Bargain Bite: Udon Goodness at Koya

Here's this month's Bargain Bite!

Koya, Frith Street, Soho

This little Japanese udon noodle restaurant has been rather popular over the past year or so and here's a few reasons why:

1) No Bookings - so if you're impulsive and can't decide where you want to eat until the last minute, there's no need to worry about booking in advance. Though some people don't like to queue, there's something simple and appealing about the idea of rocking up somewhere on the off chance of getting a table.

2) Fantastic Udon - obviously they specialise in udon noodles so you'd expect the dishes to be good. But they're better than good. They're wibbly, chewy, light and healthy good.

3) Other Dishes - there are plenty of other options other than udon noodles if you happen to be (or be with) someone who's not a fan of the chunky elasticity of them.

4) Satisfying - come on, either hot, cold, in broth or sauce, you know how satisfying it is to eat those slippery strings of wheat noodle!

Cold udon with tofu and cold sauce.

Cold udon with mackerel and poached egg

Top Marks for Mooli's

This eatery has been on the blogs, tweets and food critics' lips as one of the best new places to eat at in London. I'd heard only good things about it so recently popped along to Mooli's with a couple of friends. As it happened, it was their 1st Anniversary and as a token gesture for celebrating this milestone with them, the owners, Sam and Matt, were personally handing out free slices of brownie. (Big imaginary appears above head).

Mooli's has a very select, to-the-point menu. It's designed to be tasty fresh Indian food on-the-go which meets the demands of a fast paced City but keeps authentic Delhi flavours in the food. This is something which somehow didn't already exist in London (or the UK come to think of it).

The ingredients are a simple combination for each choice of mooli, making your decision on what to order far easier, or at least I thought so. (A bigger pops over my head.) For example, the chicken option consists of mildly spiced chicken, apple, mint chutney and yogurt. This is the mooli I ordered and was very pleased when the wholesome warm silver bundle was served. It's an equivalent of a burrito in terms of quantity and concept. Something portable, sizeable and full of healthy, tasty ingredients. The only thing that might be a little frustrating is that it can be a bit messy to eat - but all the more reason to eat it up! Plus it makes the act of eating more enjoyable, having to lick your fingers and grapple with stray bits of salad. (Another in my book).

The other highlight from their celebratory evening were the £2 drinks. Wine, beer or mojitos all for two quid - yes please! (The mojitos are £4.85 normally which is still reasonable for Soho).

The special thing about these mojitos are the flavours: lychee, pomegranate and guava. I opted for the pomegranate one and was offered the option of added chilli for some warmth. As it was a cold night there was no excuse not to try it, and boy was it worth it. Little tip though, give it a good stir so that you don't get intermittent hits of chilli. (Brilliant combination, ).

This is decent fast-food that can also be eaten leisurely and an ideal model for expansion. I could definitely imagine a few more Mooli's restaurants making an appearance around London, and hope this happens in the next year because bundles of Delhi joy can never be a bad thing.

In short. Top marks Mooli's!

Bargain Bite: Bi Bim Bap

Bargain Bite!

Each month I'm gonna aim to recommend a place to eat or get a treat for a bargain price! I guess last month's can be The Tea House and this month it's Bi Bim Bap in Soho.

This Korean restaurant is very modest about what's on the menu. The main feature is their dol sot dishes - the ingredients are put into a stone pot (or dol sot) and served that way. You then mix together the ingredients (depending on which dish you order) with some chopsticks or a spoon.

Chilli Chicken Dol Sot

As you eat the heat of the pot keeps cooking away merrily and sizzles, keeping everything piping hot!

Dol Sot with Egg

The dishes start at around £5.95 and go up to about £7. The pots of tea are just £1, and starters or sides average at £4. Service is quick but it takes a while to eat the hefty portions seeing as they don't cool down in the stone pot.

Green and Oolong teas

Cha Cha Moon

I've been struggling with whether or not I should include Cha Cha Moon on the blog - mainly because the places I do put on here are places I want to recommend going to rather than to avoid.

Don't get me wrong, the food at Cha Cha Moon is fine, but in general the good points don't seem to outweigh the bad enough. I'm on the fence with this one, and here's why:

Good Points:

• From outside to the interior, the decor looks as though you've stepped into a high-end fine dining restaurant, but luckily you've entered a place which doesn't cost the earth.

• Alan Yau - the man behind Wagamama - opened this Chinese noodle bar alternative in 2008, and to many people's surprise with an astonishingly cheap menu. On average £3.50 per dish, result!

• The produce they cook with is good quality, especially the poultry and prawns. My chilli prawn lao mian had some of the juiciest king prawns I've eaten in ages.

Bad Points:

• The prices haven't stayed that low and the dishes average to about £7. This isn't extortionate but then the quality of the food hasn't gone up with the prices. So rather than a cheap eat which leaves you well fed and feeling smug for saving pennies, you get an average meal for an average price.

• For a noodle bar, the quality of them aren't particularly appetizing. The noddles are served in big clumps which are difficult to separate and eat...

• Unless you're going for lunch, expect to wait in a long, snail's pace queue tailing outside the restaurant.

So, three good points, three bad...and I'm still on the fence.

Maybe if you've been (either to the Soho or Queesway branch), you can help me out and decide for me as to whether Cha Cha Moon is remarkable enough.