Famous for their Dim Sum, Royal China has a reputation as the place to go for bite-size Chinese treats. Based in prime areas of London, the restaurants are centrally located on Baker Street, as well as in Bayswater, Fulham, Harrow-on-the-Hill and Canary Wharf. I visited this branch, which sits outside the main glut of outlets at a relaxed parade that overlooks the Thames. My dining partner and I were nearly the first people to sit down at 12pm, but by 1pm it was packed. What surprised me most was the mix of clientele. Yes, plenty of suits and ties as I expected. But also couples having lunch. Families. With space for 80 there was room for all.
It’s a gorgeous looking place. Clean lines, muted colous and luxurious Chinese illustrations give a sumptuous feel. Despite the number of covers available, it doesn’t feel cramped at all.
We tried several dishes, dim sum ranging from soft to crisp, sweet to savoury. We dove into the steamed buns. First the honey pork puffs, sticky like the sweetest sausage roll you’ll ever taste. Then the ham and onion bun, slightly soft but the top gently browned. It’s like a pillow of luscious savoury things.
pork and honey puffs
We also had one of the most intricate of dim sum that requires exceptional skill: small pockets containing a piping hot soup. Delicious! We rounded our meal out with a simple chow mein dish.
shanghai pork bunsham and onion dim sumvegetable chow mein
Also we had to try the chicken feet in black bean and chilli. There’s something to be said for using every part of the animal, and I’d not tried it before. The flavour was great – punchy and savoury. But it was a bit of an ordeal getting through all the small bones. I’m glad to have tried it but I’m not rushing to have it again.
chicken feet in black bean and chilli
Service was brief but attentive. Staff were quiet but helpful when I was trying to decide how much dim sum I should order.
Royal China offered excellent food, well presented in elegant surroundings. They offer a reasonable three course lunch menu for £15 which I’ll definitely be trying sometime.
In the South of Essex is an area of Basildon known affectionately as Bas Vegas. Nestled among industrial estates is a retail park with cinema, bowling and various bars and eateries. It’s been a popular evening destination for the locals for nearly twenty years. I’ve seen dozens of films there and eaten there countless more times. It’s not a place for independents – it’s crowd-pleasing mega-chains that dominate: Frankie & Benny’s, Nando’s, Pizza Hut etc. The latest to open on the park is Bella Italia.
I went in a party of 8 in the run-up to their grand opening. They’ve done a great job with a limited space. The ceilings are tall and gives the place an airy feel, with bright banquettes and a few cheeky touches such as a gelato bike.
Retro tourist posters adorn the walls
We had two separate tables booked but the staff were perfectly happy to consolidate us to one table. After that excellent welcome things didn’t continue well when Mrs. Spud had her whole cocktail upended all over her by the server. The staff were very apologetic but letting slip it wasn’t the first time our waitress had done that today wasn’t reassuring.
We were starting to worry when the olives arrived on the table. My family are voracious olive eaters yet we tried some of the most disgusting purple olives we’d ever eaten. Bitter and waxy; truly unpleasant. Thankfully things were on the up once starters arrived.
Arancini peperonata
My arancini were very good specimens: tangy tomatoey balls of risotto that were soft on the inside and crisp on the outside. Sweet with red pepper they were very tasty. Elsewhere on the table we enjoyed salads (can’t beat a good insalate caprese), shell-on prawns and various breads without complaint.
Our friends had tried the pasta on a previous visit and weren’t impressed, so we veered away from that. For mains pizza was a popular choice in my group. There are some interesting alternative toppings such as the veg-laden quattro legumi and pollo e spinaci.
Luganica Rosmarino pizza
My meaty Luganica Rosmarino pizza was fragrant with rosemary and as thin as you like. A good example of the genre. Everyone else were very happy with their food. I’d really like to go back and sample the Salmone Tarragon. The children were satisfied with chicken and chips with my daughter proclaiming it the “best chicken ever”.
There were familiar faces for dessert. Gelato, cheesecakes, brownies… I played it safe it with the tiramisu which was as good as any other high street chain.
Apart from Bellinigate, service was fine if a little rough around the edges but I’m sure that will improve over time. The menu is varied enough to suit most though it appears to want to try and appease as many as possible with items like “Burger Americano” and “Pollo Caesar” (Caesar salad) which don’t gel well with everything else. Pricing was as you would expect with starters in the £5 – £7 range and mains in £10 – £15 bracket.
It’s a fun, breezy place that will no doubt attract a huge following for families looking for a post-cinema meal. It’s also the kind of chain that offers lots of vouchers and midweek discounts so will be popular with the coupon crowd. Just don’t have the olives.
I attended Bella Italia during a soft launch: food was free but we paid for drinks and service.
My home town of Rayleigh has undergone a huge transformation in the past five years. It suffered the same stagnation that ran across most of the suburban high streets of England in the 2000s as the recession bit. In 2010 restaurant after restaurant opened up and now the high street heaves with people of an evening. We’re now spoiled for choice, not only by chains such as Ask and Prezzo, but wonderful independents such as Marco’s and Pancho’s. In December 2015 they’ve been joined by Pizza Express. The announcement caused a local stir, as it was to be sited in not just any old building, but in the oldest secular building in Rayleigh. With some concession, it went ahead with space allocated to the upper floor for a Rayleigh museum. You can read more about how they matched the existing building here.
