A fishy experience at Tom’s Place

Tom’s Place is Tom Aiken’s new fish and chip venture, and very worthy it is too. I have used just about all my fishy puns in the review, so I’ll skate over it here in the blog.  

It is very unusual for a restaurant to suddenly improve in standard without a chef change, but Cambio de Tercio has moved up a gear or two, as I noted in November 2007. The meal this week showed that my previous meal was no fluke, as we were treated to a superb display of Spanish cooking. Ingredients were very good (e.g. perfect pata negra), technique excellent (superb garlic prawns) and good presentation and originality is here too (the pretty and tasty patatas bravas, pictured). Add a wine list that charges only twice retail price for some of its nicest wines, an appealing tapas menu and a cosy atmosphere and it all adds up to a wonderfully enjoyable experience. 

I continue to be impressed with Tangawizi, the Indian restaurant by Richmond Bridge. To me this is better than any of the Indian places that Michelin gives a star to, yet they think this is worth just a bib gourmand. Other than the decor I find this very hard to grasp. Still, I guess the lack of a star means prices will not suddenly shoot up, so that is all the more good value curry for the rest of us. The dhal at Tangawizi is really special, the tandoori cooking excellent, the vegetables very well handled. The naan bread at the meal this week was magnificent, produced from a charcoal as distinct from a gas tandoor, and was right up there in quality with bread in India. For me Tangawizi produces some of the very best Indian food in London.

I’m just off to Savannah now, where I will hopefully experience some good old fashioned southern cooking. In answer to the question “hominy grits?”, my answer will be “as few as possible”.