The Cultural Exposé – The Cultural Exposé

What we’ve been up to… Carsten Höller at Hayward Gallery

The Cultural Exposé — Mon, 17 Aug 2015 10:00:38 +0000

There was no way the latest major show at the Hayward Gallery wouldn’t be anything but fun, in the way interactive art is meant to be. But this culmination of Höller’s 20 year career, making wacky devices (like upside down goggles and whimsical slides) to explore decision-making and boundaries between the mental and the physical, is occasionally odd. So odd that by the end of the 90 minute tour around the exhibition, we found we were asking more questions than getting answers, despite the elaborate props and set-up. The lesson? Study the map and give yourself half-a-day to mull over the works. Slowly, but surely, it should all make sense. On until 6th September. Check out pics from our recent visit below!

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What we’ve been up to… Druid St Market

The Cultural Exposé — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 10:00:11 +0000

Al fresco dining was the order of the day this glorious weekend – and we couldn’t have done it better than at the new Druid St food Market. This compact strip in Bermondsey has been home to a delicious mix of creative food vendors, bakers, breweries since July – and we reckon they’ll soon be giving the nearby Maltby Street market a run for their money. We haven’t stopped harping on about the New Orleans inspired food from Decatur London (their grilled oysters are a beaut) or the ice cream sandwiches from Blu Top Ice Cream, a quirky mobile van that’s also taken tips from the USA. Elsewhere, the yummy meats from Blackhand Charcuterie seem like the perfect pairing with the artisan cheeses from The Cheeseboard, or even the breads from Lonzo, a spin-off from the popular Lardo and Coppa restaurants in Hackney. And drink wise, you might want to see if Black Box Coffee can hook you up with an iced coffee with cacao as an alternative to their artisan lattes – we gulped it down within minutes.

There’s loads of other vendors we can namecheck – but the best bet is to trawl this impressive little drop-in yourself the next time you’re south of the river – it’s a real contender.

Open every Saturday from 9am-4pm. For more details visit their Facebook page, Twitter or Instagram. Check out pics from our recent visit below!

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What we’ve been up to… August in Africa Summer Festival 2015

The Cultural Exposé — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 10:00:47 +0000

Sooner or later, the Africa Centre’s summer festival will have to find a new home that’s alot more spacious than its current residence in Covent Garden, judging by the hoards that flocked to the free annual this year. With a stellar line-up of musical acts, exhibitions and fashion shows, the 2015 outing was a blast and set a new bar for whatever 2016 has in store (we’re already looking forward to it!). Check out pics from the weekend in our photo gallery.

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What we’ve been up to… Cottons

The Cultural Exposé — Mon, 20 Jul 2015 10:31:23 +0000

This Caribbean oldie but goodie in Camden comes of age with a dashing new look and a jazzed-up menu.
The USP: Cottons has been in the game for at least 30 years and it’s for this simple reason: they do tasty and authentic food that makes you feel right at home. And if you’ve had enough of the sour service or dubious food quality you’ll get at any amount of Caribbean takeaways in London, this restaurant is a welcome relief. Staff are lovely and remind you of the warm hospitality that would greet you if you were eating a million miles away in Jamaica; that they’re just on our doorstep suits us fine!

The food: Hearty, generous and extremely loving to the tastebuds. A recent 3-courser included the Island Mezze Platter, a cornucopia of island delicacies such as the moreish salt cod fritters, spicy creole shrimps and Trinadadian roti that is perfect for mopping up an aubergine caviar (which really, is more like a relish than anything fancypants). Elsewhere, Cotton’s version of Curry Mutton is rich and meaty with the right amount of spice – and the portions are big enough to justify a doggie bag. We couldn’t fault the desserts either and if you want something pretty special, go for the apple crumble with rum custard, vanilla ice cream and candied pineapple. You’ll regret it if you don’t.

Budget: Pricier than you’d imagine but the large portions, good vibes – and might I add, mean rum cocktails – make up for it, so a 3-course meal for two with cocktails weighs in at semi-reasonable £60-70.

Good for: Caribbean cuisine newbies, Tourists in the neighbourhood or a dependable mid-week dinner.

For more pics, check out our Tumblr.

