My Old Place

I was talking about the Bethnal Green Road and how there are some great little places to eat there, when someone mentioned the sister restaurant of Gourmet San , My Old Place. More conveniently located near Liverpool St tube, I headed on over for a low stress Friday night dinner.

Since I hadn't been here before, I had to try some classics.

Potato slivers with Sichuan pepper. I am not really sure how they do this dish. Presumably the potato is blanched quickly. Anyways, it's served cold and is refreshing, crunchy and tingly with Sichuan Peppercorns. It is a little sweeter than the version at Ba Shan which I think has the edge



Fish fragrant aubergine is a real favourite of mine. I first had it in China so generally have high expectations of this one. Soft and gooey, sweet and sour. Great over sticky rice. This version was decent althouh omitted the usual ground pork. (My favourite version of this dish is at Red and Hot in Soho).



Chicken with Sichuan Chili is again a classic. This version was actually the best I have ever tasted. The chicken was wonderful seasoned and smokey. The chicken is normally served on the bone but this dish didn't suffer from any lack of flavour for not being so. Recommended.



I also couldn't resist a couple of their BBQ lamb skewers. The ones in Gourmet San are cooked over open charcoal. I wasn't sure if these were, as they tasted less smokey and BBQ'ed. They were still good though. Juicy and spiced with cumin powder. One day I would like to go in, order ten of these and 5 beers. That sounds like a great Friday night to me.



Overall I was impressed with My Old Place. It is bigger than Gourmet San and we didn't have to queue which was great. The food here is very authentic Sichuan fare and good value. Most main dishes are about £8 and portions are large as you can see. It is also easy to find. Just follow the streams of Chinese people coming up the road with little doggy bags. One gripe I do have is the presence of a Chinese only menu. Why do they always want to keep the good stuff to themselves? Boo.

Monster Munch Rating: 75%

My Old Place
88 Middlesex Street
London
E1 7EZ

0207 247 2200

Tapas Festival

This is why I love London Bridge. Nothing to do on a Sunday, we were casually walking around the south bank and came across a tapas festival. Amazing.




A generous portion of Pata Negra ham for just £6. This was the good stuff (look for the black hoof on the leg or the words Jamon Iberico). We fought over the bits of fat which literally dissolved in your mouth. (I read that Ferran Adria of El Bulli serves a dish where he gets a whole cherry and coats it in Pata Negra fat. One day I must go there).





Ham and cheese croquettes were filled with melty rich cheese and salty ham, all wrapped up in a deliciously crispy outer shell.



Cod croquettes were also excellent with a good amount of fish inside.




Albondigas, or meatballs to you and I, were balls of beef served in a rich tomato sauce.



Spanish food when done well is fantastic. I would recommend
Barrafina and Brindisa in London, both of which I have been served very good food in. I also hear good things about Fino.

Tuck in.