Pan Asian Food & Decor delighted us at Dojo restaurant in Hatch End

Dojo restaurant, Hatch End, NW London, the entrance. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Do jo means meeting place in Japanese. 

Saturday night they were fully booked. The website said no. We only got a table by letting our family's Miss Pushy phone them and obtaining a table at the early time of 6 pm, vacate by eight. I was sent along before six to be sure of securing the table.

When I arrived I was astonished at how large the restaurant was. From the doorway a passer-by sees only a few tables. They progress backwards in an L shape. Then the restaurant broadens with a large conservatory across the back. Beyond that is a garden.

Dojo restsurant's back garden has a small statue and three large flower pots decorated with faces.

We had declined to sit in the garden, May 24th till being a little chilly. Either other diners felt the same about not wanting an outdoor table, or the restaurant did not have enough staff to serve, even though there were outside tables. Later in the year, when whether is warmer the garden may be inviting so you might have more chance of getting a last-minute table.

The menu is huge with lots of choices. 

Perfect Prosecco

I began with a Prosecco, costing  9 pounds, GBP. As usual, in restaurants, Prosecco seems expensive but is nearly always good enough. 

At the London Wine Fair last week I tried more than 50 Proseccos in a walk around tasting. Only one of them was truly outstanding, different and better. 

My main course was Thai green curry.

We also tried the salmon sushi and sashimi. (Sushi is a rice roll with fish in the iddle. Sashimi has a slice of raw fish, on the top.)

Decor is Delightful

The imitation marble top tables are edged in silvery gold. In the cloakroom age washbasin are coloured gold.

Out in the garden you see oriental busts, and twirling mock birds.

Four people celebrated birthdays. 

We ordered a tiramisu which we shared.

Tiramisu with a candle and the words Happy Birthday. Photo by Angela Lansbury. 

 Copyright. 

Location

The location could not be better. If you are walking to the high street from the station, DOJO is the first restaurant you reach. 

Next door is another landmark, Wetherspoons pub, if you wish to sit outside, front or back, before or after your meal at DOJO - or if you arrive on the offchance and fail to get in to DOJO.

Useful Website

https://dojorestaurant.co.uk/menu/

 

Happy Birthday plate at Kiyoto sushi bar and restaurant

 

Happy Birthday written on the plate for dessert, at Kiyoto Sushi Bar and Takeaway (and restaurant), Hatch End, Pinner, Middlesex. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Delicious Dessrt

• We finished with dessert. Only two desserts on the menu. A fried pastry, and a chocolate dessert.. 
• We were a group of five and they had provided five pieces of the dessert.
• 
  
• To everybody's surprise, the person most outspoken against the so called unhealthy and unnecessary batter dessert was the person who was the biggest enthusiast.

Getting There

A short walk downhill from the station, in the centre of the Broadway. Their website says they have a loyalty card. This was not mentioned to us when we booked.

Useful Website

https://www.kiyotosushi.co.uk/

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Belated Birthday dinner at the Tanglin Club, Singapore

Covid-19 Restaurant Restrictions Eased

The Tanglin Club restaurants in Singapore were closed in early June 2020 because of Covid-19 restrictions. When the restaurants reopened it was only for tables for two. As soon as the previous restrictions were lifted the available bookings were snapped up. We spent ages changing days and trying different times which we didn't want to be sure the restaurants really were fully booked at the popular times and not showing fully booked due to a glitch or the booking site not being updated. 

Time and Space

In the end, we booked for 6.30 although we wanted to eat at 7, reckoning that by the time we ordered drinks it would be getting on for seven. On the night in the large Churchill Room restaurant the tables were widely spaced out and all set for two, very different from the usual layout. The restaurant was never completely full. We guessed that the bookings were limited not because of too many diners, but because of too few staff.

 

Entry

Your taxi drops you outside the front entrance. Up a flight of red carpeted steps. Temperature control past an automatic machine. In the olden days doorman used to open the front door. Now your credentials are checked carefully.

The Churchill Room restaurant has a picture of Winston Churchill by the doorway.

