The Jones Family Project, Shoreditch

Steak, a firm dinner favourite for many people, can be very hit or miss (depending on who’s cooking the meat, and the quality of the cut being cooked.

The Jones Family Project haven’t just got it right, they’ve absolutely smashed it.

Mixing a classy interior, with extremely good food, and a lively atmosphere, is where this Shoreditch steak house excels. Upstairs has a lovely atmosphere. A bar, with trees, and subtle music playing. Downstairs, is lively, but by no means noisy. It’s buzzing, but not distracting. It works well, and definitely gives a slightly more “upmarket” vibe. That said, there’s nothing pretentious about the restaurant, and everyone seems welcome.

The service here is good. Without being “in your face”, the staff are attentive and helpful. The winning start came with a glass of cold prosecco each which was served before we’d even sat down.

To the food… we started with a absolutely beautiful steak tartare (zesty, rich, and very tasty)

We also enjoyed sharing a creamy buratta. We decided to share both starters, and given how good they both were, it certainly prevented any unfortunate ‘food envy’. Accompanying them, we had a cocktail each; an Old Diplomat, and a very tasty Lost Negroni. There is a certain chain of steak houses all over the country that offer (very weak) cocktails, one place where TJFP excels is the fact their cocktails are strong, tasty, and have great individual characteristics.

“We’d like a rare ribeye please, and a medium rare fillet steak”. The steak here is cooked in the restaurant’s Josper Charcoal Oven, and it gives a very tasty, grilled exterior. You’d be forgiven for thinking your steak had been near-cremated, but trust the chef, slice the meat and be surprised at just how perfectly cooked your beef is. Thick, no gristle, perfect marbling, and just taste in abundance. Accompanied by fries, truffles mac & cheese, and a zesty mixed leaves salad, the meal was just utterly fantastic. I also added 4 very tasty, very meaty prawns to my steak. The prawns were very fresh, and seasoned perfectly.

A single slight point of disappointment was our sides coming 10 minutes after our steak, but in fairness, we were apologised to twice in that time. No explanation for the delay was offered, but it wasn’t a big deal, and the steak hadn’t cooled too badly by the time they arrived. The food was delicious, and we both enjoyed immensely. A nice bottle of house red helped wash down the meaty goodness, and again, it just complemented the food perfectly.

Finally, for dessert, we enjoyed Anna’s Triple Chocolate Brownie, and a lovely slice of delicious cake. Soft on the inside, but crunchy on the top, the brownie won the battle of desserts, and comes accompanied by a lovely scoop of sorbet.

All in all, we absolutely loved The Jones Family Project, and genuinely recommend it. Truly tasty food, made with a high level of ingredients, mixed with a lively, but classy atmosphere. This Shoreditch eatery makes a brilliant date environment, but would also be great for a special occasion, or just a tasty meal with friends.

Our rating, 8/10

Find The Jones Family Project here

Annie’s, Chiswick

Wow. Please allow 2 to 3 working days to mentally, (and physically), digest that meal… in the meantime? Again, wow.

Annie’s in Chiswick claims to be your ‘home away from home’, and it’s very easy to see why. Homely is the very best word to describe this charming, almost boutique-like wonder of a restaurant. Hidden away, just a stones throw from Kew Bridge, Annie’s is busy, not crowded, not noisy, just busy. The best thing about the constant footfall? They’re busy with regulars. Customers not only seem to know the staff, they also seem to know each other. It’s almost like a massive gathering for Sunday dinner with your neighbours, and despite living away from the area, we also felt very at home. The staff are polite, professional, and very efficient. They’re well presented, but not stuffy, they really seem to be part of what makes Annie’s so “comfortable”, and so unique.

The food was even better than we’d heard. After being told David Tennant, Ant & Dec, and many other celeb’s can often be found enjoying the culinary delights at Annie’s, we’d also been told the food was “exceptional”. It lived up to the reputation which precedes it, but sadly, no sign of Dr Who, or PJ & Duncan (can’t win ‘em all)

We started with a cocktail each. I enjoyed a tasty Bloody Mary (Sunday morning, standard), and Sarah chose a raspberry Bellini. We also ordered a bottle of house red to accompany our food.

