London Food Detective

Nosh Bar, Soho

Twitter Summary Review: 

Quite simply the best salt beef sandwich in London!

Main review

There's nothing better than stumbling across a little gem of an eating place when you're not expecting it.  This is what happened last Saturday when I randomly popped into Nosh Bar, Soho.

Anyway, to give a little back story...

I'm not a natural born shopper, but I do tend to venture down to Oxford Street about twice a year to top up my wardrobe.  Anyway, after an afternoon of shopping and abusing the credit card I had to make my back down to Leicester Square to see the excellent (though not for the faint hearted) comedian Brendon Burns.

I was going to call into Chowki for a curry, but I was running late and so didn't have time for a proper sit down meal.  I wandered up towards China town planning to get a cheap take away buffet (stop tutting at the back there!) when I saw this place.

Whenever I'm in the U.S. I always make sure I have a pastrami / corned beef / salt beef sandwich as they're always so much better than anything i've had in the UK.  I love any of the above toasted on rye bread, with cheese and coleslaw - a real guilty pleasure!

Anyway, I went in the Nosh Bar and ordered a salt beef sandwich.  At $4.95 I thought it was a bit pricey but I was running late and thought i'd splash out.  It turned out to be an absolute bargain.

The guy serving was chatty and welcoming and cut two thick slices of crusty rye bread.  He then dipped under the counter and produced a tray containing a huge, succulent looking piece of brisket.

He cut a generous slice and put it on the bread.

Then another slice.

And another one.

At this point the bread was covered and I was pleased with a fairly generous portion. However he didn't stop there.

Another slice was placed on top.

Slice number 5 was next.

And just for luck a final slice was placed on top - making a juicy, succulent half dozen.

I then asked for a bit of mustard and some home made coleslaw and my salt beef sandwich masterpiece was complete.

I was worried the bread would break up from all the juices and stuff, but it stayed strong and I tucked in to one of the best salt beef sandwiches i've ever had. The coleslaw was creamy and crunchy, the meat superbly succulent and juicy and the bread crusty on the outside and soft in the middle.  Perfect.

You can check out some photos of the sandwiches and learn a bit more about how salt beef is made here.

Can't wait for my next shopping trip...

Gaucho Grill, Hampstead

Twitter Summary Reivew:

Decor makes Elvis' Jungle Room look discreet! Expensive but good steak. Desserts hideously overpriced. Cool (but pricey) cocktails.

Full review:

The girlfriend is still on her high protein diet and restaurant choices are limited at the minute, so looking for a good bit of steak we headed up the hill to the Hampstead Gaucho Grill.

The last time I went to Gaucho it was with my boss.  I don't remember much of the meal as he plied me with red wine and port and I had to stumble back into the office for a meeting that I slurred my way through.  Today was a more sober affair.

The Gaucho doesn't look much from the outside, but when you step inside it's like entering another world.  You'll either love or hate the decor: dark, atmospheric, fake bling chandeliers and cow hide on the chairs and walls.  It's certainly unique, perhaps the Gaudy Grill would be a better name?!

The restaurant is fairly quiet so service is polite and prompt.  We're given the menus along with the wine & cocktail list and the waitress can't seem to hide her disappointment when we only order soft drinks.  Delicious smelling and looking bread is brought out with butter and garlic oil, but sadly it seems to have been left out uncovered too long and is a bit stale.

We keep it simple for the order: rare ribeye for me, rare fillet for her, together with side orders of spinach, mushrooms and chips.

The food comes quickly and is good.  The ribeye steak is thick, juicy and with some nice marbling.  Special mention needs to go the portobello mushrooms: beautifully seasoned with pepper and a hint of lemon juice.  The spinach and chips are also good.

I know from past experience that the desserts are overpriced and disappointing  - ranging from an eye-watering £9.50 for Panacotta to £6.50 for a pancake and average ice-cream.  If you go to Gaucho Hampstead i'd really recommend stopping off at one of the many good cafes on the High Street for dessert and a coffee (I like Maison Blanc, but they're all pretty good) or even having a freshly made crepe from the stand by the King George pub.

Overall, i'd say that the Gaucho Grill is the best place to go in Hampstead for a steak, but it comes at a price.  My 300g ribeye was £17.50 with sides ranging from £2.75 for a smallish bowl of chips to £4.75 for three portobello mushrooms, but that said the quality is good.  Credit also goes to them for not automatically adding a service charge.

How i'd improve it:

• If it's quiet make sure you cover the bread so it doesn't dry out.
• Look at the price and quality of the dessert menu.  I want something pretty memorable and spectacular for nearly a tenner!