Bintang Restaurant

Overall not tag impressed with the place — heard great reviews but food was average. The place has a byob policy with e corkage so does keep the price down and a cool little beer/​bear garden but my main wasn’t too great. I had salmon tacos to start and they were delicious, my husband had prawn tempura but was spoiled with a mayo. Mains was beef which was super chewy although flavours were good and husband had pad Thai but noodles were over cooked and soggy. I also tried some lamb rednang which was really tasty. The food did come out really quick but they also tried to rush us out once we had eaten. It was an experience (small place) and we had a good night but I won’t be in a rush to return

We had a fresh surprise going into the restaurant which was full upstairs but intimate downstairs, where you can «bring you own» wine. We had a very tasty and spicy tofu & aubergine Bintang special as well as a cauliflower buka suka.

I’d heard good things and the reviews aren’t bad which I think made my disappointment with Bintang greater.
The venue is quite funky and it there was a constant flow of people which I guess means people like this place but I just wasn’t impressed. We started with the Gao bao that seemed to get quite a lot of love in other reviews, the bun was chewy as was the duck… overall not great. Moving on to the Sisak curry, this again came with chewy meat (beef this time), a bit of gristle /​bone didn’t help much either it had a Panang kind of taste but was definitely missing something… Perhaps a bit more sweetness? There was a good amount of heat to it though served on fried rice which was ok (ish). The last thing was the pad Thai which was stodgy and not too generous on the prawns.
Two meals, gao bao’s and corkage for a beer each came to £35, which felt like quite a lot for what we ate. Don’t think it’ll make my regular list, shame.

I thought I was lost trying to get this place, but just when I thought to check the map on my phone, there it was! It seemed to be small, with just one host/​waiter working on the Sunday night, but it has a lower floor that wasn’t open. It made for a nice atmosphere having just a small area available. It was quite cozy. The food was tasty, but RICH. I guess the main problem was that it was so tasty, I couldn’t stop eating (my bad decision). I had the tofu and aubergine bintang with coconut rice. The rice was topped with coconut cream… you see what I mean about rich. Overall, delicious! I also noticed that many of our fellow patrons were partaking in the BYO. The charge for wine is £3 per bottle. As with most establishments I’ve visited, the toilet is not accessible, down a flight of stairs. Recommended, but bring your self control!

I was at the launderette a few doors down and was hungry but didn’t have much time before I needed to pick up my clothes.
Was heading towards Camden market for something quick when this caught my eye. I got two gao baos for takeaway and waited patiently in the empty restaurant (it was 3:30pm so rightfully so). The service was prompt and it took a little while so you know they were making it fresh. I got a beef and a duck. Both were delicious and very flavorful. The bun was soft and the meat stuffed the pockets full.
I felt it was a bit overpriced, however, at almost £4 per bao. They were very yummy but I’m not sure I would pay for them again.

Bintang has still got it!
A year later I’ve returned on several occasions. The service was friendly and quick.
Dishes worth mentioning — -
Wasabi Prawn Tempura is still excellent. A must have on the table.
Bintang Curry– This is really an amazing coconut based curry. I ordered it several times and wasn’t let down. Lots of yummy veggies in the dish.
Gua Bao – I had the tofu one and thought it was divine. It is worth getting two and sharing with somebody else at your table and then ordering a main dish to share as well. They are rather large and filling.

Fantastic, fantastic, fantastic! Best Korean I’ve ever had, and amazing value for money. Beautiful garden in the back, and friendly service to boot. Easily the most bang for the buck in Kentish Town. You should eat here, tonight, but please leave some bulgogi for me!
Update: I’ve had to dock Bintang a star due to their rather excessive new corking fees– £3 for a bottle of wine and £1 per can of beer. I am sorry, Bintang, but I cannot recommend you as enthusiastically if you are going to hold your customers hostage to their habits like this, tsk, tsk.

