Some history of food for you...

Hello, hello!!

It's been a long time. I have been very busy lately. Finished my MSc degree, yay! I'll most definitely have more time to spend on this blog in very near future. For the moment, I wanted to share a documentary I watched recently with you.

It is 3 part series documentary presented by Clarissa Dickson Wright, British chef, TV personality and former barrister. In the film Clarissa reveals the origins and development of breakfast, lunch and dinner throughout Britain's history. A truly fantastic documentary that showcases the various influences, political, economical, social, gender, etc. on the evolution of food.

The series were aired on BBC Four in November, 2012 and now are available on Youtube.

Part 1: Clarissa Dickson Wright explores the history of breakfast and its best-known ingredients.

Part 2: Clarissa Dickson Wright reveals the origins and development of the British lunch.

Part 3: Clarissa Dickson Wright reveals the origins and customs of the British dinner.

Enjoy and as always, to health and happiness!

To Eat List: London Restaurants

I finally compiled a list of all the restaurants/cafes I want to check out in London. I'm afraid it's a long list but I'm very excited to cross things off of this list. I am a list maker and take immense pleasure in crossing things off my list. So here we go. Here is the list:

Restaurants:

• Buddha Bar (Asian fusion)
• Sri Thong (Thai) Review
• Mudmee (Thai) Review to come
• Naru (Korean) Review to come
• Tohbang (Korean)
• Viet-Anh Cafe (Vietnamese) 
• Loong Kee (Vietnamese)  Review to come
• Wan Chai Corner (Dim sum - Chinese)
• Yum Cha (Dim sum - Chinese)
• Jade Garden (Chinese)
• Nagomi (Japanese) Review to come
• Jin Kichi (Japanese) Review to come
• Koya (Udon - Japanese)
• Sushi Waka (Japanese) Review to come
• Ittenbari (Ramen - Japanese) Review to come
• Toku (Japanese) 
• Akari (Japanese)
• Roka (Japanese) 
• Kirazu (Japanese)
• Misato (Japanese) Review to come
• Shimogamo (Japanese) Review to come
• Abeno Too (Okonomiyaki - Japanese)
• Sushi Samba (Japanese - Brazilian)
• New Market House (Brazilian) Review to come
• Damascu Bite (Mediterranean) 
• Sarastro (Mediterranean)
• Ottolenghi (Mediterranean)
• Nipo (Mediterranean - Asian) Review to come
• Olives and Fig (Turkish)
• Aspendos (Turkish) Review to come
• Dishoom (Indian)
• Sagar (Indian) Review to come
• Namaste (Indian)
• Karai Pot (Indian) Review to come
• Bogayo (Moroccan) Review to come
• The Queen of Sheba (Ethiopian)
• Muya (Ethiopian)
• Menelik (Ethiopian)
• Addis Restaurant & Bar (Ethiopian)
• Burger & Lobster (North American)
• Patty & Bun (Burger)
• Hush (Contemporary European) 
• Bierschenke (German)
• Jamon Jamon (Spanish - Tapas)
• Cicchetti (Italian)
• Story Deli (Pizza)
• Kensington Creperie (French)
• My Old Dutch Pancake (Dutch) Review to come
• Duck & Waffle
• Terrois Wine Bar & Restaurant
• Luxe (British Brasserie) Review
• Simpson's Tavern Chophouse (British)
• St. John Restaurant (British)
• Rock & Sole Plaice (Fish & Chips)
• Goose and Crown (Pub)
• The Island Queen (Pub)
• Duke of Cambridge (Organic pub)
• The Lord Stanley (Pub)
• Pembroke Castle (Pub)
• Jazz Cafe (Club)
• ScooterCaffe (Cafe)
• Breakfast Club (Cafe) Review

To be continued... 

H & H

Review: The Luxe

I have been to Luxe twice and it's now time for a review. 

The restaurant is located in buzzing Spitalfields Market and looks rustic yet modern and inviting. One look at the menu and your mouth will start watering. The food sounds delicious and the smoothies and juices sound nutritious and refreshing. The first time I went to the restaurant I got the veggie burger which was panko (Japanese - essentially breadcrumbs) and aubergine with chillies. I enjoyed it. It was a nice thick piece of aubergine, juicy and full of flavour and went nicely with the chillies. 

 My friends went with burgers

Below is the Luxe burger. Look how mouth-watering that egg looks! I couldn't take my eyes off of it. 

And here is my friend's sandwich. He liked it. I can't remember what was in it though. 

While leaving the restaurant after my first visit I remember how much I looked forward to returning and trying the other foods on the menu. I have to say though that I was disappointed that the restaurant charged us for regular water, not good! So yesterday when I went back I decided to get my money's worth and order a juice instead of water and try one of the unique entrees. I went with the cleanser juice, apple, lime and carrot and macaroni and cheese with haddock and poached egg. How delicious does that sound? This is how it looked

I didn't think it would come like this in a bowl, with haddock mixed into the macaroni and cheese and  one poached egg on top. I thought each item would come separately on one big plate. Regardless, the food looked delicious at one glance. As for the taste, let's just say I was deeply disappointed. Yes, it was creamy and the macaronis were nicely cooked, but the taste was really lacking. I had to add salt and pepper to the meal to get some flavour in it. What was it? Was the cheese flavourless? I'm not sure. I even tried it with mustard, fail! That said, the egg was nicely poached and I enjoyed its golden creaminess. 

