Friday, February 12, 2016

Lately: 4 Great (Casual!) Places to Eat in London


Hello! Happy Friday. I can't believe another week has flown by! After an unusually mild January, it's now cold. As I write this, I'm wrapped up in a cashmere sweater from COS that I stole from John's closet (shh!) and I'm wishing it had thumbholes. Not sure he'd be thrilled if I fashioned those myself.

Anyway, this past week has been full of some delicious foodie adventures, beginning with brunch at Wood Street Coffee last Saturday, which - despite the name - is actually a stone's throw from Blackhorse Road station. I didn't realize that John had a hangover from the night before (he was home by 8! He seemed merry! But not overly so! He even cooked dinner!) and I dragged him out of bed for lunch at Wood Street Coffee as soon as they opened (9:30 a.m.). Enthusiastic, much?



The brioche French toast and smashed avocado on sourdough made our early start absolutely worth it though, and I love the space! There's a fermentarium, where you can sign up to make your own kimchee! There's a woodworking workshop next door! There's a market outside! And it all seems to just ... work.

At some point last week, it was World Nutella Day (apparently), so Udita and I met at My Old Dutch for pancakes and - oh boy - did we get pancakes!


I went a little bit crazy with my banana, Nutella, ice cream, AND chocolate sauce (which I proceeded not to touch for the entire meal) topping, while she went half and half with a savoury kid's pancake of cheese and mushroom (which basically tasted like pizza, without the tomato sauce) and Nutella and banana. These XXL crepes/pancakes were pretty darn good, I've got to admit.

I've been taking advantage of Udita's current close proximity to my office (she's finishing up her PhD thesis at UCL) by meeting her for lunch. We had a delicious salad and sandwich at Holborn Grind the other day.


I could seriously have that bulgar wheat and pasta salad for lunch every other day. It was so tasty, and I love beetroot! We sat on barstools and alternated between people-watching and talking about random things we'd been saving up to tell each other.

Finally, I tried the new(ish) udon bar, Ichiryu, that just opened on New Oxford Street. From the same company responsible for the successful Shoryu ramen bars in London, Ichiryu specializes in udon (which is made daily on premises!) - a type of thick, Japanese noodle served with a variety of toppings and in a delicious, clear broth. I personally prefer it to ramen, and it's been one of my favorites since I was a child.


I don't usually go for tempura, but I tried the prawn tempura anyway and it was so good: crispy, light, and not at all oily. I was also tempted by the sukiyaki beef, but I'll try that next time. The broth was the perfect cure to the cold weather outside. Plus, it was so tasty, I scooped up every last spoonful!

Have you tried any of the places in this post? Or have you found somewhere new that you've loved this week? Let me know!
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20 comments

  1. Mmmm sounds like a delicious week! I've been wanting to try Holborn Grind for a while - it's very close to the consultancy with which I work in London. Definitely popping in, in between work once I'm back :) xx

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    1. You should, Ayushi! They have a really delicious menu. It gets super busy, so I try to go a little earlier/later than other commuters (although there are some freelancers who hog the table at the back, ha!). Definitely worth popping in xx

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  2. Ooooh I've not been to any of these yet, I read another blog post about Holborn Grind though and it looks really good!

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    1. I loved the udon at Ichiryu. I go to Holborn Grind way too often!

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  3. As you know, I SMASHED My Old Dutch on Pancake Day but aside from there I haven't been to any of the others. I'll definitely be looking to try Ichiryu as I'm a big fan of Shoryu.
    Cx
    charliedistracted.com

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    1. Haha, yes! Loved your post on it. Those pancakes really hit the spot. I'm a fan of Ichiryu. Definitely worth a try! x

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  4. I love the sound of the fermentarium at Wood St Cafe! Those pancakes look amazing, I missed Pancake Day this year as I was out so need to celebrate it next week

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    1. It's so cool, Suze! I'd love to take a class there sometime - making kimchee and sourdough sounds like fun!

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  5. I've lived in London all my life and I've been missing out on those pancakes! They look amazing, thanks for sharing haha xx

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    1. Haha! Yeah, it's a place I would normally walk past, but it's great for that pancake craving once in a while! Thanks so much for stopping by to read and comment, Maya!

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  6. The brunch force is strong within Mrs Angloyankophile :)

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  7. I loved Holborn Grind and extremely keen to try Ichiryu!

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    1. You'd love Ichiryu, Honey! It's a great little place for a satisfying udon lunch or dinner.

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  8. Mmmmmm, this all looks so good! You always seem to know the best little places to get something tasty. If I find myself in the area I'll have to check some of these out.

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    1. Haha, thanks, Sorcha! It helps that I work near Covent Garden/Soho/Holborn/Oxford Circus ... there are always new restaurants popping up around there or something I haven't tried yet!

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  9. Ichiryu sounds great. Udon is so good! When I went to Japan I ate it about 90% of the time, didn't even bother with the ramen that has swept our city over the past couple of years - so I'll definitely have to try it! And My Old Dutch brings back a lot of memories of going there on dates in sixth form :) Excellent call with the Nutella, ice cream and bananas - you can't go half-assed with pancakes! xx

    Tamsin / A Certain Adventure

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    1. So sorry for not replying to this, Tamsin! I love udon too. It's so hard to find here! And ... I haven't been back to My Old Dutch since, but reading this post again makes me want to go! xx

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  10. Great tips - I will try them!

    www.flashandfrugal.com

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  11. Yeah, the pancakes look yummy! Normally I love to eat in the north London's restaurant because of their phenomenal vegetable curry. Love to invite you to have a look and you will be in festive mood definitely!

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