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A London Life… in Tokyo?

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Eat Tokyo, Hillgate Street, Notting Hill, London

One of the best things about London is being able to find authentic food from pretty much any country or region. That isn’t to say though that there aren’t imitations. Unfortunately for every Asakusa, there are ten Wagamamas. Still, part of the fun of discovering new places to eat is in whether or not they will be true to form. One place I had heard about through the grapevine was Eat Tokyo. I’d heard several people say “this is the real deal” or “it’s the best Japanese food in London”. However I’m pretty critical of cuisines I know well, and I’d also heard some not-so-great reviews, so I decided to take these opinions with a pinch of salt. In fact I’d resigned myself to never visiting the restaurant “chain” (they currently have 6 locations in London). Yet last week V.A and I found ourselves unsure of where to go for dinner after our SHOW DRY salon visit. Low and behold, there was Eat Tokyo on our Zomato app with a 4.6 rating. So we decided to give it a go.

First off, let me say, the Notting Hill location is small. VERY small. In fact we were lucky enough to get the last table, right next to the front door. The layout of the kitchen and seats – this location features seats where you can watch the sushi chefs at work – reminded me very much of a typical izakaya. Even though the restaurant was full, the staff were efficient. We were given the ginormous menu (really guys, it’s too much) and took our time looking through it. I took charge and ordered a whole selection of my favourite dishes for the both of us, as V.A wanted to try something new. This included: Natto (fermented soy bean – Japan’s marmite), Unagi Don (grilled eel on rice), Wakame-su (pickled cucumber and seaweed), Agedashi Tofu (fried tofu in a tentsuyu broth), Salmon Sushi Rolls and Karaage (fried chicken). The chef also accidentally made us some natto sushi, which we were given for free.

As for the food, was it authentic? Everything apart from the wakame-su (it should have been sunomono) tasted exactly as I remembered it from Japan. The flavours and textures were all there, but something was lacking. Unfortunately whereas Eat Tokyo excels in bringing authentic Japanese dishes to London, it did not excel at bringing good quality ingredients and well cooked food to our table. The karaage wasn’t bad and neither was the age-dofu. However the unagi was overcooked and chewy, the sushi was cold, the natto didn’t come with a side of tare or mustard, and the wakame-su wasn’t pickled, and had ginger on top?! Overall not a great experience, but not one that I regret. I won’t be heading back anytime soon, but if I had nowhere to go I’d probably give them another chance.

You can read more of my restaurant reviews on Zomato.

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Afternoon Tea at The Mandeville Hotel

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Vintage Afternoon Tea at The Mandeville Hotel – Reform Social and Grill

Afternoon tea symbolises everything great about English food; cake, sandwiches, scones and tea. It’s also the perfect introduction for anyone visiting or moving to the country. It truly is a relaxing and indulgent treat. That’s why I decided to treat my mum to afternoon tea at The Mandevlille Hotel in Marylebone, when she visited for her birthday.

We started with a mango bellini, which we were served as we were seated. The menu mentions being able to choose from a selection of seasonal bellinis, but this wasn’t the case for us. Though we were offered a choice of which tea to accompany our food with – I chose the refreshing organic mint melange, which was clearly a quality tea. Next up were the sandwiches, which were light and flavourful. The cucumber and cream cheese was my favourite of the selection. I know cucumber sandwiches sound incredibly boring, but they’re one English tradition that I dearly hope will never fade.

One of the most integral parts of afternoon tea are the scones, of course. These ones looked as good as they tasted – rustic (there’s something just not right with a smooth scone) and slightly sweetened. The jam was store bought, but was sweet and not overly sugary. However the pièce de résistance was the clotted cream – something I’m always very critical of – which was rich and sweet. And before you ask, I always put cream on first, then jam.

