Restaurant review: Market Hall, Victoria, central London

Over the last couple of years since we moved out from our home with parents we've really tried to curb the amount of times we eat out in London. Choosing instead to spend our disposable income on travel rather than food. But I have really missed it! My list of places to try in London is getting longer by the minute and I'm a little bit out of the loop. But last weekend we found ourselves in London for a wine and cheese tasting session - thanks Steph! - and decided to swing by Victoria on the way home for some dinner.

Located next door to Victoria Rail Station, Market Hall is exactly what the area needed. I've been to Victoria more times than I can count to get the bus to somewhere in the U.K but it's always felt a bit dead. It's not a place where you would ever go unless you worked there or you had a bus/train to catch. It was full of generic chain restaurants and lacklustre pubs.

Spread over three floors, with a roof terrace launching in spring this year, Market Hall boasts 11 food traders, a bar and a coffee shop. From tacos to fish and chips there's something for everyone. It's also open for breakfast.

I'd been wanting to try Monty's Deli for a while so this was the first place I made a beeline for. My boyfriend and I shared the salt beef Reuben sandwich. In between two slices of toasted rye bread was salt beef, tangy sauerkraut, melted Swiss cheese, yellow mustard and Russian dressing all piled high. A dill pickle one the side finished it off. It was delicious and well worth the wait. Although I did wish we had opted for the bagel.

Next up was Super Tacos, launched by the same guys behind Breddo's Tacos.  A duo who happen to do my favourite tacos in London. For £11 you can choose three tacos with black beans, rice and salsa. Although looking back at the photos I realised we wasn't actually given the salsa! First up was Adobaba. A concoction of spit roasted marinated pork, bacon, white onion, avocado salda verde and chile  de arbol. This was my favourite one - I could have eaten a truck load! We then opted for Pollo Asado Al Carbon. Charcoal grilled marinated chicken, black beans, salsa Mexicana and Avocado salsa verde all pilled high on a taco. This one had a great kick to it. Finally, the last one was Carne Asada. Charcoal grilled marinated skirt steak, roasted jalapeño, white onion and salsa habanera. Perfection!

Lastly we decided to try out Bun Shop, one which was unfamiliar to us both. Bun Shop specialises steamed savoury buns. They do a great deal for £10 which consists of two buns of your choice with spicy deviled fried potatoes. The portion isn't very big but its delicious. I decided to pump for the curried lamb bun and my boyfriend had the Welsh rarebit bun. They were a bit dry but nothing the sauces couldn't sort out.

Market Hall was a great experience. I'm not sure I'd venture there especially but it is well worth a trip if you find yourself passing through like we did. It has a great atmosphere and is a fab place to hang out with a big group of friends. It's about time Victoria had somewhere decent!

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George Town, Penang: How to get there, where to stay, what to do and where to eat

George Town was one of my favourite stops on our Malaysian trip and I wish I had stayed for longer. We opted for two nights but I really think that three nights would be best. It's such a fantastic place to spend a few days soaking up the atmosphere and dipping in and out of the brilliant cafe culture.

How to get there
You can't fly direct to George Town from the U.K so you'll have to fly into Kuala Lumpur first. You can either then catch another internal flight or you can choose to use the train like we did. I really enjoy getting trains in foreign countries plus it helps to reduce your carbon footprint. We ordered our tickets online in the U.K via KTM Train and printed them off before we left. Book a train from KL Central to arrive at Butterworth in Penang. It will take 4.5 hours but the trains are air-conditioned with decent toilets. The journey flies by but make sure you bring some snacks and water with you. You will be harassed by taxis as you step out of the train station but keep following the signs to the ferry terminal. Here you can get a ferry - for the equivalent of 20p! - over to George Town. It's a quick 15 minute journey.

Where to stay

Our first choice of accommodation was fully booked and boy am I glad. Betel Nut Lodge was the best place we stayed our entire trip. I don't think I have ever experienced service like it, it was impeccable. We paid around £50 a night which included breakfast and a four poster bed! Check in was seamless and we were very kindly brought up a pot of tea and a couple of sweet treats to help us settle in. The room was spotless and the bed provided a very good nights sleep - so comfortable! When we arrived we were given three maps to help us navigate around the city. One had a list of all the Penang specialities, one had a map of all the street art and the other had handwritten notes in with personal recommendations. We based our trip around the latter map and I honestly believe that is why we had such a fantastic time. It's a brilliant location in the UNESCO centre and everything was within walking distance.

What to do

Blue Mansion
One of the most iconic buildings in George Town is the 'Blue Mansion' and they offer English-speaking tours twice a day - once at 11am and again at 2.30pm. It's now a hotel so you can't just turn up and wander around, you must be booked on to a tour. For just under £4, you'll be taken on a tour by a very enthusiastic guide full of knowledge about the building. It certainly has a colourful history!

