Tootoomoo
287 St Paul’s Road, Islington, London N1 2LH Telephone: 020 7704 6687 I have visited Highbury and Islington station many times, as my father-in law is an Arsenal season ticket holder, and I am now delighted to have an amazing venue to have either pre- or post-game drinks and dinner, as Tootoomoo is just a stone’s throw away from the Emirates Stadium. Tootoomoo is set up as both a restaurant and takeaway, and if we hadn’t known it was there we could have easily missed it or passed it off as just another local takeaway, which would have been tragic, as this is a great little spot for dining. Although it is also a takeaway, this doesn’t detract from the restaurant itself, and in fact adds a busy vibe to the restaurant. The warm lighting coming from the bare light bulbs and the bird cage designs, coupled with the colourful furniture and tables inlaid with pretty tiling patterns, gives a fusion Asian street market themed restaurant. Tootoomoo’s food has an Asian fusion menu, which combines Malaysian, Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese styles, and does so really well, taking the best of each to satisfy everyone’s tastes, and certainly mine. I understand that the food also takes a strong influence from their great matriarch Grandma Pang, whose secret ingredients and recipes have been incorporated with modern techniques, and I wish I had such a Grandma, as the food is truly delicious. My wife and I visited on a Sunday and opted for the bottomless brunch which allows you to select anything off the menu for a set price. This brunch is flexible, allowing either 1 1/2 hours or 2 hours, and offers a food only price or a price that includes unlimited drinks. Prices range from £30 to £45 per person and are excellent value. After we ordered a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (£23) we started our trip across Asia with some Edamame (£2.95) followed closely by some Crispy Duck Rolls accompanied with a lovely rich hoisin sauce (£4.50) and a lovely Wanton Soup with Chicken Dumplings (£2.95). These were quickly followed by some fabulously rich and meaty BBQ Pork Ribs (£4.95), and Satay Chicken (£5.75) which was slightly crispy on
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the outside and succulent in the inside. Our final starter was some Crispy Smoked Chicken in chilli salt and spicy mayo (£4.95) which was just perfect and hugely enjoyable to eat. After another glass of wine we turned our attention to one of my favourite part of any Asian menu, the Tempura and Grill section. As we were on the bottomless brunch we selected the Popcorn Rock Shrimp with nori dust and yuzu mayo (£7.50), the Soft Shell Prawn Tempura with shichimi salt and jalapeno mayo (£7.95) and Aromatic Duck in pancakes (£8.95), with more of that rich and warming hoisin sauce. The shrimp was almost addictive, and the saltiness of the shrimp was well supported by the gentle citrus tang of the yuzu mayo and the spiciness of the jalapeno added substance to the Soft Shell Crab Tempura. What I do know is that the chefs know how to deep fry things, as the batter was light and crispy and as good as you would find anywhere in Asia. What is nice is that dishes come when they are ready, so our table kept being filled with goodies, but after such a feast we decided to take a slight break before tackling the Wok section of the menu. This break allowed me to fully investigate the mains, and the more I looked, the harder the choice became as all appealed. After much deliberation we chose a Thai/Chinese combination with Singapore Noodles with squid and shrimps (£6.95), Pad Thai Noodles with chicken (£6.95) and a Chicken Thai Green Curry (£6.95). The Singapore Noodles had just enough heat as did the Thai curry, all be it this time with a lovely creamy sauce, but the Pad Thai was a little sweet for my taste, but maybe that is me being picky considering the quality of the rest of the food. Desserts are limited to a selection of Frozen Yoghurts, but after such a complete meal a light ending is always sensible. The service matched the impeccable food, and please look past the frontage, because if you do you will be treated to exceptional street food all served in a restaurant environment all under the shadows of the Emirates stadium, and if you are an Arsenal fan you may need cheering up after the game!
The Bear Oxshott
Leatherhead Road, South East England KT22 0JE Telephone: 01372 842747 Surrey is a marvellous place to live, as it is an easy commutable distance from London, and one of its more exclusive areas is Oxshott village, which, in 2010, was voted the village with the most footballers, as it is very close to Chelsea’s training ground. Indeed, the alleged who’s who of celebrities that live in Oxshott is very impressive, as it includes Andy Murray, Jamie and Louise Redknapp (she of Strictly Come Dancing fame and the band Eternal), Colin Montgomerie and David Lloyd to name but a few, and The Bear, one of two local pubs, has just had a complete overhaul, so who knows, you may see some of this celebrities here now over a pint or two! As mentioned, The Bear has been lavishly renovated and extended, and they have taken the old design and modernised things to give a classically designed interior with rich fabrics and finishes which provides a lovely relaxing space to enjoy fine pub food, and for those looking for a place to hold a party or large family lunch, there is a private dining area available and flexible spaces throughout. My wife and I visited The Bear on a Tuesday lunchtime, and although not full, it still had a lively buzz (I would suggest booking as this Pub gets very busy in the evening), and having drunk in the pub a number of years ago I was immediately struck by the change. We were taken to a comfy booth adjacent to the new conservatory, and after ordering a crisp and light Chilean Sauvignon Blanc (£22) we perused the menu that has been updated to complement the new décor. It was then I started scanning the room for those well known stars, but to my disappointment they must have all been working that day! ‘Our food is all fresh, seasonal and British’states the menu, and you will find classic dishes along with more contemporary items and an extensive wine list to suit all tastes. We started our meal with two dishes from the nibbles section, the Crispy Pork Fritters with chilli jam (£5) and the Smoked Salmon Pâté with seeded wholemeal loaves (£4), and although the pâté had just enough horseradish and lemon to bring out the flavour of the salmon without overpowering it, the pork fritters were a little over fried, which slightly detracted from their lovely meatiness. I would also say that for me fritters are flat, whereas these should be more like pork balls. For our starters I chose Cod and Salmon Fish Cakes (£7) and my wife the Spiced Bramley Apple and Roasted Parsnip Soup (£6). These fish cakes were this time lightly fried and were suitably fishy, whilst my wife’s soup was warming with a perfect amount of sweetness from the apple. The main courses are split between a range of pub favourites and The Bear’s Signatures Steaks, and although I love steaks, and these are all hand selected 28 day dry aged certified English Aberdeen Angus beef, I chose a British classic, Young’s Beer Battered Cod,Triple Cooked Chips, mushy peas and chunky tartar sauce (£13), and my wife chose The