If you’re looking to try some authentic Indonesian food in London, head to Bali Bali on Shaftesbury Avenue. It’s a hugely popular restaurant; so much so that the Indonesian President himself ordered food for 150 people to be delivered to his hotel on a recent visit.

Open since 1987, Bali Bali is something of an establishment on Shaftesbury Avenue in the heart of London’s theatreland. It’s still run by the same family. One brother, Jamal, in the kitchen; the other, Jonny, manages front of house.

I spoke to Jonny to find out what makes Bali Bali so popular.

“Indonesian food is like a mixture of Indian, Chinese and Thai. It takes the best of each. We use ingredients like chilli, coconut and lemon grass.

“I suppose our most popular dishes are the beef Daging Semur (beef cooked in Indonesian sweet soya sauce), the prawns in chilli sauce, and the sea bass in chilli sauce is popular too.

“But many people enjoy the chance to try lots of different things. I think one reason we’re so popular is you can try seven different dishes between two people for just £17.

“And we have a good lunch menu and pre-theatre menu too. It’s important to serve good food quickly when people need to get back to work, or get to the theatre on time. I’m proud to serve people good food without a long wait.

“Our regulars have been coming here for 15 years. I take that as a compliment to me and my brother. We have customers coming in from their 5-star hotels saying, ‘This is better than the food in our hotels… and we have got to pay treble for that stuff!’

“I always say, ‘Don’t be shy, try.’ If you’re after something a bit different, and you’re interested in trying different things, you’ll like our food.”

And what’s Jonny’s favourite dish?

“I eat the Ikan Tomato, sea bream in a fresh chilli sauce every day. I’m 47, but people think I’m much younger, 35 or so. That’s the Indonesian culture for you: lots of smiling, a little sport and good food. It keeps you looking young.”

Do you know where else is good to try Indonesian cooking in London? Let us know in the comments below.

Fancy starting 2011 with a free Indian meal and then enjoying discounts at London restaurants for the rest of the year?

Today’s Christmas competition could be the answer! We’re offering a three-course dinner with wine and cocktails at swanky Indian restaurant Mint Leaf.

Plus the winner and four runners up will get a year’s tastecard membership, giving you 50% off the food bill at more than 3,500 restaurants across London and the UK.

Enter Day 23: Dinner at Mint Leaf Restaurant and Annual Taste Cards here

Between the pubs and print shops of Westow Street in Crystal Palace is a fantastic little restaurant serving authentic Venezuelan cuisine. Mi cocina es tuya (My kitchen is yours) bills itself as London’s only Venezuelan restaurant – perfect for our World in London series.. If you know better, let us know in the comments below!

I went to meet husband-and-wife team Alexis and Mary yesterday to sample their coffee, and find out about their unique eatery. What started as an events catering business with a stall in Camden Market now has a more stable base in this Crystal Palace restaurant. During the past three years, Alexis and Mary have served their traditional Venezuelan cuisine all over London, from the Carnaval del Pueblo to the Venezuelan Embassy. For the last seven months, they’ve been concentrating on developing Mi cocina es tuya.

The menu offers delicious-sounding empanadas (patties), asado criollo (grilled beef and rice) and arepas (corn bread with beef, chicken or cheese). The most popular dish, Alexis tells me, is the Pabellón de carne: beef, black beans, rice and fried plantains.

“At first, finding the right ingredients was difficult. For example, this hallaca is a traditional Christmas dish, but it’s wrapped in banana leaves.” He shows me an intricately bound parcel of dark green leaves. “But, you can’t just buy banana leaves in Asda! Now, we’ve found out about the right vendors in Brixton, at the market, and we can make hallaca. Similarly, you can’t get the chilli beef for Pabellon de carne in a normal supermarket. Now, we go to a Columbian butcher in Brixton. It tastes just as good as the meat in Venezuela.”

