In Thailand you can get a perfectly decent Pad Thai and beer for a few hundred Baht. You can have an good pizza or freshly cooked burger for next to nothing. Food, in general, is cheap and cheerful. After a week of spring rolls and Tiger beer, we decided to treat ourselves to a fine-dining experience in the Michelin recognised Smokaccia Laboratory.

We opted for the nine-course(!) tasting menu - one regular and one vegan - with a pairing of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

Let's get the cost out the way first - we paid around ฿16,000 (£380) and it was easily the best meal we've had anywhere in the world. The quality of the food even exceeded Gauthier Soho and the service was beyond that offered by the Chef's Table at The Savoy.

I'd like to walk you through the experience, so you can get a feel for why you should spend a ridiculous sum of money on several tiny portions.

As we entered the restaurant for our 18:00 reservation, we were greeted by name. It's a small thing, but it immediately made us feel warmly welcomed. There's was no awkward pause as a maître d' looked us up in a list, just a confirmation of our booking and dietary requirements, then an invitation to sit in the lounge.

Would we like a glass of Prosecco or sparkling non-alcoholic cocktail while we waited? But of course!

We were then presented with a cigar box each. As we opened them, smoke gently wafted out filling our noses with a delightful scent. Nestled inside was a small amuse-bouche - a perfect cracker topped with caviar. My vegan alternative had veggie-friendly caviar and was exquisite.

The waiters and sommelier all introduced themselves to us as they explained the food and how the evening would proceed. We were given flannels which were freshly sprayed with a signature scent to accompany the next course - and then we were ushered to meet the chef.

Luca Mascolo is a warm, funny, and gregarious host. He was eager to explain the concept of the restaurant and why each dish was created. He was passionate about ensuring that we had an amazing time and that the vegan food was equal in quality to the meat and fish dishes. Our first experience with his culinary madness was the "Campari bomb" - it literally exploded in my mouth and sent flavours dancing around my tongue. It is the first food that has actually made me giggle with childish delight.

This was swiftly followed by a tasting of the chef's tomato reduction. A perfect liquid appetiser.

We were guided to our table - we opted for the kitchen counter. There are several regular tables, but it was much more fun to be sat watching the magic of creation. Open-plan dining is nothing new, but the staff were so calm and synchronised that it felt like a meditative exercise watching them work in perfect unison.

The Smokaccia is the chef's signature focaccia. A fist-sized ball of bread, hard on the outside and impossibly pillowy on the inside. A sourdough creation of genius and perfect for soaking up the various oils and sauces served with the dishes.

What can be said about "An unusual event with Bertha"? I don't want to spoil the surprise so I'll just say this - I've never had a meal which made me laugh so much. Every moment - even reading the description - was pure joy. Why bother serving food in bowls when a ceramic egg-shell is much more fun! Almost as fun was watching it being served to other tables and seeing their reactions.

The truffle crunch was a little bite of ecstasy. This wasn't drenched in 2,4-dithiapentane - it was a perfect shaving of real truffle. To complement, I had the zero-waste potato dish. What kind of a chef thinks up potato ice-cream with red onion caramel? Again, either the chef or waiter came over to personally explain the order in which the dishes should be eaten and all the ingredients which went in to its construction.

Nearly all the food comes from Thailand - with the exception of the balsamic vinegar and wine (both from Italy) - so the food-miles are negligible. The basil and eggplant honestly tasted like they'd been plucked fresh from the dirt not five-minutes previously.

The vegan "foie gras" was next. Traditional foie gras is neither ethical nor sustainable, so this is made with local vegetables in an attempt to recreate the flavour and texture. It is described as containing a "blood explosion" and, as my spoon pierced the pineapple-glass, a pop of bright red "blood" spurted out! Again, a incredible moment of both food science, whimsy, and surprise.

It isn't just that every mouthful is delicious; the dining experience is pure theatre and filled with moments that make you gasp with delight. Such as the "fois gras" being served on a misty "lake" filled with pebbles and flowers, and then being presented with a "fortune cookie" from the goose.