Decor Of Orchids

The Tanglin has an orchid display outside in the hallway. The centre of the Churchill Room has another orchid display. A third orchid display was at the side.

Set Menu Choices

The menu online was not the same as offered in the restaurant, but gives you an idea.  

We started by ordering drinks. I had a glass of Prosecco. My husband ordered a reasonably priced Champagne.Then a glass of red wine.

Complimentary Bread

We were brought a little bowl of breads. The white bread roll with seeds was hot. Melted the butter. The black bread I saved for later. 

The crisp in a tall triangle contained blackened sesame seeds and was delicious, very more-ish. Crispy, salty, tasty.

Complimentary Amuse Guele

Dice size vegetarian mousse with contrasting green peas.

We chose two different starters and main courses and desserts. 

Choices included

Starter

Salmon mousse. Mushroom soup. Foie gras. 

I liked the salmon. That was my choice. 

I was disappointed in the foie gras. Just another smooth pate and less flavour than chicken liver pate. If I had to pay extra for it, I would not.

Main Course

Beef.

Barramundi Fish. 

Pork - excellent. 

Vegetarian option.

Main course - Served Under Domes

Served smartly under domes which are lifted simultaneously. No serving one person who has to wait feeling frustrated for the other person to be served. Nor one person starting and being told off for not waiting.

Dessert

I chose the mango mousse dessert, with ice cream. I thought the fruit was a healthier option.  Mango - excellent choice, looked great.

Why not the chocolate desserts? I admit I hesitated. Mango was a change from chocolate, which we eat a lot of at home and are offered at almost every restaurant and coffee shop location. Chocolate we could eat later at home. 

One of the options was salted chocolate. That must be very tasty, and salt is an ingredient of savoury chocolate dishes featured in a film about France. Sugar and salt does not sound healthy. 

Vanilla ice cream, often tastes of nothing. Or it is drowned by the chocolate flavour.

Nonetheless, I was hoping my husband would opt for one of the chocolate desserts. I told him so. 

He retorted, "It's my birthday dinner. I want to choose what I want to eat."

My husband chose the cheese board. It looked great. Wooden platter. Several cheeses, hard and soft, including a blue cheese. Circular crackers. Some grapes. 

He said the cheeses were a bit industrial. He is a connoisseur when it comes to cheeses.  He buys from speciality cheese shops such as the Cheese Arc. He looks online.

My dessert came up with the happy birthday words written in chocolate and a candle in a blue candle-holder.

More Photos will be added shortly.

Useful Websites

https://www.tanglinclub.org.sg/

http://www.thecheeseark.com/locate-us/

About the Author

About the Author

Angela Lansbury is Vice President Public Relations of Braddell Heights Advanced, and Tampines Changkat Advanced, speakers' training club which are part of Toastmasters International. The USA has several Spanish speaking as well as the English speaking clubs. You can pick up Spanish from buying or reading online their Spanish clubs welcome pages and manuals. 

In The USA, UK, Singapore and worldwide, there are many clubs which are English speaking, as well as Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, French, Tamil, Malay.

The inauguration of Tampines Changkat Advanced was Tuesday 29th 2021, online on  zoom. Their meetings are on the fourth Tuesday evening of the month. They hope to hold meetings with a few people meeting physically, the others online, as soon as the Covid-19 conditions allow.

You can find the club through their Facebook page as well as through Toastmasters International find a club. 

https://www.facebook.com/tampineschangkatadvTMC

The meetings are free for visitors. Visitors can watch, and join in speaking by introducing themselves and volunteering to do a 2 minutes impromptu  speech in table topics.

If you wish to join for a year, it costs about 190 US dollars, to have monthly meetings online, a mentor, a magazine, and one of the 11  Pathways, consisting of 14 projects. Each project starts with 3 speeches of your choice of subject, lasting 4 to 6 minutes, then 5 to 7 minutes. The Pathways include the most popular Presentation Mastery. I chose  humorous speaking as my second Pathway, costing 20 dollars. Then my third was a leadership course. Come and see for free.

The club also has meetings in person in Singapore

You can also contact my other club, smaller Braddell Heights Advanced, which is a cosy little club with more chances to speak.

