Kanada-Ya

Kanada-Ya is the best ramen in London. Arriving like many others as a chain from Japan, founder Kanada Kazuhiro has brought his original recipe to spank all would be ramen pretenders off their butts. You can keep your Ippudos and I don’t need no Bone Daddies cuz the Tonkotsu broth at Kanada-Ya is enough for me! (That line should be read outloud as Laverne from Scrubs).

Kanada-Ya is situated near Tottenham Court Road and directly opposite Ippudo (which these days can’t decide if it wants to serve ramen or masquerade as a Chelsea night club). The restaurant is small, minimalist and simple. You queue, you get let inside, you order from a menu of 3 ramens (all tonkutsu) and then you eat.

Not all ramens are made equally – Some are better than others. What makes a truly excellent ramen is one that does everything well, from the perfectly balanced rich and creamy broth, to the molten yolked soft boiled eggs and of course the melt in your mouth pork collar. A single square of nori that crumples and softens like tissue in the broth. Wood ear fungus and spring onions help to cut through the richness.  Everything a bowl of Kanada-Ya ramen complements each other beautifully and the end result is a ramen that is well worth the queue.

mmm brothy

 

The only other thing you can really order is the onigiri which is pleasant enough, but also guilty of taking up valued noodle space in your tummy. I call this the “Onigiritunity Cost”.

Onigiri

Nowhere else in London currently comes close. Go! Now!

 

Bistro 21

Dear students of Durham, put down that Mr Choi take away menu. If you are looking for a restaurant to bring your parents to for a special occasion, Bistro 21 is the perfect place to go. The restaurant is owned by chef and owner Terry Laybourne and is conveniently located about 10 minutes from the city center by car. Bistro 21 is pretty, but unpretentious. It perfectly encaptures that rustic posh feeling of a good restaurant found up in the North of England.

 

L’enclume

Spending most of my teenage school years in the archetypal British boarding school in the middle of nowhere in Cumbria, I had absolutely no idea at the time of the culinary superstar only known as Simon Rogan who would be rocking his way to 2 Michelin stars by 2012. And I certainly had no idea that this his flagship restaurant L’enclume literally down the road from where I would spend my half term breaks.

Medlar

Medlar is a winner. Located in Chelsea on Kings Road, the restaurant has experienced meteoric success under the helm of Joe Mercer Nairne (formally of Chez Bruce) as its head chef and David O’Connor as head of service. You get a fantastic level of comfort, service and unpretentiousness that is equally matched by the quality of its food.

Goldmine

I’m not gonna mince my words. If I had to choose a last meal before my impending execution for smuggling chewing gum back into Singapore this is probably where I would go. Goldmine in Bayswater is the absolute definition of comfort food for me, not only is the duck a quality above the other rag tag wannabes in Chinatown on a consistent basis, the quality of its supporting cast is also tear-inducingly good.

The Four Seasons

One of the must have meals while in London must surely be the delectable Cantonese style roasted ducks in Chinatown. My personal favourite is Goldmine in Bayswater, but tonight we opted to go back to the old stalwart of all things plump, fatty and juicy; The Four Seasons just off Gerrard Street in Chinatown.

The Clove Club

The Michelin Guide caused a minor uproar within the foodie community when The Clove Club wasn’t given its first star in 2013; many have claimed that the relatively new establishment residing in the Shoreditch Town Hall is serving some of the loveliest food in London. Mitch, Vivian and myself decided to check the alleged hipster den out and whether the food was really up to scruff.