There was a choice of "main" course although - as with any fine dining experience - it was barely more than a few bites. But what a few bites! Writing this, it seems silly to be so in love with a carrot but I don't care! I loved every nibble of that carrot mixed with kombucha and wasabi leaf. I grinned like a lunatic when the kombu/soy caviar pearls burst on my tongue.

A morsel of the most intense melon sorbet topped with bunt radicchio was the perfect end to the meal. A simple and fun palate cleanser. Of course there were further surprises in store!

There was a choice of desserts and both were vegan! Liz and I decided to get one each. I'm fairly sure that the impossible pistachio ice-cream was my favourite, but the dark chocolate and hazelnut was so precisely targetted to my taste-buds that I'd have to try them both again to make sure.

I wish I could remember all the tea options. Liz had the Tom Kah and I went for the ginger and honey. A little moment of calm in an over-exciting evening. We watched the chefs prepare dishes for the now-bustling restaurant.

It is amazing how full you can feel after eating just a few bites over two-and-a-half hours. I suspect the 18 course menu would have been overwhelming. How we found room for the petit fours I can't possibly imagine.

I do know how I found room for the liquid nitrogen "cooked" coconut though - humans have a separate ice-cream stomach. That's just science. Also, I've never had fermented watermelon rind before and I can't understand how my life has been complete without it.

Chef Mascolo kept making sure that we were satisfied, he was happy to chat about the processes behind the food and why he is so keen to bring a high-quality dining experience to Phuket. His home-brewed limoncello was far removed from the thick and sickly syrup which is usually proffered at the end of an Italian meal. This was a thin, light, and highly spiced twist on the classic. A perfect end to a perfect meal.

Of course, the restaurant still had some surprises for us - including a rather touching "thank you" and a cute little gift-bag to send us on our way. We were exhausted from smiling and laughing so much. Every single bite made us incredibly happy. Fine dining can be a serious and solemn experience - this felt like being in the playground of a mad professor who just wants to have fun with your taste-buds and your heart.

I'm not saying that you should stop what you're doing right now, fly to Phuket, and have the best meal of your life. I'm merely saying that if you value inventive food, prepared by a team of experts with an obsessive eye for detail, presided over by a man who obviously values creating an inclusive and joyful experience - then you should reserve a table now.

The Smokaccia isn't merely a food laboratory - it is a happiness laboratory.

People told me that it was impossible to be veggie in Japan. That was nonsense. I wouldn't say it was easy, but it was possible with a little bit of planning.

First, the good news! I found loads of fully veggie restaurants in Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, and Hiroshima. If you and your travelling companions are happy to be veggie all the time, you'll be fine.

All the larger convenience stores had some veggie options. Usually cut vegetables, or potato crisps, or egg-salad sandwiches. Some of them had tofu sushi and the like.

You aren't going to be able to wander into any random restaurant and get a veggie feast (although you'll probably find edamame everywhere!) but you can find omni-places which do decent veggie-friendly fare. Even street-food markets usually had at least one suitable offering. I had flame-grilled bamboo, tornado potatoes, local cakes, and a few other tasty treats as we strolled along. Google Translate goes a long way if you want to make certain.

Now the bad news. How much plausible deniability do you want in your life? Almost nothing in supermarkets or restaurants has the ⓥ symbol or similar on it. In Europe you'll find it everywhere, here you'll have to point your phone at the menu and trust the AI to translate correctly.

Bonito (fish-flakes) is everywhere. It is added as flavouring much like the West adds salt and sugar. It often goes unlabelled. Even at a restaurant specialising in tofu, I was served a little dish of bonito - thankfully on the side. It's up to you how much you care about this. I took the pragmatic decision that if there weren't great big lumps of flesh in my food then I was going to let it slide.

I ordered the special Vegan Ramen in one place. It was made with a different soup base to the meaty one (as confirmed by my omniwife) but it did also have a boiled egg in it!

As I've mentioned before, there are no Vegan Morality Police. You can be as flexible as you like with your diet and you won't be sent to hell. Which is lucky, because you might need a fair bit of flexibility in Japan!