My friends went with meat stew, as you see below, which was in the words of my friend was delicious but salty. I tried it and in my opinion the bigger problem was with the meat. It came apart nicely but strangely enough it was quite dry. 

Another friend went with chicken and rosemaries. She was very pleased with it. It was surely fragrant as I could smell the rosemary from my seat. 

This is the chicken burger. Again, my friend was pleased with it. 

Per my recommendation, one friend went with the veggie burger. Unfortunately, she did not find it tasteful and left her and I disappointed. 

Finally, my friend who joined us later for lunch went with scrambled eggs and salmon. I didn't taste the salmon and can't comment, but the scrambled eggs weren't quite fluffy, but rather rubbery. It wasn't that bad though.

As for the chips, did they forget the seasoning? I added my own salt and pepper. Also, eat your chips soon, because if it sits for a bit it'll get stiff and rubbery. Unfortunate.

Now to the juices, my friends were very pleased. One went with raspberry, another with Ginger Zinger and another with cooler which was cucumber, ginger and apple. She didn't like it. She thought it was like grass. Granted it was probably nutritious. I switched mine with her and would agree that the cooler juice wasn't particularly appetising. 

We finished our meals with fresh mint tea. I really enjoy this tea here in London. It's basically hot water  + fresh mint leaves. Can't go wrong with this, can you? 

The restaurant has a lovely atmosphere. I love the large windows and the light that comes through them. The seating arrangement and decor are also comforting.

The service is quick and respectful. The lady who welcomed my group was particularly warm and inviting.

Perhaps it's worth checking out the other sections of the restaurant. There is a bar and sometimes they have DJs and live music. I may go back for that, but will definitely not return for the food. What a shame. This restaurant can be so much better. 

The Luxe

109 Commercial St, E1 6BG

http://www.theluxe.co.uk/

As always, friends, to health and happiness.

Thank you.

I am very lucky that kind and thoughtful people always walk into my life. 

Earlier today my friend, Halim texted me to see if I wanted to join him for Turkish food. I wanted to go, but had to decline. I have no money. London is expensive, but that's no excuse. I must admit that I spent the little money I had on ballet, musicals and good food. These are worthy causes, but perhaps not for a student in my shoes. Anyways, this evening my friend Halim and Junichi came by my door after their dinner to give me baklavas. I am deeply touched. These two wonderful men are incredibly sweet, just like the baklavas. I can't start naming all the amazing people in my life, because the list would be too long and regrettably I'll probably forget some of the names. But I can say one thing and that is that I am grateful for each and everyone of you lovely people who thought of me, gave me words of encouragement, gave me a hug when I needed it and made me smile with your beautiful faces. You are all too kind.

Alright, now that I got that off of my chest, I'm off to enjoy my baklava with my favourite tea, Fort Mason by Fortnum & Mason. 

To health and happiness, as always. 

Review: Beigel Bake

Beigel Bake on Brick Lane is there for you when your heart desires some delicious meat beigel. It's open 24/7! I went there with friends after the New Years Eve fireworks. Though I avoid red meat I was determined to try out the salted beef at Beigel Bake. I was curious to see if it compared to the amazing Schwartz's smoked meat in Montreal seen below:

 

As usual the bakery was busy, but the line-up moved very fast. We quickly had our salted meat beigel in our hands.

The beigel was fresh and more spongy than doughy. The meat portion was generous. It was soft and succulent. There was a lot of fat bits in it, but hey, that's what makes the meat so moist and juicy. 

So does Beigel Bake compare to my beloved Schwartz's? Truth be told, no. The Schwartz's meat is simply divine. It's so moist that it'll melt in your mouth. That said, Beigel Bake comes to a close second.  The meat beigel is delicious and I highly recommend it. There is also something special and fun about eating a meat beigel at 2 in the morning. You can't beat that, can you?

Beigel Bake offers several other options besides the beef. On the menu you'll find chicken and fish as well. There are also some inviting desserts, muffins, brownies, croissants, etc.

As always, to health and happiness folks! 

Review: Sri Thong

I had been meaning to try Sri Thong for a while now. I finally got a group and went there this evening. From the exterior the restaurant looks chic, relaxing and inviting. The interior is modern, spacious and delicate. I loved the rose on each table. It was a nice touch. Each table also came with a complementary rice crisp basket. 

We started with appetisers, duck spring rolls, as recommended by our server and chilli squid. 

Duck Spring Rolls: Shredded duck with glass noodles and crunchy vegetables wrapped in wanton pastry and deep fried 

Chilli squid: Squid with a light tempura deep fried and tossed in the wok with fresh chilli and crisped garlic

The duck spring rolls were crispy on the outside and soft and flavourful on the inside. The sweetness of the noodles was pleasant and went well with the savoury shredded duck. The chilli squids were definitely the star. They were meaty and soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. They went very well with the chilli and crisped garlic. Both spring rolls and squids were cooked to perfection, just golden, not undercooked or overcooked. Loved it.

