Recommendations – The Cultural Exposé

Bill’s relaunched – and it’s brilliant

Matilda — Sat, 31 Mar 2018 13:23:18 +0000

The first time I visited a Bill’s restaurant, it was love at first sight. Well, first bite – of a mini donut. Those fluffs of doughy cinnamon-y goodness were exceptional, and quite telling of an establishment that looked and felt as warm a countryside kitchen. Alas, that was nearly four years ago during a summer in Cambridge, and since then, Bill’s hasn’t exactly been on the top of my hit list – simply because I’m on a bit of a health streak and have taken my eating out down a notch. But judging by a new and improved menu, Bill’s has cottoned on to the healthy restaurants trend, and nailed it.

I was recently invited to try out the new weekend brunch menu, which now includes healthy sharing plates and green smoothies – just the sort of place you’d want to swing by after a workout. Personal highlights included a moreish beetroot and goats cheese aranchini, and an extremely tasty panfried chicken with truffle and mushroom, with a side of seasonal veg. But there’s still loads of gorgeous, well-prepared menu item for anyone having a cheat day (like the incredible – and ginormous – Bill’s fish finger and prawn sandwich ). A special shoutout also goes to the melting banoffee sundae, which is as heavenly as it sounds.

Plus, it doesn’t hurt that the Covent Garden branch has had a sweet refurb, with the sort of interiors that were made for Instagram. Check out pics from my recent visit below…

Have you been to Bill’s recently? What’s your verdict? Let me know in the comments!

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What we’ve been up to… Shuffleboarding at The Little Shuffle Club

Matilda — Sun, 22 Oct 2017 18:17:05 +0000

Shufflewhatnow? That’s the reaction I got from my work colleagues last week when I mentioned I spent my Wednesday evening “shuffleboarding”. To the uninitiated, that’s a game that involves pushing discs around for points – and if you google the phrase, you’ll likely find pics of geriatrics holding broom-like sticks as they get their shuffle on (play on, playas!). I’d be lying if I said I completely understood all the rules during my hump day dalliance, but it was fun – and Londoners can give it a go on November 1, when The London Shuffle Club returns to The Truman Brewery.

In the meantime, you can swing by the club’s new permanent kid bro, The Little Shuffle Club on 2 Ebor Street. It’s currently the only bar in the city dedicated to table shuffleboarding – but if you’re not too hot on playing, drop by for the incredible cocktails or watch a tournament in action.

Find out more at londonshuffle.com and check pics from the Little Shuffle Club’s launch below:

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What I’ve been up to… eating all the poké in London (for real)

Matilda — Tue, 25 Apr 2017 07:30:05 +0000

I’m not ashamed to admit I’m a tad late to the poké game: exactly nine months late. But hey, who’s counting? All that matters is that I’ve finally discovered poké in London – and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hooked on this tasty Hawaiian salad bowl, big time. In fact, I don’t think a week’s gone by where I haven’t tucked into a bowl on my lunch break (thanks to a very timely invitation from the guys at Hone Poké on Dean Street). So here are three reasons why you need to get involved with this foodie trend, asap:

Poké is life – fact

Sure, there’s many other things that sustain us on a daily basis – like water and oxygen – but there’s just something about poké that feels like you could eat it for the rest of your days and die quite happily, knowing it was part of your diet. It’s that good.

It’s better than sushi

To break it down, poké is like a combination of all the best bits of sushi with some added extras to become a super salad of all things right in the world. Some call it a natural progression from sushi, and I can see that. Except the marinated raw fish is a very big deal in poké. Now I totally appreciate some of y’all might freak out at the idea of raw fish, but it’s so expertly prepared you’ve got nothing to worry about (and FYI, raw fish in the UK has to to be frozen to death – literally – thanks to EU freezing laws to ensure it’s not dodgy).

There are a few places where you can try poké in London

I had my very first poké bowl from Tombo on D’Arblay Street in Soho. They do a lovely classic one made with salmon or tuna, sesame soy, edamame beans, onions and nori (from £6.95 to takeaway – poké aint cheap y’all!). Or if you want something a bit fancier or made up to your tastes, Honi Poke on Dean Street is a really good shout. I’ve also heard good things about Ahi Poké in Fitzrovia (and they’re planning on opening another branch in Victoria).

Have you tried poké yet? Let me know in the comments!

