Tootoomoo (Restaurant)

Top 10 things you need to know about Tootoomoo Crouch End:

1) Start your meal off with a good cocktail. The spicy cucumber is a hot-yet-refreshing  palate-cleanser that preps you for a bevy of bold menu dishes.

2) The Pan-Asian menu favourites are the salmon sashimi, especially the kimchi wasabi sauce that’s surprising in a good way. The duck and watermelon is a delightful blend of savoury and sweet. The Thai green curry is moreish – sweet meets salty meets spicy umami.

3) The menu is vegetarian and vegan-friendly, and gluten-free options dot almost the entire menu.

4) Don’t go during party season, or you’ll find yourself begging for attention from the wait staff. Try early in the week rather than a Thursday, Friday or weekend outing for quieter times.

5) When it’s busy, chipper servers are whizzing by – the space is intimate (read: charmingly loud). It feels authentic. Personal space is at a minimum, unless you’re lucky enough to have a table of four or larger.

6) A great way to tell if any restaurant pays attention to detail is to have a look at the toilets. Tootoomoo’s loos are basic – they have everything you, um, need – but they could do with a little sprucing up. Tootoomoo inspirational decals give you something to read whilst in the water closet and smooth reggae beats keep you in a chilled mood.

7) Decor on the dining room floor has a modern-meets-‘60s vibe with large exposed wire lights and red lacquer details. Lighting is mysterious and moody but not so much that you can’t see what you’re eating. And they have WiFi; repeat: FREE WiFi.

8) The garden room is open all year round for those who like a bit of fresh air during their meal. Smokers and vapers will be thankful for this space. Due to London’s perpetual chill, it’s prepped with heaters.

9) Crouch End is filled with London history and this restaurant sits just east of the posh ‘hood of Highgate: south of Alexandra Palace and north of Finsbury Park and Archway tubes.

10) If you have room for desserts (which we assume most don’t) you can go for something sweet to top off your curries. Frozen yoghurt with chocolate chips, strawberry sauce will remind you of childhood and cool any remaining heat from your palate....read more