C'est Macaron!

My good friend Stacey and I recently signed up to take a macaron class at Ganache in East London. Macarons are hot topic at the moment, but to be honest the only ones I've tried were during our trip to Paris last year and sadly, I don't remember overly wowed by them. Still, we were determined to master this delicate and intimidating French treat as they do look really cute and impressive. And of course, they are the namesake for our future bakery cafe! I was hesitant going in.. Whyyy did I insist on Googling 'macaron fails' before I went in..? Those images were burned into my brain. I was convinced it would be a culinary disaster.

Luckily, I was proved wrong. Very wrong. The class ran for about 3 hours and we were given step by step guidance and very helpful tips which I would never have received had I been winging it alone at home. I'm still not 100% converted to the ways of the macaron as the flavour is a bit too delicate for my liking, but I suppose I could tweak this if I get brave enough to try this again in my own kitchen.

Karpo, Kings Cross

Situated in the heart of Kings Cross in the Megaro Hotel, Karpo has caught my eye many a time as I've have been drawn in by the brightly coloured exterior and bustling crowds. Obviously, one can't judge a book by its cover, but it had been on my list of places to try for a long time. I took the plunge and treated a friend and I to a two course lunch with bubbles on a quiet Tuesday afternoon. The interior is unusual but bright and inviting and the staff very welcoming. Definitely recommended.

We enjoyed:

* Maple glazed pork belly, wild garlic & walnuts

* Chilled asparagus soup, spring truffle & brioche

* Roast duck breast, crispy leg, artichoke & pear

* Caramelised halibut, San Marzano tomatoes, basil & olives

Manna, Primrose Hill

Sunday roasts are everywhere over here. Sometimes you just can't walk down a high street without tripping over a blackboard special! But it's always the same old offerings: chicken, pork or beef. Now, I love the idea of Sunday bringing families and friends together over a lovely meal; chicken, pork or beef however, I really do not love.

After doing some research, my bff-fellow-foody-partner-in-crime Anton and I went too Manna in Primrose Hill, after seeing that they offered a seasonal vegan Sunday roast. For starters, we ordered the crisped ravioli filled with wild mushroom & walnut pâté with fennel cream sauce, sundried tomato pesto & balsamic reduction. This was devine, and luckily also available as a main.


And of course, the Sunday nut roast with lentil sauce.

Saf, Shoreditch

I've lived in London for just over a year, some parts of that year were absolutely lovely, and of course some parts were freakishly difficult. One of the highlights, I must say, is the food. I cannot get over how amazing the selection of cuisine is here! It is not difficult to be a vegetarian or a vegan in this city. It is perhaps, more difficult, to be able to afford everything I want to eat though. That being said, it certainly has not stopped me gaining what feels like 10 kilos since I lived in New Zealand.For my first 6 months here, I lived in a warehouse. One night I made over £300 by running coatcheck out of my bedroom during a rave that was on in the front section of my flat. After waking up at 7pm, groggy and a bit dazed, I celebrated by taking my old flatmate Maddy from NZ out to dinner to Saf in Shoreditch.

We ordered mushroom gyozas to share. I had the Rustic Farinata: Slow roasted seasonal vegetables and mushrooms in chickpea crepe topped with a tarragon aioli, while Maddy had the tempeh salad. Absolutely delicious and the cocktails are devine.

Soup on a Houseboat

A while ago, my friend Bernice and I were walking along the canal to Broadway Market when we discovered this little gem. While we were standing around ogling (cos you know how subtle we are), we were invited aboard to wait for our Chai tea.. and even though we were seconds away from the market, we decided to pig out anyway.

We were pretty excited!


B's cake

.. And my lentil soup.

I couldn't decide what bread to get so the lovely woman asked if I would like to try them all. And you know I said hells yes.

Best deal in London thus far

Situated in the heart of Brick Lane, London, my friend Anton and I happened upon an old warehouse with a number of stalls set up inside. You could choose from Japanese, Nepalese.. some others that I didn't take in cos they were meat heavy.. cupcakes, mulled wine.. but what really caught our attention was the vegan/vegetarian stand selling huge plates for only 4 pounds! I think this was an end of day special, but bear in mind it was only around 4.30 when we ate. A delicious meal.. my most satisfying food purchase so far.