What to do in London – The Cultural Exposé

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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Something for the weekend: a hotel ‘staycation’

Matilda — Fri, 22 Jan 2016 08:45:59 +0000

If there’s one thing London’s got a lot of, it’s hotels. Tall ones, short ones, five-star ones and hipster ones – there’s no shortage of these ready-made lodgings. But if you’ve lived in the capital long enough, it’s easy to just leave them to the tourists, or whoever’s new in town. Unless! You’ve come to realise they’re actually quite good for a “staycation”, a break in your own city that doesn’t require a passport, vaccines or poorly-fitting flight socks.

To test out this theory, I was invited to stay at the Pullman Hotel last weekend, a stylish site in Kings Cross that opened three years ago. Although it’s aimed at business types (the cheapest room is £152 a night), it ticked all the boxes for a nice little break in the city. So if you’re thinking about having one this year, make sure you go for:

A fab and photogenic location

Consider this an essential, because it’s the difference between feeling like you’re out of town (a good thing) and wishing you were out of town (that’s not good). And you don’t have to be in Central London either – just anywhere where the vibes are sweet and there’s stuff to do. The Pullman is practically next door to the British Library – one of my favourite places – and within walking distance of the revamped Granary Square, which on this particular weekend was one of the prime locations of the Lumiere Festival. And because the Pullman’s got loads of floors, I managed to get brilliant views of the city from the top.

Great food

A friend of mine recently posted on Instagram that hotel restaurants are one of London’s best kept secrets – and she’s not wrong. Gourmet food in beautiful surroundings is exactly what you want when you’re on a break. So for that, the Pullman’s Golden Arrow restaurant gets a round of applause. Dinner and breakfast will cost you a pretty penny mind you, but you do get what you pay for. And I love the fact that the chefs are super creative. Along with their breakfast buffet, they’ve launched an “intelligent breakfast” for the New Year – a healthy menu of tasty dishes, like a savoury, vegetarian pancake (pictured below).

The kind of room you wish you had at home

When it comes to hotel rooms, you know what to expect. A comfy bed. A nice TV. Wi-fi. Even better when it’s free. And a mini bar you’d be a fool to touch.Cover those basics, and you’re good. But I liked that my room had the loveliest decor (give me all the teal!) and included a wonderful selection of mags to flick through (love Wallpaper), good lighting for bed readers, a coffee machine and an incredible shower. The room included a BOSE speaker too. Nice.

Decent amenities

I’m on the New Year, New Me hype, and the Pullman had that covered with a reasonably-sized gym and a dry sauna. Elsewhere, the hotel had loads of lounge areas and spaces for people to either take a chill pill, read a book or catch up with friends.

Even though it was just the one night stay, I felt so invigorated afterwards I’d say the staycation worked out pretty well, Depending on your budget, it could easily be done for between £200-£400 – and the best part? It won’t take ages to get back to home sweet home.

Many thanks to the Pullman Hotel.

Have you taken a ‘staycation’ in London? What do you look for? What’s the best ‘staycation’ you’ve ever had? Leave a comment!

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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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New pan-asian restaurant to soft launch with 50% off food

Matilda — Thu, 22 Oct 2015 07:39:07 +0000

A date for your diaries folks: on 31st October and 1st November, Chi Kitchen, a new pan-asian restaurant in Debenhams Oxford Street, will marking its arrival by offering 50% off all food. The new all-day dining spot comes from the team behind Mango Tree and Chai Wu in Harrods, so from the looks of these dishes below, I know EXACTLY where I’ll be having dinner next weekend. To book and for more details, email info@chikitchen.co.uk and quote “The Cultural Exposé”. Chi Kitchen, Debenhams, 334-348 Oxford St, London W1C 1JG.

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Autumn bike rides, Goodbye Pavilion and Sunday brunch at Rum Kitchen

Matilda — Mon, 19 Oct 2015 07:45:01 +0000

My weekend was ridiculously jam-packed with art shows (1:54, Moniker, The Other Art Show, Multiplied at Christies AND Art Goes Pop at the Tate – phew!), but I managed to meet up with my fellow cycling buddies on Sunday morning to “ride for brunch”. Joining them at the Selgascano Serpentine Pavilion (which now heads off to LA for good), we hit the streets en route to Rum Kitchen on All Saints Road in Notting Hill. They offer a special Sunday brunch menu (which includes chicken and waffles!) Many thanks to cinematographer Dale McCready for capturing a lovely morning – you can check out his video below (Music credit: “Tired Eyes” by Gengahr)

[fbvideo link=”https://www.facebook.com/dale.mccready/videos/10153036409145426/?pnref=story” width=”700″ height=”XX” onlyvideo=”1″]

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All the Art: Moniker, 1:54 and The Other Art Fair

Matilda — Fri, 16 Oct 2015 07:59:22 +0000

You probably already know that the mighty Frieze Art Fair kicked off on Monday – and though I’ll always have love for one of the world’s biggest shows of contemporary art, I’m usually more tempted to hit up the independent fringe gigs taking place around the same time. So here’s this weekend’s art crawl:

The Moniker Art Fair (15-18th October)

A photo posted by monikerprojects (@monikerprojects) on Sep 27, 2015 at 1:21pm PDT

It’s now in its 6th year at the Old Truman Brewery and it’s where you go to see the edgier side of contemporary art. Tickets are only £8.80 too and I love how you can pay in GBP or Bitcoin (not that I have any, but still – that’s kinda dope.). www.monikerartfair.com

The 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair (15-18th October)

A photo posted by 1:54 Contemp. African Art Fair (@154artfair) on Oct 15, 2015 at 7:49am PDT

Held at Somerset House, the 1:54 is just a 3-year-old but it keeps going from strength to strength with its collection of diverse art that spans the African continent. Tickets are £15, but it’s not often you’ll come across this level of art celebrating African craftmanship, so it’s definitely worth a look around. 1-54.com/london

The Other Art Fair (15-18th October)

A photo posted by The Other Art Fair (@theotherartfair) on Oct 13, 2015 at 4:36am PDT

This show, which turns 10 this year, also holds court at the Old Truman Brewery and focuses on the rising stars in the art world – so works are not only affordable here (starting at £50), but you could be rubbing shoulders with the Next Big Thing who’ll be worth millions one day. Get that selfie AND an autograph. www.theotherartfair.com

The featured image is Mimi Cherono Ng’ok’s ‘Untitled, (No one but you, Dakar series)’, 2014, Inkjet print on cotton rag paper, edition of 6, 120 x 120 cm, Courtesy of Fondation Donwahi. Showing at this year’s 1:54.

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The new Chanel exhibition is now open at the Saatchi Gallery

Matilda — Thu, 15 Oct 2015 11:15:24 +0000

I’ve been waiting WEEKS for this! The MADEMOISELLE PRIVÉ exhibition has finally arrived in London to present the wonderful world of Chanel. Set over three floors, the show will give visitors the chance to explore the history and cultural impact of the French fashion house, all at the helm of Karl Lagerfeld and the original Coco Chanel. This includes an exploration of the Haute Couture, the bling, the iconography and even that infamous scent, CHANEL N°5. There’s daily workshops too – and if you’re lucky enough to snag a free ticket (they’re released every morning and have so far gone in a flash) you’ll learn about the artisan trades of embroidery, flower creation and perfumery. Check out a film of the exhibition’s preview below:

The exhibition runs until 1st November, so for the latest news and workshop bookings, visit MADEMOISELLEPRIVE.CHANEL.COM

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