March Restaurant Roundup

What a beautiful month of food. New favourites and trusty old spots were visited. A lot of noodles were consumed. Here’s my roundup. 

Koya Ko | Hackney 

I’ve been told to go to Koya in Soho many times by many people, all of whom I trust, so when I saw there was a collaboration between them and the Tamil Price at their Hackney location (that I didn’t actually know existed, whoops) I had to try it. 

The restaurant itself is tiny, with bar seating and a handful of tables. You order at the counter and grab a buzzer, then collect the food when it’s ready. It’s a fuss-free ‘eat-and-go’ experience, ideal for a weeknight when you want some really good food. We got the deal that consists of a main, drink and side. For the sides we ordered a salad that was simple but a great contrast with the richness of the rest of the meal, complete with a tangy sesame dressing that let the freshness shine. We also got karaage, which wasn’t as crunchy as I would’ve liked, but the chicken was beautifully tender so it wasn’t all bad. 

Onto the main: chicken moilee udon. What a meeting of cuisines. The creamy coconut curry broth was packed with South Indian spice and was a great consistency, providing a fragrant bath for those signature Koya noodles. Can I say al dente in regards to udon? It’s an accurate description and the bite of those noodles was perfection in combination with the crispy potato strings. Complete with coriander and a kick of chilli oil and it was the sort of dish that leaves a bowl spotless.

Phat Phuc Noodle Bar | Chelsea

I’ve spent more time that I’d like in Chelsea. Browsing overpriced shops, visiting the Saatchi, working from cafes and people watching to pass the time became the standard for me on many weekdays. Because of this, I can say with confidence that there is a severe lack of affordable, good-quality food on offer in the area. Yet nestled amongst the multi-million pound houses, off King’s Road and down some steps in a plastic-covered courtyard lies Phat Phuc: the hero that Chelsea needs. It’s the last place you’d expect to find in the area, with the tiny outdoor kitchen and pots of broth bubbling away. The menu is simple and the food is consistently fantastic. I find myself pulled there whenever I’m in the area – it’s a compulsion at this point, but for good reason. £10 chicken laksa, hot and fresh, in under 15 minutes every. single. time. It’s simple, it’s fantastic, and I love that place with all my heart, partly because I have fond memories there but also because it has never let me down. 

Dom’s Subs | Hackney 

We were on our way to Hackney City Farm on a wholesome Sunday (irrelevant but it was the best Sunday ever, FYI. So good that we wrote a list to determine the formula for a great Sunday) and we were in need of sustenance, stat. As we passed Dom’s, all we saw was a good looking sandwich menu. Perfect. Little did we know, it had recently been TikToked and queues outside were a common sight, but we were lucky enough to come across it on a quieter day. The menu’s offerings are good enough to throw anyone into an indecisive frenzy with SO many options. Good because there’s something for everyone. Bad because I couldn’t decide. I liked that the veggie choices didn’t seem like an afterthought, something all too common that really bugs me (even though I eat meat). 

I opted for the special, which was a beast of a sandwich. One thing to note was the bread. It was perfectly soft, successfully containing all the ingredients with a satisfying bite to it, and crucially no toughness to the crust. With a sandwich like this, the last thing I wanted was to have to tackle a chewy crust, too. The special was packed with herby meatballs, salad, a rich tomato sauce, cheese and garlic… so, so much garlic. Maybe a little too much, which is a LOT coming from me. It lingered even after a few airwaves gum, so it’s not for the faint hearted. But overall, a very good sandwich. 

Hafez | Notting Hill

The best restaurant in the whole of London. Not because I eat for free and there’s a framed picture of me and my dad in there, promise. I change my order up every time because the menu is so consistent that I can never decide, but this time I was ordering for two. We had boneless saffron chicken, chenjeh (known as King’s cut) which is the tenderest lamb you’ll taste, and beautiful bread to soak everything up. I also got a side of veg kebab, which is essentially fresh veg charcoal grilled. I won’t go on too much because I’m probably going to be writing a whole thing on Hafez soon. But you should really go. 

That Wing Place | Holloway Road

I went past this place on the bus, googled it and immediately added it to my must-visit list. A chicken shop with 300+ five star reviews? Unheard of. I had to know more. 

We got an array of wings and all of them were pretty great. The wings were tender across the board and the different styles were wonderful in each of their own ways. Garlic and ginger were the highlight for me. Beautifully crisp on the outside, a perfect balance of flavour in the batter. 

Kiln | Soho

The photos of my food may be tragic, but that’s because I was too excited to try those dishes – the smell of the sizzling meat was irresistable and the dim lighting was no environment for elaborate photography. After 100s of recommendations, I can confirm that Kiln is as good as everyone says. It’s a Soho hotspot and getting a table isn’t the easiest, but this was a weekend that I was on a noodle rampage so I decided to brave the crowds.

The menu is surprisingly affordable, with dishes ranging from £3ish for the skewers to around £6ish for those iconic noodles. Yes, I know, I was shocked too. You could do a speedy eat-and-go for cheaper than you can get a McDonald’s these days. And you don’t get a show with McDonalds, unless you’re lucky enough to do a late night visit and catch a punch up in the parking lot. At Kiln, grab yourself a bar seat and watch the magic happen as the chefs work at lightning speed, juggling the various dishes and skewers on the grill, plating up the food with rapid precision and throwing it out to punters at the bar. I got the steak which had a tangy, ridiculously moreish citrussy flavour. And those crab claypot noodles. They’re a favourite for a reason, and though they’re not easy to eat they’re worth putting in the work. 

Overall: Those glass noodles 😮‍💨 That bar seat in front of the grill 🥵

Helma | Haggerston

This place is quickly becoming my fave cafe. Seasonal menu that changes frequently, fresh produce, a lot made in-house (you can even see their pickling jars on the shelves), speedy and incredibly delicious. It never misses. This time I had a crispy chickpea pancake, black bean hummus with earthy roasted beetroot, brought up a notch with salty halloumi and crunchy slaw. You can tell a lot of love went into putting this menu together and they really know what they’re doing. Flavour? Check. Texture? Check. Freshness? Check. I love ya, Helma.