Login through bha.learncool.sg/meet/bha 

That will link you through to Zoom or googlemeet. 2 pm to 5 pm.

BHA meets the first Wednesday evening each month, starting at 7 pm Singapore time. 

Then an extra meeting on the 3rd Saturday afternoon, starting at 2 pm Singapore time.

To check your time zone,  

https://24timezones.com/difference/singapore/ 

Meetings will be on Wed July 7th and  Saturday July 17th.

Contact either of these or other clubs through Toastmasters International Find a Club.

Where to Celebrate Romantically? Botanical Gardens Restaurant Botanica Provides Perfect Plants, Beautiful Food & Wines, and Birthday Cake

 

At Botanico Restaurant in the Botanical Gardens, Singapore,  the far wall and the ceiling with greenery and the inset Fairy Lights are enchanting. This is in the open-sided section in the patio room beyond the bar. The lights spell out the word, You leaf me breathless. (I remembered it as don't leaf me.)

The building is a converted garage, hence the full name, Botanico in the Garage.

Here is the main room. At the far end is a video screen. To the left is the second dining room.

When I saw the ceiling of the patio room, we were delighted to be shown our table there.

We had eaten at the main restaurant room previously in the stifling hot summer when I chose to eat in the air conditioned main room of the restaurant. However, in March 2021 the open sided room was just the right temperature and no insects.

I went there for my birthday. All a glitter. Delighted that I matched the surroundings and the surroundings matched me.

The set meal was a meal with wine pairings.

The staff member has a t-shirt with the restaurant name. So you know who is who.

We told them in advance that it was my birthday and they gave me a delicious little chocolate cake with a candle and the words happy birthday written in chocolate.

More pictures and text tomorrow.

Happy Birthday!

The duck rissole starter was the most visually appealing item.

I am allergic to shellfish and had emailed them in advance on the booking form. My husband has the scallops dish.

Scallops at Botanico.

Fish replacement.

The scallops dish was replaced by a fish dish. 

Then a wonderful salad with a mixture of eye-catching reds and greens, absolutely delicious textures and flavours of sun dried tomatoes. Great to look at and satisfying to eat.

The main meat dish was melt in the mouth meat.

My melt in the mouth meat.

Super salad.

The salad looks like figs, greens, and sun dried tomatoes pureed.

We emailed them in advance that it was my birthday. They provided, free, a small chocolate cake with a candle and the words happy birthday written in chocolate for my dessert. I liked the chocolate cake more than the dessert they provided so that worked out well.

Botanico. The standard dessert is on the right. Not as exciting visually as the starter, or the birthday cake. The little Happy birthday sign on the dessert on the right was brought by me in case the restaurant forgot, didn't know or didn't have time to write Happy Birthday. 

The Price

It was not cheap, but cheaper than an equivalent meal with wines in London, England. We were emailed a special Woman's day offer. If you get on mailing lists of restaurants you get these offers two or three times a year. We went there to celebrate my birthday.

Alternatives

Downstairs is a cheaper restaurant, called the Bees Knees.

Elsewhere in the Botanical Garden is Halima restaurant which has turned into halal and alcohol free. That would be a good place to go if you or your guests eat halal or are against wine or having a temporary teetotal month and want to be away from temptation. (Some people give up wine in January to recover from the excess of calories over Christmas holidays.) 

However, my husband is a wine educator. The matching wines and the chance to discuss wines with the importer was part of the attraction of the evening at Botanico. The offer on March 9 and 10 was for a glass of sparkling wine on arrival for the lady. The offer on the third day, March 11 was a candle.

Getting There and Getting Home

You can take a pleasant ten minutes walk through the Botanic gardens from Botanic Gardens MRT underground train station. If you are too drunk or tired to walk back at the end of your meal, a Grab taxi will collect you from a few steps outside the door on the turning circle into the car park outside the front entrance.

Useful Websites

BOTANICO at the Garage

www.botanico.sg

reservation@botanico.sg

Reservations and enquiries (+65) 9831 1106

50 Cluny Park Road

Singapore Botanic Gardens

Singapore 257488

Facebook /botanicosg

THE HALIA

https://thehalia.com/

Bees Knees is downstairs in The Garage. For photos and a review and comment review see:

https://ordinarypatrons.com/2017/02/04/bees-knees-botanic-gardens-cafe/

For a variety of views read Tripadvisor.

