Los Lobos

Last night for dinner, we excitedly went to the soft opening of Los Lobos here in London. We knew a taco place from the Wolfe brothers (responsible for The Early Bird) was in the works, and had our eyes peeled for any mention of it. Literally everything was delightful, and I cannot wait until the restaurant opens for regular service. Allow me to start with the most fabulous part of the meal: Churros. They were served with a tasty, rich chocolate ganache that was spicy and sweet. Every table around us ordered them first, and was really making sure they got it all - so were we. The churros were fresh, hot and thickly covered in cinnamon sugar. This was really the perfect way to end a meal, and left such a great taste in our mouths about the whole experience.

Churros rolled in cinnamon sugar with spicy chocolate ganache

I guess we can go back to the top? First we ordered some cocktails. I opted for the Pineapple Jalapeno Margarita, while Scott went for the Del Sur Hospitality - tequila, pineapple, lime & grenadine. Scott was telling me how complex his drink was with lots of flavours, and could only nod. The mixture of tequila, pineapple and jalapeno was a shockingly good combination. It was spicy and sweet, not too tart. The Del Sur was sweet as well, disappearing before we got our tacos.

Pineapple Jalapeno Margarita & Del Sur Hospitality (half already consumed)

The first food we ordered was the Jalapeno Rellano, which I quickly proceeded to pronounce incorrectly while Scott threw me to the wolves (los lobos, in spanish). Apparently two L's in a row is a little different than in English. Whoops. The mole was the first thing I tasted - it was spicy and rich, not too sweet. The jalapenos were cooked, but not overdone or mushy. The white cheese inside was oozing out when you sliced into them, but still made for easy bites. The cornmeal was seasoned well, leaving us very excited for everything still to come.

Jalapeno Rellano - stuffed with monerey jack, cornmeal battered, served with Lobos mole

Next, we got into the tacos. Scott ordered the Carnita and Beef Cheek. I also wanted Beef Cheek and Pork Belly (my weakness). As a cilantro-hater, it was a little tricky to navigate the Taco section of the menu, and as it turns out, some items that didn't explicitly list cilantro still had it in there, which was a little disappointing. Things that may have been delicious taste like they are slathered in dish soap. The Carnita taco included pineapple pico, cilantro, sour cream, and chicharron. It was dripping, and according to Scott, delicious. The Beef Cheek taco we both had, and was great - including pickled red onion, queso fresco, and horseradish. It also had some unlisted green onion garnish that was a nice addition. The meat was very tender and the sauce was savory. Now the star: Pork Belly. This taco included lime sour cream, radish, pickled and fresh jalapeno. The meat was crispy, salty, and very meaty. The combination of fresh and pickled jalapenos in sour cream was really tasty. In reality, I want 6 of these tacos a day, but was happy I got to experience this one.

Tacos, (clockwise from top left): Carnita, Beef Cheek, Beef, Cheek, Pork Belly

There was also a "La Carne" section of the menu, featuring different prepared meats. We decided to try the Battered Cod, since the cod taco had included cilantro, but none was listed here. Good joke - it was on a bean salad filled with cilantro, with two leaves draped over it. So we split the fish, and Scott enjoyed the rest. The fish itself was perfectly cooked, hot, flaky, and fresh. The batter was very good and well-seasoned. Scott was loving the rest all mixed together.

Battered Cod - whipped avocado, black beans, tomato

We figured we still had room and there were more tacos to try, so we ordered the Beef Tongue for Scott and Yuca for me. The Beef Tongue included radish, salsa, and iceberg lettuce, while the yuca came with pico de gallo, cumin crema, and green onion. I guess I should have known pico de gallo would have cilantro, but I didn't, nor did the menu remind me. I have less good things to say about that. I think it was probably good, if it wasn't soapy. Scott was loving the beef tongue and tossed me a little bit of meat to try. It was really tender, almost like salami in texture.

Beef Tongue & Yuca Tacos

The interior of the restaurant is a piece of art (by Stu Dead from Playdead Cult), with things to look at in every corner. We got the rundown from the server, anything we ordered would be brought out as it was ready. They weren't offering substitutions unless there's an allergy - yes, that includes cilantro. I felt annoying the second I heard the table next to us also ask about cilantro, but also... a lot of people don't like cilantro. It was annoying that two things I ordered that didn't specify cilantro on the menu had it. While I know it may be challenging to remember, a heads up from the server would have been nice. Despite being the newest place in town just getting their feet wet with a soft open, the staff seemed like a good team working together to get food out where it needed to go. The waiting was a little long at times, but it was a pretty full house and patio. Everyone was in a good mood, there was lots of talk between tables and warm excitement. I only imagine things will get better and better. I am pretty excited to see what the situation is for their Grand Opening in a couple weeks!

Likes: Atmosphere and food were delicious!

Dislikes: Cilantro trying to sneak its way into my life.

Food: 4.5/5

Service: 4.5/5

Would I go again?: Definitely, excited to see how things go here.

