First launched in August 2015 by siblings Emeka and Ifeyinwa Frederick, the lounge takes some of the best bit of Naija cuisine to create a laidback and accessible dining experience – or what they’ve dubbed #chopchatchill. It doesn’t hurt that quality of the food is fantastic either. Shout out to the jellof quinoa!

If you fancy experiencing Chuku’s for yourself, they’ve extended their takeover of The Canvas Cafe off Brick Lane and will be there on Thursdays and Fridays from March 9th (6-10pm). They take walk-ins or you can find out how to book here.  Check out pics from my recent visit below

The post Somewhere you should go… Chuku’s Nigerian tapas pop-up lounge appeared first on The Cultural Exposé.

But it’s funny what can happen in 23 years. Unbeknownst to me, Birmingham was the city where Sicilian entrepreneur Carlo Distefano opened his very first San Carlo restaurant in 1992, a classy, glam Italian eatery that’s been a go-to for celebs, sport stars and other seriously moneyed people. Well played second city, well played. Carlo would open more restaurants in Bristol, Leicester and Manchester, winning awards in the process,  then launch a whole bunch of off-shoots in London (Cicchetti and Signor Sassi) before his new arrival in town, Fumo.

Fumo Covent Garden: Expect flavoursome and beautiful seasonal dishes 

Manchester and Birmingham had dibs on Fumo ages ago with their own branches, yet the fact that it’s now come to London speaks volumes, especially when this town has its fair share of excellent places to eat. But the truth is, Fumo Covent Garden is truly in a class of its own. And it’s SO DAMN BEAUTIFUL. To set it apart from the other San Carlo spots, the focus here is on small plates (aka “cicchetti”) and cocktails. Flavoursome and beautiful seasonal dishes represent all different regions of Italy so can you can expect quality with a capital Q (and on the day we visited, we had the privilege of choosing from a menu prepared by Aldo Zilli, who’s been recruited as the restaurant’s head honcho where the grub is concerned).

So how much damage will all this good eating do to your pocket? Surprisingly, not much. Plates range from around a fiver (for fancy crostinis) to £12 for a delicious fillet of beef – and you’ll probably do fine with five or six plates between two people. The only thing to worry about really is what to wear to such a fine establishment. My tip? Keep it classy and you’ll fit right in.

Find out more at www.sancarlofumo.co.uk

The post Somewhere you should eat… Fumo Covent Garden appeared first on The Cultural Exposé.

The post Food for thought: books and beautiful bites at St Luke’s Kitchen, The Library appeared first on The Cultural Exposé.

It wasn’t a great moment.

I distinctively remember the struggle to wrap my tastebuds around the sour, spongy injera bread that doubles up as an edible plate covered in all sorts of stews (tasty stews, to be fair) – not to mention the fact that, being the bougie chick I am, I resented having to eat it all with my hands.

So since then, me and Ethiopian food haven’t been on the best terms and I always assumed if I had it again, I wouldn’t like it.  But since getting serious about my foodie credentials, my palate has matured considerably – and I actually enjoyed an Ethiopian meal I shared with a friend last Saturday at Mesi’s Kitchen in Holloway.  We went for a platter, topped with a combination of lamb stews, mixed veg and fried beef pieces – and I didn’t even mind the whole hand eating (although in Nigerian culture, you get a little bowl of water on the side to keep your hands spick and span when you’re eating fufu with our stews #justsaying lol) Anyway, it was a worthwhile re-introduction – so here’s a few pics from my visit:

Have you tried Ethiopian food?  Or do you have any recommendations for places to go in London?  Let me know in the comments. 

The post My re-introduction to Ethiopian food appeared first on The Cultural Exposé.

The post New pan-asian restaurant to soft launch with 50% off food appeared first on The Cultural Exposé.

The post Les Deux Salons launches breakfast menu appeared first on The Cultural Exposé.

The next pop-up takes place on 17^th June. It’s £40 a head and BYOB – but for more details visit www.christabels.org/upcoming-events-shop/edible-playground-wednesday-17th-june-1

Check out our TCé snapshot of our recent visit:

TCé snapshots 004: Christabel's Edible Playground from The Cultural Exposé on Vimeo.

See more pics from the evening in our gallery.

The post Somewhere you should go… Christabel’s Edible Playground appeared first on The Cultural Exposé.

Although last year’s winner was the indomitable Noma in Copenhagen, which has won on three previous occasions,  Spain’s El Celler de Can Roca deservedly regained the 2015 title for continuing to push their limits and thrive creatively after nearly 30 years.  Read my report for Reuters to find out the other winners, and check out a few of my pics from last night’s glittering reception.

The post What we’ve been up to… the World’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards appeared first on The Cultural Exposé.

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

The post What we’ve been up to… Made in Brasil Boteco appeared first on The Cultural Exposé.

A Wednesday evening found us tucking into a hearty offering of miso soup (£3.20), gyoza dumplings (£3.85) and a delicious teriyaki chicken bento box which came with three side salads, multigrain rice and pickles (£10.95).  A major plus point here is that you definitely get your money’s worth – after eventually finishing my bento box I was so full, I realised I could’ve given those gyoza dumplings a miss, as gorgeous as they were.

But I did have a little room for dessert (of course…!)  and a matcha gateau was surprisingly the evening’s pièce de résistance ; it was delicately sweet and had that moreish, creamy texture of American cheesecake. Not surprisingly, it’s a feature of their Afternoon Tea (which has given me another reason to return).

So the next time you’re in the area to visit the V&A or the Science Museum,  a drop-in to Tombo for lunch or dinner would be a very good idea, especially if you’re a fan of Japanese food done well.  For more details visit www.tombodeliandcafe.com and check out more pics from our recent visit below! 

The post What we’ve been up to… Tombo appeared first on The Cultural Exposé.