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! 

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Jazz Re:freshed  have been a vital and influential presence in jazz-influenced music since 2003 and has had input and support from a broad range 0f collectives – so the likes of Blactronica, Amplified and Handson family will be playing on New Year’s Eve, setting the night up to be one big  musical reunion which makes it sound pretty special to us!

Jazz Re:freshed’s partners in crime Uprock have been at the core of what they do, with members Justin McKenzie and Adam Moses captaining the night in the early days. Uprock will be part of the NYE line up – and with a philosophy of focusing on good, positive music, they’ll make it a night to remember.

Another line-up highlight will be Run Dem Crew’s Charlie Dark, who used to be involved in the legendary Blactronica night, specialising in eclectic music from the past, present and future. This evening is gearing up to be an essential event for New Year, perfectly hosted at  The Flyover warehouse space in West London. Tickets are cheap at £10 too and the musical standard is guaranteed to be mind blowing. (Words: Laura Thornley)

For more info visit: http://www.jazzrefreshed.com/

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Tonight’s invite is in honour of the restaurant’s new management which hopes diners can experience quality British cooking with a mild Gallic influence – and that’s just what we get. The wild trout tartare starter is a flavoursome and generous introduction, but leaves us enough space to tuck into a buttermilk chicken schnitzel – a sort of crunchy fried chicken steak served with a spicy mousse and hearty salad. The chunky chips also impressed, served with a truffle mayo – and for desserts, we went for an excellent apple tart. We’re told it takes close to 20 minutes to make and is clearly a labour of love, which leads us to believe Goode & Wright has no problems going the extra mile, making it a definite winner in our books. For pricing and sample menus, visit: www.goodeandwright.co.uk.  Check out pics from our recent visit below:

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For more info, visit: https://www.facebook.com/events

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This intriguing pop up film  festival happening near the happening Portobello Road will showcase some of the most cult faves of the 90s. White Men Can’t Jump, Clueless and, everyone’s favourite, House Party are all there. But, this isn’t your ordinary film festival. Members of the creative community have handpicked all the films billed. Why? Because they were a source of inspiration that propelled them into their field.
Hosts include Damon, No.1 barber to Dizzie Rascal, the sartorial ACF – the most stylish men in London? – female rapper Ninja and top graphic designers Quirksville. All leaders in their field, they will present these cinematic moments from the 90s that influenced their work and gives insight into their practice. Each selector will play host at the screening of their chosen flick and give their personal insight into what makes these movies culturally significant.

The festival will take place on the consecrated ground of the Portobello ‘pop up’: a low cost digital cinema project made from recycled and reclaimed materials. Already well-known for its creative power – it got a mention in a Blur song don’t you know – this is sure to be a hot bed of inventiveness and brainwaves, all taken from the 1990s… fitting! (Words: Laura Thornley)
The festival runs on July 25-28. For more info visit: www.teesandcees.org/welovethe90sfilmfest

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Here, you’ll find a breakfast menu that is modest and relatively inexpensive considering the generous portion sizes, so other honourable mentions include the avocado on toast with a poached egg, sides such as the buttery mushrooms (£3) and hash browns (much crunchier than expected, but went down well with the fondue) and the Berry Boost smoothie, which was light and refreshing (£4).

But we were much too full to go in on the Electric Donuts, with flavours as varied as maple bourbon and bergamot orange, but it’s given us a reason to return – especially on the weekend when we wouldn’t mind a place to escape from Portobello’s infamous hustle and bustle.

Electric Diner
191 Portobello Road,
London, W11 2ED (££)

For more info, visit www.electricdiner.com. Click here to see more pics of our breakfast!

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Performer and playwright Michaela Coel gives us Tracey, a 14-year-old girl, initially all vicious, hilarious put-downs and sly detachment, which she gradually strips away (literally, in one scene – Tracey’s first sexual experience) to lay bare the emotions of growing up. The language is sharp, fresh, confident, and rises effortlessly into poetry. As for Coel, she has a gift for capturing a character in a slouch, a swagger or a smile. The openness and ease of her performance immediately sets up a relationship of trust with the audience, and with her, we are safe to venture more difficult or sensitive areas – male violence, teenage sexuality. One only hopes that the Bush’s new artistic outlook will persuade artists such as Coel to stay in theatre a while longer before disappearing off into film and TV stardom.

