GREAT BRITAIN - Best of Europe 2014 - page 857

BiBimBap isnamedforwhatitsells: bibimbap (literally“mixedrice”),ascaldingstone
bowl filled with rice, thinly sliced veggies, and topped with a fried egg. Mix it all up with
your spoon, flavor it to taste with the two sauces, then dig in with your chopsticks. While
purists go with the straightforward rice bowl, you can pay a few pounds extra to add other
toppings—including chicken, bulgogi (marinated beef strips), and mushrooms. Though the
food is traditional Korean, the stylish, colorful interior lets you know you're in Soho (£7-10
meals, Mon-Fri 12:00-15:00 & 18:00-23:00, Sat 12:00-23:00, closed Sun, 11 Greek Street,
tel. [phone]).
Mooli's is made-to-order for a quick, affordable, flavorful jolt of Indian street food.
Their £5-6 mooli wraps, sort of like an Indian burrito, are filled with pork, chicken, beef,
paneer (cheese), chickpea, or spicy goat. Top it with your choice of chutneys and Indian
salsas. Eat in or grab one to go; their “mini” version makes a good £3.50 snack (Mon-Sat
8:30-23:30, closed Sun, 50 Frith Street, tel. [phone]).
Bocca di Lupo, a pricey and popular splurge, serves small portions of classic regional
Italian food. Dressy and a bit snooty, it's a place where you're glad you made a reservation.
The counter seating, on cushy stools with a view into the open kitchen, is particularly mem-
orable. Most diners assemble a sampler meal with a series of £7-10 small plates—but be
careful, because at these prices, your bill can add up. A short selection of more affordable
£10-15 “one-dish meals” is available for lunch and until 19:00 (Mon-Sat 12:00-15:00 &
17:30-23:00, Sun 12:30-15:15 & 17:00-21:00, 12 Archer Street, tel. [phone]).
Gelupo, Bocca di Lupo'ssister gelateria across the street, has a wide array ofever-chan-
ging but always creative and delicious dessert favorites—ranging from popular standbys
like the incredibly rich chocolate sorbet to fresh-mint stracciatella to hay (yes, hay). A £3
sampler cup or cone gets you two flavors (and little taster spoons are generously offered to
help you choose). Everything is homemade, and the white subway-tile interior feels clean
and bright. They also have espresso drinks and—at lunchtime—£4-5 deli sandwiches (Mon-
Thu 12:00-23:00, Fri-Sat 12:00-1:00 in the morning, Sun 12:00-22:00, 7 Archer Street, tel.
020/7287-5555).
Yalla Yalla is a hole-in-the-wall serving up high-quality Beirut street food—hummus,
baba ghanoush, tabbouleh, and shawarmas . Stylish as you'd expect for Soho, it's tucked
down a seedy alley between a sex shop and a tattoo parlor. Eat in the cramped and cozy
interior or one of the few outdoor tables, or get your food to go (£3-4 sandwiches, £4-6
mezes, £7 mezes platter available until 17:00, £10-12 bigger dishes, Mon-Sat 10:00-23:00,
Sun 10:00-22:00, 1 Green's Court—just north of Brewer Street, tel. [phone]).
Byron, an upscale-hamburger chain, has a particularly appealing industrial-mod branch
along the liveliest stretch of Wardour Street. In this high-energy place, the open kitchen
sizzles in the corner while old cartoons are projected on the wall. British burgers aren't ex-
actly like American ones—they tend to be a bit overcooked by our standards—but this is