This Is London - 31 January 2020

22
THE ATHENIAN
Adjacent to Victoria Coach Station (at
15a Elizabeth Street, SW1) is The
Athenian – a Greek street food concept,
serving simple fresh food made as you
wait, with several dips made in their
kitchen in advance.
The extra virgin olive oil and olives
are from Kalamata, the potato fries are
cooked in rapeseed oil, sprinkled with
oregano and the pitta bread is handmade
in Athens.
The concept is ‘fast food’, as there are
only 12 bar stools in the venue, all
situated around high tables, which is
where we sat to enjoy our meal,
observing the constant flow of
customers, happy to wait for their food
to be freshly prepared by the
Manager/chef, Vasilis, and his
assistants.
We had souvlakis – one pork, one
chicken, served with pitta bread, salad,
haloumi and fries. The meat was
excellent. The tzatziki and Athenian dips
were very good. The feta dip (tytokafteri)
was very spicy and ‘thin’ and we enjoyed
it less. The Greek salad was delicious,
particularly the feta and olives.
They also offer Gyros as well as
halloumi fries, sweet potato fries and
croquettes. Vegan options are available.
The Greek soft drinks are sweetened
with Stevia. The lemon and orange were
delicious. They have Greek beer, wine
and water.
We finished with a delicious flourless
brownie.
Prices are reasonable and the food is
authentically Greek, fresh, tasty and
value for money. Other Athenian venues
can be found in Tooting, White City,
Victoria, Shoreditch, Canary Wharf and
Wembley.
Jackie Hawken
The Athenian in Victoria, the perfect
location for a sightseeing snack near
Buckingham Palace.
BAOZILNN CHINATOWN 2 ADDS
NEW RANGE OF SPICY DISHES
Nestled in the heart of Chinatown, the
modest yet mighty Taiwanese street food
restaurant, BaoziInn China Town 2, is
bringing much-needed cheer,
brightening up the grey winter days with
a colourful new range of spicy
Sichuanese dishes at 8 little Newport
Street, WC2.
Sitting alongside the usual group
offering of dumplings, wonton and buns,
the new dishes include the starters
smacked cucumber with sesame sauce,
shredded chicken in chef’s special chilli
oil and thousand century eggs with
pickled chilli and vinegar – an interesting
Sichuanese dish with a fiery aftertaste.
Main courses are reasonably priced at
just £11.50 each and include traditional
Sichuan noodles such as Yipin Ran
Mien. Much like you might imagine the
Asian version of Spaghetti Bolognese to
be, it’s a dry and wonderfully spicy dish.
Meanwhile Chongqing Xiao Mien has a
fiery, soupy base.
A perfect balance of textures and
contrasting flavours, the fusion style
spicy and numbing pork chop noodles
are a revelation – with the tender pork in
light and crispy breadcrumbs working in
harmony with the dry and fragrant
noodles. The pork chop soup noodles
served with marrowfat peas have an
unusual but welcome flavour coming
through from the peas, whereas the fried
egg soup noodles served with marrowfat
peas are a delightfully soupy vegetarian
version.
Braised pork belly with fresh chilli is
hearty with a spicy kick while classic
chicken with rice or noodles has punchy,
refreshing and slightly sweet flavours all
at once. Fried pork chop rice with a fried
egg is also a sublime addition.
Last is the legendary Sichuanese
staple, the Mala Hot Pot, available five
ways, with sets ranging from £14.90 to
£18.90. Myriad ingredients include
Chinese cabbage, fish balls, black
fungus, enoki mushrooms, thinly sliced
beef and dried bean curd, all
underpinned with that brilliant
Sichuanese hit of hot, chilli-infused
soup.
Offering exceptional food at affordable
prices in a relaxed environment,
welcome some warmth into the winter
days with a visit to BaoziInn China Town
2 – you will certainly leave with a spring
in your step!
T H I S I S L O N D O N M A G A Z I N E • T H I S I S L O N D O N O N L I N E