Up in smoke November 19, 2013 There’s something delightfully decadent about smoking a cigar on a boat, even if it’s moored at the Victoria Embankment. The deck of the HQS Wellington was the venue for the first tasting of importers Hunter and Frankau’s latest UK regional edition Habano cigar, a La Flor de Cano Gran Cano. Attendees were presented with a [...]
The ING Discerning Eye Exhibition 2013 November 19, 2013 Now open to the public at The Mall Galleries in London from 10am until 5pm every day until Sunday 24 November. Admission is free and all works are for sale. The exhibition is a show of small works independently selected by six prominent figures from different areas of the art world: two artists, two collectors [...]
London’s top eight Thanksgiving eateries November 12, 2013 Everyone enjoys chocolate pecan pie – why should the Americans have all the fun? Bodean’s BBQ American restaurants are two-a-penny these days but Bodean’s BBQ was here long before the diner deluge. Now there’s one in Fulham, Clapham, Soho and Tower Hill. Each is offering a three course feast for £22.95. That’s plenty of bang [...]
Mix it up: Stir in a spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down November 12, 2013 @philip_salter Flourishing species ultimately perish, rising civilisations fall in the end, and conquering nations are eventually defeated; but human beings – at least as long as we walk this planet – will always want to get drunk. Though getting inebriated is a constant, the way we imbibe changes over space and time. And, like everything [...]
Comfort curry for cold nights November 12, 2013 Alfred Prasad of Michelin-starred Tamarind, remembers his favourite dish growing up AT 29, Alfred Prasad was the youngest Indian chef to receive a Michelin star. Alfred was born in the central Indian city of Wardha and lived all over the sub-continent during his youth, an experience which expanded his mind to the immense variety and [...]
Dish of the day November 12, 2013 Alfred Prasad’s Methi & Potato Curry Ingredients ■ 4 tbsp vegetable oil ■ 6 cloves ■ 6 cardamoms ■ 2 cinnamon stick ■ 2 large red onions, sliced ■ 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste ■ ½ tsp turmeric powder ■ 1 tsp red chilli powder ■ 500g lamb shoulder, boneless, diced ■ 3 ripe tomatoes, chopped [...]
Wine with oysters? Here are five of the best November 12, 2013 Ranald Macdonald, owner of Boisdale at Canary Wharf, chooses the perfect pairings for his Rock and Native Oysters Bouzeron Aligote 2009 Racy and lemony with plenty of depth and structure, this wine goes down well with the soft texture and gentle flavour of native oysters. Price: £15.40 justerinis.com Blanc de Blancs, Diebolt Vallois This light, [...]
Is Trader Vic’s the worst restaurant in the world? November 5, 2013 TRADER VIC’S Hilton Park Lane, 22 Park Lane, W1K 1BETel: 020 7208 4113 FOOD ★☆☆☆☆ VALUE ★☆☆☆☆ ATMOSPHERE ★☆☆☆☆ Cost for two with booze (but no dessert): £126.50 OK, let’s get this out of the way: Trader Vic’s is awful. Terrible food served in a rudderless, soulless venue for prices that should make you weep bitter tears [...]
Mix it up: Think coffee and beer don’t mix? Well… think again November 5, 2013 @philip_salter AS A general rule, simple solutions trump complex ones. The more variables you bring to bear on a problem, the higher chance you’ll make a mess of things. Take the martini, a perfect solution to near enough any problem. It’s simply gin or vodka and dry vermouth stirred over ice with the addition of an [...]
A hipster’s paradise at 100 Hoxton October 29, 2013 RESTAURANT 100 HOXTON 100-102 Hoxton Street, N1 6SG Tel: 020 7729 1444 FOOD Three stars VALUE Four stars ATMOSPHERE Two stars Cost for two with drinks: £70 OUTSIDE, a young woman draws on a cigarette, her waistline not much thicker than the rim of the spectacles worn by boys who glance at her as they [...]