Seriously good sushi!

A Second Serving reviews Tombo Poke and Matcha Bar in Soho... 

This clean and modern sushi cafe is in a fab location, slap bang in the heart of Soho - and also, rather helpfully, very close to my office. Rather than just focus on mainstream dishes like sushi, they specialise in poké, (pronounced POH-kay) - which is essentially a colourful, flavourful version of sushi served in a bowl format. The Hawaiian raw fish sits somewhere between sashimi and ceviche. They also offer a range of high quality Tombo Green Teas by the cup, alongside their unique Tombo Matcha Lattes, Matcha brownies, gateau, sundaes and Matcha Soft Serve. Yum!

Why go?

If you're hungry but craving something nutritious, get your ass here pronto. The dishes are all super healthy at the same time as being filling and endlessly customisable. I went for the classic salmon poké, which was made up of salmon, classic sauce, edamame, white onion, sesame seeds and nori. I loved it - and literally felt like I was eating a bowl of goodness. Price wise, you get a decent amount for your money. My regular sized bowl cost £6.95 but if you're not quite as hungry, you can get a small bowl for £4.95. My pal opted for the veggie poke which came with tofu and avocado as well as a tasty matcha miso sauce - and she seemed to enjoy. After washing my lunch down with an apple and ginger juice, I headed back to work feeling smug and satisfied.

Downsides? 

Tombo has only been open a week or so, which means it still has that brand new-trying-to-find-out-feet kinda vibe, especially in the downstairs area where there's a faint smell of fresh paint. Don't let this put you off though as I sense good things for this place and will definitely pop in again soon!

Location? 

28 D'Arblay Street, London, W1F 8EW.

All Star Lanes

A Second Serving reviews All Star Lanes in Bloomsbury...

All Star Lanes is a popular retro-themed venue hidden away by a discreet sign in Bloomsbury (blink and you'll miss it!) They have four bowling lanes (plus two private lanes upstairs), a cocktail bar and a restaurant - so there really is something to suit everyone. Bowling costs £8.95 per person per game and shoe hire is included. The restaurant, which is literally right next to the bowling area, serves good old American style fare - all ribs, burgers and steaks. Nom nom nom!

Copyright: All Star Lanes

Why go?

Because bowling is so much fun.... durr! On my weekend visit there were quite a few families and children (as expected) but on a week night I reckon this place would be the perfect spot for a fun date. When we first arrived the staff were very friendly and helpful so it didn't take long before we were set up and ready to start playing the game. I used to love bowling as a kid so couldn't wait to see if I still had the special touch - it turns out I do as I WON (not that I'm competitive!) After all the energy I'd used up focusing on winning the game, it was time for food. I decided to try their limited edition meatball hoagie, which is available throughout the whole of June. It really is the ultimate comfort food... made up of homemade meatballs, deliciously simple Marinara sauce and melted mozzarella tucked into a lightly toasted brioche bun. It cost £10.95 and was surprisingly filling! I washed it all down with a fiery Red Snapper cocktail (Bombay Sapphire, Tio Pepe sherry, celery bitters, lemon, Worcestershire sauce, strawberry puree, tomato juice, celery, basil, with a strawberry and celery skewer) and added an extra dash of tabasco sauce to make it a little hotter. To finish, I tucked into the salted caramel cheesecake with toffee sauce. Perfect!

Meatball hoagie!

Waiting for my grub!

Downsides?

While the cheesecake for dessert was really nice, I thought the base was a bit too thin and soggy. Saying that, it was demolished in seconds so it can't have been that bad!

Location?

Victoria House, Bloomsbury House, WC1B 4DA.

Feeling fancy? Head to Holborn Dining Room!

A Second Serving reviews The Rosewood Hotel's Holborn Dining Room in central London...