There are various campaigns in Japan to raise awareness of veggie issues - including better labelling of food. But, for now, you may have to go with the flow.

A few apps make things easier:

• Google Translate is good - but not flawless.
• Payke is a shopping app with a built in barcode scanner. Zap something in a shop and it will probably tell you the ingredients in English. The app - like many in Japan - isn't attuned to Western ideas of usability, but it mostly works.
• HappyCow is essential. It lists veggie restaurants and omni restaurants with a decent selection of suitable food.
• Google Maps was adequate - but check the results carefully.
• Tabelog lists every restaurant in Japan and has lots of reviews from locals - I couldn't find an easy way to show only veggie-friendly places though.

There are no shortage of decent veggie places. Some are Izakaya bars with touch-screen menus mostly translated into English. Others are fine-dining with a set multi-course tasting menu. You'll find veggie versions of all the classic Japanese dishes - or burger & chips if that's what you want.

And here's some tips that I picked up along the way:

• There are lots of Italian restaurants in Japan. You can usually find a few veggie dishes in those.
• Similarly, Indian restaurants always have an aloo-gobi or similar if you fancy a curry.
• Hotel breakfasts are usually well-labelled. All the ones I went to explicitly said if food had meat or fish in it. If all else fails, a bowl of rice and pickles will fill you up!
• The chain "Mos Burger" has a couple of plant-based "green" burgers on its menus. They were pretty good!
• Lots of the veg-only places we went to were full of tourists. You may not get the "authentic local" experience if you stick to just those sorts of restaurants.
• Have a few beers or a couple of glasses of Sake if you think you accidentally ate something you'd rather not have.

Here are a few photos and reviews of some of the places I enjoyed - you can read more on my HappyCow profile.

A Vegan Walks Into A Steak Restaurant...

One of the best vegan meals I had in Japan was at - of all places - a Halal Kobe Beef restaurant! They specialise in eye-wateringly expensive cuts of meat. But they also had a vegan set menu which was exquisite.

A perfect vegan miso, with a sesame salad, followed by tofu and vegetables grilled in front of me. A half-dozen mock-meat gyoza with various dipping sauces. Then garlic rice which blew my nose away.

Located in the very touristy Dotonbori district, it was quiet at lunch but I recommending booking in advance. A spectacular meal with a very friendly chef.

Ramen

There is a chain of ramen restaurants called Ramen Kiou. Like lots of fast-ish food places in Japan, you order using a touch-screen at the table. This chain has a helpful screen describing their vegan policy:

There were several veggie options and, as it is an open kitchen, you can watch the chefs work.

What's better than one vegan gyoza?

Eleven vegan gyoza!

The aptly-named Vegan Gyoza restaurant in Tokyo served us up a selection of their steamed bundles of happiness. Each was a distinct flavour and each was a unique colour. Splendid!

So Good We Went There Twice

I don't usually revisit restaurants while on holiday - but Nezu Noya was so good we made an exception!

Hidden inside a health-food store, it's a small restaurant so you may need to wait if you haven't booked.

The chopstick holders were delightful seashells. I assume even the most ardent vegan wouldn't consider that problematic 😄

Too Much Tofu

We wandered around the bamboo forests north of Kyoto and were suddenly overtaken by an all-consuming need to eat tofu. We found ourselves at Yudofu Sagano - they are a restaurant set in beautiful gardens, with several cosy rooms inside. We sat on the floor (!) while we were served a ten-course tofu lunch.

Here's a small selection of what we had.

There was a simmering pot of tofu in the centre, and then a plethora of of other styles. In all honesty, it was too much - but in an excellent way! Each dish was explained to us, which allowed me to avoid the fish-flakes (served on the side).

Beer and Grub

An Izakaya is a sort of bar which which does food. Again, you tap on an onscreen menu or scan a QR code to order. Then food and drink appears at your table.

We found a Vegan Izakaya in Kyoto which had space for us - which was lucky as it was pretty full.

They had a KFC-style coating on their mushrooms which was excellent - and a decent range of beer.

