Dino's

Venue: Salu Meria Dino a.k.a. Dino’s, Charlotte Place

Food: Sandwiches

Cost: ~£4

Rating: 74% 

Set in the throng of quality food establishments around the Goodge Street/Charlotte Street area just north of Soho you can find Dino’s of Charlotte Place. One of a number of family-run Italian delis in the area, it specialises in sandwiches of all varieties.

Although to my mind it loses out to Camisa on Old Compton Street in the Italian deli stakes, as it simply does not have the colossal variety of ingredients that Camisa boasts (although it does have the larger choice of breads), it nevertheless delivers an excellent lunchtime sandwich. Particular mention to the spicy salami and their staple, the parma ham, mozzarella and tomato, which I was informed is their “biggest seller by a distance”.

Top marks to the friendly welcome received from the owners, who clearly understand the fundamental importance of a quick chat to ensuring customers return. Avoid the 1pm rush, as queues can get lengthy on occasion (especially on Fridays for some reason).

One word of warning. A colleague of mine somehow managed to split his lip open when taking a first bite out of a Dino’s ciabatta. Though I find all their breads perfectly edible and hazard-free, those possessing delicate lips may wish to ‘go safe’ with focaccia…

Taste 8

Portion size 7

Service 10

Speed 8

Originality 6

Choice 7

Workability 8

Office response 7

Value for money 8

Brand 5

Overall: 74%

Hummus Bros

Venue: Hummus Bros, Wardour Street

Food: Hummus with toppings/pitta

Cost: £4-6

Rating: 80%

www.hbros.co.uk

Twitter: @hbros

The first (and only?) hummus-specialising restaurant in the UK, Hummus Bros. is both a very original concept and strong brand…oh and a great lunch as well. As you would it expect, it does exactly what it says on the tin and serves homemade hummus with a topping of your choice (various options ranging from chicken to chickpeas) and pitta bread.

This is a very bold venture, simply because I am yet to meet a person who has never suffered from eating “too much hummus” in a short period of time and consequently falling out with the foodstuff on occasion. I love hummus, but it can be quite overwhelming if consumed too regularly and in too large a portion...

What is very apparent when entering Hummus Bros is that it is clearly trying hard to differentiate itself with some striking marketing. ‘Give Peas A Chance’ slogans, t-shirts, loyalty cards (currently on my third), lentil-counting competitions…you have to give full marks for attempts to carve out a distinct brand. They could go further with the fairly minimalist décor of the shop though, which ultimately comes over as a little sparse and bare.  

Whilst the company name is shockingly misleading, the founders were NOT in fact brothers, what is the truth is that it is a great lunch. The ‘healthy and natural ingredients’ shine through, and as a result the hummus tastes quite different (in a positive sense) to your standard Sainsbury’s fare.

Personally I would recommend the chicken as the superior topping, but therein also lies a slight problem. Five of the seven toppings are vegetarian, which is by no means a bad thing, but meat cravers will find the menu a little limited with just chicken or chunky beef on offer. I would also suggest that a small portion is perfectly adequate for a lunch, with a regular (large) portion for those firmly rooted in the big lunch camp. I am of course in the latter, but recognise that is slightly out of keeping with the rest of the population.

I also long for the day when the optional extras specific to each topping e.g. sun dried tomatoes with the chicken, tzatziki with the beef, were bundled in with the price. Price is hard to comment on, since a small portion with chickpeas comes in at £3.25, while a large chunky beef with tzatziki would cost £7.20, which seems quite a startling disparity.

In conclusion Hummus Bros is a pleasant place to eat in or takeaway in an efficient and deceptively large tub and a must-try for any Soho lunchers.

Taste 8

Portion size 9

Service 6

Speed 8

Originality 10

Choice 7

Workability 7

Office response 9

Value for money 7

Brand 9

Overall: 80%

Benito's Hat

Venue: Benito’s Hat, Goodge Street

Food: Burritos

Cost: £5-6

Rating: 82%

www.benitos-hat.com

Twitter: @BenitosChat

Serving up high-quality pork, chicken and steak burritos, Benito’s Hat always has huge queues (I overheard management talk of over 500 happy customers every day) and is definitely the no.1 burrito in this part of town. Packed to the rafters with beans, rice, generous meat offerings, salad, salsa, sour cream and of course guacamole, Benito’s Hat is a staple of my takeaway lunching roster and one of my favourite spots.

Given the queues, the Hat is astonishingly rapid and efficient, with the ultimate conveyor-belt of serving responsibilities – the 6-person team includes tortilla/beans provider; meat selector; two ingredient fillers; chief wrapper and cashier. Once you learn the system, you can direct the creation of your burrito from start to finish in less than 20 seconds.