If the opening evening is anything to go by, there’ll be plenty of reasons to keep coming back to the Bush Theatre’s Radar Festival over the next three weeks. With people like these shaping contemporary theatre, it’s in safe hands. (Words: Ben Hadley) 

Radar Festival runs from November 7th – November 22nd at the Bush Theatre, 7 Uxbridge Road,
London,
W12 8LJ. For more info, visit www.bushtheatre.co.uk

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The carnival weekend, running over two days, is dominated by the carnival parade, 40 sound systems and BBQs serving up charred delights. The two day event runs over Sunday – ‘Family Day’- and Monday, a more adult affair, although the fun happens throughout both. As always the parade is a fiesta of colour and dancing. Sound systems old and new  to look out for this year include:

• The Flavour Magazine soundstage – featuring tunes from the late great Bob Marley and special guest performers (Westbourne Park station –  Tavistock Road and junction with Lemington Spa Villas) 
• KCC and the Rocking Crew – for the latest US house offerings (Wornington Rd) 
• Channel One for some deep rockers reggae (Junction of Westbourne Park Rd and Leamington Villas Rd) 
• Gaz’s Rockin Blues (a stalwart since the 70s) for ska, rock and punk (Outside 103 Talbot Rd)
• Sancho Panza if you fancy funky house and disco (Corner of Kensal Rd and Alderson St) 
• The Fun Bunch – in honour of the late DJ Swing, expect some quality R&B, hip-hop, boogie and garage (Junction of Talbot Rd and Sutherland Place)
• Norman Jay’s Good Times – It returns this year, promising exactly what it says on the tin (West Row off Kensal Road) 
• Latin Rave Street Jam – always fun to get those salsa moves down with random strangers! (Outside 318 Portobello Rd) (Full list of Soundsystems can be found here…)

Buy food from the family BBQ at the side of the road and beers from anyone passing with a shopping trolley full. Although the largest street party in Europe, people have worked hard to keep carnival a local, community affair – so let’s try and keep it that way. (Words: Laura Thornley)

Check out our photogallery of Notting Hill Carnival 2011, just here…

Carnival Tips

Here’s a few tips to ensure you have a wonderful and safe time if you’re heading to the carnival over the Bank Holiday:

1)  Travel light – it gets extremely crowded along the various roads at carnival and it’s easy for pickpockets to have a field day.  Keep bags zipped up and as close to your body as possible; avoid backpacks.

2)  Carry cash – it’s rare to find a cash machine (or anyone who’ll take cards!) so it’s best to be prepared.

3)  Wear comfortable shoes – you WILL do alot of walking.

4)  Bring your own snacks and drinks –  there’s no rule that says you can’t ;-)

5)  Expect to pay up to £2 to use a toilet.

6) Carry tissues and spare loo roll as it’s likely most places will run out quickly.

7)  Catch the procession if you can, then find a decent soundsystem and spend the day there (this year we recommend King Tubby, Latin Rave Street Jam and Music is Sound-system); as mentioned, it gets ridiculously crowded (especially along the procession route), so once you’ve got your snaps of costumed revellers, chill out at one of the many soundsystems – click here to see a map of where you can find them.

8)  Watch what you eat.  You’ll pay up to a tenner for a meal and a drink (but snacks like donuts and ‘festivals’ (fried dumplings) aren’t really marked up and can be a good filler if you don’t want to spend £20 on lunch and dinner throughout the day). Also, if you’re going for jerk chicken, make sure it’s cooked thoroughly.

9) Head to Ladbroke Grove to catch the “real” carnival. Tourists rarely make it beyond the Westway, but if you do, expect to experience a more community-vibe on the route to Kensal Road (and cheaper jerk chicken!).

10) Don’t forget your whistle or horn.  You can buy them at the carnival, but it’ll cost you plenty.

11) Get to Westbourne Park station earlier than later when you’re leaving.   Unfortunately, this is the station near the “backend” of the carnival – but there’s a terrible bottleneck which is being manned by police and it’ll take you ages to get through.  If you’re leaving late, it’s worth walking back to Notting Hill Gate/Ladbroke Grove.

If you have any more tips, feel free to share them via Twitter or on our Facebook page – otherwise, have a good one! 

For more info, visit www.thenottinghillcarnival.com

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