Naramachi Vegan Nabi ならまちヴィーガン菜美

No trip to Japan is complete without visiting Nara, and no visit to Nara is complete without visiting Vegan Nabi!

This is a cat themed restaurant. There are no cats wandering around. Gorgeously decorated with lots of cat-based artwork and jewellery to buy. The food is outstanding. Fresh and obviously made with love.

The green blob by the soy sauce is not wasabi - it is super strength yuzu pickle.

And more...

If you're vegetarian or vegan, you can find plenty of options in major cities. We had no trouble eating at veggie-friendly restaurants in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, and Hiroshima. You may need to be a little flexible about what you consider veggie - but should be able to enjoy a delicious range of food.

I packed a bunch of snack bars, stocked up Google translate with suitable phrases, and resigned myself to having to pick the ham out of a salad while my wife dined on local specialities. Ah well, I can survive on bread and olives, I guess.

As it happens, I was wrong. Totally and utterly wrong. From Bratislava to Zagreb, I had my fill of tasty veggie treats without fuss. Even the trains weren't too bad.

Here's a quick run-down of what worked and what went (slightly) awry. Or skip to the photos.

On-Train Dining

This was the most variable experience.

The Deutsche Bahn trains had an web site which let you order to your seat! I tried the vegan currywurst which was excellent for train-food. Similarly, the tofu-curry was better than I expected, and was washed down with a lovely radler.

Some of the Czech trains had a selection of sandwiches and salads which were veggie and vegan.

Breakfast on the sleepers was pastry (with dairy) and some fruit. The train from Germany to Paris had a single vegan dish - grated carrot!

The Eurostar back to the UK served up a perfectly fine salad, with yoghurt on the side. They were very good at getting me some non-dairy spread for my bread.

Some trains had no dining car, or only took cash, or nothing veggie. So it is always worth stocking up before travelling. Which leads me on to…

Supermarkets

While other countries don't have the same pre-packed sandwich culture as the UK, you can always find crisps, snack bars, instant noodles, and - sometimes - pre-packed salads.

The Ⓥ symbol is pretty universal - but it's handy to know what the local word is for "Milk". Across Europe, labelling rules are pretty strict, which is good because…

Allergens

The EU has a list of common food allergens. I think nearly every restaurant menu we saw had prominent labelling under each dish. Even if you can't translate exactly what you're eating, it is easy to spot a dish with dairy, eggs, etc.

Say, how do you find good restaurants to eat at?

Happy Cow to the Rescue!

I've spent 12 very happy years using Happy Cow - it list restaurants which are either pure veggie, or have decent veggie options. So before getting to a city, we found restaurants that looked promising.

In fairness, nearly every restaurant we passed had at least something vegetarian on the menu. Usually something cheesey or a side dish of vegetables. But Happy Cow showed us restaurants which had a good selection of omni dishes and veggie dishes. As Liz is an omni, we ate at a mix of places and, to be honest, some of the mixed restaurants were better than the veggie only ones!

You can read all my reviews on my profile.

Local Cuisine

It's no fun going to a brand new European country and only eating veggie sushi and Quorn sausages. Thankfully, we had a great range of local cuisine done in the veggie style.

In Frankfurt I had a vegan Sausage with cabbage salad and home fried potatoes, paired with some lovely apfelwein. I had various simulacrums of local dumplings in sauce, the traditional sandwich with a veggie twist, and the world famous cake make without dairy. Lush!

Of course, it isn't all local dishes for local people. We also went to a very strange influencer restaurant in Slovenia who were happy to chat about which dishes were suitable.

Cultural Hegemony

Despite Brexit, English is still widely spoken. When we tried speaking in the local language we were immediately handed an English menu! And, on the few occasions that didn't happen, Google Translate is basically magic.

Lots of the dishes may be strange to you. That's OK, it is all part of the adventure. But, if you do freak out…

In An Emergency

In every city in Europe, I guarantee you'll find one of the following:

• A falafel stand which claims to cook the only authentic falafel in town.
• A Chinese takeaway with an excellent selection of tofu dishes.
• An Indian restaurant who can do a range of "pure vegetarian" meals.
• A big chain fast-food place,

Luckily, I didn't have to resort to a veggie whopper or a KFC vegetable wrap, but it was nice to know I could fall back on them if needed.

