Randy's Wing Bar Soft Opening - 50% off!

WORD. Long time no eat.  Well, lots of eat but lack of writing. Thinking on how I can improve my food reports. I keep taking photos but not reporting back. BAD EATER REPORTER LADY.

However, this week I saw a 50% off soft opening deal on LondonOnTheInside (worth a peek) for a chicken wing bar and though I AM THERE. I bloody love chicken wings and Randy’s Wing Bar is only 20 minutes from my house. Bingo bango.

We booked online for 6.30 and the place was just starting up so pretty empty, but it did fill out during our meal.  First impressions were that the outside needs a sign or something but it’s all laid out very nicely, the wooden and industrial look with benches for seating both outside and inside. Would be ace in the sun provided a few umbrellas are stuck up for pale sun feebs like me.

So, the food! As I said I do love a good chicken wing and, as a reference point for my 0 readers, my top two so far are 1) BBQ Lab’s Chipuffalo and 2) Meat Liquor’s Bingo Wings.  As the food was half price we ordered the Korean wings, the Buffalo wings, the Bulgogi chicken burger and furious fries (the name reminded me of Bleecker St’s angry fries).

The food came out a bit at a time rather than all at once which was fine with us – Buffalo wings first. Now usually the cheese sauce is on the side for dippage, but with these it was drizzled on as part of the overall dressing.  Fine and dandy for me though I would probably have liked some for dipping too. My dining partner doesn’t usually dip into the cheese and has straight Buffalo wings but he didn’t mind this, so I don’t think the cheese was too strong.  Wings are a good size and you get a nice portion for your buck.

The Korean wings came out at the same time as the burger (which we halved) and they were nicely presented with a  nut sprinkle and some greenery. Again, a good size and I think I preferred the flavour of these to the buffalo, though I am a buffalo girl. Perhaps it was the lack of dipping cheese, or maybe these Korean wings were just a little different and tasty! Who knows but we can agree they get a thumbs up.

I had read that RWB served crispy chicken wings and I didn’t find either set to be crispy.  This wasn’t a problem and I could pull off any bits of skin that was too soft for me to enjoy but a crispy outer is my preference (as you can probably tell if you have sampled my top 2 wing faves).  I’d be interested to try the other flavours, especially the southern fried type option for that bit of crunch/crispness.  I did end up leaving a few of each wing type possibly purely down to not being bothered to pick off the soft skin and they didn’t drive me nuts and need me to gobble them all at once (when I eat BBQ Lab wings I can’t talk to anyone or do anything else until they are ALL finished, for example). Nice but not OMG THESE ARE DRIVING ME INSANE WITH THEIR GOODNESS, nice.

Furious fries – I wasn’t too pleased with these… L I really wanted to be but I probably had around 10 and picked at them but, for me, nah. Maybe I had linked them too much to the Bleecker St angry fries as they have the same kind of idea…chips with buffalo sauce and cheese (RWB uses feta and I think BS uses a blue cheese sauce).  When they came out they looked nice (see photo) and I picked up a few…but they were cold. My other half who was eating with me didn’t seem to mind and carried on eating them regardless but they were definitely cold and super thin, so much so that each bite resulted in an audible crunch. They reminded me of the crisps French Fries. We let the staff know and I asked if they should be cold (maybe this was a serving choice!) and they were taken away to be sorted out. They came back still cold on the outside and luke warm in the middle (I stuck my finger into the pile of chips and there was no way I could have been burned) but the staff were so lovely I didn’t want to say again that they were still not chip temp. I picked at a couple more out of habit and left the rest. RIP furious fries. But that’s what a soft opening is for, to iron out teething problems

Now…the Bulgogi burger may have been my favourite part of the meal actually. I was curious about the thai sauce stuff mentioned on the menu and I don’t have chicken burgers much (as you may assume from a wing bar, all the burgers are chicken). We halved the burger and it was juicy, flavoursome and had a nice bun too. It wasn’t overwhelmed by salad (some burgers are and it ends up falling out all over the place – no no no) and I would definitely order it again. Nom nom. Good work!

After we’d finished the mains (possibly) the manager came over and asked how everything was, so I let him know about the chips and he explained that the cutter they used is very thin and the chips may have been cold as they use cold feta and the sauce is just warm. For me, I don’t think that would have caused the whole dish to be cold (the outside chips were cold too) and from thinking about it further, maybe the chips are too thin to retain heat for very long? I don’t know, it was strange, but maybe they can heat up their buffalo sauce if its that causing the problem.. the feedback was taken on though and hopefully this can be sorted before they open properly or maybe we just got a duff batch.  The manager was apologetic though and took the fries off the bill for us which was very much appreciated. This sounds like I was a right moany beast…negatives are always harder to write about than positives but we did big up the burger and wings too.