The apple and custard pots were by far the best sweet offering on the table. The soft, tart apple contrasted perfectly against the sweet custard, and the crunchy, sugary crumble. Both me and my mum agreed that we would quite happily eat a plateful of them. However the rest of the sweets on the table were a bit of a let-down, the raspberry meringues and battenburg cake were good, but nothing to write home about. However the biggest upset of the afternoon was the cake, and as we all know, cake is an important part of afternoon tea. So to be served up dry coffee and walnut cake/chocolate fudge cake (that tasted a day old) was quite upsetting for me. Luckily my mum had left hers until last, by which point she was quite full, so she wasn’t upset. Though if I had been taking anyone else here, I would have complained.

The hotel itself is a comfortable setting, and the afternoon tea area is quite intimate (around 6 tables), making for a lovely experience. However whilst I felt that we ate and drank plenty, I felt that the quality of the food was lacking slightly. It’s not one of the best afternoon tea’s I’ve had, and I probably wouldn’t go back, but for the price it isn’t bad. Afternoon Tea at The Mandeville Hotel is £26.50 each with a free bellini (minus service charge).

You can read more of my restaurant reviews on Zomato.

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Sweet Like Chocolate…

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Hotel Chocolat Milk-Free Milk Chocolate Scrambled Egg*

One thing you may not know about me is that I actually don’t drink much milk. I know, I know, I live a crazy life. Joking aside though, I prefer almond or coconut milk. People honestly look at me oddly when I say I don’t eat milk chocolate. It’s not the end of the world, but it can make it awkward when people buy me chocolate as a gift. So when Hotel Chocolat offered to send me a treat from their new Easter selection, I knew exactly which one I wanted to try – the Milk-Free Milk Chocolate Scrambled Egg.

Now you’re probably wondering why this post even exists, as I don’t usually do food product reviews. Well, as a kid my sister and I didn’t really get too many Easter eggs. Instead our parents bought us gifts. Probably because they knew what we’d be like if we received too many…which is made evident by the following story. One year, we actually ended up with quite a few chocolate eggs from various relatives. So my sister and I decided that we would play a ‘chocolate game’ (the underage version of a drinking game apparently), in which we would watch the movie Chocolat, and whenever a piece of chocolate came up on the screen we had to eat a piece of chocolate. Now this may sound like fun, but actually we didn’t anticipate just how much chocolate there would be in the movie. Suffice to say, there is a lot! Both of us ended up on a sugar high, which culminated in me falling into a paper bin (arse first) and getting stuck. We were pretty sick the next day. Even so, this is still one of my favourite memories from my childhood, and my sister and I still laugh about it now. So I guess what I’m trying to say is, Easter is a nostalgic and sweet time for me.

The milk-free scrambled egg smells like dark chocolate, and tastes like it too. It’s a smooth, rich flavour, which I personally love. The addition of the Nutty Fruitcases was an extra treat, and again I found the chocolate to be reminiscent of dark chocolate (more so than milk). Something which contrasts well against the crunchy hazelnuts and sweet sultanas – I’ll be keeping these to have alongside a cup of tea. The whole set is a great alternative to a milk chocolate egg, and wonderful for anyone who can’t (or doesn’t) eat dairy. I may be a little wiser now (and not drown myself in chocolate) but I do still love savouring one quality Easter egg a year. This year I’m glad it was this one.

Pop by Hotel Chocolat to browse their selection of Easter Eggs, and to purchase the Milk-Free Milk Chocolate Scrambled Egg.

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Kuriya Keiko: A Masterclass in Sushi

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I love re-creating my favourite dishes at home, but some of them are more intricate than others. Sushi is one of those dishes. The California roll may not be authentic Japanese sushi (not surprisingly) but it is a great lunch staple, especially in the hotter months. In fact in the Summer you’ll find me rolling sushi most evenings, as it’s as healthy as it is tasty. So when Zomato invited me to a sushi-making masterclass at Kuriya Keiko – a Japanese restaurant-come-cookery workshop space in Islington – I was eager to learn more.

We started the evening with a plum wine cocktail (heavenly) and an introduction by Keiko, who told us all about her background as a chef, and her love for sushi. She proceeded to teach us all the best way to prepare sushi rice (1.15 cup of water to 1 rice), before giving us an in-depth tutorial of how to make a California Roll, and an Inside Out Roll – the latter being the more technical of the two. Keiko was vibrant and energetic, offering us words of advice and encouragement as we battled with our rice (key tip: keep your hands wet!). We were given ingredients to place inside the rolls, such as smoked salmon, avocado and ham. Yes, ham! Keiko told us how she loves experimenting with flavours, and I was pleasantly surprised to hear that one of her favourites is Italian ham and olives – certainly not your usual Japanese flavour combo.