Candle, a parting gift from Botanico Restaurant.

All photos by Angela Lansbury, copyright.

About the Author

Angela Lansbury is a British author who has lived in the USA.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.

Angela Lansbury teacher of English (advanced and English as a Second Language or English as a Foreign Language, French and other languages, aspiring polyglot.

Angela Lansbury, author and speaker. Member of many toastmasters  speaker training clubs and speaking contest judge.

Angela Lansbury, the author of 20 books including Wedding Speeches & Toasts, and Quick Quotations, has lived in the USA, Spain and Singapore. 

She  has several blogs and writes daily on at least two of the following:

travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

translateforfun.blogspot.com

Please share links to your favourite posts.

Delightful Duck and Desserts To Try At Met Su Yan Kosher Chinese Restaurant, Edgware

 

UK flag

I have had a celebratory meal at Chinese kosher restaurant Met Su Yan in Edgware, North west London, England, and take away food from the other branch. If you are interested in Chinese food, or kosher food, or a restaurant in North west London, or somewhere for a birthday or anniversary, here are two places to consider and the dishes you might enjoy.

Met Su Yan, according to the restaurant staff, means delicious in Chinese. The walls have three large pictures, two of Chinese buildings, a third shows Chinese writing. The seating is a combination of  banquettes and separate chairs. Tables can be pulled apart to create tables of four to comply with Covid-19 regulations. Hand sanatizer is at the entrance. Serving staff wear disposable masks.

I asked the manager if the two restaurants were related. He said they had started out as a partnership, but separated amicaably, with each partner taking over the restaurant nearest their home which cut down travelling. 

Hors D'Oevres (Starters)

My recent take away food at home came from the more central branch and started with the mixed hors d'oevres, which was delicious. Everybody enthused over the (lamb) ribs in sauce. (Why lamb? Pork is not kosher.)  

This good experience prompted us to make a booking at the Edgware branch. I had forgotten which dishes I liked.

I looked at the menu online in advance. I could then work out that I had previously liked the ribs. For my own benefit, I am noting here what I was keen on. Others liked the sesame toast, but my preference was for the lamb ribs. 

Pricewise, there are two set meals, for three courses or four including the Duck. I thought it made things simpler to choose the set meals. You still get a chance to have the duck, and choose rice or vegetables (one of us chose rice, the other vegetables), and portions are generous enough for us to share.

Birthdays

 I asked in advance what they do for a celebration. For a birthday or anniversary they bring out a candle on a dessert, not just a little blow out wax candle, but a dramatic flaming candle.

Duck

We were all familiar with what we in the UK call, 'Peking duck', served English style. Unlike China. I have been to what is supposed to be the best resaurant in Beijing for Peking Duck, served to the locals with just the skin, no meat. In Singapore, too, you must specify if you want your Peking Duck Western style or Chinese style. 

The way we like it is with ultra-thin white flat pancakes kept warm in a bamboo lidded steamer. Help yourself to a spreading of thick plum sauce (which looks like thickened soy sauce). On top add finely shredded spring onion. Then thin sticks of cucumber, like finger long chopstick thick piece of cucumber. Finally, shredded duck. 

Chicken

For my main course I chose chicken with cashew nuts. I had looked at the menu online the evening before. I saw Chicken 'Poh'. I was going to ask what Poh meant. Then I noticed the star which indicated spicy, so my decision was made, stick to the straightforward chicken dish. If I were ordering two portions at home, where it is easy to try out dishes with different cutlery wihtout the risk of somebody else dipping their fork or spoon in your plate, I would order one of each.

Desserts

Desserts were toffee banana, nothing like toffee which to me is soft. On the contrary, banana coated in solid, crunchy sugar glaze.

