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YO! Sushi Heathrow T3 is a vital gastronomic experience rather than simply a place to eat sushi. This exciting and visually appealing Japanese delicacy, almost a cuisine in itself and going back to the 4th century BC, is fast rising in popularity for reasons of both taste and health, as well as its companionable setting. The restaurants offer a range of delectable nibbles that are attractively presented and revolve on a gently moving belt in front of customers, allowing them to sample a real wealth of varieties and eat just what they like best as often as they wish.

Contrary to many people's perception of sushi as raw fish, it comes in many forms drawing heavily on rice, fish, vegetables and seafood but the great variety arises chiefly from the different fillings and toppings, condiments, and the way these are combined. Often the same ingredients may be assembled in a traditional or a contemporary way, yet creating widely differing tastes.

Some of the most popular types are sashimi rolls, made from raw or seared slices of salmon and tuna and meant to be eaten within a couple of hours of being put together. Other options include cones of seaweed with rice and fillings and the little boat shaped parcels called gunkans. Miso soups, salads and nigiri sushi made of rice with toppings all add to its strong visual appeal.

Great beers like Asahi Super Dry and Sapporo support the food superbly, as well as hot and cold sake for those who want to sustain the Japanese experience. The menu also has non-alcoholic drinks and a limited list of wines and champagne. For dessert try the dorayaki, mochi or settle for fresh fruit.

The experience of having a meal at YO! Sushi is enriched by the unique array that appears as if by magic before the diner, with its unique colour coded pricing system. But the real pull is the fresh, healthy and tasty food that keeps people returning to their outlets across the UK.

New Orleans, ravaged in 2005 by hurricane Katrina, is now full of beans with plenty of food, jazz and Mardi Gras celebrations happening there. Taking a cue from the city's genuine sense of joie de vivre, Old Orleans celebrates the enthusiasm and authentic tastes of the Deep South. Latching on to the Crescent City style theme, the atmosphere across the 14 restaurants in the UK is cheerful and lively with a menu well fuelled by classic Louisiana and Cajun dishes.

Catfish or squid bites, chicken tenders, black and blue mushrooms, and Caesar's salad might be the first things you'll notice, closely followed by a Louisiana sampler of grilled chicken breast skewers, rustic cornbread, potato skins, hot and spicy wings, coconut shrimps, dusted squid and mini pork riblets, plus a BBQ sauce and sour cream dip.

For lovers of cocktails, ice cream and sliders there's a wide spread indeed and cocktail specialties include Hurricane, Serendipity and Screaming Banana Banshee. Little diners at Old Orleans are also well catered for with a special menu designed to suit their allegedly tiny appetites.

From the moment you enter through the antique doors, it is a voyage of discovery. It is quite an uphill task today to stand out amongst the host of Indian restaurants that are mushrooming all over London and its suburbs, yet Chef Vasaikar and his team stay clear of 'globalising' Indian cuisine to suit foreign tastes and instead create flavours and textures that speak for themselves at Indian Zest.

The multi level restaurant has a combination of colonial and contemporary décor. If you expect to see the familiar butter chicken or balti vegetables, you could be disoriented, for the menu offers more unusual fare.

Kick start with a cooling raw mango, mint and cucumber frappe with just a hint of cardamom or in cold weather settle for the tempting concoction of mussels simmered in a tomato and tamarind sauce flavoured with garlic. Try the fish steamed in banana leaves or the cottage cheese filled samosas and, if you're in a group, their mixed platter is worth trying.

Depending on your taste you could have chicken in a subtle saffron paste or braised in fenugreek and dill or shanks of lamb in a robust sauce of poppy seeds, onions and spices. Vegetarians could order a blend of tropical vegetables in coconut yoghurt sauce or smoked aubergine with onions and corn. These are accompanied by Indian breads along with plain and flavoured rice dishes. Do look out for the day's specials.

The wine list holds its own despite such an impressive array of food and the desserts cover a lot of ground from the humble caramelised milk dumplings with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and frozen blackberry yoghurt to the exotic tandoori figs and organic apple muesli crumble.