2025 Favourite Eats
+ A zingy grilled fish recipe
Happy new year!
I hope everyone feels ready for this year, and if you took some time off, I hope you’re well rested. I accidentally stopped posting on socials mid December - I went on my dream holiday to Japan and wanted to soak it all in the first week, and when I was ready to go back online, I fell incredibly ill. Nevertheless, I had the most precious time, and I can’t wait to go back. I’ve you’ve been thinking about visiting Japan, I would highly recommend!
Now onto this weeks post - I thought I would round up my favourite plates I ate at in 2025. It’s no secret that London has a top tier food scene, and since I spend all my time thinking, making, researching and eating food, I thought I would share with you the standouts.
These restaurants are some I feel confident sharing - places I know I can rely on for a phenomenal time:
40 Maltby Street: Small plates, mod-brit food with an exhaustive and truly exquisite wine list. Everything is cooked to perfection, the staff are super knowledgable and I would trust them with anything. It’s also a non-res place which is a godsend. (also featured in Vittles top 3 restaurants in London 2025, so you can seriously trust.)
Osteria Angelina: Fantastique Italian Japanese fusion. The two cuisines come together in harmony, flavours sing whilst still being delicate. First place in London that has made me like lean tuna.
The Tamil Prince: I wish I was closer up north so it didn’t take me 1hr to get to this gem. The textures and flavours make me want to jump of joy. I think about the dosa all the time, and I can’t wait to make the trek up when the weather gets warmer for the brunch menu.
Chop Chop by Four Seasons (at the hippodrome): Honestly, I would have never known about this restaurant if it weren’t for @dudu_eats. It’s under the hippodrome casino, and they serve the juiciest, most tender roast meats. Bonus points, they’re open until 4am.
The Parakeet: A pub restaurant that serves extremely flavourful, seasonal dishes. Cooked on coal, everything feels familiar, with a fun twist. (lovely wine list too++)
Scully St. James: Probably the most creative restaurant I’ve been to- Ramael Scully takes inspo from all the countries he’s from/lived in and brings ingredients, textures and flavours together to make dishes you’d never find anywhere else. It’s £££, so would recommend to go for a special celebratory meal!
Plaza Khao Gaeng: My favourite restaurant in London. I’ve never had a bad meal, whether it’s their Arcade or Borough location. The thought of a meal there brings me so much joy, and it always reminds me of the magic of food. Dishes transport you to a faraway land, everything is just perfection. From the moment you walk in your mouth starts salivating, and when you finish your meal you’ll be thinking of when you can come back for seconds.
One of my last meals in London before going away was at Plaza Khao Gaeng, everything was sensational, but the Yam Pla Budu was an absolute standout: Fried sea bream, zingy and fragrant shaved lemongrass salad and budu fish sauce. I had never had something so incredibly vibrant, and the budu sauce was next level (savoury, aromatic tamarind fish sauce) - the type of dressing you drink off the plate.
I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it so I made a dish inspired by it using ingredients that are easy to find in western supermarkets. My local fishmonger had some gorgeous fresh mackerel, so I went for that and asked them to butterfly the fish, keeping it’s head on, but you could do this with sea bass, sea bream… even salmon would work! You can also just use fillets instead, to make it a lot easier.
Tangy Tamarind & Green Apple Grilled Mackerel
Serves: 2
Prep/Cook Time: 20-25 mins
INGREDIENTS
1 Sea Bream or Mackerel
1 Limes
300g Cooked Jasmine rice
For the Salad:
1 Lemongrass, thinly sliced
30g Crispy Onion
2 Lime leaves, de-stem and thinly slice
1 Green Apple, core and finely dice
2 Tbsp Glutinous or Jasmine Rice
20g Coriander, leaves picked and stems thinly sliced
1 Birds eye chilli, finely minced
½ Lime
For the dressing:
2 Tbsp Tamarind Puree
1 Tbsp Honey or Palm Sugar
½ Lime
Fish sauce, to taste
METHOD
Squeeze the lime juice onto the cut up apple. Clean the fish and butterfly. Pat dry and season both sides with salt. Turn the grill on to high (~220°C).
Place a pan over medium heat with the raw rice. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is golden brown and toasted. Transfer into a pestle and mortar. Bash/grind until the rice breaks down into a coarse powder.
In a large bowl, stir the dressing ingredients together. Squeeze the lime juice in. Taste and season with fish sauce, more tamarind for tartness or honey/palm sugar for sweetness.
Pat the fish dry and place onto an oiled tray, skin side up. Slide under the grill and leave it until cooked through, 4-8 mins (grills vary in strength so keep a close eye). The thicker the fish, the longer it’ll take - if the skin is charring too quickly, move the tray down a level.
Once the fish is cooked, pour the dressing all over. Toss the salad ingredients together and pile on top of the fish. Serve with lime wedges and the cooked jasmine rice.