As for the entrees we went with the following: 

Yum Spinach: Deep fried spinach and stir fried fine beans with a topping of cracked cashew nuts, Penang red curry and coconut milk

This was my friend's entree and she did not like it. I also tasted it and agree with her. There was too much peanut and the sauce was too sweet. The most strange thing was the spinach tempura. It was very thick and dry, thicker and drier than potato crisps. The texture was unpleasant and difficult to chew. 

Pud Thai: Noodles stir fried with prawns, egg, beansprouts and a tamarind sauce

Another friend ordered this Pud Thai. Pud Thai tends to be a safe dish at Thai restaurants. Most of them get it right. This Pud Thai was certainly a good choice. The sweetness was just right and the noodles were not overcooked. The veggies were also pleasantly cooked such that you could feel the texture. The prawns were also juicy and flavourful. Overall, an excellent choice at Sri Thong.

Singapore vegetable noodles: Vermicelli rice noodles wok fried with toasted cumin, broccoli, beansprouts and fresh chilli

Another friend went with vegetarian noodles. It was a good choice for him as he is not adventurous when it comes to different cuisines. He enjoyed these noodles but preferred the veggies to be more cooked. 

Tom Yum Goong: Spicy soup with prawns, kaffir leaves, galangal root and lemon grass

My friend went with this soup and loved it. He thought that the heat of the chilli was well-balanced with the savouriness of the prawns and the stock. I tasted the stock and found it to be rich and full of flavour. 

And finally, on to my entree, I had green curry with chicken and jasmine rice.

Gang Kiew Gai: Chicken simmered in a green curry with coconut milk, bamboo shoots and aubergine

Kao Suai: Steamed Thai Jasmine rice

The curry was fragrant with coconut and basil. That was the first thing I noticed about it. It was rich, comforting and creamy. The chicken breast was juicy. The heat was well-balanced. What I loved the most about this dish were the veggies. They were cooked just right, not undercooked or overcooked. I enjoyed their crunchy texture. As for the rice, it was nicely cooked, except that it lacked the fragrance of jasmine though the rice was fragrant on its own.

The service was excellent. Our server was welcoming, attentive and helpful with food recommendations. A gentleman who appeared to be the owner or manager walked us to the door upon our depature. That's a very nice gesture. Overall, I am very pleased with my experience at Sri Thong and do highly recommend it. It's good food, good atmosphere and good service. 

Sri Thong 

1 Widegate St

London E1 7ES

(Near Liverpool Stn)

www.srithong.co.uk

The restaurant also has another branch, called Sri Suwoon near Victoria Stn, see www.srisuwoon.co.uk for details. 

H & H

Review: The Breakfast Club

Today, I went to the Breakfast Club with a couple of friends. We had the option of ordering from the brunch menu or the lunch menu. They serve brunch until 5 pm. How fantastic is that! We went with the brunch menu. I went with Veggie All American and my friends went with The Full Monty and When Haloumi Met Salad Wrap. 

Veggie All American - pancakes, eggs, veggie sausage, mushrooms, home-style fried potatoes and maple syrup 

The Full Monty - bacon, sausage, black pudding, eggs, home-style fried potatoes, mushrooms, beans, grilled tomato and toasted multigrain bloomer

When Haloumi Met Salad Wrap - grilled haloumi, sunblush tomatoes, houmous, spinach, balsamic reduction in a warm tortilla wrap

My friends enjoyed their meals a lot. As for my entree, here are my thoughts: 

The fried potatoes were nicely cooked, soft and creamy, but were not flavourful. The mushroom (not mushrooms as described in the menu) was juicy, thick and flavourful. Loved it. The eggs were fried perfectly. The veggie sausage was delicious. It was creamy and soft inside and crispy on the outside. I forgot to ask the server about what exactly was in the sausage, cheddar perhaps? 

I was disappointed with the pancakes that I ate with a little bit of maple and agave syrup. The pancakes were not fluffy but rather thick and doughy. The pancake was heavy and cutting it felt like cutting steak. 

As for the drinks, I went with black coffee and and my friends went with flat white and camomile tea.

I love the "I <3 BC" label. To me, it means "I <3 British Columbia." :D Unfortunately, my cup had hair in it. The server replaced my coffee and apologised. I'm OK with it. I got an apology and these things happen sometimes. 

The service was quick and the servers were courteous. I enjoyed the relaxed vibe and the groovy music as well. The decor was unique and nostalgic. It brought back some nice childhood memories, especially the SEGA and old school TV. 

Overall, the food was comforting and the atmosphere was welcoming. I do recommend The Breakfast Club. It's an excellent place for a lazy Sunday brunch. There are five locations and I went to the one at Spitalfields. 

http://www.thebreakfastclubcafes.com/

To health and happiness and comforting fried eggs :)