Where it went wrong

There were only a few hiccoughs. Some of the restaurants had slow service or rude staff - but you get that in any restaurant.

One veggie place we went to served the worst vegan schnitzel I've ever tried. Tasted like flattened cardboard coated with crumbled disappointment.

I was pretty sure one of the packet of crisps I bought was milk free, but on closer inspection I was mistaken. Off to vegan jail for me!

Should I Do This?

Yes! If you follow a veggie or vegan diet, Europe is very accommodating. We found kebab shops which only did plant-based dishes, high class restaurants with a couple of incredibly inventive dishes, and everything in between.

Sure, the options on trains can be a bit dicey sometimes, and there's always the suspicion that the waiter has mistaken your order, but it is basically fine.

Nearly every restaurant has a website where you can check the menu in advance, and most of them support online reservations.

Honestly, there's never been a better time to be a veggie in Europe.

Photos

Please enjoy these various shots of delicious food from across Europe.

The waiting staff are all professional opera singers - they serve the food and they sing to you. And, wow they can sing. Take a listen to this AudioBoo.

The highlight of the evening was the communal sing-a-long - The Drinking Song from La Traviata. Thoughtfully, it included a complimentary glass of prosecco. Here's a recording of the outstanding opera singers - and our less tuneful caterwauling.

The atmosphere is incredible - and highly romantic. The music is joyful and intimate. There's nothing quite like hearing a opera singer who is stood at your table. So what about the food?

The food was well prepared. There were a range of vegetarian starters - I took the carrot and pumpkin soup which was slightly under seasoned for my tastes. For the main course, vegetarians are relegated to the ubiquitous mushroom risotto. However, it was so well flavoured that, for once, I didn't mind. The tiramisu with blackcurrant coulis was the perfect end to the meal. The menu can be viewed here.

Total cost was £113 for the two of us. That included 3 course meal, two side dishes, a glass of champagne each, half a bottle of wine, and a 12.5% tip. Food was half-price thanks to the Taste Card.

Overall, possibly the most romantic restaurant I've been to in London. The food and wine were divine and reasonably priced - although another vegetarian option wouldn't have gone amiss. The quality of the singers was superb.

Take that special someone on a date there - you won't regret it.

You choose your meal in a dimly lit bar then, guided by your blind waiter, you are lead through a series of curtains until you are ensconced in total and utter pitch black.

Choices are made from a set menu with no specifics other than vegetarian, meat, fish, or "exotic".  This is a unique culinary experience.  Relying only on smell, flavour and touch brings a whole new dimension to enjoying your food.

Going with a large group of people was an unnerving experience - never entirely sure of who was sat near you, or whose wine glass you were reaching for.  I can imagine this would be a delightful place for an intimate dinner - possibly even a first date - as you have to rely on conversation to keep your companions aware of your presence.

The waiters were very attentive - although you can call out to them at any time should the need arise.

The food was tremendous fun.  Like many expensive restaurants, portions were not overly generous but given the mix of flavours and characters on each plate, this is probably just as well.  Rather than assault the few remaining senses, the chefs have cooked up a subtle treat which relies on your total surprise from the moment your fork first enters your mouth.

The dessert was a potpourri of elegant flavours and mouth-pleasing textures.

There is no doubt that it is a dining experience like no other.

There are some downsides - the restaurant caters for a large number of people.  Due to the sensory deprivation, it seems that voices escalate and emotions are magnified.  A table of women regularly found themselves shrieking at their merest touch from a passer-by which lead to another table raising their voices to be heard.  The assault on the ears was quite tremendous and rather disconcerting.  Normally one can use all the senses to judge the mood in the room - without sight it seemed that the evening could descend in to chaos at any time.

Emerging blinking into the light is a blessed relief and as refreshing as any digestif. We eagerly crowded around picture books with large photos showing the meals we had just eaten.

