy in our tummy!:)

Addie's Thai Cafe

July 2010- Unfortunately our 2nd visit recently left a far less favourable impression than the review below. Portions seemed to have shrunk, a flustered waiter who barely understood English was completely unhelpful, my Malaysian friend was thoroughly unimpressed with the lack of heat and spice in the Tom Yam and the annoying lady that nagged us the first time round was even worse, rushing us through our entire meal and reminding us constantly how we needed to eat fast and leave. Having now discovered the far cheaper and mindblowingly delicious Fitou's Cafe (formerly known as Number One Cafe) at 1 Dalgarno Gardens near White City, Addie's Thai has officially been struck off our list.

Addie's Thai Cafe 30 July 2009

121 Earl's Court Road

London SW5 9RL

Tel: 0207 259 2620

Website: www.addiesthai.co.uk

Thank goodness a friend finally brought me here- Addie's is the bomb! I have heard many including those of Thai origin singing its praises as the best Thai restaurant in London for authentic street hawker food, and based on my first visit alone I am already inclined to agree.

Everything you need to know about the place is on its ultra-informative website, from a picture-by-picture description of each dish on the menu right down to Chef Addie's career history. So I will skip the waffling and get straight to my lowdown on the sumptuous lunch we had.

A warm and cosy interior with brisk, efficient service- the only niggle we had was a slightly off-putting waitress who gave us an unnecessarily long lecture when we asked for small bowls to share our noodles! Apparently if it were her in a Thai stall she would never want to eat someone else's dish nor have someone eat hers.

To avoid further nagging we said fine and shared by passing our bowls round and taking turns trying each other's orders instead- next time miss, spare us the blah-blah and just bring the crockery please.

Pad Thai (£6.50)- Tangy, punchy, flavoursome and beautifully presented under an omelette web. Such a well-executed classic, a far cry from the stodgy tasteless mounds of noodles many other restaurants try to pass off under this name.

Yen Ta Fore (£8.50)-I have never had pink soup, but if all pink soups tasted like this I'd happily slurp up!

The weird hue is due to fermented red bean paste, the same ingredient which gives it its appetising salty tang. I chose thin rice noodles which were cooked just right, and was particularly impressed with the generous load of toppings- big juicy king prawns, squid, gorgeously textured crunchy jelly fish, fish balls, thick slices of fish cake, fried tofu chunks, crispy beancurd skin and morning glory/water convolvulus (kangkung to Malaysians). Yum yum yum.

Tom Yam Moo Sub (£6.95)- Another delicious slurper, though less garish in appearance and a tad lighter on the palate. Clear noodle soup with a spicy bite reminiscent of Vietnamese pho, topped with minced pork, ground peanuts, beansprouts and a sprinkling of dried chilli.

Kho Moo Yang (£7.50)- The 'oohs', 'aahs' and 'mms' abound- definitely our all-round favourite dish of the meal. The humble menu description of "grilled neck end pork" just does not do this divine dish justice, with its heap of moist succulent slices and sublime dipping sauce. Taste-wise it's sweet and sticky with a charred smokiness, sort of like a cross between the ubiquitous char siew (barbecued pork) and bak kwa (dried Chinese smoked jerky). Only more luscious.

Som Tam (£6.95)- I truly believe my mother's adoration of this Thai papaya salad is one of the main reasons she likes visiting my aunt in Bangkok so much. No doubt she would rave about Addie's version- robust, punchy and very very spicy. I'd recommend telling them to hold back on the chillies if heat is not your thing :) Aside from strips of raw papaya, long beans and tomatoes, you get four options to go with the salad including raw prawns and the aforementioned "grilled neck end pork"-we chose a combination of dried shrimp and salted crab which worked deliciously.

Green pandan pancake with Thai custard filling & vanilla ice cream (£3.50)

Steamed sticky rice with banana stuffing & vanilla ice cream (£3.50)

After being blown away by the mains and sides, I suppose it is inevitable that we found the desserts slightly lacklustre in comparison. They were both tasty and did exactly what they say on the tin, but one feels the menu could have done with a wider selection to include Thai classics like the cold "Red Rubies" dessert Tub Thim Krob (sweet water chestnuts with tapioca, coconut milk, shaved ice and syrup), or options such as mango to go with the steamed sticky rice (at the moment banana and yam are the two choices).

However, I am only being nitpicky- most restaurants don't go beyond complimentary orange slices and textbook banana fritters so Addie's deserves credit for at least offering some traditional sweetmeats to end the meal.

As a whole, wowzers. The entire meal really hit the spot and a repeat visit is most definitely in order- I can smell the Kho Moo Yang already!