Met Su Yan Restaurant, London, England, chocolate dessert. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Chocolate Dessert Surprise

For me the best dessert was the chocolate bombe, which has melting chocolate in a solid-looking case.  In the restaurant it was served with white ice cream which was topped with a sprig of mint. If you want to reproduce this at home, search around the internet for the recipe. 

At home you could imitate a birthday or grand restaurant. I have seen a chocolate bombe served with the candle on top. You could serve this under a dome with music to anounce the entrance. You could do any varitation of that at home for a birthday or anniversary or religious holiday.

At the restaurant we had too much to eat. The restaurant packed up everything to do except white ice cream which would have accompanied the chocolate dessert.

If you are stuck at home anywhere in north or central London, you might like to hold a party at home using their take away service. Add your own candles on the dessert or cake, your own ice cream, birthday hats, badges and banners.

If you are not Jewish, but your guests include one or more Jewish visitors and you are wondering what you can safely serve them, a Jewish or kosher restaurant might solve your problem. Note that Jewish style food from a restaurant is not necessarily kosher. If you want kosher, this place fulfils the requirement.

Drinks

In October 2020 the choices included Champagne at 75 pounds sterling, red or white wine by the glass, a chablis at 28, an Israeli rose wine, at 22 a sweet Muscat at 18 pounds. There is a 12 per cent service charge when eating in. I ordered a bottled Cranberry juice at 3 pounds. 

Note that in a kosher restaurant you will not be served milk (not in ice cream nor in a coffee) after a meat meal. At home when serving to religious guests you might need to serve a non diary creamer or wait some hours to elapse. 

Up To Date Prices

When ordering from the menu or in the restaurant, check the online menu and enquire about the latest prices.

Parking

You cannot park outside because there is a double yellow line which means no parking any time. When we visited we could park at night for free in streets nearby. If you have a lady in high heeled shoes or it is raining, you could drop somebody nearer the entrance.

Useful Websites and information

www.metsuyan.co.uk

http://www.metsuyan.co.uk/MesuyanEdgwareTakeaway.pdf

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g1646063-d3981477-Reviews-Met_Su_Yan-Edgware_Greater_London_England.html

https://tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/social-media-and-email-updates/

Their business card says Glatt Kosher under the supervision of the Federation of Synagogues. We were unable to make a booking during the Jewish holiday of Sukkoth, so keep your eye on the Jewish holidays if you are planning an event or making a booking.

About the Author

Angela Lansbury is a travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. You can read other posts and blogs by Angela and link with her on LinekedIn and Facebook and Twitter and Instagram. Also speak to her at meeting of Toastmasters International, where she is a member of five clubs. Please share links  to your favourite posts with your friends and family.

Deepavali Celebrated In Singapore at Braddell Heights with lights and Haldiram brand Ladoo sweets

Deepavali banners include this one outside Braddell Heights Community Club.

Upstairs, at the Braddell Heights II Toastmasters Speakers' Club, a meeting was held which started with the President's talk about Diwali.

At the breaktime, three candles were lit in containers shaped like a traditional lamp. 

Sweets

The food included sweet balls made of chickpeas.The box said, 

Haldiram's

Motichoor

Ladoo

'made from saffron infused chickpea flour'.

Haldiram's has businesses in Delhi and Calcutta including restaurants. They produce more than 100 products including drinks, sweets and savouries and post goods worldwide.

I asked an Indian Singaporean where I could by Ladoo. He told me, "Any Indian sweet shop. Go to Little India and you will find loads of sweet shops selling ladoo."

Useful Websites

www.haldirams.com

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haldiram

http://www.haldiram.com/restaurant-locator

SINGAPORE

visitsingapore.com

singaporeair.com

INDIA

www.incredibleindia-tourism.org/India‎

https://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Restaurant_Review-g304551-d7282437-Reviews-Haldiram_s_Connaught_Place-New_Delhi_National_Capital_Territory_of_Delhi.html

Author, Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

The Longest Day, and Latest Sunset affecting the English, Jews, Muslims

Problem
When do I get long days and late sunsets?

Answer
July 21st, today, Thursday in 2018, is the longest day. However, that does not necessarily mean the latest sunset.

Why does the sunset time matter?

