Comptoir Libanais – Soho

For a good few years I've been eyeballing Comptoir Libanais with much intrigue. Having never tried lebanese food, I wondered, what the fuss was all about? I decided to see for myself and went to the Soho branch a few weeks ago for a late lunch. It was a quiet Sunday and we pretty much had the restaurant to ourselves. I was really hungry so starters, mains and desserts were in order, and with such a large menu I was spoilt for choice.

First up were drinks, though, and here's what I got: Iced Fresh Rose Mint Tea. A sweet and zesty tea that made me so happy I cannot even describe it to you. It was incredible. They did a hot version, too!

For starters we got some Damascus olives and Jawaneh (chicken wings with harissa and garlic sauce). The chicken was juicy, spicy and sweet, and the olives were fantastic – fresh and juicy and full of flavour.

The main event: lamb kofta wrap. The menu describes it as spiced minced lamb with hommos, pickled cucumber and tomato and this sounded so tasty to me. I wasn't disappointed. It arrived piping hot, the wrap crisp on the outside and soft underneath, the lamb was so well seasoned – like a sausage, almost, and paired with the salad it was perfect.

And to finish, a chocolate and cranberry brownie, which, if served alone I think would have been too dry but with the ice cream and chocolate sauce it was so yummy. And yes, I ate every last bit. 

I so wish Comptoir Libanais would open a few more restaurants outside of London (there are lebanese food converts here in Bristol too, you know!) I'm dying for another wrap right about now, but I guess I'll just have to wait until my next visit to the city. Find out more about Comptoir Libanais here – brace yourself for a rumbly tummy.

Nordic Bakery - Soho

Have you ever found a quiet place in London? Somewhere away from the tourists, the street-long shops, the noise? Nordic Bakery was my first such discovery.

Young mothers meeting friends with their toddlers clad in New Balance trainers and mustard cashmere sweaters didn't dissuade me from settling here for the afternoon. In fact, there was something quite endearing about the array of people coming in and out of the cafe. It felt like everyone was welcome, even me with all my books.

Turning a busy corner and stepping into the calm Nordic Bakery, it was love at first sight. In true Scandinavian style, the decor was kept to a minimum, but the selection of sandwiches and cakes came in abundance.

It was difficult to choose, but I opted for the brie and lingonberry sandwich. All bread here is rye, and it is so delicious you'll wonder why you ever ate any other kind (except French, of course. French bread always prevails).

I could have eaten another, but the main reason for my visit to Nordic Bakery was to try the infamous cinnamon buns. It came served on a miniature tray – very cute – and paired with a black filter coffee it was perfectly palatable, but I do wish I had trusted my gut and picked up one of those giant jam tarts, instead. 

I'd heard rave reviews about these, but they're not cinnamon buns as I know them. These are very heavy, bready and don't taste much of cinnamon, unfortunately. Perhaps that's the Nordic way, but I think I'll stick to the sugar-soaked offering my sister bakes which hits the spot every time.

I spent the next hour revising for some exams that are now, thankfully, completed and passed, and then met my friend Jess for a weekend spent in a town very familiar to me. Posts of our Saturday spent in Deal to follow soon :)

Have you been to the Nordic Bakery? If you're in Soho, I highly recommend a trip. It's such an airy, relaxed atmosphere you'll forget you're in London altogether. Find out more here.

First Taste of Ramen at Bone Daddies – Soho, London

Why it took me so long to visit Bone Daddies, I don't know. I have a tendency to think about a place for months on end, read a thousand reviews online, drool over photographs, umm and ahh, until eventually, there is nothing left to do but GO. I finally got the chance to eat at Bone Daddies when I visited my friend Elly in London a few weeks ago. Like me, she is a fan of essiebutton, who is a fan of ramen, and we had heard that Bone Daddies was the place to go. Elly was waiting in line for me when I arrived, and we were seated within minutes – not bad for a Friday night in Soho. 

One thing I had worried about after reading Miho's review was the level of noise in this place, and unfortunately it was loud – the party squished in next to us even asked the waitress to turn it down and she said no! Paired with the fact that we were packed in like sardines, it wasn't the best atmosphere for catching up over dinner – it felt more like a bar than a restaurant – but Elly and I were willing to let that slide because the food was incredible.

We ordered fried chicken to share, and two bowls of T22. I had a passionfruit, orange and mint juice which was so delicious. I have known a lot of places to skimp on the more expensive ingredients but Bone Daddies certainly did not – I enjoyed a dozen plump passionfruit pips with each sip.

The food arrived quickly and we, as typical ramen virgins, dove straight in, ignoring the foreign condiments in front of us. Later, we watched two girls next to us mix up their noodles, meat and egg and grind sesame into their broths. True ramen know-how. Next time I'll give it a go.

I loved my T22. The chicken was juicy and tender, the noodles reminded me of supernoodles – thin and slurpable – and the egg was soft boiled to gorgeous perfection. I didn't finish the broth – I found it a little salty – but everything else was spot on. The side of fried chicken was my favourite. Good on its own, but dipped in the chicken bone broth was just the best. 

I'm so glad I finally got to check out Bone Daddies – East Asian food is my absolute favourite – and I am now scouring the net for more ramen hangouts. Have you got any recommendations?