YUMMEI

MissChu - Aldgate - London

"You ling, we bling!"

After seeing MissChu's slogan on their little delivery bikes, needless to say I was sold.

The Rooftop Cafe - The Exchange - London Bridge - London

There are very few places in London like The Rooftop Cafe at The Exchange.

Only a handful of places exude such an exclusive atmosphere without the pretentious vibe and extensive price tag.

Even fewer restaurants make you feel so at home that you don't want to leave.

Layla - Wimbledon - London

I have to admit that I rarely venture down to the south side of London.

After living in Central for the past 4 years I have been a little spoilt.

Everything I could possibly dream of eating is within walking distance.

The thought of having to travel more than half an hour anywhere is a struggle.

But everything changed when Layla came knocking on my door.

She beckoned me to come down to visit her in the dirty south, all the way down in Wimbledon.

It's hard to say no to such an invitation when she looks like this...

Thai Thai - Old Street - London

Lately, I've been going through a rough time.

Everything felt like it was going from bad to worse. So, I would hide away in my duvet cave and refuse to come out.

I don't like to feel vulnerable and weak.

Most of all I'd hate people knowing that I was feeling like this.

So, I'd hide away until I was ready to pick myself up.

Of course, I did have some help along the way.

Most of it came in the form of luring me out of my cushioned lair.

First of all, proximity from my cave was key.

The answer? Thai Thai.

It was only a stone throw away from home, so under the cover of darkness I plucked up the courage to venture out.

The Reach Bar and Kitchen - Gallions Reach - London *

January has been a month of post-feasting depression.

It's that time of year where you stare at yourself in the mirror and say to yourself "Dayyym what have I become?!." *cry sulk cry*

We've all been there.

I feel your pain.

I have become a whale too.

I know some of you have already started those New Year's work outs.

Some of you have taken that extra mile and have started your New Year diets.

Good for you. Well done. Kudos.

BUT I've fractured my foot (toe), so til that's healed I'm just going to sit here proudly and show you ALL what you've been missing out on.

Time For Tease - Burlesque Afternoon Tea - Kensal Green - London *

It's no secret that I spend most of my spare time lounging around in dark rooms, smoking cigars wrapped in my Hugh Hefner-esque robe, with sexy model-types hand feeding me steak sandwiches and topping up my glass with whiskey.

So naturally, I was invited to attend Time For Tease, a burlesque afternoon tea party.

The ingenius marriage of refined British afternoon tea with the wit and glamour of burlesque and cabaret.

Come take a cheeky peek into how I spend my afternoons ;]

My Top 10 Favourite Restaurants in London of 2013

Oh 2013, you've given me copious amounts of memories to reminisce about these past few days.

There were highs and lows.

Laughter, heart break and tears.

But there is always that one thing that could spring a smile back on anyone's face, no matter how big that frown is.

What is this sorcery - you ask?

Food!

Glorious food!

So, I had to share with you all a list of my top 10 restaurants in London, in no particular order; of those that I couldn't help but go back to over and over again.

It was an addiction.

An addiction of the sweetest kind.

1. The Meat Company

An African Steakhouse, with the most juiciest steaks in London town. I've almost sampled everything on their menu - that is a testament to how good their food is.

From steaks to hanging kebabs - this is one place that you simply cannot miss out on.

Eat Yourself Young - Simplyhealth & The Underground Cookery School - hosted by Kate Cook - London *

The holidays are only around the corner!

This means engaging in some serious gluttonous behaviour ;]

Ohh yess this is what the holidays are for!

Fortunately before I reached the point of no return with such debauchery, I was rescued by Simplyhealth & The Underground Cookery School; who sat me down for the 'Eat Yourself Young' workshop hosted by the wonderful Kate Cook.

La Farola - Angel - London

Sharing is generally not my forte.

It's not because I'm an asshole.

It's just because I don't eat my food, I inhale it.

So sharing is just dangerous if you dine with me.

Luckily the lovely Vivi from FrostedPearl wasn't aware of this, so I took her for tapas at La Farola in Angel.

I was on my best behaviour :P

Hare and Tortoise - Blackfriars - London

Sometimes you just have to go back to basics.

