There is a total abundance of great offers on at restaurants throughout London, with more and more established and well known restaurants getting in on the action. There's nothing wrong with a 2-4-1 deal at Pizza Express, but it's always good to branch away from the large chains at an affordable price.
Thanks to TimeOut, one of the biggest international review and offer websites, I came across an offer for none other than Gordon Ramsay's very own Heddon Street Kitchen on - surprise surprise - Heddon Street. The offer was a 3-course meal with a cocktail from a set menu for £26. Not bad, right? With a choice of three starters, three mains and three desserts, there should be something to please the majority of people. It's worth checking the menu on the website first though, just to make sure!
As a midweek catch-up after work with one my nearest and dearest, it was great that we could make the most of the outside seating area which was already buzzing at 6pm thanks to the brilliant weather we've been having. Tucked down a side road off of Regent Street, Heddon Street Kitchen is in it's own little alcove which takes you away from the hustle and bustle.
Having paid for the offer online in advance, the waitress knew to bring our inclusive cocktail almost straight away. It was prosecco based with a hint of grapefruit so perfect and refreshing for the summer evening!
Food-wise, I was more than happy with the limited options available. First up, English Asparagus, Parma Ham, Hollandaise and Parmesan. Simple ingredients, put together in a back-to-basics sort of way. There's no frills about this dish at all but, as long as you like the ingredients, it's an all-rounder! The hollandaise was a smooth and creamy consistency so it was clear it had been freshly made to order. I would say the large amount of parma ham compared to the small drizzle of sauce was the only down point as it made the dish quite salty. I'd have personally preferred the ratio the other way around!
Also to start was the Soft Shell Crab with Sesame Dressing and Coriander. Due to a strong aversion to coriander, we sent the poor waitress back and forth to the kitchen to see if this could be removed from the dish. She was more than happy to help and was able to serve it up coriander free, so bonus points on the service! Although the crab itself was flavoursome, it was definitely lacking in dressing. For saying the sesame was part of the name, it wasn't that obvious in the finished product.
Mains next. I went for fish (obviously) and had the Wood Oven Roasted Trout with Watercress, Caper and Shallot Salad. The pros of this was that, for a warm day, it was nice and light. I don't have trout a lot, it's not a common occurrence on most menus weirdly. So I was looking forward to it. However, it was SO oily. I appreciate it has to be pan-fried to get the skin so nice and crispy, but it was as if all the excess oil had been poured on the plate as well. When the only accompaniment is some salad, the oil becomes very prominent. For such a simple dish, this could have been done a lot better.
My dining buddy has always been a fan of meat. Having lived with the girl at one point, I can hands down say she makes the best slow-roasted pork belly EVER. So it was pretty obvious that she was going to go for the Roasted Hanger Steak with Spring Onion Mash and Peppercorn Sauce. Her eyes lit up with glee when it was placed in front of her. However, after chewing away on one piece for what felt like half an hour, she finally was able to tell me her jaw hurt and that was pretty much it! Again, a simple dish that could've been done so much better. The mash, on the other hand, was epic. So every cloud...
Finally, dessert. I went for the Pineapple Carpaccio, Passion Fruit and Coconut Sorbet. Light and refreshing, but after my tiny main meal, I could've probably done with something a bit more substantial. Fresh flavours, especially the coconut sorbet. Pretty much did what it said on the tin!
Also served up was a Vanilla Milkshake with Crushed Oreo Cookies. Not my cup of tea AT ALL but each to their own! Described to me as "Banging", I'm assuming it went down well. Somehow.
So as you can tell, the overall feel to the food here was a bit mixed. I think the menu itself is lovely, particularly the A La Carte Menu, but I was disappointed overall with what we got served up. Maybe it was our choices, maybe it was just an off day for them, but for a Gordon Ramsay establishment, I was definitely expecting more even it was a £26 offer!
Having said all that, the setting was lovely and the service couldn't be faulted. I would happily go back for dinner there if there was a group of us as it's a chilled environment which is in an atmospheric setting but I won't be rushing to get my next booking in. Sorry Gordon!
Nic
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The Kings Road in Chelsea probably isn't the first place that springs to mind for most people when it comes to choosing where to go for a relaxed dinner. It falls under the stereotype of being overpriced and pretentious with many members-only clubs in the vicinity which close their doors in the faces of the lowly public. If you agree with that statement then you need to get yourself down to Big Easy; a place which couldn't be further from the description above (and I mean that in a good way!). I guarantee this place will change your perception of the area and, you never know, you'll probably realise there's more to the Kings Road than you originally thought!
Big Easy has it all. Great food, great atmosphere, great drinks, great music...yep, there's a live band playing in and amongst the tables downstairs every night from 8pm. The frontage of the restaurant doesn't give anything away but as soon as you step over the threshold, the place is absolutely buzzing. It's chaotic, it's loud, it's full on and, personally, it's everything I love for a good night out.
The theme here is a BBQ and crabshack; basically messy food and big portions! The larger steaks and items such as surf 'n turf are quite pricey but everything else is reasonable. If you're going to stay and drink there for a while, like we did, then the bill is also going to add up but the good thing about Big Easy is you can make it what you want. If you want a cheap, laid back dinner before moving on somewhere else then you can do that. If you want to make more of a night of it and stay in the restaurant then you can do that too!
On to the food...having two alpha males at the table trying to outdo each other, could only mean that they were bound to order the biggest meal possible (brace yourselves for this): a 750g bone-in sirloin steak with half a 1.5lb lobster, complete with fries and a side salad (on top of the starters we shared, this is A LOT of food).
Ridiculous. There was a round of fajitas ordered whilst I opted for a somewhat lighter version of jumbo tiger shrimp, which have to be the meatiest, juiciest shrimp I have ever tasted (not very filling though). Topped off by a pitcher of frozen margaritas along with a jolly good singalong with the band and you're laughing.
Apart from a minor delay in being seated when we arrived (although we turned this into a positive by hitting the well-stocked bar), Big Easy did not fail to deliver. I'm just glad I don't work in the area as the lunchtime deals they have are a bargain! The good news is Big Easy have recently opened up a second branch in Covent Garden. Once I've burnt off the excesses of this visit, I will be there with bells on.
Nic
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Also to start was the Soft Shell Crab with Sesame Dressing and Coriander. Due to a strong aversion to coriander, we sent the poor waitress back and forth to the kitchen to see if this could be removed from the dish. She was more than happy to help and was able to serve it up coriander free, so bonus points on the service! Although the crab itself was flavoursome, it was definitely lacking in dressing. For saying the sesame was part of the name, it wasn't that obvious in the finished product. 
My dining buddy has always been a fan of meat. Having lived with the girl at one point, I can hands down say she makes the best slow-roasted pork belly EVER. So it was pretty obvious that she was going to go for the Roasted Hanger Steak with Spring Onion Mash and Peppercorn Sauce. Her eyes lit up with glee when it was placed in front of her. However, after chewing away on one piece for what felt like half an hour, she finally was able to tell me her jaw hurt and that was pretty much it! Again, a simple dish that could've been done so much better. The mash, on the other hand, was epic. So every cloud...