After we were all finished with our creations, we were told to tuck in. They always say something tastes better if it’s made by your own hands, and I would have to agree. My sushi tasted so much more tangy and refreshing than any I had made before. It reignited my love for the simple California Roll, and I made a pact that from here on out I would always make it this scrumptious. As we ate, Keiko gave us a presentation on how to make another Japanese favourite – gyoza. Afterwards we were given some freshly made gyoza to try, accompanied by a traditional sake from Kyoto. I love gyoza so much that I actually burnt my mouth as I shovelled in one of the delectable dumplings. The moral of the story? Wait for your food to cool down before you eat it!

Kuriya Keiko often holds cookery workshops and you can get involved at a great price! I would highly recommend it for food lovers, and fans of sushi. Doing it with a friend or group is even more fun too.

We also enjoyed a lovely meal after our masterclass, but that’s another story for another post.
You can read more of my restaurant reviews on Zomato.

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The Bloggers Cake School with Konditor and Cook

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My baking skills have drastically improved in the past few years, although I still have a long way to go. If I had to sum up my baking technique it would be all substance and no style. For all of the delicious cookies I have made, there are a ton of badly decorated cakes. As happy as I am with my technique, I would love to be able to create something beautiful too. So when Nuffnang invited me to a bloggers cake school event with Konditor & Cook, I knew I had to say yes.

We started the evening with a short introduction to Konditor and Cook. One I did not actually need, as I am a regular customer at their stores. Even so it was lovely to hear how passionate the brand is about bringing delicious food to their customers. Laure was our teacher for the evening, and she began by showing us how to create a pipping bag from scratch and how to do some basic piping techniques – among them, hearts and calligraphy. Of course we all got stuck in straightaway, practising on a few biscuits Laure had given us. I tried my hand at creating a gingerbread self-portrait…until I ran out of icing and gave up. I don’t think I did too bad (just look at that pout), but it’s safe to say my fellow bloggers definitely showed me up. Still, I was optimistic about my cake…

The Curly Wurly cake is definitely one of my favourites at Konditor & Cook. I can’t even begin to describe how deliciously chocolatey and indulgent it is. Everyone really must try it! I decided to go for a chic, minimalist design for the top of my Curly Wurly cake, so I went for polka dots (read: I wanted to do the least amount of damage possible)! The final product didn’t turn out too bad, and when I shared it with friends the next day they were all too busy saying how delicious it was to bother with the decoration. Luckily I was saved by K&C’s expert baking!

I had a wonderful time at the first Bloggers Cake School and I left feeling that my decoration skills had certainly improved. Now I just need to get practising at home on my own creations. Luckily I left with Konditor and Cook’s new recipe book Deservedly Legendary Baking, and a few treats to nibble on whilst I plan my next big bake!

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Where to Eat in London: Tombo Japanese Cafè

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Tombo | Casual Japanese Dining | South Kensington | Website

– reservations not available –

If you had told me a few weeks ago that there was a small slice of matcha heaven at the other end of the Piccadilly line I would have laughed in your face. That was until I learnt of Tombo, a casual Japanese dining experience with a strong emphasis on tea.
V.A and I headed to South Kensington on a Saturday afternoon around 2pm. We found the restaurant pretty easily as it’s only a minute walk from the tube station, and is right next door to Exhibition road.  It was quite busy inside, but we were sat straight away – it seemed that we had timed our arrival perfectly. I surprised myself by instinctively replying to our server in Japanese as we were sat. I guess that means I haven’t completely forgotten it.I had already decided prior to our visit what I would be having – the Bonsai tea (genmaicha with matcha) and a Miso Salmon Bento. When our tea arrived it was presented in a traditional Japanese lidless pot and cup, with a thermos of hot water for top-ups. The smell of the tea wafted over us, and I was automatically relaxed. Green tea can be a little bitter for some people, but I find the flavours distinct and refreshing. Our food took took a little while to arrive, but it meant we were able to enjoy our tea properly. When it did arrive my bento came with a large portion of miso salmon, rice and a variety of salads. Japanese salads are my favourite – they’re full of flavour and offer much more in terms of nourishment than their British counterparts. So you can imagine how happy I was when I spotted 4 on my plate. Each one containing a variety of vegetables, some marinated with sauce, others pickled, but all containing authentic Japanese ingredients. This is what I’d been missing since my move back from Tokyo.