During my time at uni, there was only one place I could afford to eat at and feel totally satisfied.

So satisfied, that it was inevitable that this event would be proceeded by an afternoon nap.

Nowadays, every time I go back, I am struck with this strong sense of nostalgia. (Probably because it's no longer acceptable to take a nap at 2pm.)

Anyway let me introduce you to my dear old friend; Hare and Tortoise.

The Meat and Wine Co. - Westfield - Shepherd's Bush - London

The surest way to my heart is through a steak.

A badass steak, that is.

Any tiffs & arguments amongst friends and lovers can be resolved with steak.

That is why choosing your steakhouse is so god damn important.

If you get it wrong; you're probably going to end up in the dog house for a week.

This is no joke.

One of my secret weapons comes in the form of The Meat and Wine Co.

The Meat and Wine Co. is a global African Steak house, with it's one and only flagship restaurant in the UK nestled in Westfield - Shepherd's Bush branch - London.

They have their own exclusive line of beef; the Monte Beef brand, which is sourced from only premium breeders of primarily the Angus cattle, whom are carefully reared and grazed on selected farms.

So these are happy pampered cows.

Bone Daddies - Soho - London

When you're heart broken nothing tastes good.

But Bone Daddies really knows how to soothe a wounded soul.

He know's exactly what to do to cheer you up.

A) he blasts classic rock at you, it's so loud that you have to raise your voice to be heard; and it's too loud to even hear yourself think. Perfect.

B) he feeds you a huge, stonking bowl of steaming tonkotsu ramen - everything tastes better when it's bad for you.

C) he takes care of you and offers you the largest bib I've ever laid eyes on; plus hairbands to tie your hair back. So, you can slurp your ramen with ease.

D) Bone Daddies is a restaurant for boisterous and loud friends. No need to throw your chopsticks at that cringey, amorous couple then.

The Dorchester - The Grill - Mayfair - London *

There's something about The Dorchester.

It just oozes that 1930's old school glamour we all secretly love.

As soon as you step foot inside, displays of diamond jewellery twinkle at you behind glass cases, and in the opulent Promenade lobby you will no doubt see a flurry of ladies clad in their Christian Louboutins teetering past, and businessmen gathering amongst the marble pillars and giant floral displays.

The decadence here is unmatched.

Yet despite being unashamedly upper-class, The Dorchester is surprisingly very friendly and welcoming.

Sushi Hiroba - Holborn - London

I hate first dates.

It's always abit awkward.

Choosing the right location that will impress her without trying too hard can be a difficult affair.

Fellas' I feel your pain.

This is a crisis that I normally help tackle for my friends, I would get the usual pained messages throughout the week and typically it's along the lines of:

"Amy, I need your help. I have a date and I have no idea where to take her. Somewhere that looks awesome but doesn't look like I'm trying too hard. Catch my drift? P.s. I don't want to queue - I know how much you like that."

Guys, you have come to the right fairy godmother.

I have just the place in mind, Sushi Hiroba in Holborn.

Why? Because:

A) It's a stunning restaurant, but is totally unpretentious.

B) You don't need to have that awkward silent moment gawping at the menu, thinking "What do I order? What do I order?? There's so much choice Ahhhh...." Here you just sit around the conveyer belt and casually choose whatever dish you fancy. Easy.

C) You can share ;] Ice-breaker bonus!

Shake Shack Vs. Five Guys - Covent Garden - London

Two burger power houses have invaded the UK from the US.

Both trying to compete for glory in the Burger War that has gripped London.

To test which burger had more strength, I needed to go to both burger joints ;]

It's a serious science.

Shake Shack

Originating from a mere hot dog cart in Manhattan, New York back in 2004, ShackShake has taken the US by storm and is now slowly trying to take over the world; one city at a time.

How did ShakeShack fare in London?

For £5.00 I went for the ShackBurger (basically a cheeseburger), plus crinkle cut fries at £2.50 and a caramel frozen custard shake for £4.50.

Armed with my Shake and my Shack Burger I was ready for my experimental testing.

