Celebrate 325 years of Ketel One Vodka

Posted on May 19, 2016 by Kesh

The World’s much loved Vodka brand, Ketel One, celebrate 325 years of their family’s distilling expertise and to celebrate they are hosting some very unique and impressive Supper Clubs in South London. Boasting an impressive 325 years in the business, it’s no wonder why they are one of the most recognised and trusted Vodka brands ever and The Nolet Family, who founded the distillery, have continued to carry out their dedication by personally approving each final production before bottling.

To mark the milestone and love of their successful family business, The Nolet Family are hoping that their much loved customers will help celebrate with them and are inviting you to attend one of their family-style suppers at the historic and dramatic Brunswick House. Your evening will be hosted and curated by Ketel One and renowned chef Jackson Boxer and set in the Parlour and Library Rooms of the prestigious eighteenth-century mansion.

The menu created by Boxer has been inspired by family dishes and served with specially paired Ketel One Vodka cocktails;

Sample Menu

Squid, Vodka with Caviar

Dry-Aged Brisket with Horseradish and Redcurrant

Alphonso Mango, Almond Milk, Rice, Black Sesame

The ticketed Supper Clubs will take place on

*Wednesday 25th May, 6.30pm – 10pm*

*Friday 27th May, 6.30pm – 10pm*

*Brunswick House, 30 Wandsworth Road, London, SW8 2LG*

Tickets will be £45 per person, and include a cocktail
and canapé reception, followed by a five-course meal with paired
cocktails

We think that is seriously good value to enjoy and celebrate the legacy that is Ketel One in a stunning setting with superb food.

Tickets are available now through Design My Night

Alongside these celebrations, for those who are unable to attend the event but still want to be raise a toast to Ketel One’s triumphant milestone, a limited “325 anniversary” edition copper coloured bottle is available to buy now from Harvey Nichols, both in store and online (*priced at £45*).

For recipes and to learn more about Ketel One visit;

http://www.ketelone.com

Notonthehighstreet.com launch first Open Door event

Posted on May 5, 2016 by Kesh

To celebrate their 10th Anniversary, our favourite online one-stop gift shop are treating us to a very exciting new venture. They are set to take over Spitalfields Market and transform it into a live and interactive shopping experience. Join them for Partner Workshops, demonstrations and food tastings and of course shop, shop, shop ’til you drop some of the UK’s best small creative businesses.

Not only will you be able to meet the people behind some of your favourite products, many of them will be looking for volunteers to make this an all encompassing, interactive experience. We’re sure our highlights will definitely include;

Naked Marshmallow; where the team behind Naked Marshmallow will be giving you the chance to toast your own marshmallows.

and…

Nia Tudor; talented illustrator Nia will be on hand to create some lucky visitors there very own personalised portraits.

As well as a host of other exciting things they have planned, it’s set to be well worth a visit.

Notonthehighstreet.com Open Door;

Friday 12-7pm

Saturday 10-6pm
Sunday 10-5pm

Old Spitalfields Market

Nearest Tube: Liverpool St

Surreal? Probably, but it’s my life Alex Bannard – Bangkok correspondent

Posted on May 3, 2016 by Margaret Graham

Being an expat affords some amazing experiences, luxuries and some frustrations. In a previous expat life I had friends who described it as ‘not real life’ – it is real, it’s our life right now, surreal though it might sometimes be.

Take a typical moment in time in Bangkok. I was invited to join a friend in her first ante-natal appointment for her fourth pregnancy. Hubby felt his role was done so it was my privilege to share a wonderful moment with her and to have some fun too. Afterwards we were waiting outside for a taxi to go to lunch. I say waiting, we actually got proactive and went straight to the area where they are dropping off to pick one up.

‘We were met with, ‘No madam you go get number, please’.

There’s a system. Wow.

We went to the taxi desk & got number 49. There are many people milling around and obviously we don’t expect to get in the first taxi. Several minutes later a lady with number 52 clutched in her palm was clearly edging to the front of the ‘queue’…there is no queue just a mass of people.

I don’t really like pointless rules but if there is a system, queue or not – you wait your turn lady or I will take you down. I’m British after all, and we invented the queue.

Realizing we probably needed to register with Clipboard-lady I told her our destination & she wrote it next to 49. We’re back in the game. Number 52 can wait in line.

After many more minutes it became apparent that the system is not a system.

Clipboard-lady approached the next available taxi and gave him a range of options on which location he wanted next, which often he declined & drove off. Oh for goodness sake -it’s 37 degrees humid as a Chinese Laundry we’ve be waiting for almost 1/2 hour, my friend is in wedges and I am watching my long awaited Dean & Delucalunch disappear up the ‘system’.

