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Food

Oree

January 18, 2017

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Want to go to a cute little boulangerie/café in France? Go no further than Oree. This little slice of crack for sugar addicts, such as myself, popped up on Fulham road mid 2016 and has been busy since. Serving fresh baked everything at a reasonable price, it’s now my one stop shop for fresh bread and desserts galore.

Surrounded by C-Press Juice and Lomax gym, Oree knows their audience and caters for intolerances and the healthy eating habits of the Chelsea set. However, you do need to walk past their delicious display of treats in order to get to the café. You win some you lose some.

They have eggs benedict on the menu, so I obviously ordered that. What I wasn’t expecting was how amazing it was. They use Japanese Mie instead of the traditional English muffin and what a fantastic addition. Instead of traditional ham, they use Iberian cured ham, which I didn’t love but I can see why some people would.

To balance it out (and honestly, to fit in a little) I also ordered a green juice, which, although green, didn’t taste like grass. Yay!

I have picked up dessert for dinner parties several times here and can vouch for pretty much everything (New Years diet starts now!). My personal favorites are the lemon tart and the mille feuille but I have also eaten the giant gold cake profiterole thingy and it didn’t disappoint.

What to wear: I showed up post gym in lululemon and a ponytail, but most people are parisian chic in minimal makeup and oversized sweaters.

Oree

275-277 Fulham Road

Chelsea, London, SW10 9PZ

0203 813 972

Food, Uncategorized

Chicama

January 11, 2017

Stephanie

Chicima, located in World’s End, Chelsea, is the little sister to Peruvian powerhouse Pachamama. Peruvian food has been super popular lately and having been to Pachcmama, Chotto Matte and Coya as well as actually going to Peru last year, I can say the Peruvian food in London is second to none.

Chicama is really good, as long as you like seafood and veggies. You aren’t coming here for variety, but the options they do have are delicious. I went with my friend Michelle because she’d been raving about it for weeks. We went on a Monday so the vibe wasn’t amazing, but she assured me that later in the week, it has a cool atmosphere.

It’s tapas style so we shared several starters and then a main fish, and honestly, we probably didn’t need the fish. The starter portions are really decent. We began with the tapioca marshmallows, which were good, but I didn’t love the texture (I’ve always hated tapioca).

However, next up were the courgette and cornmeal beignets and I highly recommend them. Sooooo tasty and the sauces were on point.

We moved on to the ceviche, which is classic Peruvian. The salmon could have been a main meal on it’s own as it included quinoa. It was really good and I definitely ate more than my fair share.

The tuna wasn’t so much ceviche (i.e, not chunks with onion) but thin slices topped with jalapeno and accompaniments. It was also really good and not too fishy which is usually my main complaint with ceviche.

They do a really good job with veggies because it’s basically all they serve. The roasted cauliflower was a highlight for me. It’s the vegetable du jour so I do feel it’s been played out a little, but the addition of almonds and a yogurt sauce was tasty.

The other vegetable I would say is a must is the aubergine. Again, this has been done a lot but the miso sauce was really good.

By the time we got to the fish we were stuffed, but honestly, it was nothing to write home about. However, the sides were fantastic. Michelle was obsessed with the black rice, which was good, but she kind of hyped it up too much.

The charred sweet potato was also really good but I could barely have a bite after all the food.

Chicama has the potential to be a great light dinner with the girls if you don’t over order. But, on the same note, if you’re looking for something hearty, this isn’t the place for you either.

What to wear: I was dripping in fur because it was cold and I was being dramatic.

Chicama
383 King’s Road
SW10 0LP,
London

020 3874 2000

Food

Blakes Hotel

January 5, 2017

Stephanie

Chelsea is back and it’s all thanks to Blakes Hotel. The newly refurbished dining room is the new place to be along with the underground (literally) bar that you would never know was there unless someone told you. You’re welcome.

The art deco look is all part of the hotel’s boutique feel. It’s dark, sexy and there’s even a room you can stay in that Mickey Rourke trashed and Blakes has preserved so you can feel like a Hollywood insider. Downstairs is exclusive but not up themselves, they don’t do lines and chatter is spreading. This is the new Chiltern.

