Balans - Dec 2010

Where: Balans, SohoHow much: Starters for around £6, mains between £10 and £14Come here: any time of the day or night, for a true slice of Soho life


I bloody love Balans. I've been coming here for the last 10 years and feel at times like I've charted my age with the place. When I first came to London, I came here after a night's clubbing for a 4am burger or an 8am fry up, revelling in the fact it was still open and serving better than expected food at a time normally reserved for the plastic hot dog men. A little older and I was coming here for a cheapish (though it didn't feel so at the time) bite to eat with a date from its diner menu. Now it's the perfect spot for a meeting over brunch or an afternoon coffee before meeting clients. It's nothing special, but like thousands of Londoners over the years, it'll always be a place I'll go back to, regardless of any quirks.

The menu is exotic, quixotic and a little bit schizophrenic if I'm honest, much like the clientele on occasion, an odd mix of Soho habitues and a constantly changing crowd well worth a watch. If you've got friends coming in to London from out of town (and especially out of the country) it's a wonderful spot to recommend for people watching. They serve all sorts, so they've got used to catering to all sorts and there's almost no cuisine they don't cover. Starters range from quesadilla to crab cakes, with shredded duck spring rolls, foie gras terrine and smoked salmon blinis all making an appearance. Mains tread the same path with an (excellent) burger snuggling up alongside honey miso salmon, jambalaya and staples such as fillet steak, pie of the day and sausages and mash. It won't ever win an award for the food, but it's all done competently, even though service can be hit and miss. That being said, you don't come here for the food alone. As a go-to that's bound to work for pretty much everyone I'd certainly recommend it. Just go for the experience, sit at the front, and watch Soho go by.

Eating the World Cup - England v USA June 12

Where (in South Africa): USA v England, Rustenburg, Sat June 12, score 1-1 (poor sad Robert Green..)
Where (in London): For preference, Hawksmoor or Goodman, though I do look forward to trying the Soul Food Kitchen soon and you can't argue with a Bodean's BBQ fix.


Now if you follow the hypothesis of Matthew's rather lovely blog - It Ends With Dovi - and I advise that you do, it seems it must possible to eat the food of any nation in London. While Americans might not be as well served as the Italian, Indian or Chinese ex pats, I had assumed there must be some places they could get the taste of home. Expectation overpowers actuality. While there are lots of foodstuffs one associates with the States (the two best known examples are burgers and the simply served steak, while others may throw out chowders, tex mex and soul food), American cuisine is by definition a fusion of imigrants doing their best with the flavours of a recently settled nation. There are actually very few authentically 'American' restaurants to chose from.
There are however, vast numbers of steakhouses and burger joints that populate our fair city and some of these are worth some explanation here (with links to the restaurants and reviews where they exist).


The humble burger
There are some great examples available in London, including the best burger I've eaten outside the US (and possibly only second to In 'n' Out), the Classic Cheeseburger at Lucky Seven in Westborne Park Road. Other fine exponents include the off-menu brioche bun at Joe Allen (off menu, so the story goes, to avoid embarrassing the actors who can't afford to eat as much as their friends) and the near legenday Meatwagon (head over to Ibzo's messianic post here. He's a man who appreciates meat as much as me and sums it up very well. The last time the wagon rolled up at the Florence in Herne Hill, there were hour long queues. I blame it on Twitter...). The other two of real note are Hawksmoor and Goodman, more of which below.
On steak
Likewise, we're well served with steak, that other staple of American dining. Hawksmoor (my review here) is top of the list for me still, but recent experiences at Goodman (my review here) and Maze Grill prove there's stiff competition in this sector. All three do excellent burgers as well, though that's not really what you're there for... I'd avoid the Black and Blue chain (my review here) unless you're absolutely desperate, the other three are infinitely better and it almost goes without saying that you should never, ever walk into an Angus Steakhouse, unless you have to dine with someone you really dislike. 

The Diners
Where the diners exist, they're often just chain burger joints, and a real mixed bag, rather than the working class temple to short order chefs seen and expected across the states (see my review of New York's Viande for photos). There are none that standout as being exceptional, though I do have happy memories of boozy milkshakes at The Diner in Ganton Street. Exceptions
There are a few exceptions. The 'family-friendly' New Orleans 'themed' Big Easy in Chelsea is populated by teenage Sloanes and banker's with their young families neatly combining a large number of my dining prejudices, (or predjudi?). I have similar distain for the faux Tex Mex of the Texas Embassy on Trafalgar Square after an awful press night there. We have the tasty Bodeans BBQ restaurant chain, perfect for a Friday lunchtime 'Soho Special' (hot pulled pork and burnt beef brisket ends in a slightly too sweet BBQ sauce served in a sloppy bun). The other interesting option is Brondesbury's Soul Food Kitchen, Transport for London have transpired twice to keep me from it, but I will be trying the fried chicken, cornbread and mac and cheese (a vastly underrated carb-filled goldmine) soon.