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Mayochup

A London based food, parenting and travel blog. Follow us on our travels

We were given a Groupon voucher for a 5 course tasting menu at Galvin at Windows located in the Hilton at Park Lane, London. Based on our experiences at Ormer, we were very excited and looking forward to tucking in on some amazing food.

Galvin at Windows lies on the 28th floor which offers great views of London at night. Upon entering we were shown to our table but as it has been a very hot day, it seems the air conditioning was struggling a bit and the restaurant felt very hot and stuffy.

We were offered a Bellini and some bread whilst we were waiting which was a mix of brown and onion bread. The onion bread was really nice but the brown bread was tough and a little dry.

Onion and brown bread
Onion and brown bread
An aperitif soon followed which was soft cheese and tomato on crusty bread. The cheese overpowered pretty much everything but it was quite nice anyway.

Galvin at Windows
The aperitif
The first course was described as 'Vichyssoise', truffle cream & gougiere. No idea what this was but no matter, we eat anything anyway. When it came, it was a cold soup which was creamy but lacked seasoning. Adding dill would have enhanced the dish and added an extra flavour but as it is, it was a little dull.

'Vichyssoise', truffle cream & gougiere at Galvin at Windows
'Vichyssoise', truffle cream & gougiere
Still, on to the next course which was 'Roasted pollock, brandade croquette & watercress veloute'. The fish was very delicate and very subtle in flavour. If mixed with the croquette and the veloute, you couldn't taste the fish at all so best to eat that separately. The croquette was nice but seemed an easy option for the chefs to compile the dish.

Roasted pollock, brandade croquette & watercress veloute at Galvin at Windows
Roasted pollock, brandade croquette & watercress veloute
Up next was 'Cornish pie "feather blade", mustard emulsion & pickles. This was the least favourite dish of them all. We couldn't understand why the pickles were there in the fist place, the flavour combination did not work at all. The pie was a bit dry and the pastry was too thick and on the dry side. The mustard emulsion was nice though.

Cornish pie "feather blade", mustard emulsion & pickles at Galvin at Windows
Cornish pie "feather blade", mustard emulsion & pickles
The last savoury course was Baron Bigod, chutney & raisin bread. This was disappointing as it involves no cooking whatsoever and a lazy addition to the menu. A bit of cheese, chutney and bread in a top class restaurant tasting menu?

Baron Bigod, chutney & raisin bread at Galvin at Windows
Baron Bigod, chutney & raisin bread
Dessert was 'Chocolate fondant, caramelised bananas & banana ice cream'. The chocolate fondant was very chocolatey and had the gooey centre however, it completely overpowered the banana ice cream.

Chocolate fondant, caramelised bananas & banana ice cream at Galvin at Windows
Chocolate fondant, caramelised bananas & banana ice cream
The food served here would be befitting of a gastro pub and not what you would expect of a top class restaurant. When comparing the food to Ormer who offer a similar tasting menu at a similar price, this falls way below their standards. Even the presentation of the dishes could have been better.

If you plan to drive in and park under the Hilton car park, be prepared for the astronomical car park prices. For our 2.5 hour stay we were charged £30 so it may be wise to park elsewhere and walk in.


Galvin at Windows
22 Park Lane
London
W1K 1BE
http://www.galvinatwindows.com/

Galvin at Windows - London Hilton on Park Lane Hotel Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
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Somehow, for reasons that are still unexplained, we won tickets for Cafe de Paris so on a Friday night, we went. Once we were there, unbeknown to us, we were actually entitled the VIP package which allowed us the three courses, a bottle of Prosecco and two free drinks. Unfortunately, or fortunately for me, Mrs Mayochup was pregnant at the time therefore could not drink anything alcoholic so the whole bottle of Prosecco and free Kir Royale was mine. Be rude not to waste it.

Ruby and performing guests

Another picture of the performers
We previously posted about Cafe de Paris and we were pleased to see that Ruby was still the MC who is still at his flamboyant best terrorising the gentlemen who he took a shine to. The acts were truly amazing and it’s hard to comprehend that us human beings can perform like that whether it being balancing on one hand on a raised platform to performing acts with fire. Over the course of the evening, it must have been the first time in its history that there were no hen parties but of course there were other celebrations like birthdays and anniversaries.