I won't spoil the surprise by telling you what we had - the "White" menu was particularly inventive and the vegetarian menu was pleasingly different despite being revealed as a rather pedestrian offering.

At £34 for a two course meal and £39 for three courses, Dans Le Noir? is well within the reach of anyone who values creative dining.

TasteLondon Logo

There is a small problem with it, though.  The directory of restaurants it covers is a fairly heavy paperback book  Rather inconvenient to carry around on the off chance that you fancy popping out for some dinner .  They do have a rather good website - tastelondon.co.uk/ - but it doesn't work on mobile. Nope. Not even if you've got a Cadbury's iPhone.

Last year I asked TasteLondon if they were planning on developing a mobile site.  They said "yes" and here it is.  It's a textbook example of how not to design for mobile.  Let me take you through it.

Where is it?

How would you expect to get to the TasteLondon mobile site?  Their news page annouces the service but doesn't give the URL! The site is meant to auto-detect a mobile browser but failed to do so on BlackBerry or Android.

I tried guessing the URL.  Was it m.tastelondon.co.uk? Perhaps mobile.tastelondon.co.uk? Surely not wap.tastelondon.co.uk? I know tastelondon.mobi? Nope - none of those.  After much perseverance I discovered it was tastelondon.co.uk/iphone

Solutions

• TELL YOUR CUSTOMERS WHERE YOUR SITE IS!
• Mobile detection is hard.  You can use services like DeviceAtlas or WURFL to detect if a device is mobile.
• Always offer a link on your main page just in case your detection is wrong.
• If there are several standards, make sure you redirect your customers if they go to the wrong URL.  A simple redirect in .htaccess would have send everyone visiting the m.tastelondon URL to the correct location.
• Don't choose technology specific names in your addresses.  /iphone would indicate that you're not interested in the hundreds of millions of devices which aren't made by Apple.  While the iPhone is popular now - will it be in a year's time? Choose something vendor neutral.

So, here's the front page on my BlackBerry.

Front Page - KISS

I quite like this.  It's simple.  There's a link back to the full site.  The bold indicates that I'm in simple search and, if I want, I can go to Advanced Search.  I wouldn't have made "Simple Search" a link as I'm already here.  Overall, not bad.  Let's see what the search results are like.

JavaScript

So, I hit the button and what do I see?

JavaScript

Don't get me wrong, I love JavaScript. It does all sorts of amazing things and usually makes usability a lot better.  But on mobile?  True, many newer high-end phones have JavaScript - but literally billions don't.  Why would you alienate so many potential customers?

What makes it worse, is that this is a simple form.  We've had forms on the web since its inception.  It's a standard HTML element.  Why would a simple search box need JavaScript?

Is It Necessary?

• KISS
• If you're desperate to use a whizzy new feature - check how widely supported it is.  Make sure there's a fallback option for those users who won't or can't upgrade.
• Whenever you create a new service, test it as thoroughly as possible.  Remember, you are probably not your typical user.  Find out what technology your users have and design for them - not for what's "cool".

Ok, let me grab my Android handset and carry on testing...

Where am I?

So, I've just arrived at Waterloo Station when I see all the trains home are cancelled.  Let's grab a bite to eat nearby.  I'll search for Waterloo.

Searching near Waterloo

This is what I get back.

Results from searching for Waterloo

There are three serious errors with this page

1. The result is wrong.  I know the postcode of my home and my workplace.  I've no idea what the postcode is for anywhere else.  Given this is a London based service, I was expecting that a major train station would suffice.
2. No feedback on what I've searched for.  That search bar should be pre-populated with my search.  Just like every other search engine.  This gives allows me to correct any misspellings and serves as a reminder of what I was looking for.
3. Location.  The Prezzo in Peterborough is 265.31 Miles away.  Away from where?  I haven't given my location and, as far as I can tell, the site hasn't automatically detected it.  Where does this figure derive from?

User Needs

• Think about how the user thinks.  Does anyone know the postcode of the pub they're sat in?  If you need a street name for accuracy, tell the user.
• Give the user feedback.  Keep them in the loop.
• Detect the user's location.  This may be complicated for you - but it's easier for the user.