I forgot about pudding.  Now THAT was my favourite part of the meal. Oh my gahhhhhd, it was shamazing. A super thick and rich brownie with ice cream on it (salted caramel?) sprinkled with biscuitty stuff.  Yes please. The ice cream was a good consistency with bits of flake mixed in and it went really nicely with the brownie. I probably finished about 2/3 of the brownie and had to leave the rest because I ran out of room.  It was properly delicious though and highly recommended.   I  think they only serve one pud so if you don’t like chocolate things then it isn’t for you…but mm…this was most delightful. High five to RWB for this delicious creation. I wonder if they make the brownie in house? Yum.

Over all we had a nice meal at Randy’s and it was a good experience to try somewhere new.  I’d like to pop back to try a few bits when the restaurant is more settled and everything is fully up and running and to give the chips another crack. The portion of chips was massive and I would love to try them hot and softer! I think this place has a lot of promise and the location by the canal is great too (I am still thinking forward to Summer!) but it does need a few important tweaks. Sort the chips and crispen the chicken and you will have a return customer for sure.

Twitter: @randyswingbar

Bunnychow...Take 2

Awwite guvs,

Back to Bunnychow I went last weekend

Ordered through DineIn as I had a £10 off voucher but when we arrived they said there was an issue as they hadn't updated their menu so all the sides were now £2.50 up from £1 and they would give different quantities. Rather than mess about too much they just gave us half portions but I thought that was a little strange!

I asked about taking the sultanas out of the rice or sultana free as I had asked about that on Instagram and I'd been replied to with a "just ask for rice without sultanas as they aren't in our sauces". Apparently they don't do a separate non sultana'd rice (just an FYI!) so the lady behind the counter said they would do me a bunny with no rice and more meat - woohoo!

The stuff arrives, yay! Foods!

Digging into my pork bunny and then....ew....sultana...dig to the bottom and they gave me rice. With sultanas. ARGH!! I didn't complain as we'd got the whole meal for about a fiver with the free £10 code I'd been given but I did find it really annoying having to pick through the rice again especially after specifically asking. :(

Overall though the Peri-peri  Pork Bunny was good and not overly spicy. I previously had the Durban which I wasn't really a fan of, but I would definitely have this one again the next time I visit. My last favourite (Bang Cluck Bunny) hasn't yet been topped and I am hoping that it will come back soon - that shizz was addictive!

The rib side order was nice (you get two in a portion) but a bit lardy and I did find some chunks of fat in the bunny itself so I had to make a little fat pile to put aside -  lovely picture included for you!

 



I cant remember what these were...but they were nice. Sorry for my lack of detail but it's a tasty photo, eh!?

Until next time Bunnychow.... psst...bring back the Bang Cluck Bunny!!!



Enlighten Tooth Whitening - That time I dyed the inside of my face

Hello!

I thought I would put together a little blog about Enlighten Tooth Whitening as I really can't find much out there in the way of customer reviews. And hey, although this is a (sometimes updated) food blog I figured teeth are also in my face, so it's fine to put here. I think.

I carried out a lot of research on Enlighten before going ahead and got the idea from a friend who had gone through the process before.  There are so many lightening choices out there and to be honest it's a bit overwhelming - LED, laser stuff, home bleaching, different gels, ZOOM, in chair for an hour at the dentist type stuff and countless deals on Groupon and co which seem to good to be true (whitening for £69?! - really?)...so yes I was glad to notice my bud's lovely gnashers in the Summer and ask if she had them whitened. Even after that I looked it all up myself and investigated (yes, investigated) different dental practices, prices and what's actually included in that price.

Prices, I found, ranged from about £200 to 'From £600'. The £200 made me wary so didn't go for that one. I'm still not sure why/how the prices fluctuate so wildly but hey ho.

I eventually settled on K2 Dental (www.k2dental.co.uk) which is a short walk (or a bus and a walk if lazy like me) from Hammersmith tube at the price of £395.  This includes 14 nights of at home whitening plus a 40 minute in chair session to finish me off. My friend paid a similar price outside of London but just for the home whitening so I figured why not go for the extra session too.