For starters, we went for the smoked chicken and papaya on blini. This comes with beetroot & shallot dressing and sweet potato confetti. The other starter was the cured salmon carpaccio with palm hearts, caper berry and rock salt. The salmon is no different to what you have in hundreds of other restaurants, light and refreshing but the smoked chicken and papaya was amazing. Surprisingly light and full of flavour.

Smoked chicken and papaya on blini

Cured salmon carpaccio with palm hearts, caper berry and rock salt

Between meals, we were treated to a magician plying her trade with card tricks and misdirection.  One guy on our table thought he had it worked out but the magician had him sussed and got nowhere. We forget her name but she was at the Edinburgh Film Festival, not that narrows it down much.

Magician with her really bright red hair
For the mains, we got the prime rib-eye steak with hand cooked chips and garlic butter. The other was grilled chicken breast which comes with courgettes, potato fondant, girolle mushrooms and parsley. Both were well cooked and well received.  Especially as one of us was drinking a lot and needed to soak up the booze!

Grilled chicken breast, courgettes, potato fondant, girolle mushrooms and parsley

Rib-eye steak with hand cooked chips and garlic butter

We thought we were only eligible for two courses so to have dessert was a bonus. We opted for fresh fruit salad and warm chocolate brownie.

Fresh fruit salad

Warm chocolate brownie

We do recommend coming here even if it's not just for the food. The entertainment is fantastic and worth the entry fee alone.

Cafe de Paris
3 Coventry Street
London
W1D 6BL
http://www.cafedeparis.com/

Cafe De Paris Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


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After watching Ferdinand in the cinema, we hunted around Westfields in London and stumbled on Penang which serves Malaysian and Thai food. Considering this is our favourite food types, we went in.

We were asked to sit near the window to make the restaurant appear busy and immediately found a wonky chair. So that was swapped and we sat down and perused the menu.

For starters, we went for seafood dumplings and when they arrived, they looked very appealing however, they were a bit too greasy.

Seafood dumplings
For the mains, we ordered the Claypot Chicken and the Seafood Laksa. The chicken in the Claypot Chicken was a bit rubbery but it was OK on the whole. Nothing special.

Claypot chicken
The Seafood Laksa was on a whole new level. I have sampled many many Thai and Malaysian dishes and this one wins on all fronts as it was the worst Seafood Laksa I ever had the pleasure of sampling. For one, it came with a mightily generous two prawns and some random unrecognisable 'seafood' items that you had no idea what they were. To top it off, it came with a sickeningly layer of grease which looks very unappealing and tasted as such too. It was so bad that it was sent back and removed from the bill.

Seafood Laksa

The grease on top of the Seafood Laksa
It's not often we leave a restaurant hungry but on this occasion we shall eat at home.

Score: 0/10

Penang!
White City
Unit 1032
Southern Terrace
Westfield White City
London
W12 7GA

Penang! Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


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Tucked away in a side street in Marble Arch, if that's such a thing, is the welcoming exterior of La Porte des Indes which is best described as an Indian restaurant with French influence. The interior is decorated with Indian art, artifacts and huge plants spanning from the lower ground to the ceiling. Reminded us of the greenhouses in Kew Gardens.

La Porte des Indes exterior
We booked the Jazz Sunday Brunch which is £35 per person and is a buffet spread out on two floors. Which is great as you can go up as many times as you like. You can find the starters and desserts on the lower ground floor and the mains (vegetarian and non) on the ground floor. Price also includes 1/2 pint of beer, glass of red or white or a soft drink.

Now, due to it being a buffet, we went a bit wild on the starters. We tried everything they had to offer and did not leave enough room for the main course buffet. Still, can't complain as each of the starters was amazing apart from the Watermelon and Pepper soup. You would think there's a twist on it but no, it's simply cold Watermelon juice with pepper granules floating on the top. Err right... but we'll let that one slide.

Different types of starters available

The Watermelon and pepper soup
We went for the meat mains and there are four choices, or all four, and on offering was Lamb Bhuna, Murgh Tikka Makhni and white fish curry I can't remember the name of.