Success!

I'll try again.  I've got the feeling that I'm in the postal area of W2.  Here's what success looks like.

Is this as good as it can be?

A really good page.  Pretty, well formatted, lots of information.  Can you spot the four glaring usability issues?

1. I can't click on the phone numbers.  Some advanced phones will detect the number string and allow you dial it.  If not, you've got to find a scrap of paper, scribble down the number, close the browser, go to the phone's dialer and type the number in yourself.
2. Where is Craven Hill Gardens? Why not link to Google Maps. Or Yahoo Maps. Or any mapping service.
3. What do those icons mean?  Anyone already intimately familiar with the TasteLondon system may know what they mean.
4. Where do I go for more information?  The names of the venues aren't clickable.

Is This As Easy As It Could Be?

Make everything as easy as possible for your users.  In four simple steps the usability of this site could dramatically be increased.

1. Make phone numbers easy to dial.  Your user is on a phone, they need to book a restaurant, you've given them the number - why wouldn't you make it easy for them to call?  You can use WTAI or tel: to make it easy for any user to dial the number you've presented.
2. Maps.  On the desktop, users are quite happy to copy and paste text into another page or application.  It's not so easy on mobile. If something can be a link - it probably should be.
3. Familiarity. Because we spend all day in our jobs, we often forget that not everyone understands the acronyms and syntax we use.  Don't hide behind obscure icons unless you hyperlink those icons to a page describing what they mean.  Consider having a "key" or "legend" at the top of a jargon heavy page.
4. Have you given me enough information to make a decision?  Perhaps I want to see the menu, prices, review or some other information.  If the information is available on your main site, it should be available on mobile.  This is the central tenent of the One Web.

The Tyranny Of Choice

Let's pop into Advanced Search.  It's fairly comprehensive.

Advance search result

There's a sensible amount of options. Availability, Cost, and Offers all have 3 - 4 options.  Cuisine obviously has rather a lot of choices - 40 of them from African to Vietnamese. Yummy!

How many results do I want to see?  According to TasteLondon, it could be over 500!

How many results

Rational Choices

• Too many choices can be confusing and distressing for the user.
• How much information does a user want to see?
• How long will it take a user to download 500 results onto their phone?
• If you are going to offer a large results set, give the user a way to sort.
• Rationalise the choices you offer and how you offer them.  Is a list the best way? How about radio buttons or check boxes?

Sharing Is Caring

So, I've found the perfect restaurant for me and my friends.  I guess I'd better check that it's OK with them all.  How can I do that? I know! I'll SMS them the URL.

Ah... A problem.  The URL isn't specific to the restaurant.

The Site URL

Take Advantage of the Platform

• If you want people to visit your site, make it easy for them to share it with their friends.
• Consider having a "Send To Friend" button which will save your users the cost of a text message.
• Create useful URLs. Watch this presentation about URL design or read it direct from the mouths of experts - Cool URLs Don't Change.
• For this site, I'd use two different types of URLs.
• The URL for the search page should be similar to m.tastelondon.co.uk/?l=w2&c=veg&a=1&c=2&o=3 This enables your users to send the message "Hey, which one do you like the best?"
• The URL for each restaurant should be similar to m.tastelondon.co.uk/?r=1234 This enables your users to send the message "Hey, do you like this restaurant?"
• You can use "smsto://" on some phones to make it easier to send the URL by text.

Conclusion

I love my TasteLondon card.  It is tremendously valuable.  It has paid for itself many times over.  The mobile site is, frankly, a bit disappointing.  It works - on some phones.  It gives me information - but only the bare minimum.  It tries to be clever - but gets the basics wrong.

If I were dining on my own, didn't really care about the menu and hoped cabbies knew London as well as they're meant to - this wouldn't be a bad site.  I do use it - but find myself skipping into Google Maps and external restaurant review sites.  I have to copy and paste details or take a screenshot if I want to share information with friends.

TasteLondon's mobile site has only been live for a few weeks - I look forward to watching its evolution.