I confess, I had my heart set on a steak before visiting. On arrival, I noticed a family of 5, all sat happily, each enjoying a roast. I thought “one of those would do the whole table”, and with that, my heart (previously set on a steak) was immediately, and forever changed. Given that the portion size was big enough for a small army, we opted to just have one starter, the grilled halloumi salad (served with roast sweet potatoes, quinoa, and and figs). The halloumi was cooked to perfection, it had such flavour we were each compelled to comment on it. The salad was beautifully presented, and the different sparks of taste infused in just a way to ensure each mouthful was a different experience.

Onto the dinner. Have I said “wow”? I have? Well I don’t care, WOW.

Roast Pork Belly for me, the beef for Sarah.

Towered perfectly on a bed of traditional vegetables, roast potatoes, a huge Yorkshire pudding, just the right amount of (very tasty) gravy, and accompanied by a separate serving each of cauliflower cheese, we both, simultaneously vocalised our astonishment. This roast was beyond “good”. To call it “good”, would be like saying “Meryl is an overrated actress”. The pork belly fell apart, it just melted, you couldn’t get it better if you tried. The beef was delicious, cooked well, and not at all chewy. The roast potatoes, (something I find near impossible to find even remotely close to “home cooked roasties”), were genuinely spot on. Crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside.

The whole meal wasn’t just “good”, it warranted this comment from Sarah, “can I say something controversial? This might be the best roast dinner I’ve ever had”. For me, it doesn’t get any better than that. I can’t say it’s the best I’ve ever had, because my mum would probably give me a clap round the ear (but, it was the very best roast I’ve ever had away from home!)

Despite being full, and despite the fact (some) food was left, we ordered dessert (cheeky). I enjoyed a delicious, thick, rich banoffee pie (nicely topped with banana whipped cream)

Sarah chose one of her favourites; Eton Mess. Both matched up to the rest of the food in the way one would expect. Tasty, filling, and very “homely”. We finished off (and were just being greedy at this point) with an espresso martini each.

We can honestly say that this beautifully decorated, very cosy gem is fully justified in having such a good reputation. It’s no wonder it’s full of locals, (people don’t go back to a restaurant unless something really attracts them). For these (regularly) returning locals, it’s the shabby chic decor, the service, but mostly, it’s the fantastic food. ‘Just like mum used to make’, but with none of the dishes to fight over (not) cleaning.

Our rating? 8/10

Find Annie’s here

Rockit Steakhouse, Aldgate East

On entering Rockit, we were quite disheartened to see the restaurant was completely empty, and we were almost certain it was closed. Once inside, we were very warmly greeted by Lesley (the manager), and her staff. Sadly not off to the best start, Lesley didn’t know we were visiting (despite assurances we’d been booked in), and we started to feel a little embarrass. Full credit to Lesley, this didn’t stop her ensuring we were seated, and making sure we were served as one would expect. “It’s not your fault, and it’s not my fault either. Please don’t feel bad”, Lesley assured us we weren’t hindering her, or her staff by arriving at 10.30pm, despite the fact they were due to close “in a couple of minutes”.

The decor at Rockit was very basic, “no thrills” as my companion described the interior, though I did enjoy the large, open kitchen. There are hints of ‘steakhouse’, but also hints of large canteen. I always enjoy seeing where the food is prepared, it often suggests an eatery has nothing to hide, so the open kitchen was a nice touch.

We started with the seafood sharing platter (as recommended before our visit). 5 prawns, 7 or 8 mussels, and a small portion of spicy salmon flakes, all served on a bed of salad. Not bad at all, but certainly not a large enough portion for two ‘hearty lads’ to feast on.