I live not far away from bintang. For 2 years, I walk by this place at least few times a week and never went in. Gotta admit this place looks a bit shady from the outside. Out of curiosity however, my bf and I went in for dinner one day. Bam! It immediately became one of our most favorite neighborhood places.
Great dishes include:
1. Shrimp tempura — interesting mix of mango salsa, fish roe and crispy shrimp.
2. Seabass– we like both of the seabass dishes.
3. Lamb rengtang: slightly hot, lots of spice. Yum.
4. Brussel sprout: simply yum!
The service is friendly but slightly slow… Oh well. You can bring your own bottle with a small corkage fee as they don’t serve alcohol.

We were planning to try somewhere else last night, but i was so intrigued by Bintang’s menu, that we stopped here instead. I am reeeally glad that we did!
Bingtang is squished into a teeny, slightly hipsterish café, with a relaxed atmosphere and chilled music. The menu is a mix of Korean, Taiwanese and South east Asian dishes. There seems to be a Japanese influence, but no Japanese food.
Food:
**** Gua Bao — Oh my goodness I want this again!
These are fluffy steamed Taiwanese buns filled with meat (the duck was particularly gorgeous), peanuts and a hint of wasabi. They were seriously moorish!
**** Korean Chicken wings — fried with really tasty seasoning, then dunked in sesame, they come with barbecue sauce .
These were soooo good, The meat fell off the bones it was sooo tender. Om nom nom. I didn’t take a photo because we ate them so speedily. Oops.
*** Prawn tempura — the batter wasn’t really tempura, it was thiner/​crunchier but still yummy.
These prawns were slathered in wasabi mayo, but also came with a soy-​based dip. I did like them, but they didn’t blow me away like the gua boa or chicken wings.
*** The bintang noodles were also pretty nice — slightly spicy, and the lemongrass gave them a delicious fresh flavour.
**Marc’s tip**
Single men should come to this restaurant! Last night it was crammed with groups of really pretty girls (apart from us!!)
**Pro-​yelp tip** If you check in between 5−7pm, you can get a starter and a main for £10. Bargain!

The sauteed bok choy with garlic was my favorite! It helps that you can bring your own wine in for a teeny tiny corkage fee :)

I really enjoyed the food here. Walking up the street from Camden Town station, I didn’t know if I was heading in the right direction or not. I didn’t know what to expect. I had the sea bass and the spicy egg fried rice. The whole fish was cooked perfectly and the spicy rice was super spicy. It is also a BYOB establishment so that makes it a great place for a casual dinner out.

Great with friends BYO wine (but expect to pay a small charge per bottle). The food is a little hot and garlicky and takes a while to cook, so don’t expect to be in and out very quickly.

A small, dimly lit café in the middle of a slightly shady part of the Kentish Town Road serving Malaysian, Thai, Indonesian and Singaporian cuisine. The lighting in the restaurant is perfect and the teak and bamboo walls make it an intimate location for a romantic date.
The menu is quite extensive but luckily prices are so low that you can afford to get a few extra dishes and share them between you. A massive plus for me is that they operate a bring-​your-​own alcohol policy, which keeps the prices down hugely.

Very tasty Thai fusion café/​restaurant. Cosy and intimate, it has a nice décor although the service can be slow. I eat here regularly as it is good value for money (especially the set menu) and the food is always to a high standard. There is a nice outdoor dining area out the back and I had a birthday party in the basement. Highly recommended

You really shouldn’t walk past this Kentish Town gem. It might look unremarkable from the outside but this little place is guaranteed to host memorable evenings and serve delightful (msg free) mostly Malaysian food. Great if you like your spices… a bit dodgy for vegetarians though. There is no license but you can bring a bottle and the prices will make you smile. I loved the sweet cosy atmosphere upstairs which is full and loud while downstairs is more tranquil and romantic. If you struggle for conversation just discuss the golden/​red decorations and the little paintings and the dainty lamps! I found the staff very genuine.