There is a great feeling when you have walked for hours, stumbled upon a kiosk, the type your local health clinic would probably advise you to avoid, but Imodium in hand you try the delights of this humble street vendor. Only hours before you brushed your teeth with $2 mineral water and now whatever is behind the kiosk is meant to stay there and thoughts about whether the oil has been fried more than five times does not cross your mind. Yes, when travelling we all want to try street food. At less than a few dollars a head, there is little room for disappointment. There is something to be said about the joy of eating street food; having little care for food etiquette, meeting and observing fellow travellers or locals, and shamelessly wiping your greasy hands on your jeans. More often than not it will be the one meal that pleases all your senses.

Street Food has been the trend of 2011 in London, and I have enjoyed eating at numerous farmers’ markets and food festivals during the year. Every few weeks I hear about a new street food restaurant opening. I recently tried Beirut street food at Yalla Yalla’s second restaurant off Oxford Street.

Aesthetically it does a good job: the yellow, black and off-white colours create an unusual but cosy environment.  The space is large and is composed of a brightly lit room with shared wooden tables, colorful paintings and rustic chandeliers. The concept is rather appealing: Beirut street food. However it is pretty much the same hummus, falafel, tabbouleh and halloumi that you would find in most Lebanese restaurants.

Strip away the catchy name, the convenient location and excellent décor, and you are left with poor service, small portions, average food and an unexpected diner bill of about £30 a head. My Beiruti cocktail (a mixture of gin, fresh strawberry, lime juice, sugar cane and pomegranate juice topped up with Prosecco) was probably the highlight.

Yalla Yalla attracts many people and will probably continue to do so, due to its informal setting and a trendy notion of street food. The food itself is a small part of the overall dining experience. As long as you know that before going it can make for a dining option. I doubt I will be going back there soon; as for me street food should be eaten on the street. It is very hard to recreate the same feeling and sensation one experiences on the street within the walls of a central London location.

 Yalla Yalla, 12 Winsley Street, London, W1W 8HQ, +442076374748

(Photos courtesy of Tibits)

As a vegetarian it is very annoying when vegetarian restaurants cater for the vegetarian duck or vegetarian sausage consumers. Or worst when you see a repeat menu of the same 10 vegetarian dishes being circulated from one restaurant to another. We have good tastes and high standards, and believe it or not we are not all hippies who stroll through London with a backpack. There are few restaurants in London which try to give vegetarians an up market option. Vanilla Black is one such restaurant; but is it worth an average of £50 ahead?

We vegetarians do not want to be isolated. We want to be embraced.  Tibits on Heddon Street does just that. I was attracted to this chic boutique restaurant by its beautiful design, the laid back alfresco dining and the eclectic mix of people. On entering I had no idea it was a vegetarian restaurant.

Founders Reto Frei, and his brothers Christian and Daniel Frei do not market Tibits as a vegetarian restaurant. All three who have been vegetarians from a young age wanted to promote the “flexetarian” concept; of people who do not feel defined by their dining choices, but will choose vegetarian as another interesting alternative. Take a look around and you will find your alpha male, a couple on a date, a family, a group of trendy university students, business men and your health conscious women.

Choose from a variety of 40 dishes on the food boat. Cold salads range from taboule, fruity quinoa salad, apple ginger and fig tofu and a dried bean and walnut salad. Hot dishes cover all flavours from Middle Eastern to Greek. It is a vegetarian’s ideal pick and mix, with the majority of ingredients being organic, without additives or colourings. Tibits works on the Brazilian concept of per kilo; you pay for what you eat and not for the coriander garnishing! Once you have chosen from the delicious selection your plate is weighed at the counter and you are charged per gram. (Dinner – £2.20 per 100g, lunch – £2.00per 100g and breakfast £1.70 per gram.)

Whilst you get your food quickly there is no rush to finish it. Edmund the London manager tells me, whilst we may think the guy drinking cappuccino for five hours ought to get back to work, we would never ask him to leave. You have all the time in the world to enjoy your food, watch people pass by, or finish off that piece of work. It is rare for service to be incorporated into the fast food model, but the staff at Tibits are simply great, warm and friendly.

Deserts at Tibits are equally good. There is something for everyone from cheesecake to rice pudding, muesli with tangy cranberries to fresh fruits, and even a delicious mango mousse. Remember your plate is weighed so try not to load with only your eyes!

Only moments away from busy Regent Street, the fact that Tibits has a children’s play area with a man size black board and numerous games is an extra bonus. The Swiss trio have thought of it all, making it a destination for all, from families to alpha males, vegetarian or not!

Tibits is one of the few vegetarian restaurants I will be returning to. With a menu that changes every day there is something to look forward to each time.

Tibits, Heddon Street, London, W1B 4DA, +442077584110

Quilon in Westminister is a true gem of a restaurant. Chef Sriram Vishwanathan Aylur’s South west coastal Indian menu is progressive yet deeply connected to his roots. It is quite rare to find black cod and tempered asparagus on the same menu as masala dosa and avial.

