Need to give a big shout out to my mate Andy who always noses out a good place for us to eat when I visit him down in London.
Gourmet San, 261 Bethnal Green Road, London, E2 6AH Tel. 020 7729 8388. GEM ALERT!
Here we are Gourmet San, a ‘real’ Chinese cafe/restaurant. in East London It’s good for gizzards, lungs, tongues and intestines, but we stuck to their famous chilli crab, aubergine with cucumber and a brace of Tsing Taos. It’s become a bit of a cult place for lovers of Szechuan cuisine as any Google search will tell you. Here’s a great review from the Guardian.
Mangal Ocakbasi, 10 Arcola St, off Stoke Newington Rd, London, E8 2DJ, Tel. 020 7275 8981. GEM ALERT!
Another top place he’s taken me to is Mangal Ocakbasi, a cafe-style Turkish place in Dalston. We had the chicken wings which were great but they couldn’t compete with the marinaded lamb chops which were just stunning. The best Turkish food I know of in the UK, Rick Stein agrees apparently. Bring your own beer.