GOOD KAI

Best GastroPub, Twickenham Welcome to the first in a series of blog posts that will coincide with my new food venture with FoodiezTV. FoodiezTV is a brand new online channel dedicated to finding the best restaurants from all across the UK. Each week a different video will be posted and is the workings from one of the UK's top food critics and television folk who have backgrounds in MTV to BBC and the British Film institute. In these posts I will be naming the best restaurant in a different area from either Twickenham, Richmond or Teddington, Barnes - basically in the Borough of Richmond. I've been visiting and writing about my favourite places to eat in the area of Richmond and London for over three years and now with FoodiezTV we will be bringing my favourite places in video format. Check out the video above. The Crown in Twickenham First up was the best gastro pub in our area, and this was challenging. There are a few great gastropubs in Twickenham - St Marga...

USDA Prime Dry Aged Sirloin Steak, Smith  I'm just going to get straight to the point, this place IS expensive. With these higher end American Steakhouses like S&W and Mash, you are going to pay more but they source incredible steak, the type that the popular steak places about like Hawksmoor or Goodmans and others don't have and if you're a true steak fanatic then you'll definitely like it here, but you have to order the right steak! Dining Area, Smith & Wollensky, London Gradvalax, Smith & Wollensky Spicy Prawns, Smith & Wollesnky Smith & Wollensky are situated close to Charing Cross station and Trafalgar Square in London and boast two large dining rooms that specialise in serving USDA Prime steak. USDA Prime is typically hard to get (even in the USA) by the average Joe because it's often quickly snapped up. It is well known for its juicy, buttery flavour and tenderness which makes it quite a superior steak. Obviously its ...

Bar at Charlotte's W5, Ealing I keep hearing about Charlotte's community ethos and how they're offering folk who live in Ealing somewhere to run business meetings, perch with their laptops or celebrate special occasions - a 'Third Place' is what they're calling it. Home being first, work being second and Charlotte's being third. On first glance it seems as though Charlotte's is some sort of contemporary eating house, but come evening it is so much more and courtesy of a recommendation from  @ jodzew  I was keen to investigate more. Small Plates Cured Beef and Salmon, Charlotte's W5, Ealing Located in Dickens Yard, this old Victorian stable was almost derelict but was recently transformed to what is now a beautiful expansive industrial space. Inside it is modern, open and detailed with vintage lighting. The focal point - a huge bar presiding over colossal sized bench seating. You will feel like you are in a highchair, I'm not particula...

Octopus Carpaccio, Le Salon Prive, Twickenham Sponsored  I am delighted to be back in St Margarets village and sitting down for a tasting menu at French Bistro styled restaurant - Le Salon Prive. Its almost been a few years since the new owners took over and completely refurbished the restaurant previously known as Brula. Now, it is much more contemporary, there is pin cushioned seating, new flooring with the more original features intact - including the beautiful stained glass windows. Le Salon Prive is overseen by accomplished chef, Gianluca Di Monaco, who worked and trained with Pierre Koffmann. Gianluca graciously presented us with a five course tasting menu, each paired with a different wine to compliment every dish. Celeriac Soup, Le Salon Prive, Twickenham If I had to describe the food at Le Salon Prive I would say it's classic French cuisine. There is however on this occasion a few Mediterranean style dishes - for instance Octopus Carpaccio and Monkfish served ...

GoodKai on Foodiez TV A different blog post today but I am excited to announce that I will be working on a brand new project with a new startup company called FoodiezTV. It is going to be the very first online channel that does video restaurant reviews from London and across the UK. Yes, so very exciting. Everyone who wants to know about great restaurants will now be able to see videos of restaurant reviews to discover the best places to eat in their area or even for folks coming to London. Chiswick Business Park, FoodiezTV Studio HQ So what are they going to have on this channel you might ask? Well, good question, soooo each week FoodiezTV will be featuring a different cuisine, and myself along with loads of other bloggers from all over the UK will be showing our best picks from our area. I am based in the London Borough of Richmond so will be covering this area. Onsite Shooting at a Restaurant for FoodiezTV I am looking forward to sharing more about this with you, F...

Bonj Les Bain, Hvar, Hvar Island It's a heck of a lot easier to get to Hvar now there are plenty of direct flights from the UK to Split (the mainland city - an hour ferry ride from Hvar Island). Just a few years ago we had to go via Germany and our luggage was misplaced somewhere in Frankfurt (I discovered later that luggage often goes missing when passing through Germany) and spending days in the same clothes and having to arrange to get our luggage to an Island on the Dalmation Coast was quite the task. Alas, there was no problem, and the ferry crossing from Split to Hvar Island was quite pleasant, before it was uncomfortably rammed of people with barely room to sit and no air conditioning in 35+ degree heat. Hvar Island, Croatia All of these positives do have a down side though.... there a far more people going to Hvar now and I was glad we headed over later in the season, September, when the crowds have mostly gone and the weather is still fabulous - around 30 de...

Sicilian Salami Platter, Mosaico - Whitton UPDATE: Since writing this blog Mosaico have updated their pizza menu and unfortunately the size of their pizzas have now halved without a price reduction. I'm not sure if this is a mistake but I will be trying to contact them to find out more and if what we experienced was just a once off error. I've been popping in to Mosaico for sometime now, an Italian cafe/restaurant located across from the station on Whitton High Street, and while I enjoy their food, it appears to be taking sometime for the Whitton folk to appreciate how good and genuinely Italian the food is at Mosaico. Despite this, they are now gaining more adopters and hopefully more momentum because as I have discovered, the food is different and worth checking out. At Mosaico, you can get Sicilian salami served simply, with olive oil, a few cherry tomatoes, a few greens and a delicious pizza bread.  They have a nice beetroot salad - also quite simple, and if I...