For main course we each had a ribeye steak, one with chunky fries, one with sweet potatoe fries. Having been asked “how would you like your steak?”, we were (pleasantly) surprised to find the steak served on a hot stone, for us to cook to our liking. This is a concept I have personally enjoyed previously at restaurants such as Steak & Co, and had no problem doing it again. In all honesty, whilst the steak wasn’t ‘the best steak in London’ (as Rockit boldly claims on most of their marketing materials), it wasn’t the worst either. In the vain of being honest, and retaining a sense of integrity, it was ‘ok’. Not bad, not great, and certainly edible. A little too much gristle in them, but again, we both agreed we’d had much worse.

We each felt our desserts were nice. I had a fairly decent slice of vanilla cheesecake, my friend had a (very hot) sticky toffee pudding, the latter was boldly adorned with lots of custard. I also had a mojito, but have to admit, it was rather weak, and extremely minty (again, I’ve had worse, but this couldn’t match up to some of the better mojito’s I’ve enjoyed around the world, some of which have even been served on airplanes).

Whilst we didn’t dislike Rockit, we sadly wouldn’t be rushing back either. Given it’s location, and size, they need to up the ‘stakes’ if they’re going to compete with some of their more established competitors.

Our rating? 6/10 (we really liked the meat cleaver steak knives)

You can find Rockit here

Jinjuu, Mayfair

Firstly, this restaurant has an electric sliding door! This, for some reason, started the “ooh’s” and “aah’s” from me before we had even stepped foot over the threshold. Thanks to the rare privilege of not having to open a door for myself, Jinjuu was already ‘cool’, but the food was going to have to work hard to live up to that door.

This food? It did not disappoint.

My dining companion this evening was an old friend, Mark. Mark likes his food, and he’s eaten at some of the finest restaurants in London. Whilst he’s something of a ‘chocolate fiend’, a real dessert lover, Mark really does enjoy the very finest of cuisine. Mark’s initial thoughts on Jinjuu, “it’s got all the class of Mayfair, but without being pretentious”, “it’s really comfortable” were only echoed by myself. High tables with comfortable stools, copper lighting frames, and a wonderful green hue adorn this “modern Korean” eatery, and we loved it. At the risk of sounding really weird, even the toilets had a nice fragrance (not one that hinted at copious amounts of bleach, but one that reminded you of being on holiday). The toilets were also impeccably clean. (Yes, I did just give a toilet a glowing review!)

Onto the service. Philip took care of us, and it was like we were being looked after by an old friend. No, that’s not right, looked after by a ‘mate’. Polite, friendly, informative, knowledgeable, and with no hint of boring formality, or routine. Philip advised us to perfection. When we weren’t sure on which cocktail to pick (he recommended the spicy, fruity, and ‘Mayfair only’ Five Way Mule). Mark wasn’t sure which beer to pick (Philip suggested Korea’s own very light Hite). Philip suggested ideas that went down a storm.

He also supplied us with two in-house infusions of Soju Korean rice vodka (one with lychee, the other with kumquat), both of which were very smooth, and didn’t burn at all when savouring. The other beverage Philip recommended was Jozen Mizunogotoshi Sake. It was almost like drinking water, and that can be dangerous. We were both trying Sake for the first time, and we both agreed, it won’t be the last.

When an item was out of stock, Philip made a suggestion that made us both agree “I’m quite glad they didn’t have any of the other left”. Thank you Philip, you’re a real asset to Jinjuu.

The food itself? Sublime. Celebrity chef Judy Joo has created a fabulous menu. Modern Korean food at it’s very best.