1 VIEWS OF SCENERY VERSUS PEOPLE
If you want to eat outdoors at a restaurant you might want to book an outside or inside table. You might want more light, especially for photographing a view over London.

When dating you might want bright light to get a good look at your date. You might want less light if you have a fabulous voice but not much in facial department. You might want to hide your bald head or wrinkles in the more romantic candle-light indoors.

2 Jewish groups or couples might want to book a Friday or Saturday meal when kosher restaurants are open, which is different in summer and winter. In winter in the UK, in an area with kosher restaurants such as Golders Green, you will notice that the restaurants have closed earlier when it gets dark on Friday evening. But the restaurants are opening earlier on Saturday evening when it gets dark. By contrast, in summer the restaurants will close later on Friday, but won't open early on Saturday evening because it is still light and the Sabbath.

Opening and closing times are also going to be changing gradually throughout the seasons all year.  So check diaries or Jewish newspapers or signs on restaurant doors or websites.

If you are visiting a Jewish host who is observant, they may be using the traditional method of judging sunset by when you can see three stars. In a city where it is so cloudy and polluted that you cannot see any stars, you will have to go by the calendar. Ask your hosts what time you should arrive and what food or drink would be appropriate.

3 Moslem groups observing Ramadan, which last a month and has just ended, cannot eat or drink in the daytime all month. However, they can eat and drink after sunset. If you are providing food and drink for a group which has Muslim members of visitors, they have not eaten all day and will be very pleased if you have halal or vegetarian food they can eat.
The evenings and weekends at the end of Ramadan you will have big celebrations in the Muslim restaurants and areas eg in parts of Singapore and in Muslim countries with a Muslim majority or a large Muslim minority or restaurants and shops and residences area.

UK light nights
Travelling from Singapore to the UK, the long days are lovely.

Useful Websites
visitsingapore.com
vistibritain.com
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunset

Author, Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Honey of a restaurant, Incanto, at Harrow-on-the-Hill

With some trepidation I went to Incanto Restaurant, Harrow-on-the-Hill because it had changed hands and had mixed reviews. I am glad to report that we had a delightful meal. Beyond the deli which overlooks the street is in the upstairs restart, secluded, but brightly lit by overhead windows. The mirror along one wall adds to the spaciousness.

We were immediately shown to our booked table. The dishes started with bread and oil served on a wooden platter. Then came the amuse gueule of white cheese creamed in a teeny shot glass. I assumed it was sweet but it was cheese. Tasty, like blue cheese.

My starter of pea soup had a line of fresh peas in the middle which was pleasing to the eye and mouth. Green asparagus contrasting with yellowy cream sauce was wonderful on the eye and tongue.

My main course of veal with creamed potatoes was pleasant. With three main dishes I was able to sample some of the thick steak and thick chips, as well as the third exotic looking main course of duck.

Honeycomb

Chocolate and fruit

Desserts
The highest point was the desserts.Chocolate with a melting middle and raspberries on the side. We'd seen it carried past and two of the three of us chose that. I oped to have something different on principle. By process of elimination I decided not to go for the cheeses, nor the mixed ice creams, although the flavours sounded lovely, and the dessert with meringue sounded just too sugary. That left me with a dessert which featured honeycomb. Wonderful.

For drinks I started with Prosecco. Can't go wrong. The other two shared a bottle of red wine. Too much for two, as one was driving. But the staff provided a cork so we could take the leftovers home. i had looked at the wine list earlier and noted a glass of muscat which did not appear on the dessert menu. So you have more options to go with your coffees, or instead, before or after.

The only disappointment was that although I had phoned earlier to point out that one of us had a birthday and to ask if we could have a candle, the person answering the phone had not noted this. I thought I'd also mentioned that 'The birthday boy is parking the car'.

However when the desserts had appeared without a candle, and nothing immediately after that, and the others were asking for the bill. I rushed back to the desk to ask where was the candle.

After a quick confab, that the desserts had already been served, somebody said, 'with the petits fours'. We had not ordered coffee which I presumed came with petits fours, but they brought another dessert with the honeycomb with a candle which was very welcome. We liked the petits fours of chocolate, soft nougat and ice cream.

