Tag Archives: 10th Anniversary

Yauatcha Restaurant Review | Celebrating 10 Years

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With a rainbow of macaron’s elegantly displayed in the restaurant window, Yauatcha immediately catches your eye and invites you in to sample the patisserie-come- Chinese dishes.

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We were led downstairs to the basement by a lady in red, where we were pleasantly surprised by the buzz of diners, faces lit by the centre-piece of the room – the horizontal fish tank running the length of the bar.

 

We were greeted by numerous servers and told that as part of Yauatcha’s 10th anniversary in Soho, we would be served secret off-menu items which would only be disclosed once the dishes came to our table.

 

The first dishes arrived in steaming bamboo baskets; a trilogy of dumplings and a prawn and bean curd cheung fun saddled our table too.

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The wild fungus and pomegranate dumpling was squidgy and earthy and the fruit seed added a pleasant drop of sweetness to the palette.

 

Not being a huge fan of lychee, nonetheless, the flakes of the scallop puff oozed with freshness as the dry texture of pastry was drenched with the juices of the tropical grape-like fruit.

 

Unusually green, the seared spicy lamb and fig was the last dumpling to pass my lips. The meaty flavour of lamb was subtly mixed with the sweeter fig flavour, creating a unique explosion of flavours.

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But the real moment of heaven was with the prawn and bean curd cheung fun drizzled in soy sauce.

 

A firm favourite with Yauatcha diners, it’s easy to see why. Encased in a soft pasta-like shell (the bean curd), it protectively lined the plump, slightly salty prawns and contrasted with the crispy fragments separating the different textures.

 

For mains, we shared the Kung pao chicken with cashew nut and stir fry rib eye beef in black bean sauce.

 

The beef sauce gently pricked our throats with spice as we edged closer to the bottom of the plate. The peppers were crispy and charred with a smoky flavour and the chicken was tender with hints of garlic and onion.

 

For dessert, my partner opted for the cheesecake with lemon, blueberry and graham cracker which was impressively stacked and burst with zesty tangs of citrus.

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I plumped for the apricot chocolate, jaconde sponge, curd, chocolate cremaux and chiboust. Again it was impeccably presented and the sweet chocolate and apricot was interspersed with spoonfuls of refreshing sour sorbet.

 

We spent a pleasant evening at Yauatcha, part of the Hakkasan group which includes HKK in Shoreditch, and I loved the unique way dishes were served. The waiting staff are composed of commis in black uniform and serving staff in white.

 

The commis carry the dishes to the table and the serving staff quickly appear by their side ready to present each plate with a complete description to the diner. To me, this seemed like an eloquent game of chess; each time black edged towards the target, the white pawn would quickly follow suit.

 

My only niggle is the seating; after a few hours sitting on the uber-funky but backless sofa, I did feel like I needed a bit more support, but overall, a fantastic experience.

 

Next time we’ll be nipping in for macarons and a cocktail, turning the Chinese dining experience into a modern European affair in Soho.

 

15-17 Broadwick Street, London, W1F 0DL. Email reservations@yauatcha.com

 

 

Eden Hall Celebrates 10 Years of Perfect Pampering

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This July, the luxury day spa in Elston, near Newark, Nottinghamshire marks its 10th Anniversary and celebrates the momentous occasion by treating customers to exclusive limited edition treatments created especially for Eden by product houses, Elemis, Thalgo and Spa Find.

Customers can choose from a diverse range of different treatments including a facial, a back ritual or a summer detox – there’s something to suit all body beautifying needs in perfectly tranquil surroundings.

Eden’s Anniversary Facial from Elemis, £110

Designed for skin challenged by modern living and bursting with anti-oxidant rich minerals and vitamins. This purifying treatment helps remove damaging toxins, regenerate skin cells and rebalances sebum. The results: renewed and revitalised skin.

This skin rescue package also includes a complimentary Elemis gift, full use of the saltwater vitality pool, water therapies, heated rooms, gymnasium, exercise and relaxation classes, lounges and chill out areas, robes and towels for use on the day and a delicious three-course lunch.

Eden’s Anniversary Indoceane Back Ritual from Thalgo, £110

The Indoceane Back Ritual encompasses age-old traditions of beautification inspired by four continents. This most sensual of treatments commences with a Mediterranean influenced exfoliation and is followed by Ayurvedic inspired massage using warmed oils and an ancient Indian technique. The silky soft sublime mask harnesses the serenity and relaxing powers of Asia and the Orient to leave your skin glowing. Let your mind and body relax in this ultimate spa treatment.

This indulgent package also includes a complimentary Thalgo gift, full use of the saltwater vitality pool, water therapies, heated rooms, gymnasium, exercise and relaxation classes, lounges and chill out areas, robes and towels for use on the day and a delicious three-course lunch.

Eden’s Anniversary Summer Detox from Spa Find, £110

The Summer Detox aims to reduce cellulite, aid detoxification and prevent water retention. The treatment begins with an exfoliation of the legs, buttocks and abdomen to invigorate and stimulate the circulation, followed by an application of energising caffeine-rich extracts and rebalancing Dead Sea minerals. A relaxing pressure point scalp massage is carried out whilst you are wrapped, maximising the benefits of the products ensuring a more toned and firmed result, whilst safely removing toxins from within the body.

The therapist will then use specialised lymph drainage massage techniques to help with penetration of the Iso Slim complex which includes horsetail plant extract, renowned for its firming properties and Carnitine protein that is essential to the metabolism of fat. The combination of plant extracts and Dead Sea minerals makes this a powerful detoxifying treatment giving you lighter legs for the summer months ahead.

