Bubba Gump Comes To London

Posted on October 15, 2014 by Sarah Bacchus

We where invited to the first UK’s first Bubba Gump restaurant last night and we have to say it was oh so very good! The staff where totally brilliant, very helpful and extremely attentive.

The American novelty fast food chain is best known for taking its inspiration from Forrest Gump and has over 30 restaurants around the world. They have a memorabilia shop on the ground floor for all the kids among us! Get ready for a rather picture packed article as we really needed to do this place justice. Here we go….Are you guys ready for possibly the best new dining experience to hit London in a very long time.

This quirky themed restaurant has shrimp as the main part of the menu with over 20 different styles to be precise. They do offer fish, steak, chicken, ribs, salads as alternatives for those of you that don’t really like a good old prawn. We indulged in so many different dishes and all had perfect and delectable flavours.

The menu consists of Coconut Shrimp, I’m not normally a huge fan of coconut but by golly was it good. They do Lobster Linguine, Dixie Style Baby Back Ribs. The most mouthwatering chicken that you will ever have. You will never want any other chicken dish anywhere else! No really it’s seriously so good and knocks spots off anywhere we have been in a long time.

We spent the entire evening indulging in shrimp, chicken, chips and dips. I can’t tell you how utterly impressed we where with this amazing place. You need to get ya running shoes on Forest style and head there very soon.

When we were served the huge portion of creamed mash 2 breasts of the best breaded chicken and an entire corn on the cob with perfect chicken gravy I nearly died and went to heaven. I kid you not when I say I have woken up this morning dreaming of my next visit!!

There was also appetisers like Mama Gump’s Garlic Bread Basket. Crab Stuffed Mushrooms and the Shrimper’s Net Catch!! We didn’t see any ‘Peas n Carrots’ sadly but expect they could well rustle some up for you if you had the whim!!

Oh did I mention the puddings…..

With plenty of Forrest Gump references all over the restaurant! It’s a fun foodies place to try out. Pictures, posters, quotes and memorabilia adorn every scrap of space. It’s a sight the behold and such a great night out you will long to watch the film and remember how wonderful life is. Well it’s like a box of chocolates isn’t it but here at Bubba Gump you know what your gona get… Darn amazing food and wicked cocktails that will have you coming back time and time again!!

It seats 400 over two floors, open seven days a week, 11.30am until late.

Bubba Gump in London is situated on 13 Coventry St, Piccadilly Circus, London W1D 7DH. Strictly walk-ins only. Now you can call an hour ahead but be warned this place is set to rock London so best get your Forest trainers at the ready as you might be standing around for a few blocks!! To get on the queue list and possibly save you some time, call 020 3763 5288. They can’t guarantee it will be really fast but you can be sure that the food is out of this world once yup get in there!!

That’s all I have to say about that!!

Apart from Follow them on Twitter @bubbagumpuk1

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www.sarahbacchus.com

Hakkasan Golden Week Restaurant Review

Posted on October 9, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

Hakkasan is one of the most happening places in London. This was abundantly obvious when we went to review it. It was packed out on a Tuesday night, filled with the great and good of London. When I went to the bathroom, I washed my hands next to three supermodels. The decor is stunning and everything about Hakkasan is glamourous and exciting.

We went to review the Golden Week, which celebrates the annual Chinese holiday Golden Week which is between the 29th September and 12th October. To mark Golden Week, the Michelin-starred restaurants feature limited edition authentic à la carte and set menus. In addition, guests who dine on the specialty menu will receive an exclusive gift in celebration of the holiday.

Golden Week is considered to be China’s biggest annual national holiday, spanning seven days in October where all workers are given three days of paid time off. Consequently it is a popular period of time when the Chinese travel significantly around the world to experience luxury offerings. Traditionally Golden Week takes place between 1st and 7th October, however Hakkasan will be offering the dedicated menus for a longer period of time to accommodate all travellers.

Executive Chef Tong of Hakkasan has created menus to cater specifically to traditional Chinese tastes. The set menu is £88.88 per person – celebrating the traditionally auspicious number 8 – and includes Peking duck with caviar; Dim sum platter; Spicy Szechuan rib-eye beef with enoki mushroom; Hakka stew pork belly; fried rice with diced abalone, and to finish, deep-fried sesame balls with green tea and peach. Golden Week à la carte menu includes equally authentic Chinese fare, such as Double boiled ginseng and Chinese herb soup with sea whelk; Braised claypot-cooked seabass and Fried tofu with spinach and seafood. A box containing hand-made golden Champagne and popping candy macarons are given at the end of the meal for each guest to take home as a gift.

To ensure the experience in the restaurants is enjoyable and efficient, Hakkasan has Mandarin-speaking staff on-site and in reservations, and accepts China Union Pay, the Chinese credit card of choice. Menus and websites will be Mandarin translated and staff will be fully trained in Chinese etiquette.