Armed with a great atmosphere and an amazing menu, Blakes restaurant is a Mediterranean inspired party in your mouth. We went with a pregnant friend of ours and they were totally accommodating. The staff are attentive and so confident in the dishes they recommend that our waiter offered to pay for my meal if I didn’t like it.

We started off with a complimentary artichoke dish with truffle mayo that was incredible. I’ve had artichoke once before and I thought I hated it. Turns out, I just hadn’t had it done right.

We shared several starters because it was difficult to choose just one. The burrata was fresh and served with a variety of tomatoes.

However, my favorite bite of the night had to be the truffle ravioli. Simple, yet so delicious. Screw summer, truffle season is my favorite time of the year.

I chose the main recommended by our waiter because he was so confident and declared it was the best thing on the menu (plus, as I said before, it was free if I didn’t like it). The Charcoal Grilled Pulma Belltoa Iberico, which is a fancy way of saying it’s a great pork steak, came with a generous side of kale and pardon peppers. Tender and filling, it was the second best thing I had after the truffle pasta, because, truffle.

The rest of my party were all equally pleased with their selections which included the Lobster Paccheri Pasta and the Sole.

I will tell you where this is on one condition, do not clog up all their reservations – and you will need one. They don’t do clipboards so don’t show up unless you book ahead or you’ll be disappointed. This is my new local and I don’t want to have to wait to get a table.

Blakes

33 Roland Gardens

London

SW7 3PF

What to wear: Giltteratti is everywhere, so dress accordingly if you want to fit in.

Who you’ll see: A celeb nobody is paying attention to because everyone there is chill.

Food

Disfrutar Barcelona

November 22, 2016

Stephanie

You may not always associate Spain with some of the best chefs in the world as that title is usually associated with the French. However, the Spanish specialize in something truly unique: molecular cooking. A sort of culinary science experiment, expect things to look, taste and feel different than you would imagine.

So, on a recent trip to Barcelona when we heard about the recently opened and award winning Disfrutar (Spanish for enjoy) we knew we needed to stop by. Started by three chefs who trained at elBulli and later opened their first restaurant Compartir in 2012, Disfrutar is a no fuss approach to truly creative food.

From the clay tiles to the underwater feel in the bathrooms, the Michelin-starred restaurant is meant to reflect the Mediterranean. The food does as well, with a menu dominated by fish. Come hungry because Disfrutar only offers a choice of tasting menus, grand or regular, classic or ‘festival’.

We chose the grand and proceeded to eat for several hours.

Foie Gras

Below are a selection of food photos. My favourite dish was the carb free ‘mac and cheese’ which was made with a jelly pasta and cream sauce. None of that pesky wheat, but enough cheese to clog even the largest of arteries.

This was actually tied with the deep fried runny egg which would probably be my perfect meal combined with bacon.

There was even a green juice. I didn’t choose this basic life, it chose me.

The below was tough for me to eat because I hate eating things when they look like they did when they were alive.

Cotton candy on a cotton tree (4 of the cotton balls were edible).

Chocolate filled chilies.

Pigeon.

You had to rinse your hand with whiskey before the rabbit broth chilled with a pressure frozen, perfectly clear ice cube.

Those little dangle things above are actually pasta.

The below was a bit fishy for my tastes and quite difficult to eat while keeping hold of your dignity.

The below was a kind of dry gazpacho.

Giant corn with avocado on a cracker.

Freeze dried beets. These were sweet and reminded me of special k red berries (in a good way).

The tiny fishes on this dish reminded me of several meals we had in Japan. This baby fish is salty and a bit creepy, so I suggest eating with your eyes closed (see my Japan food guide here).

Barcelona has such a rich foodie culture and a welcoming atmosphere. I’d highly recommend it if you are looking to travel with your stomach in mind.