I booked up my consultation appointment for 6 November and went along. I made sure I had a normal dental check up before so I was comfortable there were no holes and that my teeth were in good condition. I went to my usual dentist for that, but I am sure whichever place you decide on for Enlighten will be happy to do a check up for you.  So for my consultation the dentist checked my mouth to make sure I was 'suitable' and asked me how much I knew about the process etc. Because of the research I pretty much knew 95% of what went on and I asked a few questions like what can/cant I eat during the treatment etc and got a brief answer but the rest would be confirmed later on. I also asked what sort of mouth wouldn't  be suitable and it was things like gum disease, a mouth full of crowns or large fillings that were different colours and the patient had no intention of changing these afterwards, or general really bad tooth condition. I have a root canal tooth which is pretty grey because of the large amalgam filling but at some point I will sort this out with a crown. When my bank balance recovers maybe some time next year.

As some insider info (because this is so secret you are now an 'insider') my teeth are shade A3 at the moment, with my fangs being perhaps an A3.5 as they are a bit darker.  This is a normal tooth shade though I think I am more conscious of it these days because I am fairly pale (if you are tanned your teeth may look whiter even at the same shade as mine!) but Enlighten guarantees a shade of B1 which is lovely jubbly. I also drink a lot of tea and coffee (hi Starbucks and your seasonal drinky treats).

Anyhoo, so they confirmed the price and the process and asked if i wanted to go ahead. Yus I said! The next step was taking the retainer molds  which was a bit messy. It involved some purple putty stuff in a mouth tray (they measured which size would be best for me first for top and bottom) and doing the bottom of my mouth first then the top. The dentist held the tray in for a while until the putty hardened, then we did the same for the top. It doesn't hurt and is more inconvenient not being able to swallow then I had to clean a bit of putty (then dried) from my face once we were finished. It tasted ok too, a bit like berries.

The retainers/trays take two weeks to be produced so I booked in my follow up session for collection on 20 November. This friday! Woot. I assume what will happen here is I will receive the trays, try them on and be shown how to apply the gel. In this two weeks I have been given a tube of Enlighten Tooth Serum (basically toothpaste) to use in place of my regular toothpaste morning and evening. I think this is to make my teeth a wee bit less sensitive before the gel starts, which is fine with me.

So, to be continued after my Friday appointment!

Orange Buffalo Chicken - Brick Lane

Oof! Now I'd been waiting white a while to go to Orange Buffalo and I'd heard very good things but is often found myself in Brick Lane at a non foody time, or I'd just stuffed myself at the stalls down the Lane itself.

HOWEVER, this Sunday a group of buds and I were there. We sat on a bench in the communal eating piece and the tome was now. My friend got a portion of the Buffalo wings and they smelt super tasty and zingy, so how could I refuse the opportunity?

Grabbed my wings and they were reasonably quickly served with a few celery pieces and a dollop of blue cheese sauce. They looked awesome and there was plenty of sauce all over the muthas.


When it came to the eating instead of the staring, smelling and taking photos, the sauce was fab. Buffaloish as it avoid be and reminded me of the Buffalo sauce that Franks do. Size wise they were good too and for £6 you do get a lot and the chicken meat was cooked nicely.
There was only one thing that kept me from uncontrollably wording there down...the chicken skin. It was covered in sauce which is great, but I like a crispy skin on mine so I did end up leaving a few. Which is criminal really.

These were still a bargain and I ate probably eight or so wings but they didn't hook me as some others have (Bbq lab especially)... I think if I'd have gone to Orange Buffalo sooner I'd have loved them more, but this summer I had some summer chicken wings lovin'... It took my breath away and it may have raised my future wing standards to dizzying unrealistic heights.

I'd still recommend these bad boys anyway because they were lushtastic, and grab some curly fries while you're there.

Twitter: @orangebuffalo

FlatIron Steak - Denmark St, no misteak.

Oh my jeez. Okay. I'd heard of this place and it had been on my 'go-to' radar for a while but for some reason I just hadn't been.

We were looking up places to eat in Soho and came across this name again. Bargain tenner for a flat iron steak and people rave about it, so we thought let's give it a crack.

We stood like idiots on Denmark St for a few minutes trying to find the restaurant front but our eyes started working and we saw this interesting looking restaurant peeping put with it's subtle name sign.

So, I'd checked their twitter before we'd gone in as I heard there were usually queues to get in...but we arrived around 3pm and it was clear to grab a table for four. There were specials up today of wagyu burger (£15) and short rib (£14) and the only main on the permanent menu was flat iron steak (£10). Perfect size menu for me. Sides were £2.50-3.50 which I think is pretty reasonable too.

