Wednesday, 11 January 2017

Binging On A Budget: My Top Cheap And Cheerful London Restaurants



It's January, and lets be honest we are all trying to not even think about the hole in our pocket that December's antics has caused! But, despite having little money, January is also one of the most depressing months of the year, and for this reason I believe we should treat ourselves. So I've put together a small list of my favourite places in London to binge on a budget (with a few extras that I am dying to try out soon). Hope you guys enjoy and this helps you save an extra few dollar this Jan! 
Chicken Liquor
If you're looking for some finger lickin' chicken, then this is the place! Chicken Liquor, owned and run by the massively famous Meat Liquor, is a small restaurant in Brixton. We tried the Korean Wings and the Chicken Shop Boneless Bites, my favourites would have to have been the wings, which is probably because I prefer that type of meat. For sides, we ordered the Hippie Fries... OMG these were a party in my mouth, absolutely scrumptious. We also ordered the Hot Mess, which was a lovely spicy addition. I usually avoid blue cheese because of its pungent taste, but the dish wasn't overwhelmed by it and definitely hit the spot. 
Bang Bang Vietnamese
After much deliberation over what restaurant to try at Boxpark Croydon, we tried Bang Bang Vietnamese, and it was an absolute treat! I'm really into my Asian food, spices are my thing, so this was the perfect choice for our meal. The food was exceptional. I chose the Pho Bo Gau: A Classic Vietnamese Soup with Beef Brisket, and my friend went for the Pho Tom, which is the same but with king prawns. As you can see below each of us got plenty, and it was the perfect amount of spice for my taste buds, which is a big bonus as I usually have to add extra chili sauce. I believe both of these dishes were around the £8 mark, an absolute steal!
Milk
A cafe that I fell in love with the moment I walked in (or maybe the day before when I was looking at the menu). They have fun and exciting dishes which put a spin on old classics, with their hangover sauce, burnt butter hollandaise, and woodfired sourdough, my mouth is watering just thinking about it. It's definitely a place for those hipsters seeking the best brunch spot. I bought my food, smoothie, and coffee for a mere £12. Here's a fun fact, the most used hashtag in Balham is #brunch, so get over there and enjoy!
Franco Manca
I'm pretty sure that by now most people have heard of Franco Manca, but I was first introduced to these heavenly sourdough pizzas just over a year ago as they catered for my auntie and uncles wedding! They were absolutely delicious, no wonder sourdough brick oven pizzas are now a massive craze, and I'm pretty sure these were the guys that triggered it. They have multiple stores where you can try their classics, and guess what? All of their pizzas are under £7... BARGAIN! 

Here are a few that I'm desperate to try out within the next few months...
Padella
A pasta bar serving hand-rolled pasta with sauces and fillings inspired from the owners trips to Italy, and just look at those prices! 
BAO
I think I'm one of the only bloggers left who hasn't tried out BAO. They serve up delicious BAOs, steamed buns, and a range of Taiwanese dishes. It's right up my street, and only around £4 per BAO!
 
Brother Marcus
Okay, so this one may have initially sparked because I indeed have the owners brother... Marcus on Facebook and in fact used to go to school with their other brother, but I have also looked up the reviews and this place is supposed to be the next big place for brunch... and who doesn't love brunch?!


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Tuesday, 8 November 2016

Out On The Town: Boxpark Croydon

Last Friday I paid my first visit to the brand new Boxpark at Croydon. After previously having been to the Shoreditch site that is full of plenty of pop-up shops and restaurants I was very excited about the new 'bigger and better' Boxpark. One key difference between the sites, apart from the size, is that Boxpark Croydon is only food and drink, and will be playing host to over 200 events each year, the line-up looks like we're in for a treat! Impossible to miss, the new shopping extravaganza is on the right-hand side as you walk out of East Croydon train station- and if you do manage to miss it just look for the giant lit-up BOXPARK sign...
The list of food and drink pop-ups on the site is incredible (including one of my favourites Dum Dum Donutterie!). Unfortunately, my first visit was slightly rushed as we needed to grab dinner and head out for a friends Birthday, so we only got to visit just the one this time...
We chose the delicious Bang Bang Vietnamese for dinner, and what a great choice it was! I'm really into my asian food, spices are my thing, so this was the perfect choice for our meal. Some of the pop-up restaurants offer seats inside, to create more of a dinner-date feel, giving you the choice of sitting inside or in the Boxpark centre. We chose to eat in the restaurant which was decorated in a quirky, fun, and bright coloured manner with plenty of Film Noir memorabilia... 
Not only was the quality of the food exceptionally good, but it was also really good value for money! I chose the Pho Bo Gau: A Classic Vietnamese Soup with Beef Brisket and my friend went for the Pho Tom, which is the same but with king prawns. As you can see below each of us got plenty, and it was the perfect amount of spice for my taste buds, which is a big bonus as I usually have to add extra chilli sauce. 
We also found our new favourite beer, Lucky Buddha! I need to find out where else I can buy these as they were light and super refreshing, plus the bottles are pretty darn cool! 
I can't wait to go back to the Boxpark and try out all of the other food and drink stalls! I hope you have enjoyed this post, and it has possibly convinced you to take a trip! 

Love,

K.
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