Sunday, 11 November 2012

Great food, bad service @ Mishkin's



Mishkin’s has been at the top of my list ever since it opened in November last year, but for some reason or other we just never ever managed to pay it a visit.
Even after our mammoth eating session we had in New York in March and an afternoon eating at the fabled Katz never forced us into giving it a try.
But after a long time of only eating Asian and Turkish food I fancied something totally different to replenish my soul and heart.
Mishkin’s labels itself as a kind of Jewish Deli, which to be fair is about right, as we are not going to get a typical New York Jewish Deli over here, no matter how much we try. The tradition is just not here in mass for this to happen. So Mishkin’s is as close to a mainstream Jewish deli as we are to get that feeds the masses.
Before I go on about how great the food was, I want to get something off my chest first. The service is shit, and I mean shit. The three wait staff we utter rubbish, the looked dis-interested, lack of enthusiasm, we had to ask for menu’s, to order, cutlery and even the bar man was delivering drinks to tables as they were just loitering around at the other end. We even had to force our money onto them as no one wanted to take it. I think Mr Norman and Mr Beatty need to get in there sharpish and sort things out, as that was the worst service I’ve seen in London since a visit to the legendary Wong Kei, although I have heard people are beginning to complain there that the new staff are too nice.
OK so off from the crap service and onto the min point of a restaurant. The food, which was bloody good.


With so much tempting options on the menu from the turkey schnitzel, a reminder of my Kibbutz days and macaroni cheese, which is served in a skillet or the long list of sandwiches.
I opted for the meatloaf, egg and mash, well it had been an age since my last meat loaf and I was in the mood for some yesteryear.
The wife wanted the Reuben on Rye with Russian dressing, as she never got to have one at Katz she wanted to know how god this piece of heaven could be, with chips on the side, beers we were sorted.
Meatloaf was served in a mini loaf tin with a boiled egg inside. I was hoping for a fried egg, but alas I was out of luck. The egg inside was not runny, which was a shame, as the yolk would have just made that dish even richer.
The meat was juicy, the mash smooth and creamy and with a small bit of kale on the side it was a great little lunchtime meal. Much better than my meatloaf from school that always was like eating cardboard.


The Reuben on rye, toasted was just awesome. Now this is how a sandwich should be, great juicy pastrami, lovely piquant Russian dressing and melting cheese a fantastic sarnie that is as good as I’ve eaten in London and I’ve eaten a lot of them.


The chips, labelled on the menu as East End Chips, were lush, great flavour, nice and crunchy, simple but gorgeous.
Mishkin’s food wise lived up to its hype, which in London is pretty bloody rare these days, as PR Machines in many a place spin so much shit you need wellies to just walk through the door, but Mishkin’s has done a really good job, shame about the really bad service though.
I will return but next time I know what to expect when I walk through the door.

Mishkin's on Urbanspoon

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