So I took things into my own hands & walked down the line and asked a taxi way back in the taxi queue if he will take us to Emporium. ‘Madam, number?’ he said.

I replied, ‘We have a number but there is seriously no system. Taxi just choose where he wants to go. You want to go to Emporium?’

‘Ok but 100bht’

‘Done.’ We jumped in with our laminated 49 (stick that in your ‘system’) and drive off.

The traffic is horrible. We pass a Dean & Deluca and get stuck in a nose to tail traffic, so I hand him his 100bht & say ‘Kap kun ka we get out here.’

‘No madam. Just round corner.’ He replies.

‘Oh ok’

Finally we pull up at…Central Embassy. Not quite where we wanted to be.

Yep, surreal it is. But we love it.

How To Travel The World Without Selling Your Possessions

Posted on April 20, 2016 by Frostie

The date you board the plane, and jet off to the first destination on your world tour, is getting closer! Whilst sitting at your desk, saving up the final pennies to put towards your adventure, you are daydreaming of sitting on a beach in the sun but are actually looking out the window on a drizzly Monday afternoon.

But, as you wish away the time until you touch down in paradise, there are a few very important things you need to sort out – particularly what you are going to do with all your possessions! Perhaps you have already sold some to put towards your travel fund and maybe the situation has encouraged you to have a major clear out. But, there will still be many things that you want to come back to in a year or two, when your travels come to an end and it is back to reality.

So, here are a few ways that you can travel the world without having to sell all your possessions:

1.Rent out your home – furnished

If you are lucky enough to own your own home, then leave all your possessions there and rent it out Posted in Life & Style, Travel | Tagged How To Travel The World Without Selling Your Possessions, possessions, travel, traveling, what to do with your stuff

Chef Adam Handling Launches new Tasting Menu; Adam Handling at Caxton

Posted on April 19, 2016 by Kesh

Adam Handling Photo By; ‘G & G Goodfellows’ & ‘Duncan Davis’

At only 27, young chef Adam Handling is proof that passion, creativity and skill really does come at any age. With a series of accolades and awards under his belt, Handling’s career is one that some chefs can only dream of. Pursuing his passion of cooking from the age of 10 and eventually finding himself a finalist on Masterchef: The Professionals, Handling now shares with us his imaginative and awe-inspiring creations using themes from his own life in his new menu now launching at restaurant Adam Handling at Caxton. With two tasting menus to choose from, a seven course and an eleven course, I can only scratch the surface when describing the utterly show-stopping dishes which follow each other harmoniously and it’s very clear that Handling has perfected the art of Gastronomy and channeled this with great creativity.

Photo by; ‘G & G Goodfellows’ & ‘Duncan Davis’

Each dish is nothing short of an experience, a menu for real foodies, it’s clear that this menu was created by someone who loves food and the food here is clearly derivative of memories, experiences and places. Don’t let the thought of eleven courses send you into food coma dread, everything here is well thought out, balanced and finely tuned.The first few courses are smaller appetizers ‘Pork & lovage’ and ‘Beetroot, beetroot and more beetroot’. Both of them transport you to a garden with beautifully fresh and seasonal flavours which compliment each other in succession, yin and yang at it’s best.

‘Beetroot, beetroot and more beetroot’

We then start to embark on complete indulgence and sensory overload, ‘Liquid gold’ is every bit as decadent as it sounds, two golden cubes of olive oil butter wrapped in white Chocolate and 24 carat gold which are presented filled with Caviar finished with a truffle on top. Now this was the one I was most hesitant to try, fish, chocolate, truffles and gold? This is certainly a brave and ambitious dish to execute but Handling miraculously balances some of the most distinct and powerful flavours with ease, flooding our tastebuds with a flavour of the ocean and leading us nicely on to our next course.

‘Liquid Gold’

‘Crab, apple and Sea Herbs’ is presented on a bed or seaweed and immersed in liquid nitrogen, for once, theatrics in this case is most welcome with the liquid nitrogen flooding the table with a delicate perfume of the sea, it’s incredibly welcome to enjoy the taste of the sea whilst flooding your nose with scents of the ocean.

Key to ‘Mother’

‘Mother’

The theatrics then continues as we are presented with a box which you must open with a little tiny key, in it is our next course; ‘Mother’. The showpiece of the menu, Mother is another dish which demonstrates the skill and fine balancing of quality flavours and ingredients. Slow cooked egg yolk is encased in shavings of apple and combined with celeriac puree, truffle cream and dusted with seaweed powder and truffle crisps. This dish is a delicate dance on the tastebuds and is incredibly satisfying. The texture, taste and temperature get your senses firing on all cylinders. Presented in a bespoke wooden box, this dish really is spectacular in every sense and something which is clearly very special to the chef himself.

