CHIMICHANGA - An Old El Paso package with a Sombrero hat

As we saw the corner-shaped ranch at the horizon, we knew the moist air of the desert and the start of the wet season was going to bring us to a halt before we could move on towards the Frontier. Its bright capital letters and large windows enticed us to hurry inside and enjoy the warm colours. As we passed the cacti at the entrance, we were quickly welcomed by the skeleton staff against a background of empty tables and scattered diners. We were offered the largest oval table for the six of us, and the menu kindly placed in front of us. A very quite melody played in the background from some hidden corner of the large, square open space, and a smell of brand new polished wood seemed to invade our nostrils. A couple of red, green and blue sombreros with golden swirls were available for pick-up and they revived our enthusiasm as we wore them proudly in the weak autumn light coming through the large windows.

Pitch of Sangria to share was the drink of choice, and only a few starters were chosen. They all came together rather than letting us drink too much while we wait - a good thing never experienced so far. The nachos had a nice presentation and was a not a messy slob. The jalapeno bullets felt quite too crispy as a bit overcooked or way too crispy but did not overflow with cheese and no jalapeno. Moving onto the mains, the choice hovered over a hybrid of Tex-Mex and Mexican classics like enchiladas, burritos, and chimichangas. Dishes looked cheerful enough although with a halo of "carb" colour which is intrinsic to this type of cuisine. Tortilla, rice and beans, with mean - moderate portion but still filling. Word of advice, however, is to opt for baked rather than fried. Overall the taste was great but something about the texture did not completely infuse a sense of freshness. Food looked pre-packaged or pre-prepared but you did not taste microwave and the guacamole tasted nicer than in other restaurants. No dessert to corroborate these assumptions and we ended it all with one espresso and one Mexican coffee with Kalhua and Tequila.

Chimichanga is very colourful and very themed and very bright, although eerily quite for music. Like all chains, you can feel then single-serving element and very little difference from other places offering the same cuisine. However, it does not make the stereotype look too old or outdated, which was our first worry. It is worth trying it for a fun or celebration dinner, or if you need filling food. Our final feedback echoes our trek to the Frontier, it is one stop to enjoy but we are travelling one way and may not return that often.

Our verdict is as follows:

Quality of Food        3.17
Hygiene                     3.83
Value for Money      3.00
Speed of Service       4.67
Quality of Service    4.33
Ambience & décor   3.67

Chimichanga gets an overall rating of 73.5%

FLAME - Posh Kebab Anyone?

You rarely go to a kebab joint during daytime. It is usually a secluded place visited only on those wild drunk nights where alcoholic bloodstream shout for sugary or fatty food for some sort. In the dark or dim light you probably do not notice the old, greasy decor... But Flame takes you in the opposite direction if what your "kebab joint" expectations may be. It gives you a polished, minimalist approach to it, which you can see straight away from its simple, modern kitchen design the moment you set your foot through the door. Everyone did not expect to find it tidy and clean, with kitchen staff also in uniform.

Kebab, shish and shawarma tend to be ordered as take-away food but we had to abide to our rules and opted for eating in at the back of the restaurant. There was not enough room and we had to find a modest layout for table and chairs to fit eight people and at the same without blocking the entrance to the toilets. On the contrary, the main room at the entrance is spacious and bright, with its long kitchen counter you stand in front of. First lesson: this place is better for take-away!

Having come to terms with the fact that this is more of a snack point than a restaurant, we went to the till to order our choice from the menu. Our selection was a great mix, from mix shawarma to falafel wrap, from chicken shish to lamb shawarma, from chicken samosa to halloumi cheese. In the mix we even tried the special boxes where you get a nice combination of meat, salad, bread and rice or chips. Good portions and great options to choose from for lunch, although you may find a wrap better value for money compared to the Special Flame Box or other special boxes which seem expensive. Starters were ok although on their own they look too simple and it is best to have them as side dish. Taste was great as we all enjoyed munching through this amazing Middle Eastern "fast food". Pickled salad was perhaps a little bit too much on the plates but we could still hear the "mmmmmmm" sound echoing throughout the cold walls of the premises. Second lesson: this place is perfect for a quick but tasty snack!

Flame wins in terms of food to offer but let us remind you it is not a formal seated restaurant. It probably works at its best if you get food on the go or if you casually hang out with friends at your lunch break or after a crazy night out!