Service from Irish Liz from Belfast was all smiles. We were all very pleased with our evening.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.

Bangers Restaurant near Moorgate station on the Met line in London

Bangers Restaurant, only a few steps from Moorgate station on the Metropolitan line, turn the corner and it's on the next corner across the road.

In a basement, but surprisingly large, with lots of rooms and nooks.

Service
Warm and friendly staff. They serve wine and food until late at night, starting with breakfast at 7.30 am with free coffee.

Decor
One of the main rooms has white walls, black ironwork and wooden floor, tables and dining chairs. All brightened by the electric lights, and small and large candles.

If you want to snuggle up on a sofa, they've got that.

Want red to wake you up at breakfast time? You can have that.

Just want to stand at a bar? They've got that? Plus a barrel or two.

Private Side Rooms And Alcoves

English Food
Bangers and mash is the traditional English comfort food of sausages with mashed potatoes. They have two side rooms using the name Cumberland, which is a kind of sausage.

But we ordered much grander food for dinner in the evening. We were a wine society group enjoying a dinner where we were allowed to serve our own wines. I presume there's either a room hire or a corkage fee, not sure.

Starters - Smoked Salmon, Crab
My starter was a very tasty and smooth smoked salmon enhanced with thin slices of radish. I'd never tried radish before. It looks pretty and adds a refreshing bite. Others in my group had crab starter. Two of our group of about twelve were allergic to crab and chose smoked salmon instead.

Main Course - Duck
The main course was duck with potatoes - and watercress and green beans.

Cheese
Our dessert was the cheese board. Two generously large slides of cheese, with octagonal crisps biscuits in three colours, dark, light and medium. The cheeses were tasty a softish blue cheese which I made the mistake of eating first, because after it the other yellow cheese seemed like a tasteless cheddar. I would have preferred portions half the size and three cheeses or better still four cheeses.

Looking at my picture I recall that the cheese and biscuits came with three grapes and some tasty sweet chutney.

Water, Service and Loyalty Card
Our deal included water, sparkling or still. Staff were always around. Somebody to point the way to the ladies. Somebody to fetch toothpicks. Somebody to get me still water instead of sparkling. Somebody to find me a loyalty card.

Coffee and Chocolates
The restaurant was able to provide a decaffeinated coffee.You might expect this everywhere. However, during the last year I was at a restaurant which did not have decaffeinated coffee.
With coffee we were served orange flavoured chocolate segments.

In case you are curious as to what we drank, two sparkling starter wines, one from Tesco, perfectly acceptable, and another which most people thought was even better. After several Saint Emilion reds, provided from the collection by our wine club group organiser, far too much to drink, we ended with his own port wine.

Prices
I was going to give you a section of prices, then I thought, I don't have time to type all this. So I took a photo of both sides of the menu.

This was for May 2016. For seasonal items and updates check out their website.

In addition to the Bangers menu which you can read on line, they have a daily special written on a board.
Eldon House | 
2-12 Wilson Street, London EC2M 2TE, England
Tel:020 7377 6326 

http://www.davy.co.uk/wine-bar/bangers/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangers_and_mash

Toilets And Amusements
A trip to the toilets revealed more decor. I saw one downstairs toilet for Ladies where the cubicle door has the amusing line: Take a seat.  It is a framed advertisement for their restaurant, but an amusing location for it.

Every time I turned a corner I found something new. It wasn't until late at night when most people had gone that I noticed these creatures, fish, birds and animals.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author, researcher, speaker.

Where to eat on Sunday in NW London

The Hare
The Hare in Harrow Weald was fully booked on Sunday night. They do offers for children. They do a jazz night. A jolly pub with outside seating on a Sunday night. And great food.

Leef Robinson or Gilbert's
If you arrive hoping to walk in and are disappointed, because they are full, within driving distance are the Leefe Robinson. Or Gilbert's in Grimsdyke hotel.

The Road
The road to Gilbert's has been vastly improved since the bad old days when somebody we know overturned their car on one of the bends into a ditch. (Passengers were OK. My car, driven by somebody else, wasn't.) Great warning signs, lights, barriers, humps - a much safer road.