Stunning Turbot Dish

‘Beer, beef, chilli, yolk’ is a smaller dish but a welcome interlude presented on a cracker this is probably one of the more relaxed courses but certainly demonstrating just as much skill and flavour. The next dish of ‘Turbot, Limestone and Radish’ was perhaps the more simpler of the dishes in terms of how it is served but definitely the best. This dish needs no introductions, Turbot served on a bed of perfect creamy mash potatoes and radish is a winning combination in my book. ‘Burnt Beef’ really is something to marvel at, and a lesson to anyone who wants to know how to plate a dish in an impressive way.

The final two desert courses almost seem to merge into one as they were devoured with much pleasure, ‘Nitro Tiramisu’ and ‘Chocolate, caramel and blackcurrant’ are every bit as appetising as they sound and my resounding thought was that I could have eaten it all over again even after the nine previous courses. Every course really does take you on a journey and transports you somewhere. To the sea or a garden or in the case of ‘Mother’, to Heaven itself. The work that has gone into such a thing can only be the brainchild of a culinary genius and the acute balancing of every flavour really is the most remarkable feature.
Not only has Handling nailed every flavour combination which you’re faced with when digging into his well-versed 11 courses but every course is presented with creativity, flair and adventure.

When it comes to the restaurant itself, the best thing about The Caxton was that it was so easy-going and how un-pretentious it was. The service was second to none and every member of staff was well informed and a pleasure to talk to. It says something about a place when the other diners are all genuinely having a good time and completely relaxed and this is somewhere which has no airs or graces about it. Just the promise of excellent service, sublime food and ultimate satisfaction. If you love food and you love flavour, this is really an experience like no other, full of wonder and inspiring cookery. Something to share with company you enjoy and somewhere to be adventurous this is certainly one of the best value tasting menus in London priced at only £50 for seven courses or £66 for the eleven course (without wines). Bravo Adam Handling, thank you for my amazing dinner, P.S, how do we create Liquid Gold at home?

For further information or for bookings, please visit: Caxton Grill

Secret’s out Heliot Steak House serves up a Feast worthy of Kings

Posted on April 12, 2016 by Kesh

Voted The Best Steakhouse in London by the customers of Bookatable 2015 we had high expectations for Heliot and boy did they live up to them. Known as West-End’s secret, we wondered why the secret? As the food is outstanding we would want to be on the rooftops shouting about it

Tuna Tartare

Located in London’s Hippodrome Casino, perhaps this wouldn’t be the first place you would think of going for dinner, but trust us on this, the food really does speak for itself. On the subject of Steak, the restaurant serves up to it’s hungry customers USDA Prime Steak. Basically a Steak Lovers fantasy, USDA is meat that has been approved by the US department of Agriculture, and the Prime cut Heliot serve is the superior grade. Nothing but the best here, Head Chef, Ioannis Grammanos, is the master or serving up a decent bit of meat and the reputation is built on his ability to grill a steak to perfection. We must admit when the Steak arrived, I opted for the 7oz Fillet, I was slightly worried that I should have ordered larger, but a little certainly goes a long way here and Grammanos certainly delivers flavour and quality by the steak load.

Flaming USDA Steak

With such a varied and well versed menu, we decided to pick the most indulgent options to accompany our Steaks. Think Lobster Tails, Roasted Bone Marrow and the ultimate indulgence, Millionaires Mac n Cheese with Poached Duck Egg and Truffles. Each of the heavenly and luxurious side dishes complimented the steak just as you think it would. The Roasted Bone Marrow was sweet, caramel but meaty with a herb crumb and the Mac and Cheese was unctuous, sumptuous and every bit as fit for a King as it sounds. But don’t take our word for it the only way to know is to get the full experience yourself.

Steak with all the Sides

Overlooking the bustling Hippodrome Casino, we went on a Sunday night and it was buzzy and alive and a little bit of Vegas in the heart of London, with a wine list which is just about as extensive as the different steaks being served, we paired our steak with a 2008 Malbec because we really were pulling out all the stops for this meal, a sublime and full-bodied choice for any Steak Lover, our tummies and hearts were full. Finishing off with Baked Alaska and Irish Coffee, it really is surprising to think that two skinny ladies could have eaten as much as we did but with such a triumphant menu and did I forget to mention, the best Espresso Martini ever, this will be somewhere i’ll definitely be visiting again for a good feeding. The piéce de la resistance is that the enigmatic restaurant dishes up fine dining at fast food prices. Prices start from just £13 for a rump steak with the priciest item just £29 for the 23oz T Bone. The menu is simple but delicious after all there’s nothing better than your traditional and old favourites cooked to absolute perfection and that’s all you need. No more secrets, book a table and thank me later.