The making of the burrito is very ‘manual’ and hands-on, which extends to a few ingredients being added with hands. I once witnessed an amusing standoff between shell-shocked staff and a slightly odd female customer who asked for her burrito to be completely filled using spoons rather than hands. Quite frankly I prefer mine manual. It adds to the homemade feel.

Some additional points that should be noted:

1. Too much rice makes you bloated and drastically reduces your ability to work after a burrito. Ask for a half-spoon of rice at most to improve workability
2. The munching of complimentary taco chips is a good way to stave off hunger before you can sit down to tuck in
3. 95% of the time Benito’s Hat burritos are perfectly wrapped, which is well above average
4. Always have guacamole
5. Benito’s Hat do a wheat-free option (best to tip them off beforehand I have found), as well as tacos, salads and vegetarian options, although quite why anyone would want a vegetarian burrito is beyond me!

And to the scores…the first-ever ‘double 10’ for taste and portion size says it all. Benito’s Hat only fails to score my highest ever mark due to its workability issues (which in a sense is a compliment!) and the prevalence of burrito joints (despite standing out from the crowded market).

Taste 10

Portion size 10

Service 8

Speed 9

Originality 6

Choice 8

Workability 5

Office response 10

Value for money 7

Brand 9

Overall: 82%

Wrap It Up!

Venue: Wrap It Up!

Food: Wraps – Burritos, fajitas, roti etc

Cost: £4-6

Rating: 67%

http://www.wrapitup.co.uk/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wrap-it-Up-World-Gourmet-Wraps/112657155458071

The latest player on the Soho wrap scene, the Wrap It Up! franchise cut its teeth in the City before moving westwards and landing in St. Annes Court with outlet number four. It certainly created a buzz with opening week discounts and successful free lunch day.

Much respect to franchise owner Faisal and his expansion tactics. They have found a good location, the brand itself is strong and Internet engagement encouraging, as was witnessed by the lengthy queue of bargain hunters seeking free feeding. Given this, there is surprisingly no current Twitter engagement. My question regarding this was met with bemusement by a member of staff, who asked me “What is Twitter?”…

As I often say, ultimately a wrap is a wrap. I like the idea behind 5 different nationalities of wrap under one roof and takeaway Fajitas are a relative rarity, but on the flip side Wrap It Up! lacks the specialisation of a Benito’s Hat or Yalla Yalla. A big positive is the tiered system of sizes and prices, so rarely found in takeaway establishments of this kind. I assume this is something designed to appeal to the female market, who do not wish to be confronted by a burrito accounting for half their body weight on a Tuesday lunchtime.

Sadly, despite having many virtues, the whole package did not quite come together.  Whilst the quality of ingredients is not in doubt, I have already experienced a Fajita and heard tale of a burrito that were not warmed through enough, while a Caribbean roti (with curried lamb) had a disappointing dough, but this may have possibly been a victim of speedy mass production on free lunch day. It is also currently quite a bleak establishment (décor wise) and lacking a little soul. 

Although I can optimistically overlook the negatives and am happy to allow time for improvement before a final conclusion, first impressions from my colleagues were not overwhelmingly positive. In short, a few small improvements might go a very long way indeed.

Taste 6

Portion size 8

Service 7

Speed 7

Originality 6

Choice 8

Workability 7

Office response 4

Value for money 6

Brand 8

Overall: 67%

Tuk Tuk

Venue: Tuk Tuk, Old Compton Street

Food: Noodle Bar

Cost: £4-5

Rating: 59%

Tuk Tuk noodle bar is certainly in no danger of setting the culinary world alight, but what it does offer is a solid, cheap and cheerful environment with a diverse range of Asian dishes.

Although primarily a restaurant for those in search of a no-fuss lunch in clean and sparse surroundings, the exterior neon lights leave you in no doubt as to their takeaway service.  The most commendable feature is the sheer extent of menu options, covering a whole swathe of Asian cuisine, from Vietnamese to Thai or Malaysian - although it probably won’t win awards for authenticity.

Whilst I am sure a sit-down meal would give a slightly different impression, in short the service was abrupt yet efficient, the food average yet sizable. Their takeaway service seems a tad chaotic, with no real process for ordering and waiting. We just grabbed a waiter and then sat ourselves down at a free table to wait for our food, admiring the iconic elephant-themed décor.

There is not too much more to say. Tuk Tuk does what it sets out to do and no more!

