Food With A View

Happy Birthday To Me
When: November 2014
Where: Ting at Shangri-La at The Shard, London

A birthday is a time to celebrate and also a time to reflect on the year gone by and to look forward to the year ahead.  Originally I had planned to have this meal as a way to say farewell to living in London but it was not meant to be, instead it turned into an excellent birthday lunch.  We arrived in good time at London Bridge and got our bearings as to the entrance of the hotel.  As we still had some time to kill we did the only sensible thing and had a walk through Borough Market to whet our appetites.  Unlike the weekend zoo when all the stalls are open, a late weekday morning visit is an oasis of calm by comparison, time to take in the smells and sights, rather than shuffle through the stalls and long queues.

After a short walk we headed off to our destination.  On arrival at the hotel we were greeted by the door staff and passed the riff raff test and were allowed through.  We were warmly greeted at the front desk and the tone was set for an excellent lunch.  Our dining vouchers were exchanged and after a short bag check we were whooshing up 35 floors to the lobby area and Ting.  First impressions were strong.  As expected for a high end establishment the finishes and attention to detail were excellent.  Despite being a chain hotel in the middle of London there was a distinctly Asian feel to the design.

Like someone telling you the ending to a good book we knew the view was coming when the lift doors opened.  Yet despite knowing what to expect the view, like a good book still takes you by surprise.  It was a beautiful clear day and it was magnificent to see out across London.  We walked over to the restaurant entrance where our reservation was found, our coats taken and we were taken over to a nice secluded spot in the far corner, not far from the large open kitchen area.

We made ourselves comfortable, marvelled at the view and the lovely table setting.  We had a view of the railway lines and out towards the towers of Canary Wharf.  Menus came over and we decided to go with the set lunch and a bottle of red.

To start we had the Jerusalem Artichoke soup and the Black Cod.  The soup was creamy and flavourful with the surprise of the soft egg in the middle.  Lots of fresh sour dough bread and soft butter were available.

For our mains we had the Lincolnshire Pork Chop and the Plaice Fillet.  Both were cooked to perfection and my pork chop had a delicious cauliflower and garlic purée, with a lovely flavour of caramelised onion after-taste.

We finished up with the chocolate and citrus desserts which both rounded off our dinner very nicely.

A couple of strong and much needed coffees served up with some petit fours whilst we continued to enjoy the atmosphere and amazing views.

To conclude, we had a great meal at Ting, the food whilst not fine dining in the truest sense was excellent and well executed.  Service was friendly and genuine with a couple of very minor flaws, but considering the restaurant has not been open that long is understandable.  However, the view and atmosphere are quite unique and are well worth the cost of the meal alone.  Ting comes highly recommended for a special occasion.

Something Spicy
Where: Woodlands

After a busy day walking along the Southbank and onto Leicester Square we had to stop at our favourite Indian restaurant, Woodlands.  It was our first time back since our South India trip and after reading the menu it was almost an exact replica of much of the street food and breakfast buffets we'd enjoyed on that trip.  Still being slightly full from our indulgent lunch we went with some simple dosas, fresh, spicy and delicious, for a few minutes we were back at the Oberoi in Mumbai.

Sadly we left to a drizzly London night but a beautiful end to a perfect day.

Bread and Tea, Indian Style

Roti Chai
When: June 2014

Oh no, another work dinner is what I normally say to myself but recently I have been spoiled.  Chiquitos and Nandos swapped for quality Turkish and Indian fare.  Tonight we were going Indian and we headed over to Roti Chai, located behind Oxford Street and close to Marble Arch tube station.  We went downstairs to the bar for a few drinks.  Other than the usual beers and wines there was an extensive cocktail and gin menu.  I tried a couple of the Indian themed cocktails which were delicious, both refreshing and spicy at the same time.

It was then time to eat.  We had a set menu with a selection of sharing plates with a choice of three starters and three mains, rice, dhals and bread as well as a choice of one of two desserts.  The starters were minced lamb kebabs, which were probably my favourite, an excellent chaat and chicken 65, which was not as tangy as what I had on our recent India trip.

For the main meal I tried a little of everything.  First up was the butter chicken, which was very good but could have had more chicken and more butter!  There was also a fish curry which was possibly the best of the three with just the right amount of fish and a rich spicy sauce.  The third dish was a Goan pork belly dish which was possibly the weakest of the three, the flavours were good but the texture was not so nice.  The potatoes on the side were crisp and tasty.  As for the sides, the bread and rice were well done.  Soft rice, crisp and buttery naans, great for mopping up all that delicious sauce.  The dhal and chickpeas were both nice, almost nicer than the mains.  In all I was pretty full and the food was at worst good and at best thoroughly delicious. 