Our verdict is as follows:

Quality of Food        3.67
Hygiene                     4.00
Value for Money      4.00
Speed of Service       4.00
Quality of Service    3.50
Ambience & décor   2.67

Flame gets an overall rating of 74.3%

PRINCE OF WALES - the Pub Dick Turpin Forgot

This time we hit the geographical centre of Wimbledon, the focus point where all roads meet and cross over Wimbledon Bridge. And nothing's better than choosing something with a bit of historic background. The Prince of Wales is across the road from the Centre Court Shopping Centre, and it has been its location since the 17th century, making it one of the oldest pubs in Wimbledon. Apparently, the story goes the infamous highwayman Dick Turpin even used it as refuge when it was back then a coaching inn.

Talking about old, the inside of the pub reflects this entirely despite a refurbishment in the mid-to-late Noughties. The old fashioned lamps make the lighting dim enough to re-create the traditional pub feeble glow of decade past, as it attempts to shine on the smooth oak-style wooden panels all around walls and columns. The rest of the layout and the furniture fail to shine with history, looking pretty neglected or not enough vintage. With carpets and curtains still belonging to the 1960s, it all falls apart when they appear side-by-side with a modern flat screen TV.

Yet, good traditions are there to be seem and enjoyed when you hold a pint of Guinness with a clover stamp on top, or an old tankard as drinkware. The menu as well holds good items from the traditional pub cuisine, which is what we fancied to order and hopefully pick the "strong" dishes. We all thought the pub could still hold the cozy feeling of your grandad's house.

The fish 'n' chips was a good portion, complete with mushy peas and sauce tartare. However, chips were thin, far from the traditional chunky ones you would expect, and it had not been seasoned at all. The steak burger was delicious and good value, nicely presented on a branded wooden board. Ham, eggs and chips would have been more successful if the ham had been thicker or at least if proper gammon was used. The cheesecake on the other hand was a good vegetarian choice which still tasted of that greasy pub feel without compromise. And at last, the steak frites came very late and as a complete disappointment when it was clear no steak fillet was used. Instead, it was minced meat shaped as steak!

The Prince of Wales has a lot to offer but it seems no effort is being made to build on the history and traditional look they seem want to preserve and advertise. A place can still be good old-fashioned and rustic when its chairs are not sticky or wonky, or when tables are at least sanded for a bit of shine. Without being enticed for dessert from a poor short list, we made our way out into the autumn sun as we heard Dick Turpin and his horse run away for the last time..

Our verdict is as follows:

Quality of Food        2.17
Hygiene                     2.17
Value for Money      3.17
Speed of Service       2.83
Quality of Service    3.17
Ambience & décor   2.33

Prince of Wales gets an overall rating of 51.1%

WIMBLEDON EATERY RECOMMENDS SO FAR... (September 2013)

Dear All

After 10 meals, here's the restaurants we think you should keep in mind next time you eat out. Yet, the reviews are not over and the list of restaurants is still long. Will the restaurants below hold to their position in the chart?

BEST QUALITY OF FOOD - when the freshness of ingredients really counts...
1st - Al Forno & Chipotle
2nd - Aubaine
3rd - Alexandra Pub

BEST QUALITY OF SERVICE - when the way you are served and treated at lunch or dinner matters...
1st - Alexandra Pub
2nd - Aubaine
3rd - Al Forno

BEST SPEED OF SERVICE - when you are in a hurry but you still want to enjoy your meal...
1st - Alexandra Pub
2nd - Al Forno
3rd - Mai Thai

BEST AMBIENCE & DECOR - when atmosphere is crucial to impress you or others...
1st - Aubaine
2nd - The Old Frizzle
3rd - Alexandra Pub

BEST HYGIENE - when all you care about is cleanliness and tidyness...
1st - Aubaine
2nd - Alexandra Pub
3rd - The Old Frizzle

BEST VALUE FOR MONEY - when the wallet decides where to eat...
1st - Al Forno
2nd - Casa Nostra
3rd - Alexandra Pub and Mai Thai

See you next time and keep following our trail!

AL FORNO - the Pizza Feast!

Our 10th restaurant review was organised as a celebratory meal, our first milestone in this long food-tasting, service-reviewing challenge. We therefore headed south on the Broadway and turned a corner opposite the New Wimbledon Theatre...