This ultimate detox package also includes a complimentary Spa Find gift, full use of the saltwater vitality pool, water therapies, heated rooms, gymnasium, exercise and relaxation classes, lounges and chill out areas, robes and towels for use on the day and a delicious three-course lunch.

Whichever treatment guests choose, the day will finish with a complimentary glass of Champagne to celebrate Eden’s 10th Birthday.

All treatments are available throughout July 2012 – Monday to Friday.

Lovebox 2012.

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The 10th anniversary of Lovebox at Victoria Park, East London was a bloody amazing day. I went on Sunday and here are my highlights.

Chic
Nile Rodger’s is responsible for most of the greatest songs since the 1970’s and Chic had all of Victoria Park dancing and singing. At one point thousands of muddy, tipsy Londoners were all singing ‘Like a Virgin’ in unison. A moment I will always remember.

Sam Sparro
Performed with a peacock headpiece and wearing a black suit. He took the blazer off to show a corset. He was an amazing performer. Brilliant songs, great stage performance and during his rendition of his classic ‘Black & Gold’ he jumped into the crowd and rocked out to his own music. Possibly the coolest person EVER.

The Rapture
Brilliant live.They do the Misfits theme tune. You will know their songs even if you don’t know them. Everybody loved them.

Chrystal Fighters
I have never heard of this band before but they ROCKED. Search them out. They are brilliant live. When they came our and started drumming everyone was grooving.

Chaka Khan
Was amazing and had the whole crowd singing ‘I’m Every Women”. She had the most powerful amazing voice and came out singing into a gold diamante microphone. In my short-sightedness I thought it looked like an ice-cream initially.

Lana Del Rey.
I have no idea why Lana Del Rey was on the second stage. She is a stunning and original performer and pretty much everyone made their way to the stage to see her sing. She captivated the entire audience and even came off the stage to shake hands with festival goers. She is just as beautiful and stylish up close. A true superstar who has been unfairly attacked for being wooden and not being able to sing in the past: none of that is true. She has style and substance.

Grace Jones
Was Grace Jones. She gave an amazing, out of this world performance and brought the house down.

My only gripe is that you cannot bring food or drink into LoveBox with you. There is also no re-admission. The food can be quite pricey but there is everything from salads to Ostrich burgers. Lovebox is the full festival experience without the camping.

A lot of people on Twitter said that they were not at Lovebox because they couldn’t afford to. Hopefully next year the economy will pick up and all of London can experience a music festival without leaving the greatest city on earth. Luckily I won tickets at the Sure Maximum/Handpicked Media event.

I found out from this good article how LoveBox got its name.

My 9-11: One Man's Journey Through September 11, 2001

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My 9-11: One Man’s Journey Through the Unexpected Events of September 11, 2001′ Launches With a Book, Gallery Show & Soundtrack

Multi-Media Art Retrospective to Commemorate the 10th Anniversary of the September 11th Attacks Will Also Raise Healthcare Funds for First Responders and Families

Music and celebrity portrait photographer and author, Richard Agudelo, presents, My 9-11: One Man’s Journey Through the Unexpected Events of September 11, 2001. This multi-media arts retrospective includes a book that contains never before published images from Ground Zero, captured moments after the attacks. These powerful images will be presented in a photography exhibit at NYC’s new Charles West Gallery. In addition to the book and gallery show, 13 diverse musicians have contributed original works to the My 9-11 Project soundtrack. All net proceeds from the My 9-11 Project efforts will be donated to first responder charities including the FealGood Foundation

The beautifully crafted book presents 144 pages, containing 40 images that include 23 never before published pictures that were taken 20 minutes after One World Trade Center collapsed. The photographs are accompanied by a vividly detailed 11,000 word narrative that gives a glimpse of the chaos and heroism at Ground Zero immediately following the towers downfall. Contributors to the book include 9-11 first responder advocate, John Feal of the FealGood Foundation and World Trade Center Health Organization’s leading expert, Dr. Jacqueline Moline. All the names of victims lost on 9-11 are also included in a commemorative section.

“My 9-11 Project began to take shape after I returned from an annual check-up at the World Trade Center Health Organization,” explains author, photographer and founder of My 9-11 Project, Richard Agudelo. “I saw the suffering of many first responders and over the years have witnessed the untimely deaths of too many of these heroes,” Agudelo adds, “My 9-11 Project not only aims to raise funds to help prevent more of these deaths, but also helps to provide a larger platform to bring light and conversation to this unfortunate circumstance.” Agudelo further states, “We not only need to honor and applaud these heroes, we need to take care of them, just as they did for us.”

My 9-11: One Man’s Journey Through the Unexpected Events of September 11, 2001 has been brought to light by efforts and funding from Barry Leistner and Koenig Iron Works, Inc. in New York City. “When I met Ric Agudelo, he was looking for a gallery space to show a project he was working on to commemorate September 11th,” explains Barry Leistner, president of Koenig Iron Works. “Once I started to hear the details of this amazing project, suddenly I knew exactly how I was going to honor the friends and loved ones lost on 9-11,” further explains Leistner, “I was not only going to get Ric a space to launch the My 9-11 Project, I asked to personally help and became Co-founder and Producer of the multi-media project.”

ABOUT MY 9-11 PROJECT

My 9-11 Project is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that provides monetary assistance to various organizations that push to alleviate the financial burdens of the September 11th first responders who suffer from health ailments due to the time spent at Ground Zero. My 9-11 Project also aims to generate general public awareness about the many health issues that plague these heroes. Funds will be raised through multi-media arts projects which will also support and nurture NYC downtown artists. My 9-11 Project was founded by photographer Richard Agudelo and philanthropist Barry Leistner. For more information on My 9-11 Project, please visit www.My9-11Project.org.