As well as the traditional food, Mary and Alexis are proud to show me their Venezuelan drinks. Mi cocina es tuya is one of the few places in London you can enjoy typical Latin drinks like Malta, Sugarcane with lemon, and Cocada, which, I’m told, is like coconut milkshake, but much nicer.

“People are often surprised that our food is like food from Trinidad and Tobago, or Caribbean food. But really, we’re from the same part of the world. Chilean, Peruvian, Columbian, all Latin American people that come here will see and recognise the products we sell.”

Indeed, as well as being a lovely place for a traditional Venezuelan breakfast of Perico (scrambled eggs with chopped tomatoes, onions and coriander, black beans, cheese and arepa, or corn bread – much healthier, I’m assured than the Traditional English they also serve), Mi cocina es tuya is also something of a Latin American deli. You can by the white or yellow “PAN” cornflour, as well as Malta drinks and other typical delicacies.

With guitars and maracas hanging from the walls, as well as plenty of gorgeous pictures of Venezuela itself, I think Mi cocina es tuya is a fantastic representation of Venezuelan London. And the wonderful hospitality of Alexis and Mary means I’ll be back for more. That, and the promise of trying some Dulce de tres leche next time!

Visit Mi cocina es tuya - Café Latino at 61 Westow Street Crystal Palace, London, SE19 3RW. If you know any other examples of Venezuelan culture in London, let us know in the comments below.

Last Sunday, I went for dinner at the recently-refurbished County Arms pub in Wandsworth.

The pub is huge and just a few minutes’ walk from Wandsworth Common – great for a Sunday lunch if you’ve just been for a stroll.

The County Arms is a pub at the front, a restaurant at the back and also has a conservatory, comfy lounge and a beer garden. Our waiter told us there is even an upstairs section of the restaurant should they need it.

Like the pub, the menu was extensive! The mains were divided into lighter options, Sunday roasts, and the regular menu. There really was a great variety – from risotto to burgers to guinea fowl.

To start, we had rustic tomato soup and organic pearl wen brie, pear and hazelnut salad with apple and honey vinaigrette. The soup was thick and tasty and the salad was refreshing. I thought the balance of cheese, pear and dressing was just right.

As it was a Sunday, we both opted for roast dinners. I ordered the vegetarian option of a root vegetable parcel: a puff pastry parcel served with green vegetables and roast potatoes. My dining partner had roast chicken.

The root vegetable parcel was a perfect autumnal meal – warming and full of seasonal orange and red veggies. The only thing missing for me was a Yorkshire pudding – although perhaps it would’ve been too heavy alongside the pastry.

Although I was full, I did manage a dessert – pecan pie with ice cream. Again, a nice winter treat, the pie was very sweet and I had to go home before the post-sugar slump hit!

The County Arms would be a great place to meet up with friends for a Sunday lunch – due to its size you’d have a good chance of getting a table for a group and the pub does take reservations. Plus, you can work it all off with a brisk walk on Wandsworth Common afterwards…

 The County Arms, 345 Trinity Road, SW18 3SH

The Globe

Recently refurbished, The Globe’s interior has a traditional English pub feel, with a dose of French bistro (chequered table cloths and black & white photographs of Picasso, Bridget Bardot etc) thrown in for good measure. This can be attributed to new manager Oliver Trotel – a pleasant and engaging chap who has been working hard over the past few months to reinvigorate the look and feel of the place.

The Globe’s menu is a good mix of pub and bistro fare with pies, steak, fried calamari, pasta and daily specials, plus a specially selected wine list to match.

Chatting to Trotel after our meal, he let us in on some of The Globe’s fascinating history. The building is part of the site of the world’s first Police Station – home of the Bow Street Runners. There’s even an original cell in the basement that’s now used for storage (not accessible to the public). And, of course, there is a ghost, although Trotel said he’d never seen it himself.

During the World Cup, The Globe will be screening matches downstairs. Upstairs,  the outside terrace will be open shortly, just in time for the summer.

Best of all, Visit London is offering you the chance to win a meal for two at The Globe (click the link for info on how to enter).