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hand picked restaurants

When you enter a chain restaurant there is always a sense of déjà vu, yet with the twelve outlets of Giraffe, this may not really be true. Russel and Juliette Joffe and Andrew Jacobs' philosophy behind this group of restaurants is sustaining the driving force of healthy, happy eating, while retaining the difference each location brings. This includes minor variations in the menu too, and explains why the restaurant does not like to be called a chain, but prefers being referred to as a herd. The origin of its quaint name too, is interesting. The giraffe has the largest heart in the animal kingdom, and with its magnificent height is able to perceive things differently. These two features of being different and large hearted sum up the restaurant's proclamation of 'love, eat, live'.

Giraffe offers world food and adds an unusual twist to some familiar dishes. Their breakfast menu has stacked pancakes with bananas and blueberries, warm waffles, ranch styles tostadas and healthy veggie options. Some great starters are a mezze plate with warm naans that offer the best of many cuisines - grilled halloumi, hummus, tzatiki, ratatouille and falafel.  Japanese king fried prawns are a hit, while another bright spot on the menu, is the colourful sunshine antipasti bruschetta, a clever combination of artichokes, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, olives, roasted peppers, red onion and rocket on pesto foccacia. If this long list of ingredients is intriguing, just wait until your palate takes over.

The house's special salad, cheekily called 'more than love', is colourful and has crunchy appeal. The Thai chicken and vermicelli noodle version is an equally enticing starter. For mains, there are plenty of options like roasted corn and chilli bran burritos, tangy turkey enchiladas and the much loved sweet potatoes, asparagus, green beans and broccoli served with organic brown basmati rice. One can also settle for a good old burger and wash it down with interesting smoothies. They also offer world wines and unusual cocktails with catchy names like Bombay flower and pomegranate caipirinha.

The dessert section comprises of not just fruit based healthy desserts, but brilliant stars like Swiss mountain chocolate cheesecake, banana waffle split and rocky road ice cream sundaes, which transport the diner to a state of bliss. The friendly staff, who are carefully hired for their sunny disposition, and children's activities help make these restaurants a very special, happy and healthy treat indeed.

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.

If you are an Australian, an Australian groupie, or just plain hungry the Outback Steakhouse is the place for you. The days of the Six o' clock Swill in Australia are over, perhaps replaced by the British Happy Hour, and the essential business here is ample quantities of food cooked and served in Aussie style.

The only house rule is 'No rules, Just Right', which means that everything is done with a heartiness that brooks no deflection, designed to keep hairy critters at bay whilst we enjoy ourselves. Such matters as the thickness of the steaks, the tenderness of the chicken, the juiciness of the burgers are all - Just Right!

Their BBQ chicken and bacon sandwich and grilled chicken and Swiss sandwiches are mini-meals in themselves and The No Rules burger, for instance, is supplied with a choice of toppings; bacon, grilled onions, sautéed mushrooms, Swiss cheese, lettuce and tomato, American cheese, BBQ sauce, pickles and more onions, with a bleu cheese dressing, and is served - you've guessed - Just Right!

Not surprising that you have a choice of chocolate thunder from Down Under, or Sydney's sinful sundae when it comes to the puds. Nor are the littlies - I quote - forgotten as they tuck in to Joey ribs, kookaburra chicken fingers (eat your heart out, Jamie) all good hearty stuff, and keep the car windows open on the way home. But Dad has the last word with an Aussie-sized Big Bloke Draft in a frozen mug, maybe two when he gets into the spirit of things, which condemns the entire family to Mum's driving for the rest of the trip.

No, there's no denying that a visit to Outback is the basis for a whole lot of fun, particularly as you don't always have to take the kids, and there's a case for a pretty wild adult night out in amongst all that heartiness.

For frequenters of the hallowed acres of Twickenham Stadium there is good news; the area has its first gastropub. Much more than that it is formed by four identities, with a bar, lounge, restaurant and terrace, all housed within the handsome Victorian building. Two minutes from the train station, ten minutes from the stadium, just far enough to work up an appetite if the game has not done that for you already, The Albany is the place to be.

However should the appetite require a slight awakening order up some bread and olives with olive oil and balsamic, and dishes like pan fried crab cake with a cucumber salad, or hot smoked salmon and shrimp cocktail take on a new urgency. If there's a few of you order Spanish meat platters for two, with olive tapenade, cornichons and pickled onions, and vary the choice with a Camembert baked in the box, with spiced plum chutney, walnut and raisin bread.

Pappadums is an authentic Indian restaurant located on the elegant Ferry Quays development in Brentford and is known for its wide range of freshly prepared exotic food, using only the best spices and herbs that reflect the true taste of the sub-continent. This smart eatery has established itself as an excellent dining spot for the residents of West London with its contemporary decor and purely traditional fare from Punjab and North India ideal for a brisk business lunch or a birthday celebration.

The menu could bring starters of reshmi tikka, char grilled succulent pieces of chicken marinated with yoghurt, cashewnuts, black cumin, ginger and garlic followed by a delectable main course of nalli gosht, lamb shank cooked with spices. A variety of Indian breads such as kulcha, naan and paratha come to your aid in soaking up the tasty curries, while Kashmiri pulao, saffron infused rice with dry fruits and nuts is fragrantly delectable. Finally, there's rassomalai, cream dumplings soaked in chilled milk that dissolve deliciously on the tongue.