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What we’ve been up to… Allan Pickett at Sanderson

The Cultural Exposé — Sat, 11 Jul 2015 12:00:22 +0000

The acclaimed London chef takes over the Sanderson’s 5 star kitchen to offer experimental, gastronomical delights for the summer

The USP: Pickett’s residency is all about pretty dishes intended to pack a punch with creative flavour combos. And the Sanderson collaboration makes sense; this is fine dining that suits everything we’ve come to adore about the trendy, Philippe Starck-designed hotel – from the wonderful service to the eye-catching interiors.

The food: Starters of delicately-flavoured sea scallops and the cornish crab with pressed watermelon are gorgeous on all levels. But it’s the mains that really win. The poached and roast guinea fowl has been a diner’s favourite since the menu launched in June. This winning dish of tender gamey slices served with asparagus and leeks could’ve been a fancy Sunday roast, which is made all the better with a slathering of roast chicken gravy.

Guinea fowl with the poshest trimmings #allenpickett #sandersonLDN

A photo posted by Matilda (@mstillytilda) on Jun 25, 2015 at 1:28pm PDT

Another highlight is the eclectic combination of seared red mullet, razor clam, oxtail and onion, served with a saffron rouille sauce. Thankfully, both mains leave enough room for dessert, which you’d be a fool to pass up – especially as the lemon and raspberry sponge is as delightful as it sounds.

Budget: Post pay-day. Set aside £100 for two if you’re going for the full works (starters, sides, mains, desserts and wine or cocktails)

Good for: A midsummer’s night, fabulous mains, yummy afters and plenty of Instagram likes

For more pics, check out our Tumblr.

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What we’ve been up to… Jar Kitchen

The Cultural Exposé — Mon, 06 Jul 2015 10:30:32 +0000

Jar Kitchen arrives to the Covent Garden theatre district with a quirky charm, fabulous food and a whole lot of jars.

The USP: The clue is in the title. Once you visit you’ll notice there are jars aplenty, doubling up as glasses, artwork and even plant pots. It’s a trendy touch to a rustic minimalist venue that seems intent on not looking like another opening in the West End – and so far, they’re winning. Foodwise, they’ve sourced nothing but the good stuff here, and suppliers like Neal’s Yard and Cannon and Cannon get a massive tick of approval.

They’ve got an amazing chef on board too. Tasty British dishes are served up to look like works of art; but your plate is likely to resemble a Jackson Pollock when you’re done. My serving of ox cheek & cheddar croquettes with aioli is demolished within minutes and the mouth-watering chicken breast with persillade, sweet potato crisps and smoked onion mayo didn’t stand a chance.

You’ll love the desserts – a generous jar of Eton Mess is both naughty and nice but the giant Skittles jar you can dip in to your heart’s content is a delightful way to end a top meal.

It’s definitely on the dearer side for dinner, unless you can arrive in time for the 5:30-6:30 pre-theatre menu. That’s just a mere £15 for two courses, or £19 for three. And a glass of wine starts from a respectable £4.50.

Good for: “Let’s pass by before the show begins”, after work chillaxing or “this is where I go to get cool points with the pals”

For more details visit: www.jarkitchen.com. See more pics from our dinner on our Tumblr.

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What we’ve been up to… Rocket, Holborn

The Cultural Exposé — Wed, 01 Jul 2015 11:27:43 +0000

Rocket is a pizza restaurant in Holborn where everything – from the super-mod interiors to the genius cocktails – goes out of its way to impress.

The USP: For starters, they don’t just do pizza (scan the menu here). And it’s the sort of place that toes the line of fancy fine dining with plenty of creative, tasty dishes to choose from; I never would have imagined a chorizo, halloumi and butterfly king prawns pizza could work, but it did!

Their cocktails don’t miss the mark either and if you want something with a bit of pizzazz, you might want to give the French Passion a whirl – it’s made with Absolut, Chambord, passion fruit purée, pineapple juice and fresh passion fruit and is truly as sexy as it sounds.

Budget: Meal for 2? At least £60 for a starter, mains and cocktails

Good for: File it under date night, ladies night or let’s just get some damn good pizza night.

