Byron Hamburgers - Kingston Upon Thames

Hello,


My illness has cleared up a bit so over the weekend I visited two restaurants to replenish my energy! The first of which is Byron Hamburgers in Kingston Upon Thames.

Byron prides itself on offering Londoners the chance to experience 'proper hamburgers' like the ones the owners loved in America. They use Scottish beef cooked pink for a soft and juicy texture, minimal fuss with the toppings so they can be eaten easily and offer a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere.

See menu: http://www.byronhamburgers.com/menu/

The decor has changed slightly since this picture was taken, there are 3 large clocks where the Byron logo is, the tables and chairs are slightly different. However what remains the same is the kitchen in the middle and the comfy blue sofas. The kitchen is great because it's important to be able to see how your food is being cooked, the kitchen is kept clean and the smell is amazing.

The restaurant itself is situated in the middle of Kingston Upon Thames Charter Quays, so there is a calming river view by the windows, it's also near the Rose Theatre and a few other restuarants and bars which can become quite lively during lunchtimes and evenings on weekends.

The first order was a strawberry ice cream milkshake served in a metal cup, an average milkshake but still nice. However I must warn you not to be scared if the cup slides across the table, it's not a ghost, just the condensation underneath. Although I wish I knew this before I jumped up and nearly had a heart attack.








For the starter I had deep fried mozzarella sticks with a tomato and chilli sauce with some rocket. The mozzarella sticks were hot and crispy and very cheesey, however the dip was a bit sour so I just covered the sticks in the fabulous Cholula original sauce.




The starter section does not have the greatest choice, I have previously tried the nachos, quesadillas and chicken wings which were all quite average. Although the burgers here are fantastic, the starters need a bit of a shake up. Nothing has quite beaten the buffalo wings at Tony Romas or Sticky Fingers just yet (but I'm still on the lookout)!





Now for what Byron is really known for, the Byron burger! This is a Scottish beef burger with melted cheddar cheese, dry cure bacon, lettuce, tomato and their special Byron sauce. For 8.75 this comes with fries (or salad) and a gerkin strip on the side. The burger itself was cooked perfectly, pink the middle, soft, tender and juicy. A well sized burger which is very easy to eat, nothing really slops out of the sides or bottom and the bun is also very nice and soft.



This is so much better than Gourmet Burger Kitchen (which is round the corner), for the fact that the burgers are better, GBK is too messy to eat whereas Byron is nice and clean, plus there is a limited amount of choice to keep things simple unlike GBK's extensive menu. Extra toppings are available for a small charge.



I am also glad that the table has a bottle of Cholula original sauce, as you can see its all over the chips and the burger to give it a nice habenero flavour with a bit of heat to it too.



Normally I would have the onion rings, although I did not have them this time I shall review them for you anyway. The onion rings are huge, really crisp deep fried batter with a fair amount of onion. Has a very unusual flavour, almost like a hint of anise. A recommended addition.

We did not have dessert unfortunately because we were very full up, but perhaps I will on my 6th return visit!





The Verdict:



I think for the main course only, it is simply a great meal especially for the price. A wholesome burger, delicious, fries included and not messy to eat whether you choose to eat with cutlery or your hands.

I do not think that you would be too satisfied with the starters and considering this bumps up the overall bill, you may want to think twice. But if you are hungry I guess a few pounds extra would not hurt, however I would highly recommend that for a cheaper price you switch the starter for a side order of onion rings.

A must have with milkshake even if it is a standard one, but you just can't have a burger without one!

6/10

12-17.00 per person.

Dishoom - London

Hello,

You will have to forgive me for I am not in my brightest element just yet, not only do I have a cold but I'm soaking wet due to leaving my umbrella back at the office where it is left happily comforted by a randomly placed cake recipe. But that is the price you must pay for good food.

Today I took a trip down to leicester square to try out the highly rated Dishoom 'Bombay Cafe'.

Dishoom - which means 'The old Bollywood sound effect produced when a hero lands a good punch, or when a bullet flies through the air' - prides itself on paying a homage to original Bombay Cafe's opened up by Persian immigrants in the 1960s. Be under no illusion that this is like a typical Indian restaurant as you may find a Biryani, Naan Bread and Samosas listed, but you will not find a Korma or Tikka Massala. Which is a great thing because you are made to try something original and different rather than going for the 'safe option'.

See menu: http://dishoom.com/menu/

Atmosphere is quite calm, really friendly staff who offer to take group photographs, booths and table for different group sizes. Rather large floorspace and a good distance between each table. Although if sat on a single table for two people, table space is limited especially when you order lots, I was alone and it was a little cramped (so ask for a bigger table if it's possible).

The food is remarkably fast, there is not much of a starter then main course structure, you order a main course plus side orders and they come as soon as they are ready.

Just to also point out the following photos are a bit shoddy, apologies if they not do the dish much justice.

I had a good idea of what I wanted before I entered so I ordered everything in one go, I set out for a lamb biryani, vegetable samosas and garlic naan bread (which the waitress suggested for it to be buttered, a suggestion worth remembering) and a drink.

