I have been to Luxe twice and it's now time for a review.
The restaurant is located in buzzing Spitalfields Market and looks rustic yet modern and inviting. One look at the menu and your mouth will start watering. The food sounds delicious and the smoothies and juices sound nutritious and refreshing. The first time I went to the restaurant I got the veggie burger which was panko (Japanese - essentially breadcrumbs) and aubergine with chillies. I enjoyed it. It was a nice thick piece of aubergine, juicy and full of flavour and went nicely with the chillies.
Below is the Luxe burger. Look how mouth-watering that egg looks! I couldn't take my eyes off of it.
And here is my friend's sandwich. He liked it. I can't remember what was in it though.
While leaving the restaurant after my first visit I remember how much I looked forward to returning and trying the other foods on the menu. I have to say though that I was disappointed that the restaurant charged us for regular water, not good! So yesterday when I went back I decided to get my money's worth and order a juice instead of water and try one of the unique entrees. I went with the cleanser juice, apple, lime and carrot and macaroni and cheese with haddock and poached egg. How delicious does that sound? This is how it looked
I didn't think it would come like this in a bowl, with haddock mixed into the macaroni and cheese and one poached egg on top. I thought each item would come separately on one big plate. Regardless, the food looked delicious at one glance. As for the taste, let's just say I was deeply disappointed. Yes, it was creamy and the macaronis were nicely cooked, but the taste was really lacking. I had to add salt and pepper to the meal to get some flavour in it. What was it? Was the cheese flavourless? I'm not sure. I even tried it with mustard, fail! That said, the egg was nicely poached and I enjoyed its golden creaminess.
My friends went with meat stew, as you see below, which was in the words of my friend was delicious but salty. I tried it and in my opinion the bigger problem was with the meat. It came apart nicely but strangely enough it was quite dry.
Another friend went with chicken and rosemaries. She was very pleased with it. It was surely fragrant as I could smell the rosemary from my seat.
This is the chicken burger. Again, my friend was pleased with it.
Per my recommendation, one friend went with the veggie burger. Unfortunately, she did not find it tasteful and left her and I disappointed.
Finally, my friend who joined us later for lunch went with scrambled eggs and salmon. I didn't taste the salmon and can't comment, but the scrambled eggs weren't quite fluffy, but rather rubbery. It wasn't that bad though.
As for the chips, did they forget the seasoning? I added my own salt and pepper. Also, eat your chips soon, because if it sits for a bit it'll get stiff and rubbery. Unfortunate.
Now to the juices, my friends were very pleased. One went with raspberry, another with Ginger Zinger and another with cooler which was cucumber, ginger and apple. She didn't like it. She thought it was like grass. Granted it was probably nutritious. I switched mine with her and would agree that the cooler juice wasn't particularly appetising.
We finished our meals with fresh mint tea. I really enjoy this tea here in London. It's basically hot water + fresh mint leaves. Can't go wrong with this, can you?
The restaurant has a lovely atmosphere. I love the large windows and the light that comes through them. The seating arrangement and decor are also comforting.
The service is quick and respectful. The lady who welcomed my group was particularly warm and inviting.
The Luxe
109 Commercial St, E1 6BG
http://www.theluxe.co.uk/As always, friends, to health and happiness.
