Gaucho ***

Meat is the watchword at any Gaucho across London, to be specific Beef. This Argentinian steak house chain restaurant has taken London by storm recently and it now has over a dozen restaurants across London.

When we entered the City branch we knew it was going to be a place oozing quality and decadence as we were whisked in our lift down to basement level to a den of sheer outrageous extravagance. From the outside it looked like a standard City bar with a glass facade and leather dominating proceedings. Housed in the middle of two of the world's largest investment banks in the heart of the City the restaurant was dominated by suited gentlemen discussing business however the decor was immaculate and epitomised class. However there was no charm to the surroundings and it was clear that everything was there to epitomise decadence and futuristic grandeur. It steadily dawned on me that it was going to be a very expensive meal.

In spite of this the food was excellent and whilst the restaurant specialises in beef it also other meat dishes. The spatchcocked chicken was immaculately prepared and the cheese board with malbec chutney was incredibly morish. The desserts were similarly stunning, the cheesecake was in many ways for want of a better phrase the 'icing on the cake'. Each dish was prepared with consideration and oozed quality.

It was however as expected quite an expensive meal with the end total coming to approximately £70 per head including drinks and service. Overall however the food was excellent and the service surprisingly informative and helpful. I would rate this particular branch 3 out of 5.

http://www.gauchorestaurants.co.uk/restaurants/restaurant.php?id=city

Mandalay, Edgware Road ****

The first time I went to Mandalay was about 15 years ago and was given a warm wlecome I shall never forget. I was welcomed into the restaurant like a long lost relative and doted on throughout the meal. Suffice to say the owners made a fantastic impression and really made us feel at home and took time to explain the dishes and provide a truly memorable experience.

With this in mind I recently returned to the restaurant a few months ago having been told about it by a friend as being the best 'cheap eat' in London as rated by Timeout. I also browsed the outside window of the restaurant to see that it had since my last visit Mandalay had picked up a few more awards and had received even more favourable reviews from critics. However inspite of its reputation and the accolades it has received the restaurant owners were still incredibly helpful, dilligent, insightful and the service was very pleasing. Go to any other Asian restaurant and you should expect to have dishes slapped on your table, incorrect orders and a hard time explaining or understanding much.

I also very recently returned and found that nothing has changed and the restaurant is still unremarkable from the outside, humble and homely inside with excellent service.

However service aside the food was still impeccable and each dish was a genuine delight. I particularly liked the Balachaung - a Burmese fried shrimp dish served to accompany rice dishes as well as the deep fried bean sprout fritters. The tamarind chicken was also impeccable with no one flavour dominating the taste. In fact every dish was balanced and not at all garish - high street Indian restaurants should take note of this.

Given the quality of food and pleasant dining experience as well as the accolades and favourable reviews Mandalay has received over the past decade, you might expect the price to be bumped up slightly however even the price of the meals is down to earth. It is not unusual to pay £10-15 per head for a meal excluding service.

Overall Mandalay is truly excellent and I am certain I will go back as I have over the years. I would rate it 4 out of 5.

http://www.mandalayway.com/restaurant/index.html

Chennai Dosa, Wembley **

Every time I go to Chennai Dosa Wembley I feel really guilty about the waiting staff. I was once told by a friend of a friend that the staff there get paid £20 for a 13 hour day, with unlimited dosa however and accommodation provided. With this is mind I never expect the service to be dilligent, accurate and of an above average standard and always feel very guilty when I see scrawny looking waiting staff carrying huge hot dishes of channa bhattura and dosa whilst I sit back and relax. However the age old adage of 'if you pay peanuts you get monkeys' applies and the service has always been terrible at Chennai Dosa and I have frequently been brought the wrong order, been made to wait a long time for simple dishes and been provided the least helpful explanations about dishes ever - 'It's a vada init'.

However I do not continue to visit Chennai Dosa for the service but the food which is wholesome, tasty, cheap and quick, in theory, to prepare and serve. A meal for two can cost as little as £10 including drinks and service and the portions are very filling. As the name suggests this is a place that specialises in dosas and there are all manner of dosas on the menu ranging from paper dosas, masala dosas to even mutton curry dosas. For those with an unusually large appetite there is also a 5 foot long dosa, enough to feed a family or an incredibly hungry person - one of these days I will try it, although I may not live to write about it on this blog.

The restaurant is divided into two, the non-vegetarian side and the vegetarian side both of which have separate menus and are in theory separate restaurants. I prefer the vegetarian restaurant as the non-veg dishes are frequently over-cooked, too spicy and scrimp on meat by adding more sauce.

This restaurant however has good dosas, on the whole, and is ideal for a quick meal with minimum fuss. On weekends and evenings it can get very busy however the turnover is very high so waiting times are never longer than 10 minutes.

Aside from the overall dining experience the food is excellent and the range of south Indian dishes is even better. The lassis are also fresh and well prepared. Given this fact I would give Chennai Dosa 2 out of 5.

www.chennai-dosa.co.uk

Dishoom ***

Dishoom is a tribute to the once popular Bombay cafes which were popular in the 1960s. These were places that welcomed all under the same roof - rich businessmen, taxi wallahs, couples, families, lawyers preparing their cases. They were informal, charming cafes that served unpretentious food at low prices.

The restaurant recreates the feel of a Bombay cafe very well from the fans on the ceiling, to the floor tiles as well as the round marble decked tables. The walls are also adorned with photos of famous Bollywood actors and the open plan kitchen adds to the informal and familiar feel of the restaurant.

The menu is also similarly unpretentions with old street snack favourites pau bhaji, kathi rolls as well as chilli cheese toast. However it also caters for larger appetites with curries, biriyanis and a selection of mixed grill dishes. When I went there I had the pau bhaji, biriyani, kathi rolls and mixed vegetables. Two of the dishes were prepared to near perfection - the biryani and the right balance of spices with no overpowering flavour of saffron or peppercorn, a common error in many biryani dishes. The pau bhaji was also fresh, balanced and very tasty. The mixed vegetable dish was exactly as described and prepared to a reasonable standard and the kathi rolls were tough and try and desperately crying out for a sauce of some kind.

In addition to this, as I sipped on my thums up cola, ate my gola and contemplated a chai I could have been in a suburb of Mumbai whiling away the evening hours rather than in London. The atmosphere was informal and the crowd inside the restaurant was diverse - Dishoom had succeeded in transporting me back to Mumbai and the overall dining experience was very pleasant.

The price was also very reasonable coming to approximately £15 per head including service and drinks. Overall I would recommend Dishoom to anyone looking for a quick bite or to those who want to try Indian food in a different atmosphere to most Indian restaurants. I would give Dishoom 3 out of 5.

http://www.dishoom.com