Mini Bites: Candy Cakes, a hidden gem

Peering into the window of what you would take on face value as a cake shop, you see cupcakes topped with plastic looking fluorescent icing. Not immediately appetising. Not even the cutesy decorations crafted out of marzipan is going to draw the discerning lunch crowd in.

Popping up: The Yashin Yatai and the Dinings "Secret Menu"

The Summer of 2011 seems to be the summer of the popup. All over the city, we have people "popping up", providing what the public never knew they needed, albeit in short stints. From lobster rolls and good old American barbecue, to cocktails on the roof of a car park to green lakes, they are all there as long as you look for them. I'm a big fan of this kind of experience, it keeps things interesting, and interesting is definitely what I got from two recent Japanese themed outings.

Da Polpo: The Norman Conquest gathers speed

Ever since the opening of the original Polpo, Russell Norman's empire has grown rapidly, one establishment at a time. Each iteration, expanding on the last, all subtly different, but at the heart of it, serving simple straightforward Italian dishes to the good people of Soho. I never had that much love for Polpetto (which seems to be a lot of peoples favourite), with Polpo remaining a firm favourite for a fun and enjoyable meal in Soho, and Spuntino beating them both for fun and food, serving slightly more American orientated dishes.

The one and only River Cafe, Hammersmith

On paper, River Cafe comes across as one of those nose bleedingly expensive places in London. One that instils you with doubt before you even had a second to give it a chance. One where you start wondering where the magic is going to come from to justify the notes you will inevitable have to drop. In my years in London, I always thought of it as somewhere that would be nice if someone decided to take me (be it a client or long lost rich aunt) but with no such miracle forthcoming, it remained on my "when I happen to win the lottery" list.

A-wop bop-a loo-mop, a-lop a Bibimbap! (sorry...)

I've always had a bit of a thing for Korean food. It's mainly how a lot of the food seems to focus around grilling meat, rice and chilli, three of the best aspects of food you can get. Sadly, in London, the only place where I had some really enjoyable Korean food was at Koba (before I went to Arang, but that's another story), and that costs a pretty penny by the time it all adds up. I need to venture down to New Malden for good authentic Korean food, I am told, but that seems a journey too far at the moment.