To finish I went with the mango kulfi served as an ice lolly.  Whilst refreshing this was not a patch on what we had in Mumbai, there was no evidence of fresh fruit in the ice cream.  I also had a decent double espresso to awaken myself after all that food.

Overall this was a decent meal and as far as work meals go an excellent choice from those concerned.  The food was nicely presented, tasty and the portions suitably generous.  Service was good but a little slow and it wasn't initially clear that we had sharing plates from a set menu rather than individual choices.  If the price was right it would definitely be worth another try.

Roti Chai
3 Portman Mews South, London, W1H 6HS 
020 7408 0101
infowala@rotichai.com.

Colonial Life in Ooty

Voyage to India Part 2: The South
When: Jan/Feb 2014
Where: London, Mumbai, Ooty, Kochi, Aleppey, Mamalapuram, Madurai

The next stop on our foodie tour was Ooty, an old British Hill Resort where one would go to escape the searing heat elsewhere in the country.  We stayed at Kingscliff, a converted set of Bungalows from the time of the empire, furnished in colonial style with a quaint themed restaurant.

Before that it was time to travel low cost on IndiGo who really go all out with the packaging on their in-flight catering.

In the evening we had dinner at Earl's Secret the hotel's restaurant.  The atmosphere was interesting with slightly off kilter service, a singer and a lovely log fire place for warmth and atmosphere as the temperature really drops at night.  We went with food from the Indian menu which was good, but perhaps a little over priced for what it was.

Kingscliff also offers breakfast in a beautiful glass house each morning.  Unfortunately the buffet didn't live up to the building.

We had a great lunch at the Garden Restaurant in town.  Great, simple, Indian food at its best.

In the afternoon we went to the Indian version of Starbucks, Cafe, Coffee, Day.  Great fun and very surreal.

For dinner we are in town at Kabab Corner, it was quite busy and came recommended in our Lonely Planet guide.  Food was not the best, it didn't look overly clean and one of our party got sick the next day.

The Oberoi Mumbai

Voyage to India Part 2: The South

When: Jan/Feb 2014

Where: London, Mumbai, Ooty, Kochi, Aleppey, Mamalapuram, Madurai

Part 2: Welcome to Mumbai

Our first two days were spent in Mumbai, a city filled with food.  We had the privilege to stay at the fantastic Oberoi hotel and with a complementary breakfast each morning and a complementary dinner at the hotel's flagship restaurant Ziya, run by Michelin starred chef Vineet Bhatia it was going to be amazing.


We started our evening with some delicious cocktails at the Eau Bar, that our bar tender carefully smelt to make sure each and every one was perfectly crafted.  The bar however, contained all the worst elements from the bar scene in Lost in Translation.

It was then time for the main event, dinner at Ziya.  This was every bit as good as our meal at Quilon with perfectly cooked Indian influenced food all washed down with some Indian merlot.  Service was excellent.

 Buttermilk palate cleanser










Chaat three ways









Paneer and spinach

Fish Curry

Lamb Chops

 Butter Naan

 Choco Palate

Indian Flavoured Ice Cream










Breakfast was also a fantastic affair with made to order items, a buffet, fresh fruit juices and coffee.

 Fruit and Pastries from the Buffet

 Pooris and Potato curry

Scrambled Eggs, Indian Style (spicy)

Dining From the Nose

Voyage to India Part 2: The South
When: Jan/Feb 2014

Where: London, Mumbai, Ooty, Kochi, Aleppey, Mamalapuram, Madurai


Part 1: The British Airways First Class Experience

When flying first class over indulging in food and drink are a key part of the experience.  To start things off you have the British Airways Concorde Room, an exclusive lounge to wait for your flight with a private dining room, bar and relaxing terrace to enjoy a glass of champagne or three!  We had a few glasses and a delicious breakfast to get us set for a long day of travel.

 Concorde Room Menus

That first glass of champagne

 How about a second?

Full English breakfast

 Smoked salmon and scrambled eggs

Fresh croissant











After that it was time to stumble over to our flight to consume more champagne, a long lunch and some afternoon tea.

 Why not start the flight with some bubbles.

 Okay, time for some water to rehydrate.

 Nuts to start proceedings.

 Menu

 Lunch Items

 Bistro Selection, Dessert and Cheese

 Afternoon Tea and Refreshments

 Wine List

 Roast Quail amuse bouche

 Samosa

 Garlic bread

 White Burgundy

 Salad

 Lamb

 Bordeaux with the main

 Cheese Plate

Chocolate orange dessert

 Espresso











After all that food it was time to take it easy for the next few hours.  We were served some light refreshments before landing which were a bit of a mixed bag.  The patisserie was fantastic.

It was sadly time to say good bye to our seat in the nose and brave the humid Mumbai air.  For tomorrow the real food adventure began and it was going to be spectacular.