The main course buffet

Selection of main courses with rice

Unlimited naan bread brought to your table
Whilst we were enjoying our meal, we were showered in light entertainment in the form of a jazz band and the fire alarm a few times. To mix things up, the jazz band played a few well known TV theme tunes.

Light entertainment
After a well earned break, we eventually waddled to the desserts and what an offering there was! Fresh fruits, belgian chocolate mousse, Panna Cotta and those really really really sicky sweet Indian sweets plus more I can't remember off hand.

Selection of desserts


What did puzzle me was the lack of French influence. We thought we would find it in the food, and especially the desserts as the French are masters of that, however there wasn't any. Belgian mousse is err Belgian and Panna Cotta is Italian. Thinking back to the mains and starters, there's none there either. Still, that's a small gripe considering the wonderful food we were treated to.

If you love Indian food, and lots of it, then this is the place to come. Make sure you're really hungry to get your moneys worth!

Score: 9/10

La Porte des Indes
32 Bryanston Street
London
W1H 7EG
http://www.laportedesindes.com
020 7224 0055

La Porte des Indes Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
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Date night this month was a trip to Ormer in Mayfair found via bookatable.co.uk which is a wonderful site where you can find posh eateries without the posh prices. There are minor drawbacks as you don't get the full a-la-carte menu to choose from but the choices available to you sound amazing and there's something for everyone.

Shortly after we were shown to our table, we were offered champagne (complementary as part of the package) or a soft drink for those who do not like it.

What was not on the menu is a little aperitif which consisted of pickled cockles with lemongrass emulsion and lobster powder. Reminds you a bit of Vietnam with the British twist of the cockles. Please excuse the photo's as the restaurant area is quite dark therefore the camera struggled a bit.

Pickled cockles with lemongrass emulsion and lobster powder
Oh and the unlimited crusty bread with stylish butter.

Crusty bread with butter
For starters, we went for the Cured Mackerel, which consisted of tartare, avocado, elderflower and dill sour cream, and the Homemade Linguini that contained crab, courgette tomato, parmesan foam and basil. When they came, the food was dressed up in such a way that a Masterchef finalist would be proud of. Food art at its best. The Cured Mackerel was served inside a glass chamber and smoke was poured into it at which gave it a peculiar cool smoky taste that, truth be told, I didn't really like. The Linguini, however, was amazing. Light and full of flavour.

Homemade Linguini

Cured Mackerel
For the mains, we both went for the Braised Pig Cheeks which was served with sweet potatoes, grilled pineapple, aubergine and gem lettuce. This was absolutely delicious and there were two very clean plates afterwards. As you can see below, this is another work of art and although it doesn't look a lot, it was just enough.

Braised Pig Cheeks
Souffle has always eluded me, until now and we were delighted to see that on the menu so it was a no-brainer decision to go for it. The Apricot Souffle was served with jasmine and almond ice cream.

Apricot Souffle
The staff were very friendly and all too willing to chat to the guests. There were a few birthdays and some showed off their singing skills whilst others were offering their advice for those who find it difficult to make decisions on the menu. Our waiter was the more intellectual type however, he did mumble quite a lot and we found it very difficult to decipher what he was saying.

We asked for the bill and we were offered some little chocolates and cakes as a 'thank you' which is a nice touch.

Our leaving gift
If you fancy this, the three courses and a glass of champagne is £35 per person and can be found via bookatable.co.uk

Score: 9.5/10

Ormer Mayfair
Flemings Mayfair Hotel
Half Moon Street
London
W1J 7BH

Ormer Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
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For lunch, we were invited to Sen Nim, a Japanese restaurant in Islington, and we couldn't wait as it is another chance to try our favourite cuisine.

We arrived at 12:30 to an empty restaurant but as we were part of a group, that did not matter. In fact, it enabled us to get the best seats right in front of the chef demonstration area.

As we were looking through the menu, we were informed of a few items that weren't available and crucially it was marinated beef therefore they couldn't cook it on the hot plate. I can only assume they had a busy service the day before. The replacement was chicken or beef udon noodles instead.

Beef udon noodles
Most of the group ordered the set menu which consisted of soup and a main and I was the only one that went for the sushi. Luckily enough, and I was not aware of this at the time, the sushi was two for one on Sundays.