I went to Kerala for the first time last December, and I was pleasantly surprised by the warmth and the hospitality of the local people, that is significantly distinct from the more northern regions I have travelled to. From the minute we entered Quilon we felt a very similar warmth and hospitality. And I am not just talking about the attentive waiter. The waiters at Quilon really have a personal desire to make sure your every need is met, you choose the best food for you, and you simply enjoy your meal and experience at Quilon. Seconds after my dinner partner had bit into a chilli and the eyes were signalling for some sort of palette soother, a waiter had brought us a home made yoghurt with fresh pomegranate and pineapple.

For starters I would definitely try the mini masala dosa, which is a thin rice and lentil pancake filled with tempered potatoes and served with sambar. This is quite well complimented with the crispy fried cauliflower tossed with yoghurt, green chilli and curry leaves. A perfect combination of traditional South Indian dishes.

To cleanse the palette we were served a hot spicy Rasam in an aperitif glass. Rasam is a traditional South Indian soup, prepared with tamarind juice, tomato, lentils and spices. Unlike traditional palette cleansers this was more heart warming than refreshing. Nevertheless I love Rasam so I could have happily had 2 more glasses!

If you are as indecisive as me or simply want to try everything, I suggest ordering a combination of four curries that would make a Thali. I went for the crispy okra, coconut with asparagus and mange tout, avial (battons of snake gourd, long beans and carrots cooked with ground coconut, green chillies, cumin and yoghurt) and lastly mango curry.  The asparagus and mangetout was more like a salad than a curry, but it complemented the flavours of the stronger curries quite well.

The lemon rice (basmati rice tossed in lime juice, curry leaves, split bengal gram and pure ghee) accompanies all four curries well. I also tried the delicious appam, a soft centred lace edged pancake, which is made facing the guests. If you want to try something quite different try the egg white paratha, which is whole wheat layered bread topped with beaten egg and cooked on a skillet.

The problem with wanting to try everything is that it leaves little room for desert. The deserts themselves sounded so tempting, ranging from lentil cappuccino to hot rice kheer. If you want to keep things light on the stomach I would suggest the baked yogurt which comes in a set of three: lychee, mango and orange. The baked yogurt is delicious. All three flavours are fresh and natural, and once wrapped around a creamy homemade baked yogurt…it is just heaven!

I could not recommend Quilon enough. There is a reason why Quilon has been awared amongst many awards a Michelin Star. For approximately £35  – £40 a head,  Quilon offers everything a perfect meal should, great food and above average service. Do not have high expectations of the decor that the likes of Porte des Indes impress restaurant goers with. Even though Quilon is part of the Taj group it has a modest yet elegant back drop.

Quilon, 41 Buckingham Gate,  SW1E 6AF, +4420 7821 1899, London

So here I am, back in London. 2 years of incredible food, wine and people have flown past me. First few weeks back and I have learnt to just accept that cappuccino, vino rosso and a carb filled dish will just not be the same! Lets not even get into men and general fashion senses…that will require a face to face conversation!

Spoilt by great brunches at places like Globe in Milano, I was in search of a great brunch place in London with enough vegetarian options to satisfy a food snob and a vegetarian family with high standards. Ottolenghi in Angel, with smaller deli’s in Nottinghill and High Street Kensington, is a vegetarian’s paradise. As soon as we entered, my eyes were already eating, my mouth was watering, and I had already planned to order everything that was beautifully presented on the open food display.

Yotam Ottolenghi, has really brought to life fresh, healthy food perfect for a feel good Sunday brunch. For lunch you can select three to four salads, ranging from roasted butternut squash with soured cream, paprika and coriander  to roasted root vegetables, fennel and red onion with horseradish and lemon thyme.

There are about 10 delicious and varied salads to choose from, so there is plenty of choice!

There are a few vegetarian main dishes and cold fish and meats, but rest assured the meat and vegetarian dishes are really kept apart and on different tables.

Make sure you leave room for deserts. I felt like I was in food paradise and having an affair with my low sugar low carb promise. If you can resist the temptation, then you just don’t deserve to eat here! I recommend the rhubarb cheesecake with a hint of ginger…just divine.

So for about £20 a head, choose three to four filling salads and a seductive desert.  I recommend the Angel branch for the true Ottolenghi experience. I felt the Nottinghill branch was too rushed, small and simply did not have as much choice.  I am really looking forward to having dinner at Ottolenghi. If you can’t make it to London to eat at Ottolenghi, you can buy Yotam’s fantastic cook books or follow his weekly vegetarian column  in The Guardian.

So London does have some great food places. I am really looking forward to discover more of them!

Ottolenghi, 287 Upper Street, Islington, London, N1 2TZ, 004420 7288 1454