Disfrutar

Barcelona

http://en.disfrutarbarcelona.com

Food, Unsolicited Advice

Everything You Could Ever Want to Know About Sake

November 15, 2016

Stephanie

Guys, I’m obsessed with Japan (if you didn’t know that you can read about it here and here) so, WSET (Wine & Spirit Educational Trust) invited me to do their Sake level 1 course, but I’m an idiot and got the day mixed up. I’m so upset. I was so excited to learn about this (gluten free bitches!) Japanese Rice Wine.

When I went to Japan, you could get sake in a can like you can get beer in London. It was so so incredible. While I wasn’t able to do that actual course, WSET was kind enough to show me the course materials and I learned soooooo much in such a short time:

Sake is impossible to make without a special mold called Koji. They let the mold coat a portion of steamed white rice and then add the mold to water and yeast. The mold turns starch to sugar and the yeast eats the sugar and farts out co2. Then boom! Alcohol! Yeast is the answer to all alcohol. Without it, wine, beer, and other wobbly pops would just be different varieties of rotten food.
Koji is a science. Do not try and grow your own on some old take away and brew your own sake. It will probably kill you.
There are different kinds of premium Sake. The variations have to do with how much the rice is polished before it’s steamed and that is regulated by Japanese law. The best is 50% or less polishing ratio and called junmai daiginjo.

Sake should be consumed young. YOLO peeps, drink the dranks while they’re fresh. A special occasion is that you woke up today literate enough to read this blog and have enough money to own a device you can read it on. That’s better off than most of the planet. Celebrate!

But, if you have adult responsibilities (Sake is typically 15-17% alcohol) and can’t down a whole bottle on a whim, Sake will keep in your fridge for about a week. For reference, drinking bottle after bottle of sake in Tokyo will cause you to have a phone full of pictures like this in the morning:

Store it upright and away from light (side note: olive oil is also damaged by light and should be optimally stored in cans).

So, if you’re serious about sake, you can take the next WSET course in March (which I will hopefully get my shit together and go to) or if you want to fancy yourself a connoisseur of any other tipple, check out their course offerings: https://www.wsetglobal.com/wset-school-london/

Two places I recommend in London to have some sake and sushi:

Roka

Sexy Fish

Food

Sexy Fish London

November 8, 2016

Stephanie

Sexy Fish. Not two things you usually associate with each other, but when you have a look at the amazing interior, I can see why they chose the name. I’m not usually into hype and there’s been no shortage for Sexy Fish but the Japanese restaurant pretty much lives up to it.

And yes, I know it’s annoying to have to book a month ahead of time. I actually had a reservation when Sexy Fish first opened but had to cancel. However, this Saturday, we just walked right in and sat at one of the high tables near the bar for lunch. TIP! You can also go by 6pm during the week before all the hedge funds let out and try to get a seat at the bar and you’d probably do well.

Anyway, the atmosphere and service were fantastic. This restaurant has style. From the paper fish lighting, to the art deco feel and the oldies music playing, walking into Sexy Fish immediately made me forget all the passive aggressive honking going on outside.

We ordered a range of food from their menu and, although primarily a Japanese fish restaurant, there are items on the menu for picky eaters including chicken salad and sticky pork ribs.

BEWARE: this restaurant is not cheap. In fact, it’s really expensive, but we knew that going in. So, now that that’s out of the way, onto the food!

We started with the Wagyu and Truffle Gunkan which, at £7/piece, you really need to savor. It was absolutely delicious though and easily my favorite dish we had.

The Yellowtail Sashimi was good but unremarkable, as was the sushi. Great quality fish, but there wasn’t anything that special about it.

The prawn gyoza was crazy hot. Might want to let it sit for a few minutes before you tuck in or risk burning off all of your taste buds.

The salt and pepper squid was pretty good. I loved the sauce, but the lime it was served with was super dry.

I highly recommend the beef skewers. They came with some asparagus and were very tender. Had we known that, we may not have ordered the extra asparagus, which was tasty, but essentially just grilled asparagus.

