Over on Englefield Road in what looks from the outside like a forgotten electrical substation and from the inside like a timewarp to comunism, is a Vietnamese "canteen" that looks so wrong it must be right; Viet Huong. Supposedly it's the front for a viet-community scheme to train less fortunate and aspiring chefs. Supposedly also, it's overwhelmingly popular and busy every night... weekend-booking essential. Not sure about the education claim, but can vouch for the popularity - within an hour of arriving for early dinner at 6.30 the place was heaving. The food menu is lively, not your typical chicken, beef, pork with noodles or rice. Traditional Vietnamese starters (stuffed squid, essential) followed by charcoal-wood grill, adventurous vegetables and hot-plate sizzling dishses not to be missed. There's an enticing variety of seafood, poached Sea Bass at £6 is there for the taking which although tasty, is a little flabby and actually only half the fish presented otherwise. Maybe there's a viet way to get a waiter's attention. The standard nod, wave, call, chopstick-throw seemed to go nowhere in what can only be described as comedic service. By the time for desert, the menu was literally thrown to the table... maybe the bring-your-own's had been going down slightly too well. Overall, this is exactly the east-London gem in the rough that we're all looking for. Far better than any Vietnamese on the Kingsland Road this is cheap food cooked extremely well. Huong Viet
12-14 Englefield Road,
London,
N1 4LS (map)
+44 (0)871 0757115


Down an unassuming street in an inconspicuous part of East London Bistrotechque is apparent only in the evening by a dropping-off line of taxis. It feels out of place surrounded by a commercial estate, but that's surely why we're here - and it draws the crowds. The building is split into three; bar, restaurant and venue (transvestite cabaret anyone?). Pre-dinner drink in the bar revealed a sticky-local, except its an Ikea bar put in a warehouse. The standard visitors look like they've walked straight out of a Brit-pop convention. Friendly enough. Up the stairs to the restaurant. Whitewash walls and scale-model of the area, you're expecting a temporary art installation. Not far from the truth, it's like a temporary restaurant exhibition. Two big open spaces split by a stainless steel kitchen, bare bulbs, white tiled walls and no decoration beyond silver cutlery. It must cost all of a fiver to clean in the evening. Every expense is spared, even the menu is printed on the place-mat and is about as complex as spot-the-dog. The options are simply put and easy on the vocabulary, you won't be asking much from the waiter: Fish and Chips, Pea Puree, Tartare Sauce is top of the list. We went for seabass and monkfish all prepared and presented well but nothing outstanding at this price. The focus again, is on simplicity and they've got it right, however at this level its something that could be done at home with some effort and a tidy house. Bistrotheque
23-27 Wadeson Street
London
E2 9DR (map)
+44 (0)20 8983 7900
http://www.bistrotheque.com/


Down at the deep end of Soho on Romilly Street, Kettners (http://www.kettners.com) promises to be a standard paint-by-numbers hotel lounge. Lurking behind a huge leather clad waiting area/bar is a bright, well dressed restaurant who's view is spoiled only by those buildings across the road turning their backs in favour of Shaftsbury Avenue. Lunch menu is of a good size, skewed heavily towards pizzas and burgers, the former helping this place stand out amongst the paint-by-numbers crowd found elsewhere in town, supposedly renowned for use of quality Angus. I had a suitably named, but forgotten, variation with pate (and a sprig of bacon) which was undoubtedly the heaviest (physically) burger I've ever held. It seemed expensive when staring back at me from an otherwise empty plate but worth every penny on the way in. As one-thirty approached the place livened up and a pianist slid in to accompany the chatter. The lounge on the way out full of single well-dressed diners was a strangely pleasurable sight. Kettners
29 Romilly Street
Soho, London
W1D 5HP (map)
+44 (0)20 7734 6112
http://www.kettners.com/


So we returned from Frankfurt and the JWT Creative challenge 2006 Q3. Not even a weekend break destination, Frankfurt is good for being a city with a highly developed banking sector... and as far as we could see nothing else.