Set within the lavish Rosewood Hotel is Holborn Dining Room, a bustling brasserie which serves up seasonal, locally sourced British cuisine in a vibrant and impressive dining salon. The interior is simply stunning... all reclaimed oak, antique mirrors and red leather booths, and this creates a real feeling of class and sophistication. Not only that, the Gin Bar also offers London's largest collection of gin (hell yes!) in fact they have over 400 different gins and 27 tonics. Hiccup!

Copyright: Holborn Dining Room

Why go?

If you're keen to impress someone or fancy splashing out (but hate anywhere too pretentious), then make a reservation at the Rosewood. I took my boyfriend as a treat for his birthday and we had a fab time, in fact I enjoyed it so much I didn't even resent paying... which is a rarity! I thought I'd start off semi healthy by going for the chicken salad with avocado and smoked bacon, but this wasn't any old salad, oh no. It was essentially a whole lettuce, which when you pulled open was filled with layers of creamy chicken. The portion was huge but incredibly delicious so of course I ate it all. My boyfriend went for the fried squid which I had a little taste of and this was bloody lovely - salty, sweet, crispy and just the right amount of chewy, although he said the relish was perhaps a little too tangy for his liking. For our main my other half opted for the BBQ pork belly with creamed sweetcorn, fennel and apple salad, which seemed to go down a treat. I decided to go for the pot roast lamb breast with celeriac remoulade and green sauce because I'm a massive lamb fan so hoped Holborn Dining Room would impress. And boy it did, that meat was OUT OF THIS WORLD. I had two sizeable circles of lamb which was beautifully tender and seasoned to perfection. I literally couldn't stop going on about it afterwards, and if I go back I think I'll probably have to have the same dish again! We also both shared a side of creamed mash potato and carrots (£4 each). When it was time for dessert I was pretty stuffed so let my boyfriend choose the chocolate mousse with malted ice-cream and honeycomb. I managed to try a few scoops and it was just as rich, gooey and crunchy as I'd hoped. All in all, a fantastic evening of food.


The pork belly main



....and the lamb I couldn't get enough of

Downsides?

For food, service and surroundings this fancy I was more than happy to pay what I did (around £110 for two with a tip), but this would feel a lot for just a normal meal out... so save Holborn Dining Room for a special occasion, then go all out!

Happy faces to finish!

Location?

252 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7EN

Mad about Mud!

A Second Serving reviews Mud in Tooting Broadway...

Mud is a laid-back Antipodean-style café in the heart of Tooting that offers great coffee, awesome brunches (until 3pm) and freshly prepared cakes and sandwiches. The interior is decked out in reclaimed wood and bare brick, which really adds to the cosy vibe, and there's also an outside seating area. The café is so popular that you can expect to queue outside most weekends... but when the food tastes as good as it does, it's worth waiting for.

Eggs benny with cured salmon

Why go?

If you roll out of bed craving your typical hipster sourdough/smashed avocado/sweetcorn fritter hit then this is the place for you. The atmosphere is cosy and comfy, while the food tastes good, and looks very pretty too. My boyfriend went for the corn fitter stack as he's a sweetcorn addict (and would have it in every meal if he could), and this didn't appear to disappoint - we barely spoke as he tucked in! The dish was huge and consisted of corn fritters, avocado, chilli jam, a burford brown egg and streaky bacon. I went for eggs benny (bubble and squeak, an egg, brown butter hollandaise and cured salmon), and this was equally delicious - there was so much yolky egg I needed some bread to wipe the bowl clean at the end! Fortunately, the food was purse friendly (under a tenner each), and very tasty, so it's well worth a visit if you're in that neck of the woods. Stick to the coffee though, I wasn't a huge fan of my £4 fruit juice which had an overpowering melon taste.

Downsides?

We didn't realise you had to pay at the counter so we were waiting for ages after being handed our bill. When we realised our mistake, I didn't find the staff overly friendly or helpful. A little smile wouldn't go amiss.

Location?

141 Mitcham Road, Tooting, London, SW17 9PE.