The server was knowledgeable and told us where the cows came from, which bits the meat comes from and other bits and bobs which was a nice touch. She recommended medium rare for the steaks so I went with her suggestion (though I'm usually a rare kind of gal) and chucked some creamed spinach in as my side. They'd also put some popcorn on the table as a free sharer picky thing which was lush. I thought it tastes slightly beefy and looked it up later to find it was beef dripping popcorn! SWOON!

We didn't have to wait long until the food arrived and PHEWPH it was mouth watering. Awesome steak, little salad cup and the creamed spinach (a first try for me) was ace. I pinched a few chips from my eating companions and the chips were fab too, though I am glad I ordered spinach for something different. The beef was sliced and presented on a flat iron, and each diner had a mini cleaver branded Flat Iron to use during their meal which was a great little touch and a photo point.

All in all I'll definitely be back to FlatIron again and will recommend it to my carnivorous friends. Awesome price and really lovely food, set in a cosy restaurant where everything is presented splendidly. Well done!

Mmm...cow...

Twitter: @flatironsteak
www.flatironsteak.co.uk

Poppies of Spitalfields - Takeaway!

Avast ye!

Last week we were feeling lazy or didn't have anything in, or plans went askew...whatever. We ended up ordering takeaway through the DineIn site. We decided to go with Poppies of Spitalfields as I've heard great things but never actually been. Wah!!!

Order plaicing was fine and dandy, pretty standard through the website so I guess that's now down to Poppies but it took about an hour to show up. Though I probably should appreciate that it is a very busy place! Darn it.

The goodies arrived hot which was a good thing in little cute Poppies boxes.

 

We ordered the groundnut oil fried cod which came with chips and, oh my Cod! Cor blimey!, their reputation is built on very firm and delicious ground. The chips were light and didn't leave you feeling like you'd eaten a block of lard (that's a good thing) and the fish tasted fresh and not over battered. What a ray of light! The meal came with a little jar of tartar sauce too which I am not usually crazy on, but this stuff was really nice. I didn't use any other sauce or any salt/vinegar which is probably evidence to how good the food was by itself.

I was a bit worried about this order as a lot of grease and fish and chips of the past (of the past? what?) has made me feel a bit sicky afterwards but that didn't happen at all with Poppies. Maybe it's the different oil they fry in or something, I'm not sure.  (Hali)But I do know that I will definitely have to visit one of their sit down restaurants for a proper meal there.  And I would advise you to aswell.

End verdict: Poppies are eely good.

Sorry for the fish puns. But not really.

http://poppiesfishandchips.co.uk/
Twitter: @popsfishandchips

Pulled by Morito at Pump Shoreditch

Last Friday before the bank holibobs weekend I toddled off to Pump Shoreditch (www.pumpshoreditch.co.uk) with a chum and immediately the stall (is it a stall? Sort of a little beach hut style thing) of Pulled by Morito lured me in.. probably because it was bright red and had a list of pulled meats outside it.

 

Checking out the options I went for their Moorish Lamb and I am SO glad I did. It came with rice and a salad with a few sauces (no idea what they were but I trusted the guys to know what they were doing!) and phewie...awesome.  This was a dish of lamby cumin awesomeness where the meat was softy softy and full of flavour. They chucked on tons of lamb, rice, salad and a spicy yoghurt dressing and did not scrimp one bit. The dish I had was £7 and they definitely do not rip you off for the food you get, especially the meat which some stalls I have eaten at in the past try to give you less of in place of, let's say, rice.

 

I hadn't even finished my meal and wanted another one because it tasted so good! Lamb is a rare meat for me to cook at home so it was an extra special treat to have it here. Yumser.... A couple next to me asked about it (maybe I was too enthusiastic with wolfing it down?!) and ended up getting pulled meats too after my mad woman style raving. The friend I went with turned vegetarian last year but was drooling over the smell and cursing her meat free ways.

 

I am definitely going to go back to Pulled by Morito before it leaves Pump Shoreditch at the end of Summer so I can try the other meats they have on offer. Highly recommended though and definitely worth a lookee if you are in Shoreditch any time soon.  I'm not sure where they will be after Pump Shoreditch, but at the moment it's on Shoreditch High St near Boxpark and opposite Andina.

 

GO GO GO!!! Totally worth getting in your face. I pulled that night. Ho ho ho ho ho...sorry.

 

www.facebook.com/moritostreetfoodlondon

Twitter: @pulleduk