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!!!



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

Timberrrrrrr(yard)

Salutations, welcome to the Timberyard! And no, there aren't a lot of lumberjacks here, it's a ruddy coffee shop thing!

This one is another that I'd tried to get in once before and failed because it was too gosh darned popular! A mac user heaven, the computers nearly outnumber the people in here. It makes me envious but not because I'm not an apple girl.
However this time we were lucky and just as we came in a couple were leaving. We ordered stuff and it was brought over quickly to our newly nabbed table.... A chocolate slab thingy, a latte and a pot of tea. Delush.
The tea had a five minute timer to go with it to tell you when your coffee was brewed, which was cute. Tea ponce ahoy!

The coffee was nice (not woooooooow but very slurping) and everything is presented well on a nice little boardy thing. Places these days need to present food and drink on planks of wood..I'm far from complaining but it's probably rarer now without one. Chocolate slab thing was very rich and dark chocolatey. Worth the money..three pounds and something . 

Cool chairs and great atmosphere, could easily stay here all day chatting and I plan to bring a few friends here in future to do just that.
They've got tons more cakes to try next time and believe me...I'll be back.
Moowahaha.

Caravan Kings X

I've tried to get into Caravan before but the first time round we didn't want to wait 40 minutes for a table...however this time it was a 20 min wait and we were offered a seat at the coffee bar.  We were given a coffee bean (I think) bag with a number on and went to sit at the bar.
I ordered a latte and it looked pretty (I'm a sucker for a nice looking latte in a glass). The staff were all enthusiastic too. The atmosphere of the place was nice, not rushed around and just very chilled out and warehousey sort of feel...you know, cagey walls and pipes out, lots of wooden stuff.. Is that shabby chic? Dunno but it's good anyway. Pleases my eyes.  the clientele and staff looked pretty Hipster tastic but I like a good hipster so I'm down with that, son.
The menu is pretty quirky and my dining fellow had trouble picking what to have initially. For me I was picking between avocado on toast(I have an avocado problem at the moment) or baked eggs
.. Felt I should be different so picked baked eggs!

OH MY GOOD GOD THAT WAS AMAZING

Everything tasted awesome, such a good choice with the baked eggs and merguez sausage addition. Eggs. Sausage. Sour cream. Tomatoes. Oh my God. Amazing. One of the best brunches I've ever had. Hopefully that explains how tasty it was.

My boyman went for the caravan fry up and he said from looking at it he didn't think it'd fill him up but, by jove, it did. Fabulous. Strangely he couldn't pick what his favourite piece was and it ended up being between the bread (sourdough) or the tomato! For a big meat eater that's a very very rare thing so shows the quality of the food. I'm very into meat too and could have happily eaten the baked egg without the sausage too. Shocker!

We have brunch planned with my sister tomorrow so we are coming back straight away. Avocado is going in my face for sure!

Really good prices too and I feel fresh rather than greasy and full of yuck.

Coffee is really nice, similar taste to alpress in shoreditch. Less creamy but still all good.

Mmmmm
9/10! And I never give ten so that's saying something....

http://www.caravanrestaurants.co.uk/kings-cross.html

Bunny..how?

Dear no readers. Or myself. Both. I began my relationship with Bunnychow last year and it was overwhelmingly fabulous. Their Thai Chicken bunny rocked my world and made it into my top 10 foods that I wanted to Get In My Face and I thought about the saucy soft bread most days. Sigh. Summer lovin' did indeed happen so fast.

But....then the menu changed. I was hesitant, my Bangcluck Bunny chicken based love was gone. Not a coconutty replacement in sight. But I eventually clucked (see, chicken related) up the courage to go and try their new menu in Soho after a delightful cinema outing at the PCC. I saw The Mask, it was good. AWOOOGAHHH. I tried the Durban Bunny (mutton) - "Slow cooked mutton curry, raita, mango chutney - £5" as all the sauces sounded pretty similar and none particularly grabbed me from the descriptions.

The mutton tasted pretty good and presentation was nice with the poppadum things sticking out the top. It didn't look as fresh as the old menu bunnies but it was presented in a nice tin. Not sure why tins are nice, but you know... the tin was nice. I do like the Bunnychow boxes but as my sister pointed out, they are probably heading to more eco-friendly packaging if you're eating in. Fair doos!

So yes, I tucked in and found it nice but strange. Maybe it's the South African durbanny flavour that I'm not used to? I picked out a lot of sultanas (I think that's what they were) because they tasted too fruity/sweet and focussed on the meat and other bits but I'm sad to say I wasn't wolfing it down. I also left most of the bread bowl as it wasn't as absorby and the sauce just didn't make me want to try and smoosh my face into the food to take as much in as I possibly could.

I treated myself to their new rib side too, which was tasty. That was probably the best part of the meal for me and I will try some more of their sides when I go back.  However, overall I left feeling a bit :( about the experience because I truly loved the old menu, and so did my other half.  He too felt it was lacking a certain something, though liked the spice level compared to the Monkey Gland, preferring that flavour over the new Durban Bunny.  There is a Monkey Gland sauce based side option (might be chicken wings, will have to check) but I'm not sure it will make up for it being gone.

Value wise, Bunnychow always wins.  It's a fiver! A FIVER. Sides are also a pound, what a tasty pound. Especially if you have one of their badges to entitle you to 20% off and the quality is great but the new menu isn't for me so far. I'll be back to try some more  - perhaps the Pulled Pork - but I have a feeling I will be longing for the Bangcluck Bunny for some time. Please bring it back, Bunnychow! I luff you.

I need to get over the menu change though, times change, they have moved on so I need to either roll with it or pipe the frack down. Honestly though, that Bangcluck bunny....oh my lord. So good. RIP, my friend.

So say we all.

Oh hai!

Hark at thee, world!

I am creating this blog after seeing a post on Twitter (mine is @stephaniejay_uk, follow me!) asking who my top 5 street food traders are.  There are SO many I wasn't sure where to start, and there are also so many I need to try.  In some cases I can't remember where I've been and where I haven't, so why not list them along with what I ate.  In public.  Because everyone (me) is interested, right?

Good.

Well, there we go then. It begins. A blog of probably two entries which seems all shiny at the moment but will no doubt go under used.

LLAP.