Al Forno sits on its own in this short alley. Its rustic appearance, made out of wood and bricks on a pale yellow front, is just a quick reminiscence of an old, secluded villa in Tuscany or near Rome. A little plastic veranda on the ground floor ruins the atmosphere while still giving you a chance to eat outdoors in the warmer months. The interior, on the other hand, puts more strain on the level of Italian authenticity Al Forno tries to achieve. Decor is slightly cluttered, messy, full of Chianti bottles, paintings, photos, vases, and anything that may fill walls and shelves wherever space is available. Yet, it looks old-fashioned and rustic enough to make you forget the cheesy Italian stereotypes. The red brick walls even add a touch of warmth and coziness.

On our arrival, the first thing we noticed was the noise. The buzz of waiters and clients is quite overwhelming (and it was just Thursday!) but it helps build a good atmosphere which is definitely recommended for dinner with friends or large parties. Al Forno gets busy quite easily so booking is strongly advised. We managed to get our table for six without waiting and checked the menu. The staff is slightly over the place and looks disorganised most of the time  Waiters may forget you after sitting you down so do not hesitate to chase and ask for something; once over that obstacle you will be impressed how many times the staff jokes and interacts with you one way or the other.

A key characterstic of Al Forno are its pizzas, served in either small, medium or large sizes. A large is around 1 metre long, which means you can share it with 1 or 2 people and have multiple toppings as a good compromise. The costs are of course good value for money. It was easy for the group to opt in for pizza feast to celebrate our 10th meal, but we still ordered different flavours and managed to taste either a starter or a dessert along the way:

• Starters had mixed reviews. The fried calamari were tasty and very popular. On the other hand, the "parmigiana" and the "funghi and spinaci gratinati" were drowned in a liquid tomato sauce and what was meant to be bechamel was just melted cheese.
• The pizzas had a soft, fragrant dough. All ingredients were well balanced with either not too much cheese or too much cheese or too much oil. You can ask for more of your favourite topping if you want to, and for those who like it spicy, please do not hesitate to ask for the chili oil!
• Desserts were pretty standard, from a traditional "tiramisu" to a majority of special ice cream cups, such as the "coppa caffé" or the "limoncello flute". Sweet and refreshing after a pizza but not exciting or innovative.

Al Forno's ace up the sleeve is definitely the pizza making and the 1-metre ones are probably a unique selling point in the whole Wimbledon. They should definitely hold on to it to ensure the restaurant definitely stays as one of the recommended place to go with a group of friends and be merry!

Our verdict is as follows:

Quality of Food        4.50
Hygiene                     3.83
Value for Money      4.83
Speed of Service       4.83
Quality of Service    4.33
Ambience & décor   4.50

Al Forno gets an overall rating of 88.9%

AUBAINE - In the Secret French Garden

The Hill. Gloriously dominating the lower lands of the Broadway. Only a 10-min walk but a far away land of tennis, great mansions and village-like feeling. And for the first time we adventured in these lands for a relaxed dinner. Aubaine is one of the latest addition to Wimbledon Village, part of a London chain bringing French cuisine in upmarket parts of London. The outside may not be as striking as you would imagine, especially with the tinted colour tones. The inside has a lot of table capacity and aims at reproducing a plush, upper middle class villa with a lot of chromatic games around white, grey and purple on furniture and walls. It somehow reminds me of lavender from a field in France.

The great surprise of the evening was out at the back as we seized opportunity on the last hot summer day of the year. The garden is nicely enclosed at the back of the building and it is wrapped in green foliage and French-windowed mirrors, which slowly fade out the contour of the village and make you forget where you are. Just be careful not too hit the mirrors...
As we sat on some sort of art nouveau metal tables, the staff approached on several occasions, with some bread, some water. They wore aprons as uniforms in line with the light colour theme of the place. Although very friendly, polite and accommodating throughout the evening, their moves were not as smooth and as suave as the restaurant aimed to be.

There were 2 menus to choose from: à la carte or barbecue meal (Thursdays only). The former was two pages long, listing a good variety of French-Continental dishes put together with Michelin-style combinations, but the French description of the dish was more appetising and at some point more realistic than the English one. You then come to look at prices and you may find them above the overall Wimbledon average, and may appear overpriced at first if you base yourself on ingredients commonly listed in the English language. The other menu was a choice of barbecued meat, side dish and a glass of rosé for £20, with options listed in English only. Again, value for money was not easily filtering through and we were starting to be suspicious if quality of food would match it.