For more information about Rocket, visit: www.rocketrestaurants.co.uk

Check out some of our insta pics below:

Tonight’s dinner plans… @rocket_holborn

A photo posted by Matilda (@mstillytilda) on May 28, 2015 at 11:06am PDT

Let the carb loading commence! Halloumi, chorizo and butterfly prawn pizza! Geeeeeeez…. #main #foodiesdelight A photo posted by Matilda (@mstillytilda) on May 28, 2015 at 12:01pm PDT

That Key Lime pie life… #dessert #foodiesdelight thank you so much Rocket London!

A photo posted by Matilda (@mstillytilda) on May 28, 2015 at 1:24pm PDT

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Something you should see… Serpentine Pavilion 2015

The Cultural Exposé — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 10:00:48 +0000

The highly-anticipated outdoor pavilion at London’s Serpentine Gallery is now welcoming visitors from around the world. The annual attraction, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary, has been designed by award-winning Spanish architects selgascano, headed by husband and wife duo José Selgas and Lucía Cano.

An aerial view of the 2015 Serpentine Pavilion filmed using a drone. #SerpentinePavilion #selgascano #aerial #drone

A video posted by Serpentine Galleries (@serpentineuk) on Jun 26, 2015 at 2:07am PDT

See more photos here.

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What we’ve been up to… Made in Brasil Boteco

The Cultural Exposé — Mon, 11 May 2015 10:30:27 +0000

A balmy Friday night in Brazil would probably lead you to the nearest “boteco” – a bar where good drinks and snacks are ready and waiting for your custom. On these shores, it’s not too hard find that sort of thing in Camden, but this London tribute – which is the sister to the nearby Made in Brasil – does an excellent job in honouring the culture. If we didn’t know any better, we’d be convinced we were hanging out in Rio de Janeiro judging by the great music, lovely service, delicious “pestiscos” (tapas) and beautiful, masterly cocktails. There’s plenty to choose from and if deciding between 12 varieties of cairpirinhas at £4.50 a pop doesn’t put you in a happy mood, the food certainly will.

On a recent visit, we worked our way through a beautiful, generous selection of dishes, fragrant with mouth-watering spices. Our favourites were the “camarao alho e oleo”, a delicious serving of garlic chilli prawns; the “frango a passarinho”, crunchy, moreish chicken pieces served with a lime mayo; and the vegetarian “Abobrinha recheada” a delicately-flavoured dish of courgette stuffed with artichoke and mushrooms.

The desserts were just as impressive. A chocolate truffle (or “Brigadeiro”) was sticky and rich, packing a lot of flavour for such a modest serving. At two quid each, we’d recommend going for a couple. And the passionfruit cheesecake (Cheesecake de maracuja) was tangy and lush, everything you’d expect of a worthwhile finale. So if you’re new to Brazilian food or wanted to get a taste of the culture, Made in Brasil Boteco should be on the hit-list. The great prices are a bonus!

For more information visit www.madeinbrasilboteco.co.uk

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What we’ve been up to… La Tagliata

The Cultural Exposé — Wed, 11 Feb 2015 11:00:09 +0000

Tagliata is an Italian sliced steak dish that tastes so good, it’s hard to believe how simple it is. But ‘simplicity done well’ is the running theme at this new restaurant that opened in the city last year. From the artful interiors to the compact menu, La Tagliata’s approach to no-fuss dining with a touch of class makes a strong first impression. The homemade pasta starters come with either pomodoro, pesto, limone or ragú sauce, but no matter which one you pick, you’ll likely be onto a winner. We go for the flavoursome pesto and ragu, setting the bar for the main attraction.

The tagliata arrives with cherry tomatoes, parmesan and a balsamic reduction, and my choice of shepherd’s potatoes (the alternative is roasted) which has a mouthwatering aroma of garlic. Everything is devoured within minutes. It’s not the biggest portion in the world, but it’s a pretty memorable entrée, leaving us with even higher hopes for the restaurant’s signature tiramisu. Unsurprisingly, it doesn’t disappoint, with a delicate coffee flavour matched perfectly with the cream.

La Tagliata is a great place to visit if you’re after effortlessly fine food for a date or dinner with friends – the wines are great, the service is top and three courses will only set you back £30 – win, win, win we say!

For more details about La Tagliata, visit www.la-tagliata.com

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