Street art walking tour
George Town is famous for its cool street art dotted around. The best way to explore this is to arm yourself with a map, a camera and keep popping in and out of the many cafes when the heat gets too much. It was my favourite things to do. Pop out early in the morning unless you are prepared to queue to take a photo. Tour buses come into the city for street art tours so it can get very busy!

Chew Jetty
The Chew Jetty is is largest and most intact of the clan jetties in George Town. It's a nice place to have a wander. The evaluated wooden walkways are full of souvenir shops and food stalls with a temple, people's houses and community hall.

Khoo Kongsi
This Chinese Clanhouse was probably one of the most beautiful buildings I've seen. It was so stunningly designed - no wonder it is the grandest clan house in the whole of Malaysia. Clan Houses were built by the Chinese as meeting centres, they became a place for immigrants to go when they first stepped foot in Malaysia so they should gain a sense of community in a place so far away from home. The British has no idea what used to go on in them and used to call them secret societies. As the years went on the clan houses became more and more impressive as the different clans tried to out do each other to show off their wealth.

Where to eat

Street food
The best places to eat in George Town are the hawker stalls dotted around. It takes a while to get used to eating at the side of the road with cars whizzing past. Here you'll find meals for a £1 or less so they're great if you're sticking to a budget.

The Jetty Food Court
I'd really recommend this place if you're not in town for long and really wanted a hawker stall experience. It's located opposite Chew Jetty and only open in the evening. You find a seat - sharing is more than acceptable so ask to perch on someones table if they have room. Someone will come over and take your drinks order. Make a note of your table number and wander around the stalls to decide what you want. Tell them your table number when you order and they will bring it over when it;'s ready. You pay them when they bring it over, they always have change so there's no need to have the exact money.

China House
Consisting of three buildings all knocked through, China House is the perfect place to stop for a slice of cake and drink to refuel. It's not cheap but the slices of cake are huge and very delicious. It's very hipster and a really cool place to people watch. It also consists of shops, a theatre, library, restaurant and bar. It does get very busy so be prepared to queue.

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5 street foods you need to try in George Town, Penang

1. Char Kway Teow
When we checked into our guesthouse they told us we absolutely had to try this dish, even if we didn't try any other street food specialities. So who were we to argue? Char Kway Teow is a stir-fried flat noodle dish in a dark and light soy sauce with either chicken, prawn and egg. You can opt for all three or go without which ever one you don't fancy. It is absolutely delicious and one of my favourite dishes we tried. We had the dish at Kafe Ping Hooi - look for the stall where the owners wear an orange t-shirt. It is only open until 1pm so pop along for an early lunch so you don't miss out. It cost us around a £1 for this dish but you can get it cheaper if you have it without the meat.

2. Wan Tan Mee
This was the first dish we tried in George Town after yet another recommendation from our tour guide. This Cantonese noodle dish is a hot broth filled with prawn dumplings and topped with roast pork and some sort of greens. I couldn't tell you what it was! You can also opt for it dry which means it comes with a soy sauce rather than a broth. We had a great experience eating this as we shared a table with four locals who talked to us about the area and gave us a little insight into the history. We opted for a large bowl to share but I'd recommend you get the smaller size so you can try lots more food. It's pretty filling! We ate at Mother and Son Wan Tan Mee where a large bowl cost us just over a £1.

3. Penang Assam Laksa
I discovered that Laksa is one of my favourite noodle broth so was keen to try the special Penang version. This spicy dish reminded us of mint sauce! Made using tamarind and using a fish base, it has an unusual tangy taste and it certainly an acquired taste. It is a great one for those who don't enjoy too much spice as it was pretty mild. We tried it at The Jetty Food Court.

4. Popiah
Our friends had raved about this but we struggled to track it down until we got to George Town. Hawker stalls always sell out of stuff so sometimes you don't get what you want. Popiah is non-fried fresh spring roll filled to the brim with vegetables such as carrot, bean sprouts and lettuce. We found our stall at The Jetty Food Court near the Chew Jetties. We picked it by random but it was a fantastic choice. They have so many different stalls so there is something for everything. I think we paid less than a £1 for the Popiah - maybe about 80p!

5. Hokkien Mee
This was another dish that our guesthouse recommended for us. Boasting two different types of noodles (rice and egg), this dish with a bit of a kick originates in Penang. Prawn is the main ingredient but you'll also find a hard boiled egg, pork slices and bean sprouts. The hawker will give you some sambal on a spoon which you can mix in. We tried it in a little place opposite the Chew Jetties. You'll know the one as this is the only thing that it sells. It has a few tables inside. There's a stall next door that does some cracking Chinese sausage and spring roll which you can see to the right.

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