We probably spent a good hour eating and chatting, and it was lovely to be offered that luxury and not rushed out of the establishment – as some London restaurants tend to do. The best thing about Japanese food, apart from the taste, is that you can eat a good meal and not feel bloated or stuffed. Of course that meant we had room for pudding too – the matcha sundae I had been waiting for all week long! Tombo’s desserts are one of the main reasons behind their popularity, so I had high expectations. My matcha sundae included matcha ice cream, matcha gateau, azuki paste and oats. My verdict? Absolute heaven! Although really it was the small bites of matcha cake that won me over. They were moist and soft with a potent taste of matcha. I will definitely be ordering the matcha gateau next time!

At the end our bill came to only £23 each! Lovers of Japanese food in London will know this is ridiculously affordable. Will I be back? You couldn’t stop me if you tried!

You can read more of my restaurant reviews on Zomato.
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Where to Eat in London: Rita’s

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Rita’s | Lunch & Dinner | London Fields, Hackney | Website
– reservations available –

Birthday’s can either be ridiculously indulgent, or something you would rather forget about entirely. Clearly, I favour the former. In fact each year I have a ‘birthday week’. It’s not an original concept, but it’s something I like to spoil myself with…because if I can’t do it for my birthday, when can I? My ultimate form of indulgence is food, so in the lead up to my birthday I book myself into several of the best restaurants I have on my ‘to-visit’ list. This year Rita’s was one of them.

Rita’s is a tiny hidden gem in the heart of Hackney, whose subtle pink hues transcend their website into the restaurant itself. I arrived with five friends on a Tuesday evening, after making a reservation several days earlier. The restaurant was quiet and it did get busier during the evening, although it still wasn’t at full capacity. We were seated at the rear of the restaurant, close to the kitchen and bar. Some might say it was the perfect location. I would agree.

Even after several days of examining Rita’s menu, I still found myself unsure of what to have. Everything sounded amazing, and I didn’t want to commit to one dish. So after a cocktail (or two), we all decided to share some sides, and promised that we would allow each other to sample our individual dishes. Our waitress helped me finally decide on the Patty Melt Deluxe (a firm favourite at Rita’s) with a side of fried cheese. The fried cheese was soft with a crunchy outer, and was seasoned well with a mixture of salt and herbs. When my PMD arrived I was a little confused as to how such a casual looking dish could be so popular. That was until I took my first bite. The beef melted almost instantly in my mouth. For someone who so often suffers from food envy, I knew I had made the right decision. The onion marmite and bone marrow butter add a completely new dimension to the American staple. The PMD is decadently greasy and I worried that I wouldn’t be able to finish my meal. Thankfully the salty, crunchy ‘crispy fried crushed potatoes’ helped cleanse my palette, allowing me to go back for more. This would be my last meal request.

Of course we ordered dessert, although again we all had to seriously consider our options. In the end we all went for the Dulce de Leche Beignets…because, who wouldn’t? Mine arrived with a birthday candle, and was presented by the chef himself who proceeded to grate foie gras over top (yes I went for the additional foie gras). The beignets were light and crispy, with a generous helping of dulce de leche. Honestly I could only finish one, so I took the other home for later.

Would I visit again? Of course! Although I know I would go against my ‘try something new’ motto and have the Patty Melt Deluxe again…and again…and again. Granted I would mix it up a little, as I have my eye on the Oreo Pie!You can read more of my restaurant reviews on Zomato.