Ping Pong Westfield London (Launch Party)

Ping Pong has arrived at the Southern Terrace of Westfield London shopping centre in Shepahard Bush. I got the oppotunity to join Ping Pong’s launch party that was hosted by the glamourous Kelly Brooks to find out more about this branch. We all got the opportunity to sample the food, cocktails and their was a full evening of entertainments, including fortune tellers and dancers.

If you are not already familiar of Ping Pong, it is a UK restaurant that has many branches around London. It serves dim sum with a contemporary concept, to give a refresh of traditional dim sum and it does not have to be served with Chinese tea, but it can also been enjoyed with a glass of cocktail.

Dim Sum is known as food you would have at lunch, but in the last few years it has been introduced as an all day food. That is just what Ping Pong does, serving dim sum all day. It also uses a range of ingredients and not just the ones commonly found in dim sum which are prawn and pork. Ping Pong has created a variety of dim sum that can also cater for vegetarian so they can get just as much variety to select and enjoy.

The Westfield Shepherd Bush branch has an open kitchen in the center of the restaurant, with chairs around the area to allow people to eat and watch dim sum being prepared. The overall restaurant design is contempoary which goes with the concept of the food served at Ping Pong.

At the launch party we got to sample Ping Pong’s selection of dim sum served canapés style. It shows that dim sum can make great canapés food with many that you can just pick up and eat in one go with out much mess. That is what I consider as good canapés.

I was surprised by some of the food we tried because the standard was just as good as other Chinese restarant in London, that serves dim sum. Such as the vergetarian puff, which I was impress on the pastry. It would had gone well with roast pork inside which is one of the typical filling you will find and known as the roast pork puff. It is also one you will find served at Ping Pong.

My favourite of the evening has to be the prawn crackers which I was nibbling away during the night and at the same time trying out the wifi charging that was on the table. If this was one day branded as a packet of crisp you might just see this in my office draw.

At the launch party we got the opportunity to have a masterclass in wrapping dumplings by their experience kitchen chef. I have to say it looked harder than it seem and I probably just stick to eating!

Ping Pong is also great for their range of cocktails and they have mocktails for those who do not drink alcohol. At the launch party we got to sample a range of cocktails which were all great. However if you are a bit tradition and like your dim sum with tea than Ping Pong does have a variety of tea to select.

It is an ideal place for a night out with a group of friends and have some dim sum over a glass of cocktail. The location of this branch you can also get a bite here while shopping at Westfield London or visiting the cinema.

Ping Pong (Westfield London in Shepherds Bush)
Westfield London,
Ariel Way,
W12 7SH,
Unit 1209,
Southern Terrace

Sponsored by JPR Media Group

M Restaurants

This post Is slightly different to my usual food review post. Instead I want to share with you all, a magnificent venue in the city of London called M. The space of this venue is big, which lives two resturants in one. You actually don’t realise it is two restaurants as it is one big space.

M RAW serves dishes with Japanese inspiration, whereas M GRILL specialise in steak of various cuts around the world (including Kobe and Wagyu).

Overlooking the resturants, is M BAR where you can chill and enjoy drinks from the bar or at the self service wine bar with a M Wine card. All you do is credit the M Wine card and then head over to the wine machine to grab a glass and fill it with wine from the choices on display. There are three sizes to choose, so you can go through them and have a tasting wine evening. The range of wine changes often, which will keep regulars from getting bored.

There are private rooms that can be book or hire. Each one are as grand as the restaurant itself. The M DEN is a secret playroom, where it is home to a football table, PlayStation, TV and sound system to hook your phone to and lockers for your bottle (yes you read it correctly, lockers for the finest wine or whisky M will have for sale). 

The whole place and not just M DEN feels more like a house then a restaurant. That was suppose to be the intention of the interior design to give people the warmth and grand feel of a home (although I have never been in a Mayfair appartment to be able to really compare).

As it was a canapés evening which showcase both M RAW and M GRILL, I can not really comment on the food as if I were to dine at the resturant. But I will say that the quality of the steaks I sampled were good.

It was a wonderful opportunity to visit M and be able to try the Jonnie Walker gold photo booth and a Don Julio cocktail (lemon juice, map,e agave syrup, ginger and hibiscus tea, orange juice and ginger) from the world’s 1st piece of drinkable art.

It will be a drinking venue that I will consider and return for more tasting glasses of wine.

