Zizi's Adventures - Real Food, Real Stories

  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Contact
  • Press
  • Inspiration
  • Vegetarian and Vegan Dinners

Koya – Udon Noodle Bar – London

November 4, 2011 by Zizi

I love noodle soup. So when I read about Koya in Gwyneth Paltrow’s newsletter, the GOOP, I knew I had to go there. I was happy that my foodie friends, Sarka and Giulia were also keen on trying this place.

Once you step through the navy doorway curtain of this very plain-looking specialist, it’s noodles with everything. This is thick, white udon, made with wheat flour imported from Japan, then kneaded by foot (in a good, hygienic way) for extra chewiness.

Customers can vary how they have their noodles: according to temperature: hot udon with hot broth (dashi), cold with hot broth, or cold with cold dipping sauce; and topping from various meats to mushrooms with walnut miso. Staff seem happy to advise.
We got there by lunch time and the place was very busy packed with Japanese people. That was one good sign we went to the right place. Tap water was placed on the table immediately as we sat down, which is always nice. The menu is simple and there are always specials on the blackboard.

We ordered three small-plate starters/salads to share, then everyone had their own noodle soup. All of us ordered hot  udon with hot broth. I asked for vegetarian broth and it wasn’t a problem.

The fresh noodles were amazing: slippery and chewy. Yum! I loved my toppings too: fried tofu with fresh spring onion.

They are open everyday from 12:00 – 15:00 and 17:30 – 22:30 (Sunday to 22:00). Koya focuses on the friendly characteristic of udon and proposes various recipes, delicious to both Japanese and non-Japanese alike.

My advice would be to go and sit down at the counter and watch the team in action and if you have opportunity speak to the chef.

Koya believes their genuine and honest attitude will establish an eatery to be loved by all. I believe it too!

Koya
49 Frith Street, Soho
London
W1D 4SQ
www.koya.co.uk

Closest tube station: Tottenham Court Road tube
Telephone: +44 20 7434 4463
Twitter: @KoyaUdon
Main courses:£6.70 – £14.70

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • Pinterest
  • Print

Filed Under: FBC, London, pasta, restaurant, travel, traveling, udon, vegan

Borough Market – London, Part 2

October 22, 2011 by Zizi

What about an early Saturday morning market visit? I usually get up early on Saturdays too because I don’t want to miss my favorite organic farmers market in Budapest. It only opens until 1 am so you need to get up early if you want to buy everything you planned.
Borough Market stole my heart in August. I couldn’t stop taking photos. Which is your favorite market in the world? 

Food bloggers in action… I wasn’t the only one taking photos of this tomato paradise. Orange, yellow, light green with dark green stripes, red, black, oval, round… I’ve never seen this many type of tomatoes in one place!

We only had a quick bite for lunch. I chose Veggie Table, a small vegetarian cater business who creates simple, fresh and exciting vegetarian food. They use local vegetables and organic grains to deliver wholesome and delicious meals for vegetarians, vegans and meat-eaters alike. They craft real food from real ingredients. They have 5 booths around London markets, one at Borough. Find more information on their website.

I live in Budapest but every time I will go to London I will always go to Borough Market. I think it’s wonderful. You can get things there that you can’t find anywhere else… and I’m not the only one saying this! 🙂

More about the market:
Borough Market – London, Part 1

Borough Market
8 Southwark Street
London
SE1 1TL
www.boroughmarket.co.uk

Open:
Thursdays 11am – 5pm
Fridays 12 pm – 6pm
Saturdays 8am – 5pm

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • Pinterest
  • Print

Filed Under: FBC, London, market, organic, photos, travel, traveling

Borough Market – London, Part 1

October 17, 2011 by Zizi

Before I went to London for Food Blogger Connect, I knew that Borough Market was the place I should not miss! Although I used to live in England for two years I never went to this market. I know why, I wasn’t interested in food that time. But now… Borough Market is paradise for me. I could go there everyday. Let the photos speak instead of me…

More to follow! Stay tuned!