If cost isn’t an issue, I recommend giving Sexy Fish a shot. The food is tasty, although some of it isn’t necessarily anything special. That opinion may be clouded by the fact that we have so many amazing Japanese restaurants in London (you can check out my review of Roka here).

What to wear: Something chic, although I showed up in jeans and flats after a Friday night out and they still let me in.

What you’ll see: Lots of mermaid boobs, and if you go at the right time, a celebutante pretending to eat.

Sexy Fish

1-4 Berkeley Square,
Mayfair, London
W1J 6BR

020 37642000

www.sexyfish.com

Food

Oblix at the Shard

July 22, 2016

Stephanie

Forget the London Eye, the best place to enjoy London skyscape is Oblix Restaurant in the Shard. Not only do you get phenomenal views (see the magic below) you can drink alcohol out of a rocket ship. What more could you want in life?

I booked Oblix last minute as my Mother In Law was going out of town and we wanted a nice dinner together. Because I booked it so late, we were only able to get at 6:30 reservation in the lounge. They still serve the full menu, so it’s not a huge issue, but I will say, I snuck over to the restaurant side and I think the sunset is nicer.

Sunset view from the lounge

Oblix at The Shard is an American style restaurant without being a diner. It’s actually exactly what you would expect from a high end chain in the US. Attentive servers, mac and cheese and a vast choice of interesting cocktails. However, it’s not well signed. The entrance is to the right of the Shagri-La hotel lobby (n.b avoid having a drink at the Shangri-La before hand. It takes forever, is expensive and doesn’t taste good) and you will have to have your bag screened for security.

Kiss The Rainbow glowing cocktail

After taking the quickest elevator in the world, we were met with a dark, minimalist concrete hallway. Upon entering the Oblix lounge, I noticed the average age of the patrons was fairly high, but that could have been because we were eating during the grandparents sitting.

The menu was fish heavy, but I didn’t mind. For a starter I had the crispy chili squid which was tasty, but didn’t come with a dip. My MIL had the Caesar salad to start (with dressing on the side) and I dipped the squid into her spare dressing and it was surprisingly good.

My main was the salmon with salsa serde. The salmon was ok. Nothing too special, and I feel like salmon is hard to mess up. The salsa verde came on the side and was actually pesto and way better than I thought it would be with the salmon (I had very low expectations).

The best dish we had was the side of mac and cheese. At any American restaurant, always order this. If there is one thing Americans do exceptionally well, and that is able to cross the pond, it’s mac and cheese.

I saw a woman walking around with a graffiti cup and decided I wanted to drink whatever was in that so I pointed at her when ordering. Turns out it was called a Crossfire Hurricane and absolutely delicious (ask your server about the stories behind the cocktails).

I wasn’t about to go to a restaurant that served drinks in rocket ships and not order that either, so we finished with more drinks and waited for the sunset while they made our dessert. Side note: The drinks aren’t as expensive as you would expect for a bar with this view (£12.50 each).

The Forgotten Cosmonaut

Dessert was the chocolate brownie Sunday and it was really good as well as huge. Easily big enough for 3 people to share. I avoided the New York cheesecake because it’s baked and in my humble opinion, only no-bake cheesecake is the real deal.

All in our dinner was three hours. We waited a really long time for our main (close to an hour) but in the end, we had such an amazing view of the sunset, so we didn’t mind. Had it been a typically horrible London day, we may not have been so forgiving.

What to wear: The website and hold message say the dress is ‘smart’ and ask that you not wear sports clothes or beach wear. So if you plan on going for a quick dip in the Thames beforehand, you’re out of luck.

Oblix

Level 32

The Shard

31 St. Thomas Street

London SE1 9RY

020 7268 6700

www.oblixrestaurant.com

Stephanie Wahlstrom

Hey! Cute top! Flattery gets you everywhere, right? Seriously, though, I like what you've got going on over there. Anyway, my name is Stephanie and I am a Canadian writer living in London. I like to eat, travel and make people laugh. The Accidental Socialite is the name of my debut novel and this blog where you'll find tales of my mishaps and far too many references to bacon. Enjoy!