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Kin

Kin

88 Leather Lane, London EC1N 7TP, United Kingdom, EC1N 7TT

Kebab • Cafés • Pizza • Seafood


"This is a great Thai restaurant, and although the menu is pretty traditional, the flavour is excellent and portions fairly large, on that basis alone I’d definitely recommend a visit as one of the better Thai restaurants I’ve been to in London. Other reviewers have complained about the overly attentive waiting staff, and it’s fair to say you do see a lot of them, including clearing plates throughout the meal which is a little odd. So I’d avoid this place if you want to have a deep conversation, but for casual dining it’s not the end of the world and in fairness the staff are incredibly friendly. One other weird feature of this restaurant is that they bring starters and mains at the same time. While they do explain this when you order, it seems like a kitchen geared up for takeaway which can’t be bothered adapting to phased table service. To be clear, it’s understandable in small plates (e.g. tapas) restaurants to receive each dish as it comes, but this is not that you will literally get two plates of spring rolls/dim sum alongside two large bowls of Pad Thai. The waitress also warns you in their introduction that you should give them 10 15 minutes warning before you need the bill (it didn’t take that long in reality). This again gives a bit of an impression that the service is set up for the convenience of the staff rather than the customers. There appeared to be plenty of front of house staff and the restaurant is quite small, so I’m not sure why all these accommodations from customers are needed. I stress this point because this really is a great restaurant, that has just made some annoying choices with how they serve their excellent food. It’s still a four star place, with potential."

Barshu

Barshu

28 Frith Street London, W1D 5LF, W1D 5LE, United Kingdom

Asian • Chinese • Sichuan • Szechuan


"I absolutely adored this restaurant! It's a must-try, especially if you don't have access to authentic Szechuan cuisine where you live. It's definitely going on my list of places to revisit in London and to recommend to others. The atmosphere is charming and the service is good. It's a small venue, so it can feel a bit crowded. I suggest visiting during non-peak hours. Having a late lunch or early dinner at 2 or 3pm worked perfectly for us! We enjoyed everything we ordered, although we ended up ordering too much. You can easily share 4-5 appetizers or small meat dishes and still leave satisfied. The specials consist of large bowls of assorted meats, which are enough for a meal for two and are incredibly tasty. From the pork roll appetizer (thinly sliced carrots rolled in pork) to the smashed cucumber (a refreshing vegetable dish) to the spicy cold sliced beef with beef tongue, everything was delicious. The beef and onions were tender and flavorful, perfect for even the pickiest eaters. The special Mocai dish was served in a large bowl of spicy broth with fish balls, tripe, prawns, thinly sliced beef, luncheon pork, and more. I added pork intestine, but I would recommend getting it cooked in a dry wok for a crispy texture. The chicken feet were my least favorite, as they were a bit too sweet for my liking. Perhaps they could be ordered in a different sauce for a better balance of flavors."