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Somewhere you should go… summer parties in London: No Long Ting All Dayer + Room for Movement

Matilda — Fri, 05 Aug 2016 07:30:33 +0000

Man… July was a bit of a cruel one to me. My site got hacked plus I’ve had loads of housing drama (typical London). Like, ‘start a building petition and write to your MP’ drama. But it’s August, it’s “summer”, and I can finally see the calm after the storm. Thus, it’s time to get my social life back. As it so happens, it’s my birthday month (woop!) and personally, I’m all for celebrating as much as possible until the actual day (the 15th), so with no further adieu, here’s the first of two summer parties in London I can’t wait to check out this weekend:

No Long Ting All Dayer Part 2, Pop Brixton, August 7th (2-11pm)

I’ve wanted to hit up No Long Ting for the absolute LONGEST. It’s sort of like a block party / house party hosted by one of the capital’s finest hip-hop artists Ty and the good folks from the United 80 shop in the Market Village. I heard good things about the June event, so I’m expecting all of the best vibes.

Room4Movement, The Book Club, August 7th (7-midnight)

Fresh from killing another Jazz Re:fest at the Southbank last month, the Jazz Re:freshed crew is throwing the latest of their East London music jams this weekend. DJ Charlie Dark will be bringing the tunes, along with residents Bunny Bread, Top Rock & Adam Rock. These guys always come strong, so no doubt it’s gonna be a lively one!

Are there any summer parties in London you’re looking forward to? Let me know in the comments!

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What we’ve been up to… tea parties and cocktails at Kurobuta

Matilda — Sat, 16 Apr 2016 13:57:10 +0000

I have fond memories of all the food I polished off on my Japanese holiday, so naturally, when it comes to eating anything Japanese in London nowadays, I’ve got a new benchmark – and it’s an extremely high one. So the places I’ve been to in recent weeks? Not bad, not bad. But not so with Kurobuta. This funky restro for cool kids not only comes correct with the authentic top nosh, but it’s got the added bonus of being a very cool place to go visit.

I was invited to the Harvey Nichols branch to try out their ‘Tokyo Tea Party’ – a very quirky, very stylish, very Instagrammable experience that was only missing one thing: the tea. If you want that, you gotta pay extra. But what it lacked in tradition it made up for with a first-class yet affordable menu, which I’m pretty sure is down to chef Scott Hallsworth’s Nobu credentials. I mean, honey BBQ short rib puffs? Freshly-made donuts? A confit duck and taro croquette? That’s a seriously hip selection of savoury and sweet dishes that also included a fine salmon and avocado maki with rocket aioli. And the cocktails we ordered separately weren’t too shabby either. Check out pics from my recent visit below – but for more deets, visit: www.kurobuta-london.com.

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A Caribbean foodie crawl: Rudies, Levi Roots and Three Little Birds

Matilda — Thu, 07 Apr 2016 08:00:54 +0000

If you haven’t noticed, Caribbean food in London is sort of making a comeback. It’s not like it went anywhere per se (hold tight Cottons). But in terms of service, style and variety, it’d appear restauranteurs have clocked there’s a gap and are stepping their game up with a spate of new openings all over the city. So, since I’m 1) always hungry for curry goat and rice and peas and 2) a sucker for rum punch, I tried out three of these newbies for Time Out London a couple months ago. My reviews are now all online, so check ’em out:

Love Caribbean food? What’s your favourite Caribbean restaurant in London? Let me know in the comments!

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One for the diary: Ethiopia Skate – photography by Daniel Reiter at Rich Mix

Matilda — Tue, 22 Mar 2016 08:30:18 +0000

In 2012, an Ethiopian teenager named Abenezer Temesgen had a brilliant idea. His plan? To get disadvantaged kids off the streets of Addis Abba through skateboarding, even though he didn’t have the funds, equipment or even a skatepark. But since then, he’s shared his mission with the help of Californian photographer Sean Stromoe, and Ethiopia Skate was born – a thriving project that’s getting love from all around the world.

One supporter is Berlin-based photographer Daniel Reiter, who met the community in 2015. He decided to create a photo series of the scene and you can now check out those pics in an exhibition at Rich Mix next month. Some of Reiter’s gorgeous snaps will be sold as limited edition fine art prints and all profits will go towards to the project, which hopes to raise enough cash to install the nation’s first skatepark.

The exhibition runs from April 6 to April 28 in the Lower Café Gallery. Find out more about Ethiopia Skate at www.ethiopiaskate.org.

