The Junction Tavern

I rarely go to a pub on Sunday if it's not for a Sunday Roast, but I could be swayed if there was more food like this.

Speaking of rare occurrences, I don't usually frequent Kentish Town despite being four minutes away by train.    The Junction Tavern has given me a new reason and inspiration. The Pork Belly was bursting with ambrosial piggyness, cushioned by floaty mash and accompanied by a bean casserole that had spice and stewed goodness.

For some reason I was craving fish and chips, and was initially disappointed when this wasn't on the menu. Well, there was no real need for it to be there, and otherwise I wouldn't have discovered these plump and hearty Smoked Haddock Fishcakes. Their rotundness made me gaze in adoration. And those were good fishcakes, nice ratio of smoky fish with potato cake. It's chunky tartare sauce was neither overloaded with capers nor too creamy. 

And what a Sticky Toffee Pudding to remember. I can't remember a time before when the top and bottom of a Sticky Toffee was still crisp from the oven, whilst every moist crumb in the middle soaked up a glossy toffee sauce like a mother clasping a child to her bosom. This was the absolute business. To bring us all the way to heaven was a rum and raisin ice cream, why have we always been eating this with plain vanilla?!

This is what Sundays are all about. A carefree amble to eat homemade food cooked with pride, and a buzzing ambience amidst engaged customers and an open kitchen to see the action. The service is seamless, they weave in and out without much fuss and with much efficiency. For two mains, one dessert, and several drinks, it was circa £23 per head. To call it a destination pub might be a tall order, but local residents should delight. And let's not forget the Sticky Toffee Pudding....

Queen of Sheba

I find it hard not to get excited about curries and flatbreads. I love that primal satisfaction of finger lickin' goodness that lingers even after a few handwashes.

Ethiopian or Eritrean food is an area where I don't have a lot of knowledge on, such as if the restaurants in London are at all authentic or not, but I have enjoyed every encounter with this genre. What makes such a good introduction for those that enjoy hands-on eating is injera. It's a sour, puffy and spongy pancake used to line the plate, a perfect soak up device of stews and curries that are placed on top. Most dishes automatically come with.

Queen of Sheba in Kentish Town went a little further - there were extra injera rolls on the side in case the large one underneath got too soggy. Our meat dish was Yebeg We't, a spicy lamb curry made with red peppers and garlic. Ethiopoan curries are characteristic in their lovely layering of spices, and the unctuous butterliciousness that laces them. I remember having a very buttery lamb curry at another restaurant, although this one wasn't much further behind.

We also had a Vegetarian Selection from the Chef's Specials which were Misir We't (a spicy lentil dish), Kik Alich'a We't (Yellow Lentils with Ginger, Turmeric and Green Chilli) and Alkelt We't (Cabbage, Potato and Carrot). And what is a we't, you may ask? Apparently it's a type of barbeque sauce.

Injera is literally is a food sponge!

A sweet and unpretentious place, I recommend trying this for when you want something easy-going with a kick. Service was efficient and by a glamourous leggy waitress, and very reasonable at less than £30 for 2, including a glass of wine each. Roll those sleeves up.