We started with some vegetable chips & dips (kimchi guacamole, wow!), we were pre-advised to try the Jinjuu Signature fried chicken, we chose some mandoo (beef & pork dumplings), and we had a steak tartare. All of these were absolutely delicious. We honestly couldn’t find fault with any of them. The meatballs in the dumplings were flavoursome, but not overpowering. The chicken was every bit as crispy as I was promised, and the tartare was as good as any I’ve had in London, Paris, or New York. We couldn’t wait for the main course (and thanks to Philip, we didn’t have to)

Glazed English Short Ribs, and perfectly seared tuna steak were presented to us. Boneless, tender, full of eastern flavour, and filling (and that applies to both). These 2 dishes, which you enjoy rolled into lettuce with some seaweed, spicy sauce, and some sticky rice, were just gorgeous. Not only beautifully presented, they tasted every bit as good as they looked. The ribs just fell apart, and the tuna was perfectly seared so as not to cook the middle. What more do you want? Jinjuu, your chef deserves a pay rise.

Finally, as I mentioned, Mark is a pudding lover, and we couldn’t leave without ‘afters’ (despite being dangerously close to a Violet Beauregard level of needing to be rolled to the tube station). We shared a Snickers Hotteok. A hot Korean doughnut, filled with salted caramel & peanuts, joined by some lovely ice cream, praline & Nutella powder, and more! Crunchy, not overpowered with chocolate, and a very good portion size. We enjoyed it. Well, I did, my companion bemoaned the fact we decided to share.

Jinjuu is a wonderful dining experience, with the best of Korean cuisine, and the most wonderful of staff. 8/10 (we will definitely be back!)

Find Jinjuu here

Le Garrick, Covent Garden

You would be forgiven for thinking you’d taken a wrong turn, bumped your head, and ended up in a quiet Parisian rue as you approach French brasserie & restaurant ‘Le Garrick’. Nestled nicely between Covent Garden & Leicester Square, this quiet, romantic, authentic eatery is a real gem.

As you enter, it would be easy to think “this is small”, you see, Le Garrick doesn’t need a tacky neon sign to scream “more seating downstairs” to ensure footfall. A great reputation, very reasonably priced pre & post theatre menu’s, and a truly delicious a la carte (to please even the most discerning Francophile) is a big part of what has kept this west end institution thriving.

As always, a big factor that shapes any visit is the staff. At Le Garrick the staff are not only polite, they strive for excellence, and deliver exceptional ‘service with a smile’, they are also happy to recommend what they think is delectable. A particularly nice touch is their ability to tell you what ingredients go into the food you’re enjoying, why certain ones are chosen, and even who came up with the recipe for each of their culinary offerings.

To begin, we each enjoyed a tasty Kir Royale, yummy, cold, and nice to sip whilst we browsed a diverse, (yet not overwhelming) menu.

Starters? As advised, squid rings in a secret sauce (which was drinkable by the spoonful). Added alongside the squid? Some lovely escargots. The snails here are in my top 3, (with having enjoyed my other 2 favourite servings of snails in North Devon’s Ilfracombe, and in Paris itself). Served in a rich, yet not overpowering garlic butter, the escargot was well worth ordering. The squid, which was lovely to have served free of batter for a change, was gorgeous, fresh, just the right side of chewy, and again, in a sauce that was every bit as good as we were promised (and more so!)

We ordered a tasty bottle of Malbec, and were delighted that something that doesn’t happen as often as it should, did. The wine was served at the perfect temperature. Easy to drink, and the perfect accompaniment for our main course, steak.

We each ordered a ribeye steak, and we couldn’t find fault if we tried.

No gristle, perfectly cooked to our requests, and very tender. The accompanying frites at first looked undercooked. They weren’t, they were just cooked in clean oil (again, something you almost become oblivious to). The béarnaise & peppercorn sauces gave just the right amount of diversity to the flavours, and a green side-salad offered a little something healthy (to justify our carnivorous indulgence).

After demolishing, and most definitely savouring our steak, we shared a tasty creme brûlée, and a soft, very moist, warm chocolate fondant. The latter can be so hard to get right; sometimes seeming undercooked and soggy, or often being dry and hard to swallow. Le Garrick really do get their desserts spot on. The finale, an amaretto digestif, finished a wonderful, romantic, and delicious evening off perfectly.

A definite contender for our restaurant of the month, and with exceptional hospitality, Le Garrick has to take a well deserved 8/10

Le Garrick can be found here