Check out pics from the exhibition below:

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Everybody loves ramen: Kanada-Ya opens on Panton Street

Matilda — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 09:00:40 +0000

For as long as I can remember, ramen has been nothing more to me than water-flavoured soup. With noodles. That costs too much. Because it’s water and noodles. But I’m off to Japan next month, which, among many amazing things, happens to be the home of ramen. So here’s the deal: to make the most of the trip, it’s only appropriate I prepare my palate accordingly – and that’s why I took up an invite to try out the menu at the new branch of Kanada-Ya on Panton Street.

This popular ramen bar specialises in “tonkotsu” ramen, which is the Beyoncé of soup broths, where pork marrow bones have been simmered for hours until you’re left with something rich and tasty – like Bey really. The Japanese and ramen-lovers can’t get enough of the stuff and on the evening we popped in, business is booming.

Accompanied by my buddy (who also finds ramen a bit so-so), it took us a moment to get our heads around how they do ramen here. Ordering the kale and chicken kaarage (fried chicken) was simple enough, and they both tasted great. But getting into the main attraction involved figuring out how we wanted our noodles first – extra firm, firm, regular or soft? – then deciding whether we wanted the original ramen or a fancier version, the chashu-men which comes with pork collar (which is what, exactly? We didn’t know…). And then, working out if we wanted any toppings, like charred black garlic sauce or spicy red miso paste.

Bearing in mind that my only flavour reference is water, we decided to go all out. The chashu-men topped with the miso paste and garlic sauce – everything that would ensure that this meal wouldn’t pass for H20. And you know, the plan worked. While I can’t say I slurped the rest of the broth once the noodles were done, I can say I liked it, and it was much better than I imagined.

Have you been to Kanada-Ya? Are you a fan of tonkotsu ramen? Let me know in the comments…

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A New Year winter day’s stroll around Holland Park

Matilda — Sat, 02 Jan 2016 09:09:46 +0000

I got up to a lot of things in 2015 – running 50k in the countryside; risking my life by swinging on oversized curtains; eating too much fried chicken and not doing enough crunches. But I really wish I took a chill pill, like taking a walk in the park. So guess what I did on the first day of the year?

The destination was Holland Park, one of those rare green spaces in West London that look a bit ‘meh’ on the outside until you wander in. W8ers don’t like everyone else to know about it for fear they’ll head here in droves, killing the good vibes and scaring away the peacocks (yea, there’s peacocks here, go figure).

Not that I would blame them (that’s heading here in droves, not scaring the peacocks). It’s rare you can find a serene space in London where exotic birds roam free and urban ramblers are expected to kick back to take in the idyllic Kyoto Garden. The garden’s beautiful benches are practically begging you to take a seat, exhale and think happy thoughts.

So, about the walk. I can’t say I’m one for strolling out here, in these streets, in the winter, on purpose, meaning it was only right I dressed for the occasion. For the sake of warmth, I went for the classic all-black (my favourite jeggings, Uniqlo; a wool blend coat, H&M; ankle boots, New Look; leather gloves, Gap). But I topped it all off with one of those winter hats everyone’s rocking these days (in this case, the Joules Toni felt trilby hat from Outdoor & Country).

Thankfully, the rain showers didn’t arrive until a few hours later – and in that time, I got my fill of peace and tranquility to get my first resolution of the year off to a lovely start.

Here’s a few more snaps I took:

Have you visited Kyoto Garden in Holland Park? Or, where do you go in London for a little peace and quiet? Leave a comment!

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Go Ape has opened in South London (SW11 to be precise)

Matilda — Wed, 09 Dec 2015 08:48:59 +0000

It was only last month that I found out that Battersea Park would be getting its very own Go Ape tree top adventure course – and I, for one, can’t wait to try it out (it’s literally on my doorstep). It’s come just in time too – the Tokyo marathon training is starting to feel a bit samey now, so maybe climbing some trees will shake things up a bit!

It opened December 10th and you can find all the details here.

The wait is almost over. Go Ape at Battersea Park opens soon! Join the adventure from 10/12 #goape #goapetribe #battersea #batterseapark #sw11 #london #visitlondon #adventure #adventuretime #skyline #uk Photo by @gdenaeyer @visitlondonofficial @goape_batterseapark

A photo posted by goapetribe (@goapetribe) on Dec 3, 2015 at 1:02am PST

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