Tag Archives: london

May 12 2012
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Assorted Malarky, Eat

Lemon Orange Rosemary Almond Cake

There’s nothing better than a wander up the King’s Road (or, a cycle, if I feel like taking my life in my handlebars) on a sunny Saturday morning. It helps when there’s an epicurian final destination. In this case, it’s the Duke of York square farmer’s market. In addition to the incredible wild boar tortelloni made by La Tua, there’s a splendid array of sweet palate pleasers. The above cake, with its rosemary infusion, was a nice change of pace from the standard lemon cake we’ve all tried before.

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Apr 26 2012
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Assorted Malarky

Review: Newsrevue

The tiny stage - I was seated front and centre

Last weekend, upon deciding to have a quiet night with a few friends, I went to see the Newsrevue up in Little Venice, London.

Touted as the ‘world’s longest running live comedy show’ the Newsrevue is a super fast paced sketch show based on the media’s headlines of the week. The act takes place in the tiny Canal Cafe Theatre, located along the canals just north of Notting Hill.

Not knowing quite what to expect, we purchased a few bottles of wine and went to our table. Almost immediately (we were running late), the lights dropped and the show started with a musical number poking fun at some of London’s headlines. Two men and two women owned the stage, with the support of one pianist in the background.

The show was great – the fast pace meant that just as the audience was recovering from laughter of one joke or skit, the lights would drop and almost instantaneously come up again with another skit ready to break into action. The humour was profane and they definitely weren’t trying to remain politically correct, with religious and political jabs framing much of the content. In this age of PC obsessiveness, it was refreshing to hear some frank and brutally honest material.

If you’re looking for a quirky way to spend a weekend evening, definitely check out this place. The Newsrevue changes every week, allowing audiences to return over and over again. And I definitely will.

The small audience pit

The small audience pit

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Apr 23 2012
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Assorted Malarky

Bloomin’ Trees

Do you ever find yourself beneath the shade of a blooming tree? Well, I did. Here’s what I saw.

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Apr 21 2012
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Assorted Malarky

Twisted Sister

I spotted this tree and found it rather an unusual shape – naturally, snapped the photo. Enjoy.

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Apr 20 2012
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Imbibe

Fruit Virtue

Lately I’ve had the urge to live a bit more virtuously – for me, this involves including more fruits and vegetables in my life. We’re not moving mountains here.

Anyway, I’ve started fetching fresh juices from my local fruit monger. Not usually one for vegetables-as-juice, I’ve been opting for the carrot, beetroot, ginger, apple, orange…and I must admit, it is delightful.

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Apr 19 2012
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Assorted Malarky

Light in the Rain


Between the endless rainstorms here in London, the sun came out for a brief moment. I ran to Hyde Park in an attempt to absorb as much Vitamin D as possible. Found these flowers – they gave my day an extra shot of delight.

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Apr 18 2012
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Assorted Malarky

No Ugly Ducking

…because I just cannot get enough of the swans in Hyde Park this year.

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Apr 17 2012
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Eat

La Bodega Negra

La Bodega Negra - the cafe

I recently had dinner at La Bodega Negra, opting for the more casual, reservation-free cafe instead of its cloak and dagger sister restaurant of the same name (located around the corner and through the entrance of a Soho sex shop). It should be mentioned here that the owners are the same guys who opened La Esquina in New York – a similarly stealthy underground location.

Ever the keen bean, I arrived earlier than those joining me and after a long day at work, went straight to the cocktail menu. They had a small selection of tequila drinks – nothing too outrageous but appealing nonetheless. I ordered the Pepino (tequila, cucumber, jalapeño and lime) and guzzled it all too quickly.

On the food front, we ordered a few basics to share – some tacos, guacamole, huevos rancheros (I order this whenever it is on a menu) and the Mexican truffle quesadilla. I must admit the huevos were just okay – something about the small tortilla, tiny portion of black beans and two eggs on a massive plate felt bare and flavourless. The quesadilla, on the other hand, was well seasoned and my top pick for the night. On a whim, we also ordered the heart of palm salad with added grilled chicken and it was pretty fantastic. The chicken was grilled in a spicy tomato sauce and served as a generous portion on the bed of greens. For the healthier pick, it was a surprise hit with our table.

Sad looking huevos rancheros

Final feeling? The café has a great atmosphere (the soundtrack added a great vibe) and all the things you might want out of a casual meal. But the next time I’m looking for Mexican that’ll blow my socks off, I think I’ll head around the corner to the more formal restaurant.

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Apr 16 2012
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Eat

Giddy Up!

Having – for some inexplicable reason – the notion that the Riding House Café (London) would be a small restaurant with uncomfortable orange upholstered chairs and a lacklustre menu of British heritage food, I was pleasantly surprised to find out it was exactly the opposite.

Orange Banquettes - squirrel sconces decorated the panelled walls. Photo Credit: Camden Hauge

Well, the leather banquettes were orange but alas, they were suitably comfortable for a lazy Sunday morning brunch. The large restaurant feels lively but not loud and lends itself well to a catch up with friends you have not seen in a while. Service was prompt and the maitre d’ atttentive (he tested each seat and place setting to make sure everything was in the right position before ushering new customers to the table).

Avocado Toast and Baked Beans - an unlikely combo, delicious nonetheless. Photo Credit: Camden Hauge

The menu offered some of my top picks – from the healthier Bircher muesli and avocado toast to the more traditional full English and eggs benedict. Where it diverged was with some interesting combinations including chilled grapefruit with ginger sugar and mint and the heartier chorizo hash browns.  I went with the Bircher and it did not disappoint. The shaved apple and shredded coconut combined with the oats, milk and other seeds made for a sweet treat that kept me full all day. Next time, I’ll go for a more stick-to-the-ribs meal of eggs and bacon.

Verdict: A brunch spot where one can eat virtuously or rapaciously is a place I will continue to visit over and over again.  And you should too.

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Mar 17 2012
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Assorted Malarky, Imbibe

Serpentine Sunday

My flatmate and I set out on our Boris Bikes (more formally, Barclays Bikes)  in search of a sunny patch of park to enjoy the sunshine and a bottle of wine. Instead, we ended up in the Serpentine Bar & Kitchen.

Never having experienced a good meal in a restaurant associated with a tourist landmark, such as the Serpentine in Hyde Park, I was quite wary when I agreed to eat here. Met with what one might call a daytime bouncer on the door, we queued outside for a few minutes before they allowed us in to find a table. Worried (we must not forget my anxiety in crowds) that the outdoor terrace would be a nightmare, crawling with tourists and screaming babies, I walked outside and easily found a table overlooking the lovely view. So far, so good. (a few tourists, a few kids, but hey – it’s expected)

My flatmate ordered a pizza and I decided on a liquid lunch of wine (meal of champions). Although the wait was rather long, the pizza arrived with a surprisingly thin crust and a bubbling cheesy surface. In London, a rare find.

We were left to our own devices from there and enjoyed the table, the sunshine and the view for the entire afternoon.

BONUS? There was a rent-a-cop circulating the terrace advising us to keep our mobiles in our bags and our eyes on our purses. I found this oddly charming.

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