Borough Market
8 Southwark Street
London
SE1 1TL
www.boroughmarket.co.uk

Open:
Thursdays 11am – 5pm
Fridays 12 pm – 6pm
Saturdays 8am – 5pm

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • Pinterest
  • Print

Filed Under: FBC, London, market, organic, photos, travel, traveling

Sweetcorn Polenta with Tomato Aubergine Sauce

September 13, 2011 by Zizi

I bought Ottolenghi’s book Plenty  couple of months ago. When I found out I would go to London, to Food Blogger Connect I knew I wanted to visit one of his restaurants. Thanks to my food lover food blogger friends they agreed to come with me.
One day before the conference we did a foodie tour around London. Our first stop was at Borough Market. It is one of the largest food markets in London, and sells a large variety of foods from all over the world. The market, which has focused historically on fruits and vegetables, has in recent years added stalls dealing with the fine food retail market. Stallholders come to trade at the market from different parts of the UK and traditional European products are also shipped over and sold. Amongst the produce on sale are fresh fruit and vegetables, cheese, meat, game and freshly baked bread and pastries. There is also a wide variety of cooked and snack food on sale for the many tourists who flock to the market. I was in heaven! I loved the market so much and I couldn’t stop taking photos!

Then we had a nice coffee at Monmouth Cafe – apparently they sell the best coffee in London which I can prove! OK, I didn’t taste all the coffees in London but Monmouth was definitely the best one I tried.

The next stop was at Neal’s Yard. It is a small alley in Covent Garden between Shorts Gardens and Monmouth Street which opens into a courtyard. It is named after the 17th century developer, Thomas Neale. It now contains several health food cafes and new age retailers such as Neal’s Yard Dairy. It is easy to find the shop because you can smell the cheese from distance. The company buys cheese from about seventy cheesemakers on farms around Britain and Ireland and they sell the cheese in their two shops in London and to shops and restaurants all over the world.

We ended the day in Nopi at Ottolenghi’s newest fancy restaurant in Soho. Seven food bloggers  (Nando, Giulia, Beth, Sarka, Mowie, Mayssam and myself) plus Bruce got together and shared the delicious but small meals. According to the menu the dishes are designed for sharing. That was what we exactly did. And we laughed. A lot.

By the way… the recipe I’m sharing with you is from the book, Plenty. 

Sweetcorn Polenta with Tomato Aubergine Sauce

Ingredients (serves 2)

For the polenta
– 3 corn cobs
– 300 ml water
– 20 g butter
– 150 g feta, crumbled
– 1/2 teaspoon salt
– pepper

For the aubergine sauce
– 1 medium aubergine, cut into 2 cm dice
– 1 canned tomatoes (peeled)
– 3 fresh tomatoes, chopped
– 30 ml dry white wine
– 50 ml water
– 1 onion, chopped
– 3 cloves garlic, chopped
– 1 tablespoon chopped oregano
– salt, pepper
– pinch of cane sugar
– olive oil

To make the polenta, remove the leaves from each corn cob, then chop off the pointed top and stalk. Stand each cob upright on its base and use a sharp knife to shave off the kernels.

Place kernels in a saucepan and cover them with water. Cook for 10-12 minutes on low simmer. With a hand blender puree the kernels with water (break as much of the kernel case as possible).

Return the corn paste pan to the stove and cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Fold in the butter, feta cheese, season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Meanwhile heat up 2 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan and saute the onion and garlic for 3-5 minutes. Add the aubergine and 2 more tablespoons olive oil and fry on medium heat for about 5-8 minutes. Add the tomatoes (can + fresh) and stir with the aubergin. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the white wine and water. Season with salt and pepper, add the pinch of cane sugar and oregano. Cook for another 10 minutes to get a deep flavoured sauce.

Divide the polenta among bowls and spoon some warm aubergine sauce on the top.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Reddit
  • Pinterest
  • Print

Filed Under: cooking, corn, lacto, London, main dish, polenta, travel, traveling

Hello!

Social Media

Search the Blog

New post? Get instant notification!

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Recent Posts

  • Vegan Walnut Coffee Cake
  • Key Largo – The Florida Keys
  • Vegan Green Vanilla Protein Smoothie
  • Raw Vegan Orange Date Truffles
  • Beet-Potato Two Colored Gnocchi

Archives

You can also find me here

Blog Lovin
Foodgawker
Tastespotting
Honest Cooking
The Hungarian Girl
The Travel Belles
Visit Budapest

Featured by

Follow my Facebook page!

Follow my Facebook page!

Instagram

Minden jog védve © 2025 · Zizi kalandjai szerző Nagy Zita · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress