Tucked away behind Red Lion Square glows a red neon sign that doesn’t do justice to the pub it represents. Fortunately the typical association of neon signs and tacky tourist joints that fail to deliver on both atmosphere and food doesn’t apply to The Bountiful Cow. Better yet, it’s out of the way location means that the place errs on the side of bustling, rather than bursting on a Friday evening. I guess most people know about it through word of mouth.

The Bountiful Cow’s beef-centric theme runs strong throughout their ground floor dining room, that also acts as the main bar for those just drinking. They also apparently have a room downstairs but I never made it down to validate that fact. The walls are mostly bare except for hanging retro movie posters all with some sort of beef-related title such as “Mad Cows” or “Cattle Drive”. It’s something that should be too cheesy yet I think they still manage to pull off a contemporary look. Their bright downlights probably help as do the small button-like seats by the bar, and the glass doored fridge at the entrance showcasing the cuts of meat from the menu (with the largest buger patty I’ve ever seen).

We started with the (£7) rillettes of duck (a cool terrine of slowly cooked shredded duck, with toast) and the (£7.50) sphardic pate (chopped chicken liver, onion, eggs and aubergines, with toast). The pate was a generous serve, rich and very tasty with the toast and served with tiny gherkins skewered to toothpicks. However I have to recommend the rillettes of duck to anyone that eats here. I could still sense each individual of fibre of meat with each mouthful yet it also was perfectly melt in the mouth soft and jam packed with flavours. We all agreed that it was so good that we ordered a second helping to share between the four of us.

For our main meal, we all decided to go for steaks despite the look of the king-sized burger. Apparently Mike had been here before and experienced an overcooked steak, and out of fear of a repeat performance we asked for one steaks to be done one level down from what we all normally preferred (rare instead of medium rare for me). It was a good thing we did this as well since it came out perfectly cooked, moist and full of flavour. My 310g sirloin steak (£16.50) came with a serve of chips and a choice of sauces (bernaise or peppercorn) or melted goats cheese although the fillet steak comes with field mushrooms and focaccia instead of the chips. The steak really hit the spot and I thought the price was fairly reasonable for a steak that big (confirmed by the waitress as coming from some part of Scotland)

Desperate for some more greens, I ordered a side salad (£4) and for the price I expected something much grander than a bowl of simply green leaves and a creamy white dressing sitting in a bowl nested at its centre. Frankly I don’t understand why steakhouses continually overcharge for something that costs them so little and I regret ordering it.

My only other dish I regretted ordering was the creme brulee (£5.50) Vanessa and I ordered. It looked promising but a single spoonful and I knew immediately it wasn’t one of the better ones I’ve had. Its texture lacked the consistent smoothness I’d expect in a set custard, instead noticeably chunkier than it should be. It also didn’t really help that they had set the blow torch too much on the top and many parts of the sugar toffee crust had become too bitter. I’d stick with just the steak next time.

As far as steak places go, I’d definitely return to The Bountiful Cow since it’s so central, has that unique atmosphere and what they focus on as their mains, they did really well. I heard they even have jazz music on Saturday evenings for free that might be worth sitting and listening to for a while.

Name: The Bountiful Cow
Found at: 51 Eagle Street, WC1R 4AP
Contactable on: 020 7404 0200 or http://www.thebountifulcow.co.uk/
TheKua.com Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Bincho has a simple equation that sets it apart from other Japanese restaurants around London. Bincho = Yakitori (Grilled chicken) + Kushiyaki (Tasty Tidbits on Skewer). Their two locations (Oxo tower and Soho) offer diners the joy of grilled items on wooden skewers while sitting in amidst a chic, modern Japanese theme.

I went to have dinner at their Oxo tower location on a Sunday evening and unfortunately it was almost completely devoid of people. It probably didn’t really help that scaffolding interfered with the normally scenic views of the Thames, particularly at twilight. At least the views inside are nice. Small cubes hanging from the ceiling and housing lights radiate onto rows of perfectly lined up tables. The smell of charred meats and vegetables fills the air, and their somewhat open kitchen gives you glimpses of the flames they use to do so.

The easiest thing to do in a place like this is to order a small number of dishes at a time. We ordered all of our plates at the start and I felt rushed as the waiter brought the freshly cooked dishes to the table and we ran out of space. Given a fully busy restaurant, I’m still convinced this would be a problem.

Here’s what I remember out of the dishes that we had. The kushi nasu (grilled aubergine) was soft, mushy and smoky. Unfortunately the skin was tough in too many parts that just made it inedible. Their tori tatsu age (fried chicken) was a reasonable serve and as far as typical Japanese chicken goes was very well done. Super fresh and crispy. I thought the ohitashi (cooked spinach with sesame) could have done with more flavour, but was very well presented in tightly pressed rounds and flecked with sesame seeds. Out of the various grilled items including kushi buta (grilled pork belly), kushi unagi (eel), uzura bacon (quail eggs wrapped in bacon) and mune (yakitori with asparagus) both of us thought the best dish was definitely the pork belly with not too much fat to make you want to spit it out, yet enough to keep the flesh juicy and add to the overall flavour. The other dishes, though tasty were pretty ordinary overall.

Though I wouldn’t normally have the dessert, the yuzu panna cotta really caught my eye and did not disappoint. The citrus yuzu flavour was strong and their generous portion (even considering the price) made me think I would have it again if I returned.

Bincho isn’t terrible cheap with each dish priced per the stick with a minimum order of two. Ordering enough for a reasonable meal quickly adds up and even without drinks, you’ll easily spend £20 per person. It’s definitely different from your typical Japanese but I’d hold out for a special occasion before visiting a place like this.

Name: Bincho
Contactable on: http://www.bincho.co.uk/
TheKua.com Rating: 6 out of 10

Pacific Oriental sits in the heart of the city on Threadneedle Street, with a focus on serving fusions of modern Pan Asian foods. Its tall ceilings, long drapes and brightly lit bar provide an impressive backdrop for an aperitif before dinner, or for the casual dining on cushioned seats or high tables on the ground floor. They also offer a more formal dining experience on the second floor.

I remember their drink menu being fairly extensive, with the cocktails often containing many sorts of Asian ingredients such as lychee, ginger or chilli. As probably as inappropriate as it was, I decided to order cocktail from their decent selection of non-alcoholic ones named ‘Bankrupt’, full of berries and refreshing ingredients. It was a reasonably sized drink for the £6 they charged, particularly when I thought a place like this would serve everything in small glasses.

I asked for the menu and I’m lead to believe they have a different menu downstairs than they do upstairs. I had a mandate to eat noodles that day, so I ended up with one of my favourites, Singapore Noodles. Had I more of an appetite, I would have been tempted by their decent selection of side dishes or appetisers.

I have to admit their noodles weren’t the best that I’ve had – with maybe not enough curry powder or chilli for my liking, even after asking for some more on the side. I was impressed they used some good quality ingredients for the noodle dish though, with three or four large king prawns as well as fresh vegetables (most other places would use the smaller prawns). At £8 for the dish, it’s not the best valued Singapore Noodles I’ve had, but it’s also not the most offensive I’ve had.

I’d probably return to this place, if anything just to hang out at their bar. I don’t think their menu is significantly different for me to want to visit them specifically for their food, but the ambiance downstairs and the bar is definitely worth it.

Name: Pacific Oriental
Found at: 52 Threadneedle Street, EC2R 6HP
Contactable on: 0871 704 4060 or http://www.pacificoriental.co.uk/
TheKua.com Rating: 6 out of 10