Within a minute my samosas (£2.90) arrived nice and hot with 3 sauces that accompany the entire meal (a spicy pickle, cool raita and a tamarind chutney). Remember these are not starters but side orders so 2 samosas are more than enough, very light and crispy.

After about 2 or 3 minutes, the biryani (£8.20) arrived with the naan bread (£1.90) in an individual sized pot, the waitress took off the lid the release it's lovely smell and left me to tuck in. The naan bread itself was thin and light, although if your anything like me I would suggest maybe two portions.

The Biryani smelled wonderful and underneath that top layer of rice were about 6 really chunky pieces of lamb, not shredded, not small, chunky! More lamb than rice for a change. Hopefully you can judge the size from the picture below. It was claimed to medium spiced but I would say it had much more of a kick for a mild spice lover, the flavours were very powerful and distinct, the meat was firm but tender at the same time.

The Verdict

The meal overall was delightful and extremely efficient in terms of service and delivery time. I do think that one side order, a main course and naan bread is enough for one person (£15.20 incl a drink), however if I was on a night out with friends I would be ordering at least 2 side orders and few more drinks and an extra naan. Not forgetting dessert!

From a couple of sneaky looks at the next table, I'm sure I will be going back for a grill course next time. My eavesdropping also picked up a series of good comments on each dish presented to them!

Whether it is really true to old style Bombay Cafes or not, I think you will be very happy with the food and especially the service. Is within very short walking distance from Leicester Square station (Covent Garden is further away despite the map!) and within an hour I made it from Holborn and back without rushing my meal!

7/10.

Details:

12 Upper St. Martin's Lane
London
WC2H 9FB
Tel: 020 7420 9320
Reservations for 6 or more

£15-20.00 per person

http://dishoom.com/

Fire & Stone - Covent Garden

Welcome Back...

So for my first review on Rebel Without a Fork, I took a lunchtime trip down to the Fire and Stone in Covent Garden, a pizza (with some pasta) restaurant that serves up pizzas around the globe. You see, I told you I would bring you something different.

The restaurant itself...

As you can see it's a very stylish place, its dim-lit with spotlights shining down gracefully on each table, great for cool calm and relaxed afternoon or an intimate evening (in which case fellas you won't get the comfy orange sofas)!


Now for the foooooood..




To start I had pineapple juice (1.95) and deep fried baby mozzarellas with a tomato and herb salsa, accompanied with some rocket dressed with olive oil (5.45). It was very nice, the mozzarella pieces could have done with being a bit hotter but overall enjoyable. I added a bit of chilli oil which gave the pieces a smokey chilli essence.

Now to explain the world pizza menu, its split between 5 sections: Europe, America, Australia, Africa and Asia. Each section has around 5 or 6 selections of pizzas that in someway resemble their cuisine.

See Menu Here: http://www.fireandstone.com/pizza/pdfs/Fire%20and%20Stone.pdf

I chose the 'Cairo pizza' from the Africa section at 8.55. It is a medium sized, extra thin and crispy based pizza with Mozzarella, tomato sauce, roasted red & yellow peppers, courgettes, aubergines, balsamic roasted red onions, crumbled goat’s cheese and pine nuts. As you can see they don't skimp on the toppings although tomato sauce and cheese is minimal to stop the thin base from being soggy.

The pizza was very enjoyable, although they may not be mega sized like other places, there is more than enough to leave you full and satisfied. I would have stayed for dessert however I do have work to do, I'm only allowed to have fun for little while.

Verdict:

A pizza place that is not bound to traditional toppings, the concept is great, different and appeals to a wider audience. With a 250 seating capacity over 2 floors, it's not difficult to be seated even during the busiest of hours.

With a final bill of 17.95 plus an optional 12.5% service charge, the price is a little more than what you get, the 8.55 for the pizza is agreeable, the starter not so much.

I would definatly recommend it, with the vast number of choices a big group would be ideal so that you can see what they all look like. Will be going again at some point.

6/10

Details:

31/32 Maiden Lane
Covent Garden
London
WC2E 7JS
0844 371 2550

http://www.fireandstone.com/pizza/restaurant/index.asp

18.00 - 25.00 per person

WELCOME TO REBEL WITHOUT A FORK...

HELLO EVERYONE

Welcome to Rebel Without a Fork, a blog that gives the non food experts with big appetites a guide to affordable (and some expensive) places to eat around London.

Being a 22 year old who likes to go out for dinner and a movie with friends, the choice of restaurant is extremely more important than the choice of movie. Coming from an Italian family, I love my food but I am kind of bored of Italian restaurants that don't match up to 'whatta mamma make'! So when my days at a Food and Drink PR and Marketing Agency become tedious, I look for new and exciting lunch break and dinner destinations.

Let's face it, we are in the middle of a recession and the balance between buying stuff and going out is a heavy financial strain. So enjoy yourselves, live like kings and queens and feast for months to come!

Either way, I hope you enjoy a few reviews, recommendations, to do/eat lists and maybe some product suggestions. As I am based in Central London at the moment, I will start with some local joints!

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