Yummei in TravelSuperMarket's : Londoner's guide to eating in London

Image source: A Londoner's Guide to eating in London

Labels: Bloggers, By Area - Greenwich, By Area - Liverpool Street, By Area - London, By Area - Soho, cheap eats, Eating out in London, Italian, Japanese, Lifestyle, London, Restaurant Review, Travel, TravelSuperMarket

Del'Aziz - Bermondsey - London

Word of advice.

Always follow your gut instincts.

Why?

Because you know it's going to be bad when you walk into a restaurant and instead of being greeted by the staff, they stare at you.

Not only do they stare at you with blank gormless eyes, but they are sat gossiping away and lazily point in the general direction towards the tables.

The next part will make more sense if you understand the layout of the restaurant.

Allow me to break it down.

This is a 5second walk from the door to the right through a wide passage where you are greeted to sumptuous decor, with velvet cushions and the waft of sweet shisha.

Normally, it's common courtesy to wait to be seated, riiiight?

Not in this Del Aziz, waiters look bemused to see loitering, lost customers.

Fortunately one took pity on us, and pointed to some of the tables at the back.

It was 7.30pm on a Friday night, I should have took note that 4 tables of couples was deemed 'busy' and find my own table.

Lesson thoroughly learnt.

Yummei on Travel Supermarket!

Hey guys have you seen my featured post on Travel Supermarket yet?

I have a little feature in their Inside Guide: Eat Out in London For Less post.

Go forth and click me to have a peek over at the article!

Labels: By Area - London, By Area - Soho, cheap eats, eat out in London for less, feature, Guide, inside guide, Japanese, London, Restaurant Review, travel supermarket, Yummei Blog

Koba - Fitzrovia - London

This has been the worst Summer so far.

Normally by now I'm frolicking around half naked and attending more barbecues than I can count.

It's now mid-June and I have barely gone to one.

This is an outrage on so many levels.

Luckily for you, I've got many alternatives; so we can have gourmet BBQ's together :P

One of my go-to favourite Korean BBQ Restaurant's is Koba.

He's located in Fitzrovia, hidden just off Tottenham Court Road.

Koba, isn't the largest restaurant but the high ceilings give it an airy/relaxing atmosphere.

So you can gaze up to the sky and shake your fist at the rain clouds.

Sushinho - Liverpool Street - London

I shudder when I see the words 'fusion' and 'Asian' used together in the same sentence.

Normally the outcome is rather...alien.

So, when Sushinho opened up another branch in Liverpool Street, London. (The original restaurant is in Kings Road, London)

I was apprehensive at first.

Brazilian/Japanese sushi...

Hmmm could it work? Or will it force me to have a tantrum?

When it comes what I put in my mouth... I'm normally a traditionalist. ;]

YUMMEI

24/11/2014

MissChu - Aldgate - London

30/03/2014

The Rooftop Cafe - The Exchange - London Bridge - London

13/03/2014

Layla - Wimbledon - London

10/02/2014

Thai Thai - Old Street - London

18/01/2014

The Reach Bar and Kitchen - Gallions Reach - London *

07/01/2014

Time For Tease - Burlesque Afternoon Tea - Kensal Green - London *

06/01/2014

My Top 10 Favourite Restaurants in London of 2013

16/12/2013

Eat Yourself Young - Simplyhealth & The Underground Cookery School - hosted by Kate Cook - London *

01/12/2013

La Farola - Angel - London

17/11/2013

Hare and Tortoise - Blackfriars - London

06/11/2013

The Meat and Wine Co. - Westfield - Shepherd's Bush - London

24/09/2013

Bone Daddies - Soho - London

02/09/2013

The Dorchester - The Grill - Mayfair - London *

18/08/2013

Sushi Hiroba - Holborn - London

05/08/2013

Shake Shack Vs. Five Guys - Covent Garden - London

23/07/2013

Yummei in TravelSuperMarket's : Londoner's guide to eating in London

30/06/2013

Del'Aziz - Bermondsey - London

27/06/2013

Yummei on Travel Supermarket!

19/06/2013

Koba - Fitzrovia - London

20/05/2013

Sushinho - Liverpool Street - London