Arirang
Cuisine :	Korean
Address :	31-32 Poland Street
Telephone :	020 7347 9662
Food = 9 Atmosphere = 3 Service = 3 Total = 15
Just off Oxford Street, this is a good place to go for good tasty Korean food. The kim-chee is not too spicy nor too sour--- just right for the taste bud. Chapch'ae (mixed vegetable and beef cooked with clear vermicelli) and Hobak chun (sliced courgette in an egg batter) are both cooked to perfection; not too greasy and not overcooked. Their Yuk'we (Shredded raw beef with pear and raw egg yolk) is one of the best in London, though it can be a bit too cold sometimes. The Bulgogi (beef on barbecue at the table) is nicely marinated.
	Bar Shu
Cuisine :	Chinese (Sichuan)
Address :	28 Frith Street, London W1
Telephone :	020 7287 6688
Food = 8 Atmosphere = 4 Service = 4 Total = 16
A rather authentic Sichuan restaurant in London. The food here is typically Sichuanese - hot, fierce and spicy. The menu has pictures and a "chilli" rating to help you decide what you want, but certainly be careful to choose the dishes if you are not used to eating spicy food. The sweet and sour crispy fish was cooked to perfection, and the "ma po" bean curd (I think the restaurant translates the dish to "old woman's bean curd" - much to the amusement of my friend Robert) was spiced to the perfect level.
	Bombay Brasserie
Cuisine :	Indian
Address :	Courtfield Road, South Kensington, London
Telephone :	020 7835 1669
Food = 8 Atmosphere = 4 Service = 3 Total = 15
An expensive place for Indian food, but you do get the quality at this restaurant not far from the Gloucester Road underground station. The Sunday buffet lunch doesn't really impress me at all, but if you go for a la carte you'll not be disappointed.
	Boxwood Café
Cuisine :	British
Address :	The Berkeley Hotel, Wilton Place Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7RL
Telephone :	020 7235 1010
Food = 6 Atmosphere = 2 Service = 3 Total = 11
Although Boxwood Café is located in the same hotel as Petrus (another restaurant in the Gordon Ramsay empire), its style is gearing towards more casual dining. The restaurant can get rather noisy, to the point that it's adversely affecting the dining experience (the volume and choice of music doesn't help either). Set menu of 6 courses at £55 is verging on the expensive side - it starts off well and then each subsequent course brings more and more disappointment. However, it does finish on a high with the Valrhona hot chocolate fondue, marshmallows, biscotti and fruit kebabs. Not a place to come to if you want to have a conversation without raising your voice.
	Fifteen Restaurant
Cuisine :	British
Address :	Westland Place, London, N1 7LP
Telephone :	0871 330 1515
Food = 2 Atmosphere = 1 Service = 1 Total = 4
According to the website, "The purpose of Fifteen is to inspire disadvataged young people to believe that they can create for themselves a career in the restaurant business." What a brilliant idea! However, this place is a prime example of "rip-off Britain". Charging over £60 per person for a set menu, I certainly expect a high standard. However, the service was sloppy, the restaurant was cramped, uncomfortable and noisy, and the food was disastrous - strong soya sauce desperately trying to hide the not-so-fresh fish, salad with strong-flavoured leaves which were having a world war in the mouth. Come here for the hype, and expect to come out disappointed and with a much lighter wallet!

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