Heliot Steak House can be enjoyed as a destination in its own right, or as part of an unforgettable 24-hour ‘night out’.

Opening Times; Monday-Friday from 5pm until late

With American Brunch from 12pm until late on weekends.

For Bookings Call;

0207 769 8844

or visit; London_reservations@togrp.com

Keep your eyes peeled for more exciting events coming up at Heliot Steak House including their unique 24hour Roast Beef and Yorkshire pudding fest for St George’s Day. More info on the way…

My Bangkok Nature Challenge by Alex Bannard – Thailand correspondent

Posted on April 8, 2016 by Margaret Graham

Challenged by a friend on Facebook to photograph something natural and post it everyday for a week turned into a beautiful journey.

Recently I was tagged on Facebook to complete a nature challenge and I was filled with dread. We all know the feeling – one’s to do list already seems over-burdened or the challenge seems simply not possible. It’s almost like the 21st century chain-letter – if you don’t forward to 20 people within an hour your life will implode, you will grow an extra nose and you certainly won’t ever attain riches beyond your wildest dreams.

OK so I over-exaggerate a little but this photo challenge involved posting daily for a week a photograph of nature and nominating one of your friends daily to accept the same gauntlet. I balked. And procrastinated and thought ‘But I live in a city’ and dreaded burdening other friends and and and…

Well, of course I did the ostrich thing for three days and eventually ventured out with the dog for her morning walk around our Moobaan, armed with my phone. I don’t usually take my phone as I believe the walk is more mindful without it. I focus on the bird sounds (the for-real bird, the one who squawks ‘for-real-for-real’) and try to allow my thoughts to drift across my mind like clouds in the blue sky. And all of that dippy hippy stuff.

It was a revelation: I discovered beautiful flowers hanging from trees, bushes or in potted plants. I absolutely love the frangipani flower which we all regularly see on the ground in Thailand and decorating our plates but this time I noticed some that hadn’t quite opened in the morning sun’s warmth. But the frangipani wasn’t the only one, because I realised that there are many other spectacularly beautiful flowers if only one looks.

My friend’s housekeeper later told me that one bloom is collected by the locals to cook in oyster sauce, and that’s obviously what the stout old lady was doing one morning as her maid obediently following behind carrying handfuls of these flowers.

I looked more closely at the bark of the trees the dog sniffs around every day. I noticed the different textures in the different grasses at our feet. I looked upwards and discovered papayas, pomegranates and bananas hanging off neighbour’s trees.

I am sure the security and gardeners wondered what that mad Farang was doing, one foot on the dog’s lead, kneeling down with her phone trying to get the perfect shot of a dead flower on the ground. To be honest I didn’t care because I was in that all important flow state where time flies by and nothing else matters other than what you are doing. Kids are naturally in this state and it is somehow conditioned out of us as we grow up but it is so therapeutic and extremely good for you.

But best of all I was totally mindful of my surroundings, seeing things I hadn’t noticed before and appreciating once again how very lucky we are to live in this vibrant, bustling, busy city of Bangkok. You just have to open your eyes and slow down to appreciate its nature and beauty and I realised then I can never have enough of frangipani.

So thank you for the challenge, and I hope those I nominated also found it to be a time of similar revelation and calm.

And another lesson…if I had allowed my initial reaction to this challenge to dominate I would never have experienced these revelations and therein lies another revelation: don’t judge, stay curious and open because there is so much more to life if you do.

Alex has lived the nomadic life of an expat for over a decad living in the Middle East, Istanbul, Germany and recently settling with her family in Thailand. She teaches yoga in Bangkok and when not on her yoga mat, waxes lyrical about her oversea adventures. Contactable via: masteryoga@elbolivng.com

Style Me in Seconds free Pop-Up Styling Event launches in Old Street

Posted on April 5, 2016 by Kesh

For one week only, Old Street Station plays host to the sensational ‘Style Me in Seconds’ one stop shop and styling pop up. Charity shops across the UK are showcasing their best pieces and giving shoppers a chance to be styled up by professional stylists who have dressed the likes of Victoria Beckham, Emilie Sande and Professor Green.

As you browse the hundreds of treasures that our London charity shops have to offer, try something more daring or challenge yourself to create a brand new style for someone else. With free style consultations on offer and a host of other goodies including free manicures, guarantee yourself a place by booking your very own styling session here…

http://stylemeinseconds.com

Style Me in Seconds is open from 4th -10th April from 7:30am every day

Unit 2, Old Street Station – Old Street, London EC1Y 1BE, United Kingdom

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