M Restaurants
2 & 3 Threadneedle Walk,
60 Threadneedle Street,
EC2R 8HP,
London

http://mrestaurants.co.uk

Bunnychow

Bunny chow lands in London introducing a new way of serving bread, as if it was a bowl. Making it an eatable bowl! A little loaf of bread is shaped in a round bowl which is filled with one of the choice of fillings on the menu.

As there was two days free trial this week to celebrate the launch of Bunnychow, I decided it was an good opportunity to visit and try. The restaurant is situated on Wardour Street in London Soho. It is more of a takeaway shop with a few tables and seats for those who prefer not to take their bunny home or back to the office.

I ordered a takeaway and selected the bunny chowder. It consisted of smoked haddock, potatoes, sweetcorn in a creamy sauce. The little loaf bread is filled and put in to a box that fitted the bread perfectly. Then the staff put on the little bread lid and the box is sealed.

I took my Bunny home to have for lunch the following day. I put it in the oven and covered it in foil to reheat for a few minutes, until the filling was hot. But do not leave it in the oven too long or the bread will be hard. From the semi-soft bread I brought back, I got a beautiful crusty bread which had a baguette texture.

The filling was slightly spicy with a hint of chilli powder in the chowder. The combination of the bunny chowder went well with bread. Although it look small it was surprisingly filling. It was messy to eat but that is where the wet tissue that was supplied became useful. Messy but a delicious lunch.

Bunny chow originated from South Africa, which the concept reminds me of what I have seen in Asia. Japanese and Taiwanese cuisines using bread as an eatable bowl or thick slices for savoury or sweet dishes. Will it take off in London which has become a city blooming with food from around the world. Who knows, let’s watch this space! In the meantime, why not go to Bunnychow to try out one of their bunny. They even serve breakfast version in the morning, so you can enjoy a bunny any time of the day.

Bunnychow
74 Wardour Street
London

http://bunnychow.com

Hawker House

Street Feast from 8th November 2013 launched Hawker House, bringing London six weeks of indoor street food night market. The house is located in an old factory which is a short walk from Cambridge Heath train station.

There are variety of food and drink from different traders for us to try, but  prepare to queue. I do recommend to go early not just to avoid the entry charge but also the queue at each traders.

I started off at B.O.B’s Lobster where I tried the Lobster Roll (£11), which I could not resist to compare it against the popular Burger and Lobster. My preference has to be the lobster roll at Burger and Lobster although it cost £20 with fries and salad. Why? It has to be the flavour, especially Burger and Losbter toasted roll.

I also tried the Lobster Mac ‘n’ Cheese (£8), which has chunky lobster meat. This you can not get at Burger and Lobster so I can not make a comparison. But means that it is unique to B.O.B’s Lobster.

If you like your rib then visit trader Smokestak. A friend brought a beef rib which I found tasty, where the meat was as soft and succulent.

From what I did try on the evening, my favourite has to be Yum Bun where I had a hot fluffy white bun with breaded pollack, mayo, coriander, lettuce and pickles. For their signature would be the pork bun that contained slow roasted belly pork with cucumbers, spring onions and hoi sin sauce.

Hawker House (Friday 8th November – 14th December 2013)
38-50 Pritchards Road
London
E2 9AP

Every Friday and Saturday 5pm-2am
(Free before 7pm and after midnight, £3 all other times)

Papparoti UK

Papparoti has arrived to the UK with its first shop near to Bayswater tube station. London can now enjoy freshly baked buns that were first established in Malaysia with out having to fly aboard.

The buns has a crunchy coffee caramel coating top, and inside is a soft fluffy bread which has a buttery filling. It reminds me of the Japanese and Chinese melon buns which also has that crunchy coating.

To enjoy the buns it is recommended to reheat them so they are served warm. There are even instructions on the side of the bags on how to reheat the buns. But the store will reheat them for you whether you are eating them in store or getting a takeaway.

The buns smells like coffee and they almost melt in your mouth, with a buttery taste. They make it great to have it with a coffee or tea.

Papparoti UK also serves a selection of coffees, teas, smoothies and milkshakes, including Karak tea. For some thing more special then there are also Papparoti specialities coffee like Ciocco Bianco and Rose Caffe Latte.

There are a few seats for people to enjoy a warm bun with the selection of drinks. But if you are on the go then buy a warm bun to have on the go. However, the buns do not have cheap as they will cost £2 each.

Papparoti UK
80 Queensway,
W2 3RL,
London,
UK

http://www.papparotiuk.com