Taste 6

Portion size 7

Service 5

Speed 4 (judged by takeaway standards)

Originality 5

Choice 9

Workability 7

Office response 5

Value for money 6

Brand 5

Overall: 59%

Yalla Yalla

Venue: Yalla Yalla, Greens Court

Food: Beirut Street Food

Cost: £4

Rating: 78%

www.yalla-yalla.co.uk

“What’s Yalla Yalla?”

“It’s Beirut Street Food”

“Beirut Street Food??”

The Q&A session above has by no means been held just once. “Beirut Street Food” inevitably provokes an inquisitive response, as people demand to know more…and for good reason.

Set in the seedy underbelly of Soho on Greens Court alleyway is the bustling little gem Yalla Yalla, bringing a small piece of Lebanon to the heart of London. I suggest Greens Court is definitely not the type of alleyway frequently used by anyone other than people searching for Yalla Yalla or neighbouring businesses, so it really must thrive on word of mouth!

With an instantly appealing name (never underestimate), quirky interior design and most importantly serving good quality and authentic Lebanese wraps, mezze and pastries, Yalla Yalla is an essential addition to your Soho lunching roster.

I recently had the pleasure of both taking out and dining in, sampling a range of their offerings from lamb and chicken shawarmas to Soujoc sausages and manaee zaatar pastry. High standard, good value (at around the £4 mark).

Yalla Yalla suffers the same problem as a number of other Soho establishments in the queuing department. Space is at a premium and my two colleagues (HC/BG) and I were in a constant state of shuffling about the premises to avoid new customers, until in a moment of divine inspiration it dawned on us that it was easier for two of us to wait outside. 

I equally fear that seated customers might feel quite claustrophobic at busy times with the sheer volume of traffic brushing past their ears - a long counter is primarily used to exhibit the options available, resulting in a bottleneck effect for people ordering.

Nevertheless, whilst Middle Eastern/North African cuisine is by no means off the radar in Soho, Yalla Yalla’s concentration on takeaway sets it apart from the likes of Kaslik or (slightly further afield) Souk and its’ range of options distinguishes it from, say, Hummus Bros.

A very cool restaurant, Yalla Yalla is intimate enough to confirm you have stumbled off the beaten track, but busy enough to back up its quality.  Appropriate for a long lunch or evening bite as much as for its takeaway, I fully recommend you take the trip.

Taste 8

Portion size 7

Service 6

Speed 6

Originality 9

Choice 8

Workability 8

Office response 9

Value for money 8

Brand 9

Overall: 78%

Mooli's

Venue: Mooli’s, Frith Street

Food: Indian roti rolls

Cost: £4-5

Rating: 83%

www.moolis.com

facebook.com/moolis

moolis.blogspot.com

Twitter: @moolis

"We love Soho, we hope Soho loves us”.

Mooli’s burst onto the Soho scene in late 2009 and the above quote (from co-owner Mathew when I spoke with him earlier this month) encapsulates the essence of Mooli’s. They understand Soho and they understand their customers. From their innovative use of the Internet, with a growing following on Twitter and Facebook, to their originality and quality product, Mooli’s has found a niche in the market and truly stands out from the crowd.

Set up by two fine chaps  who got bored with their corporate jobs and display clear passion and pride in their venture, Moolis has fast became a hit with the Soho workforce. For those still slightly puzzled and in need of a definition, a mooli is a freshly made Indian roti roll, similar to a wrap but made from Indian flatbread and packed with intriguing ingredient combinations, either meat or veg based and complemented with salsas, chutneys and salad...if adventurous add on their poppadom bites.

Whilst the menu is not overly extensive, what it does offer is generally superb, with my personal endorsements being directed at the Punjabi goat and Goan pork filled moolis.  In the interests of a balanced review, I must admit to having issues with the chicken mooli, in that it seems to be the one mooli that consistently falls apart mid-meal and I also question the presence of apple within it.

This however should not detract from the overall high quality displayed, rapid service and clear thought behind the menu.

In a world where restaurants and other food outlets still seem to struggle to embrace 21^st century digital technology and marketing, the Mooli’s brand is as strong as any other independent establishment in Soho. Their communications are commendable, from Twitter (follow @moolis for regular tweets from Mathew – I would like to term them ‘twoolis’) and Facebook, to an impressive main website and blog, charting the history and continued rise of Mooli’s in a fun and engaging manner, such as their long search for the perfect fresh bread and a machine with which to make it, the Moolita!

Original, smart and a high standard. I do not think Mooli’s has to worry too much about Soho loving them.

Expansion must surely be on the agenda….

Taste 9

Portion size 8

Service 7

Speed 10

Originality 10

Choice 6

Workability 8

Office response 9

Value for money 6

Brand 10

Overall: 83%

TOP SCORE SO FAR!