Now that it’s here, I gave it a try. I popped along early, a 4pm table on a Monday. My very jolly waiter Nahim explained how we were lucky to be between lunch and dinner, as that evening’s service was packed from 5pm until closing time. The restaurant’s prime location on the crest of the town’s hill and attractive frontage has fuelled it’s popularity, and proves that Rayleigh is hungry for yet more eating options.
PizzaExpress Rayleigh, 91 High Street, Rayleigh, Essex, SS6 7EJ 01268777224
They’ve made marvellous use of the space. Previously it was a women’s clothing store, dark and with uneven flooring. The transformation is total. It’s bright and airy, with the trademark Pizza Express laid back atmosphere. There’s lovely sage banquettes, delightful non-matching tiled booths and irregular white brickwork to contribute to this feel.
With my wife and daughter, we focussed on trying some of the seasonal specials. I had their pork and pancetta croquettes – lovely meaty things, served with a warming apple cider sauce.
pork and pancetta croquettes
We then moved on to pizzas – a spicy lamb pizza that came recommended from the staff, and a Brussels Spout and pancetta pizza.
spicy lamb pizzabrussels sprout and pancetta pizza
The spicy lamb pizza was not fiery at all, just lively and fragrant. It reminded me of one of my favourites, lahmahcun. But it’s the fresh tomatoes that make it, providing welcome acidity and moisture.
The Brussels pizza was very sprouty! You will already know whether that’s a good thing or not. It was a fun eat – perhaps not something we’d order again – but a non-obvious yet interesting combination for a pizza.
My six year old had dough balls followed by a tomato pasta. The children’s menu is something that has always felt like an afterthought at Pizza Express; they try so hard to give them things to colour, make and do yet the food is extremely limited. It’s very easy to give children the option of bread followed by bread, which as any parent knows will end up with a full tummy very quickly. And even then, the pasta choices are restrictive. I’d love for the same creativity applied to the adult’s menu transferred to the children’s options.
We finished our meals with a honeycomb cheesecake. It’s excellent. If this was in a supermarket I’d buy this every week.
honeycomb cheesecake
Unfortunately on our visit we weren’t able to try everything we wanted. I ate after it had had it’s second full weekend of service. The very experienced manager Hayley, recently relocated from her Welwyn Garden City branch, was still learning how tastes differed from her previous restaurant. Apparently we have a greater appetite for fish – must be our near-coastal location I guess! Due to this learning process, the kitchen had run out of a few things and were awaiting a delivery. So I never got to try the heavenly-sounding salted caramel profiteroles. I’m sure however these are teething troubles, exacerbated with the time of year when people especially love to eat out before the Puritanism of January.
The Pizza Express in Rayleigh is very welcome. Clearly the appetite is there – both literally and figuratively – and if they continue to serve with warmth in a relaxed atmosphere they’ll be there for a very long time.
I was invited to try Pizza Express for free, and I don’t write positive reviews unless I want to.
I do love a burger. Like everyone else seems to at the moment; it’s difficult to chuck a brioche without hitting a trendy burger outlet. Whether it’s hand-reared cattle, wagyu steaks or ten patties in a bun each place has it’s own gimmick. So when it comes to National Burger Month there’s no shortage of eateries looking to join in. This includes non-burger specialists, like French restaurant Le Garrick (Garrick Street, Covent Garden).
Le Garrick has been in the well-trafficked theatre location for nearly 30 years. When I mentioned the place to a colleague they gushed about the steak they’d had there previously. It’s clear the place is aiming square at the brasserie style with it’s mahogany tables, wicker baskets and kooky alcoves. Greeted by Jacques and Martha, I took to my chair with house bread – a decent, crisp baguette – and recommended by the waiter, I started with Basque-inspired calamari rings.
The calamari rings were well cooked although I found the broth flavoured with chilli, coriander and ginger a little too spicy. It left quite the tickle in my throat. Not to say I didn’t paw at the bowl with spare bread though…
To the reason I was here: the Le Garrick burger. They would prefer it described as a steak hache of course; a blend of beef and lamb with cucumber and tomato, on a soft bun and topped with either blue cheese or Emmental (I plumped for creamy blue). The burger is meaty and tasty and the salad fresh and crunchy. The blue cheese provides a great seasoning. But the revelation is the dill-powered French dressing, the bright and piquant notes are sharp against the umami. It’s a really tasty burger and with a pile of frites on the side it makes a cracking indulgent lunch.
I was also recommended the tarte au citron by the waiter. I found it a bit disappointing. While the texture was perfectly smooth and the pastry crisp it lacked the haymaker punch of lemon I would hope for. After all it’s a French classic in a French restaurant – I’d expect it to be top-notch.
The service was great and the atmosphere convivial, and I’d definitely go back for the burger alone. During May the burger is 30% off, which means for £12.50 you get the burger with a side of fries plus a drink (house wine, beer or soft drink). Pretty good value for a hearty meal in the West End.
I dined as a guest of Le Garrick. Views are my own.
Le Garrick Restaurant
10-12 Garrick Street
Covent Garden
London WC2E 9BH