California Maki and Volcano Maki
A special mention has to go to the waitress. She was the most forgetful scatty brained individual I have ever come across. She managed to deliver the mains without giving us the starter, forgot about drinks for a few people and I'm pretty sure that all two braincells were being used. Still, on a positive note, she can't get much worse.

Now on to the main event. Our demonstration chef, I forget his name, we here to show off his skills and prepare prawns, scallops and make egg fried rice in front of our eyes. Not before a dramatic cleaning process involving oil and a lot of heat! There was even time for a trick or two to entertain us.

A fire show
Chicken Gyozas were an afterthought but a wonderful addition. And delicious as usual.

Chicken gyozas
Our chef cooking prawns
We all left completely stuffed and struggling to move although some of the group wanted dessert in the patisserie across the road called Belle Epoque. This little place has won awards and served up pastries like this.

Raspberry and Passion Fruit tart 
Overall, the restaurant serves up great food. A little improvement on the waitress (or a different one) would have made the experience better but we would definitely return.

Score: 8/10

Sen Nin
206 Upper Street
Islington
London
N1 1RQ
http://www.sen-nin.com

Sen Nin Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
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The first thing you notice about L'oro Di Napoli is that the restaurant is small, only seating around 20 people, and the second is the shrine to Napoli football club and, in particular, Diego Maradona who is Argentinian. Coincidentally, Maradona is a name for one of their pizzas there. For us football fans out there, we all remember the 'hand of god' goal against England in the 1986 World Cup.

L'oro di Napoli A-board
L'oro Di Napoli A-Board
Shrine to Napoli and Maradona
The shrine to Napoli. Diego Maradona in particular
But let's put Maradona to one side and concentrate on L'oro Di Napoli which literally translates to The Gold of Naples. The pizzas are all hand made and they use the freshest of ingredients all cooked in a wood burning clay oven.

As the restaurant is so small, we can peer into the kitchen and it is almost open plan. We got a lovely insight in how are pizzas are made.

Making the pizza dough
Making the dough
Preparing the pizzas
Preparing the pizzas
For starters, we ordered the Tomato Bruschetta. Although this is simply made, the ingredients they used makes it stand out from your regular Italian restaurant chains and it was wonderful. The chopped tomatoes had plenty of flavour and it was well seasoned. And it wouldn't be Italian without the lashings of olive oil.

Tomato Bruschetta
Tomato Bruschetta
For the mains, the menu offered pizza and nothing but pizza. There was so many to choose from that it is a little overwhelming and they have mixed up white and red pizzas together under the same heading. White pizzas are those without the tomato sauce as a base. If they were to redesign their menu, it is suggested that they create these categories to make it easier.

We ordered one white pizza and one red and went for the Massimo Troisi and Caruso respectively.

Massimo Troisi pizza
Massimo Troisi
Caruso pizza
Caruso
Massimo Troisi consisted of mozzarella, parma ham, rocket, cherry tomatoes,topped with parmesan and olive oil. As you can see, these pizzas are huge and we did not finish them nor did we get anywhere close. Thankfully, they allow you to take away the pizza and with L'oro Di Napoli offering a take-away service too, it was easy for them to accommodate.

The Caruso was a real meaty pizza which was tomato sauce based with mozzarella. The meats were spicy salame, sausages, ham, topped with parmesan, fresh basil and not forgetting the olive oil. Both these pizzas were beautifully flavoured due to the freshness of the ingredients and they are certainly generous with the toppings too! A good quality mozzarella makes or breaks a pizza and thankfully L'oro Di Napoli gets that right.

Olive oil condiment pot
More olive oil. Just in case you don't have enough!
The cost of the pizzas are very reasonable and remarkably cheaper than Domino's, Pappa Johns and Pizza Express. And much much better too. The most expensive pizza is £10.95 and cheapest is £5.50. If you are keen on having a filling lunch and not wanting to spend that much, one pizza is easily big enough to share for two.

We would definitely come back and we can't wait to try different pizzas next time.

Score: 9/10

L'oro Di Napoli
217 Uxbridge Road
Hanwell
W7 3TH
www.lorodinapolihanwell.co.uk

L'oro Di Napoli Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
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