We were brave enough to order some starters, a variety of mains from meat to fish, and also dessert, all accompanied by French wine. Fried squid with garlic mayonnaise (camouflaged as aioli) and salmon tartare with cream of avocado were suddenly a hit with all of us as the starters. Squid was crispy and not oily or soggy, mayonnaise was freshly made. The salmon tartare melted in the mouth with a nice smooth texture, toning down the fishy taste with the sweet flavours of the avocado.
Moving onto the mains, there were suddenly mixed feelings in the group. We had one order from the barbecue menu, and the Toulouse sausages with cabbage coleslaw did not seem plenty on the half-empty plate. Yet, our taste buds soon confuted most of the prejudices held and the flavour of a true European sausage was truly welcome on the table. Mussels cooked the Belgian way were great and came as a good sized portion although there could have been slightly more fries. Disappointment was more frequent on the next three dishes. First, the seared scallops on pea purée were cooked nicely and a had delicate smoky taste but lacked the portion size you'd expect for paying. It was easily vanquished by the fried squid, which in the end was only a starter. We then moved on to the chicken Caesar salad, which looked less exotic than the other dishes. Although fresh and well seasoned, the chicken skin felt rubbery to the taste and ruined the overall image of the dish. Once again, the starter of salmon tartare was better. Last but not least, lobster spaghetti was a heavily-discussed dish being one of the most expensive mains on the menu (£24)  and expectations had been set high from the beginning. The pasta was seasoned to perfection and the tomato-based sauce was unexpectedly cooked with pastis (aniseed-flavoured liqueur) which can only make it a truly French fish dish. Despite the low amount of lobster, it still infused the pasta and sauce amazingly if it wasn't for the overdose of double cream that was added to the sauce. It ruined the whole dish.
We then moved to desserts, which were presented to us on a nice trolley and we were eager to test the restaurant further. The large coffee macaroon was insanely delicious, paraphrasing our Dr. Petrescu (another alias), and it is strongly recommended you eat it by hand although it may seem uncouth. Both the gluten-free chocolate cake with ice-cream and the lemon tart with coconut biscuit base were perfect, yummy and sweet enough.

Aubaine is of course on the high end of the price scale but with a good weight on quality food and presentation skills. It look pretentious but it is not a place to frown upon. By the time we paid and stood up to leave, the garden had filled up with customers and a louder buzz was in the air. It seems the secret garden was no longer a secret anymore!

Our verdict is as follows:

Quality of Food        4.40
Hygiene                     4.80
Value for Money      3.00
Speed of Service       4.40
Quality of Service    4.60
Ambience & décor   5.00

Aubaine gets an overall rating of 86.8%

MAI THAI - The Echo of Thailand

Decision was made to add a brand new cuisine in our next leg on this culinary journey, and so the well-known Thai cuisine came to our attention.

Mai Thai is a small establishment looking right onto one of the key intersections on Wimbledon's loop system. The outside is simple and not pretentious, showing a curvy Thai-like font and a humble reference to pagoda-like eaves. Inside, the restaurant is small, very small, so we were lucky to find a table for seven without booking - do not take that risk, if I were you. There were quite a few people for lunch, either couples, small groups or single diners, and the small enclosure made it all look very intimate, with a family feel and a sense of coziness. Still it did not feel overcrowded or packed, and not even noisy. It actually seemed there was an echo in the room and, according to our local experienced member Dr. Chang (alias to keep anonimity), this is what you would expect from a Thai house: basic and empty, or should I say clutter-free, to let the air flow in the humid heat of South East Asia...

Having sat on nice dark wooden tables, we picked the menus and swiftly opted to check the lunch menu out. Choice was short but varied and accomodating. Value for money though was not as enticing, thought, and probably picking from the menu "à la carte" would not have made a huge difference. Staff were courteous enough and they were also pretty quick, almost too quick that starters and mains overlapped each other without us requesting so.

Food was rather average with most feedback focusing on bland or overpowering taste and no outstanding presentation effort. Pork was too garlicky, rolls too greasy and soup too watery. The chicken curry though was the only champion out of the dishes ordered, as recommended by Dr. Chang. Overall, the food is acceptable but lacks the "wow" factor.

While the restaurant kept a decent Thai look, it failed to differentiate itself from other Thai or Asian joints. The group also wondered whether lunch menus are more of a cheap option of food but the general feeling is that quality of food should not differ between lunch and dinner, whatever on offer.

Our verdict is as follows:

Quality of Food        2.83
Hygiene                     3.67
Value for Money      3.83
Speed of Service       4.67
Quality of Service    4.00
Ambience & décor   3.33

Mai Thai gets an overall rating of 72.1%