Nearby, opposite the entrance to Grimsdyke hotel, is the popular car park offering a great view over London and the Wembley Arch, as late as 8.30 pm on a summer Sunday evening.

Gilbert's
Gilbert's restaurant has a proper chef and the menu changes. So if you went there a month ago you will be offered a different set meal.

Choice of small tables for two or larger tables for four. Nice lamps and traditional decor. Quiet when we went there Sunday night. Good for private, personal or business conversations.

Set two or three course meal.

While waiting for our first course, we were offered a choice of tomato bread or raisin bread.
Delicious raisin and nut bread, with butter.

We planned on having the dessert but by the time we had eaten the bread and starter we were full.
Portions of the main course were large.

Potatoes filling. Large chunky chips or potato Dauphinoise, an oblong 'cake' of sliced potato.
Vegetables to share. Steak came with battered onion rings. Lamb in big chunks (not the thin slices you sometimes get at a carvery).
Candle and flower on the table. Coloured table lamp nearby.

The new wine list has newer bottles. We accepted the offer of an older Chateau Neuf du Pape. You might think an older bottle would be better. You might want to try it out of curiosity.

 Using a smart phone to check the ratings, we found that the older wine we were offered had by now lost its flavour and was past its best. After trying it, we agreed. Next time we'll opt for the newer wine from their new list. A more recent year, but a better year.

Jazz music playing quietly. I'm not a fan of jazz, but it's good to have faint music so you can concentrate on talking to your dining partner and not hear other people.

Angela Lansbury B A Honours, travel writer, author, speaker.

El Vaquero restaurant - birthday cakes

Great food, great service and a very good visually appealing birthday cake plate, given free to the birthday boy or girl.

On the night we went there three tables had birthdays. The servers give the birthday boy or girl a cowboy/cowgirl hat - goo for a photo - and sing happy birthday.

We had both types of cake as we had two birthdays in our group. The management gave us each a different dessert cake.

London's RSJ Restaurant With Loire Valley Wines By The Glass

RSJ Restaurant is a short walk from the station, by a corner, with ground floor entrance. Three dining areas, the main room at the top upstairs, a small private room mid-level, a larger character basement for conference meetings, AGMs, Xmas parties and so on.

Small round or oblong tables. Jolly, friendly staff. Set meal was pork, vegetarian or mackerel, which suited one of our three diners but the other two chose off the main menu, duck and venison.

Bottle of wine, Vouvray demo-sec, was about £40, (would have been £25 bought outside a restaurant - our wine buff has found this place because he wanted Loire wines, which include demo-sec and sweet wines, and he thought the mark-up was reasonable. 

The pink organic wine which is bottled we had also seen sold at Borough Market.  You could also order a kir royale which I missed - it must have been on the main wine menu as I did not see it on the one sheet wine by the glass menu.

I was a bit perturbed by the way the jug was handled. Please everybody, remember to keep thumbs out of jugs even if they are heavy and carry them with one hand on the handle and if too heavy use another hand at the base for support.

Our starter of poultry and cashew nuts and citrus fruit pleased the birthday boy, though I found the cashews a bit tasteless - same goes for the ones at home from the supermarket - is it the wrong time of year for cashews or is it just me?

Main courses kept everybody happy. The high point was the desserts. We had told them we had two birthdays and they brought up the dessert with a candle. Five star enthusiasm for the toffee pudding. 

Other diners included those early diners dashing off to the Young or Old Vic theatres. Yes, We'll go back. We had corresponded with two people who must be office staff. In the evening those visible were Nigel, waiter Bob, and another. 

A brief flurry when the bill had not registered that one of the diners had the set menu. But soon sorted.

We were shown the multi-arched basement with pillars where the grooms used to sleep, then the yard next door where horses were kept. A fine finish to a satisfying evening.

Organic juice. Vouvray wine by the bottle.

Duck and mash with small onions.

Birthday candle on the delicious dessert.

Notice about tastings and special dinner events.

RSJ Restaurant,

33 Coin Street, London SE1 9NR

Tel: 020 7928 4554

rsj.uk.com

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