iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Braise @braise.substack.com · 9h

I was told this wine would pair well with grilled sardines and lemon juice, and who am I to disagree?

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Braise @braise.substack.com · 25/09/2026

I don't think I ever shared this pretty pecan pie at Cambridge's Cherry Pit from a couple weeks back. They do big American pies by the slice, and while the autumnal pumpkin did tempt me, I've never been able to resist pecan. Plus it doubles as a record store, for a double dose of retro Americana.

000

Braise @braise.substack.com · 20/09/2026

Is it terribly basic that Antepliler might be my favourite spot along the main stretch of Green Lanes? I know it's the obvious one, but it hits all highlights well. Great cold mezze, solid meat coming off the grill, and good lahmacun too, though they've never been a regular part of my order

100

Braise @braise.substack.com · 19/09/2026

A lovely, sweaty time slurping down noodles at Lanzhou Lamian last weekend. It was hot, and humid, and I was just a little hungover still, so a hot tea and a steaming bowl of beef noodles were enough to create a sauna-esque microclimate in their pokey little basement. Very purifying for it though.

030

Braise @braise.substack.com · 17/09/2026

Pretty croissant from the new(ish) Authentique in Angel. Buttery without weighing you down, and excellent lamination inside

020

Braise @braise.substack.com · 07/09/2026

Went to Germany and ate Austrian food. Sue me.

031

Braise @braise.substack.com · 06/09/2026

Napoli on the Road's reputation precedes it, so I was relieved that it mostly lives up to the hype. One of the best bases I've had from Neapolitan pizza in London: flavourful, soft, and just firm enough to hold up to the toppings — even a saucy Ragu — without ever getting soupy

100

Braise @braise.substack.com · 25/08/2026

Japanese beef curry and tofu in the sun

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Braise @braise.substack.com · 21/08/2026

Good cheeseboard at The Racketeer, especially for the chilli jam

010

Braise @braise.substack.com · 15/08/2026

First visit to The Camberwell Arms the other night; long overdue

010

Braise @braise.substack.com · 13/08/2026

In retrospect, we probably could have seen the KFC x Chicken Wine collab coming

120

Braise @braise.substack.com · 04/07/2026

Back at Lucky Yu for the first time in far too long. Obviously started with my staple fuyu swirl, but my favourite today was actually the red bean custard bun, which I absolutely devoured — too fast to even remember to take a photo of its innards

141

Braise @braise.substack.com · 28/06/2026

It's been a breakfast sandwich sort of morning

061

Braise @braise.substack.com · 27/06/2026

Finally tried the sandwiches from Logma. Both good, but I don't get the hype. Good bread, and the aubergine has a lovely tangy quality. But the kofte are a bit eh. Two good sandwiches, but (inevitably) neither worth excessive queuing

121

Braise @braise.substack.com · 20/06/2026

A pretty pint at The Pocket, which it's taken me an embarrassingly long time to get to. Clearly an excellent pub for a pint and a book.

010

Braise @braise.substack.com · 19/06/2026

Two ways with stale bread and tomatoes: panzanella and pappa al pomodoro. Soggy bread and tomato salad, soggy bread and tomato soup. God bless the Italians.

151

Braise @braise.substack.com · 06/06/2026

Good escalope sandwich from Franco's Take Away in Shoreditch, one of that dying breed of British-Italian cafes with a menu that sprawls from fry-ups to lasagne, and somehow covers every sandwich under the sun along the way

120

Braise @braise.substack.com · 17/05/2026

Absurd that an essay bemoaning how London food critics are in bed with the PR industry also wishes that critics would stop being mean and just do PR for restaurants instead

When I came to this country from France, I assumed that what I had learned there was common practice. That if you didn’t like a restaurant, you didn’t write about it.

031

Braise @braise.substack.com · 17/05/2026

Beautiful Malay-jun feast today courtesy of Decatur and Mambow - assam pedas crawfish boil, raw scallop, garlicky fried chicken, and a fried mango pie

082

Braise @braise.substack.com · 04/05/2026

Probably my only traditional traditional meal on this visit to Bologna, Dal Bertino was an excuse to eat the classics: tortellini in brodo, cotoletta alla bolognese, and my first ever zuppa inglese - it still gives me tremendous joy to think that some corner of Italy is obsessed with English trifle

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Braise @braise.substack.com · 03/05/2026

A very pretty meal at Oltre in Bologna, but sadly it didn't live up to the looks. Overcooked pasta and rubbery beef, pretty inexcusable at over €100 a head

020

Braise @braise.substack.com · 28/04/2026

Finally made it to Cafe Deco, and what a beautiful restaurant it is. British in all the right ways, unafraid not to be when needed, with some wonderfully sparse, simple cooking

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