The Early Bird (Round 3)

We can't stop going to Early Bird. There was a new menu that included Eggs Benny that we really couldn't resist. I ordered the Pulled Pork Eggs Benny, which was great. The Hollandaise was perfection, the pulled pork was moist and delicious, and the slaw added a nice crunch. There wasn't anything special about the potatoes or fruit, but the fruit makes it feel like a balanced meal (even if it definitely isn't). The bread used for the Eggs Benny was a special creation, not sure if it was made in house or not, but it was nice and airy.

Pulled Pork Eggs Benny - smoked shoulder, house slaw, toast

Scott ordered the GrEggs Benny. He was raving about the soft poach on his egg, and how delicious the brisket was, although none made it across the table for me to try.

GrEggs Benny - smoked brisket, sauerkraut, 1000 island, toast

We were in the restaurant at 9 AM on a Tuesday, and it was completely empty. It is always a little strange being the only table, Service was great, but how could it not be with no one else there to make requests? We had blacked out our last experience, and are back to perfection.


Likes: Eggs Benedict! So glad to see them as a regular menu item :)
Dislikes: I guess the potatoes were a little boring
Food: 4.75/5
Service: 5/5
Would I go again?: Of course, any excuse to go and I will be back.

The Early Bird (Round 2)

We always recommend The Early Bird, and always take people there when they visit. My brother was in town this weekend, so naturally we took him for breakfast Saturday morning. I ordered the Fat Elvis, and ended up taking a large part of it home. I love the panko fried bananas and thick bacon in between the monstrous slices of french toast. My only complaint with toasts this large is that the bread in the center is pretty dry, and there's no additional syrup provided. If I had dreams of eating the whole thing, I would have asked for more, but as it turns out I wouldn't be needing extra.

The Fat Elvis - House smoked bacon, panko fried bananas, smooth peanut butter and honey, served in a French toast sandwich, topped with maple syrup and powdered sugar

Scott went for the Chicken N' Waffles, which houses his most prized restaurant item - the bacon jam. He was excited the first time he tried it, that it got replicated at home almost immediately. It is so savoury and delicious, that we each couldn't stop stealing some off his plate. The chicken and waffles themselves are also really good, but that bacon jam is the real winner.

Chicken N' Waffles - Sweet tea brined crispy fried chicken, stacked and layered between house made waffles, topped with bacon jam, duck gravy and crispy onions

My brother decided on the weekly special eggs Benedict. Never had we been disappointed before, but he cut into a poached egg expecting the oozy goodness that usually results, and found nothing but pasty overcooked yolk. I was embarrassed, Scott was embarrassed. We have obviously talked up this place way too much, and easily had our hearts broken by a single overcooked egg. We will live to eat again, but not without a little more reserve towards this restaurant. The search for flawlessness continues. Otherwise, it looked and tasted pretty good.

Benny Special -  cornbread crusted chicken, topped with balsamic spinach and poached eggs, with a side of potato and onion hash with tomatoes and feta (and probably more details I can't remember)

So here we are, no longer passing out perfect reviews for The Early Bird to everyone crossing our paths. It is obviously still a beloved breakfast place that we will definitely revisit. The service was also a little slower than I remember, but it was very busy. I still love the decor, which I lovingly refer to as Queens of the Stone Age / Day of the Dead Breakfast - skulls, concert posters, records and pop art cover bright pink walls. Bright paper flowers pack the ceiling over the taco bar, and the bathrooms are light with black light.

Likes: The portions are enormous, and the food is delicious. Dishes seem to be well-balanced.

Dislikes: That overcooked poached egg! Ruining their perfection...

Food: 4.5/5

Service: 4/5

Would I go again?: Yes, I have hope. My food was great, Scott's food was great. My brother loved everything else about his food.

The Early Bird

This morning for breakfast we went out to one of our favourite spots in London, The Early Bird. Our first date actually took place here. We have been back many times since and always been extremely satisfied. We walked in a little after opening time at 9 AM, and there were already a couple other tables. By the time we left the place was pretty full, with a few tables still open on the patio. Today's special was right up my alley:

Eggs Benedict on cornbread with popcorn chicken, honey garlic hollandaise, and pork rinds with a bruschetta side salad

This was a great start to the day, although probably a little more salt than necessary. The popcorn chicken was hot and fresh, but I would have preferred a more flavourful batter. The honey garlic hollandaise was very subtle. The eggs of course were perfectly poached on the soft, delicious cornbread. I enjoyed the bruschetta salad more than I expected to, it had a salty dressing that made me more welcoming to chunks of raw tomatoes than usual. Scott on the other hand was feeling very ambitious - he ordered the full stack of pancakes:

Pancakes layered with smoked bacon, peameal, and potato hash topped with a fried egg covered in maple syrup.

Alas, he only finished two pancakes and all the layered parts - the half stack equivalent. We currently have some pretty fluffy and delicious pancakes in the fridge. I am not normally too crazy about pancakes, but these are really satisfying with how fluffy and absorbent they are for the maple syrup. While he continued to eat, I sat and sipped my fresh, bottomless coffee. The service was great, with 3 different staff members interacting with us throughout the meal to make sure everything was going well.

Likes: Food is fresh and plentiful. Feels like you are getting great value in quality & quantity
Dislikes: There are always these greens that I struggle with and end up dropping on myself like a real mess. The bathrooms are terrible for lighting.
Food: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Would I go again?: Definitely. I take people from out of town here and recommend it often.