In addition to London, several Hakkasan restaurants around the world including Beverly Hills, Las Vegas, New York, San Francisco and Shanghai will also be celebrating Golden Week with exclusive menus in order to provide the experience to Chinese nationals who are travelling elsewhere. Each location’s menu will vary and offer a slightly different twist tailored to each location.

We started off by ordering mocktails. I have a Coco Passion and my colleague has a Kowloon Cooler. Both are delicious. Our starters come and we are very impressed. Presentation is amazing, service is excellent and we are already impressed before even trying anything.

The food is amazing, as you would expect. Peking duck with caviar and a Dim sum platter. It is also unique. The duck is very special, not served like your usual duck, it is very neat and the pancake and duck is all together, sauce on the side with caviar on top. It is amazing. The dum sum platter is truly wonderful. These are the best dim sum we have ever had. Just exceptional.

When our mains arrive it really is something. The table really is not big enough: Huge Shrimp which is perfectly cooked, delicious Pak Choi, perfect Spicy Szechuan rib-eye beef with enoki mushroom; an amazing Roasted crispy chicken with wild mushroom in oyster sauce: Braised whole sea bass in clay pot which is perfectly cooked, the sauce is amazing and the fish is tender; Hakka stew pork belly which is just right; fried rice with diced abalone which is a particular favourite: creamy and in a delicious sauce. It is a feast and a rather superb one. The food is outstanding.

To finish we have deep-fried sesame balls with green tea and peach. These are small and delicious. Perfect to end the meal. The waitress tells me Hakkasan has a lot of regular customers and they really love it when something like Golden Week happens as they get to try something different.

As we are leaving we are handed a beautiful gift bag which has some delicious macaroons inside. We have them the next day as we are so full. Hakkasan is an amazing restaurant, one of the best in London. We will definitely be back.

Hakkasan Mayfair
Address: 17 Bruton St, London W1J 6QB
Phone:020 7907 1888
Hours: Open today · 12:00 pm – 12:30 am

http://hakkasan.com

Kelly’s of Cornwall Ice cream Meringue Tart | Recipes

Posted on October 9, 2014 by Frostie

Ingredients:

6 tart cases

1 tub of Kelly’s of Cornwall Clotted Cream & Strawberries ice cream

6 mini meringues

Strawberry sugar to sprinkle

Chocolate sauce

Method:

Microwave the tart cases for 5-7 seconds (not too hot or the ice cream will melt). Add a few spoons of Kelly’s ice cream in to the tart cases and spread out evenly. Place the meringues on top, decorate with a drizzle of chocolate sauce and add some sugar sprinkles to top it off.

This recipe has been created by Kelly’s of Cornwall with Jacinta Zechariah, blogger of Jacintaz3as part of Kelly’s Creative Kids in the Kitchen 2014 campaign. To see Jacinta’s blog please visit http://jacintaz3.co.uk/the-day-i-died-and-lived-to-tell-the-tale/

Kelly’s of Cornwall Eddie’s Mess Ice Cream | Recipes

Posted on October 8, 2014 by Frostie

Ingredients:

3 strawberries, sliced
A handful of blueberries and blackberries
3 meringue shells, broken
2 scoops of Kelly’s Clotted Cream & Raspberries ice cream

Method:

Layer sliced strawberries, broken meringue pieces, blueberries and blackberries (leaving a few to decorate) in a fancy sundae glass then add a couple of scoops of ice cream. Decorate with remaining blueberries and blackberries and serve.

This recipe has been created by Kelly’s of Cornwall with Galina Varese, blogger of Chez Maxima as part of Kelly’s of Cornwall’s Creative Kids in the Kitchen 2014 campaign. To see Galina’s blog please visit http://chezmaximka.blogspot.co.uk/

Kelly’s of Cornwall Banoffee Pie Ice Cream

Posted on October 7, 2014 by Frostie

Ingredients:

100g butter, melted

200g digestive biscuits

4 bananas

Kelly’s of Cornwall Clotted Cream ice cream or Kelly’s Cornish Dairy Vanilla ice cream

Jaffa Cake mini rolls

Kelly’s of Cornwall Clotted Cream and Honeycomb ice cream

Method:

Line a cake tin with cling film.
Bash the biscuits to make crumbs and mix with the melted butter.
Push the crumb mixture into the cake tin to make a base.
Chop the bananas into slices and use to cover the biscuit base.
Cover the bananas with a layer of Kelly’s of Cornwall Clotted Cream Vanilla ice cream.
Chop the Jaffa Cake rolls into slices and cover the ice cream.
Finish off with a layer of Kelly’s Clotted Cream and Honeycomb ice cream.
Place the tin in the freezer for a couple of hours and then serve.

This recipe has been created by Kelly’s of Cornwall with Alison Maclean, blogger of Fairy dust and Dragons as part of Kelly’s Creative Kids in the Kitchen 2014 campaign. To see Alison’s blog please visit http://www.dragonsandfairydust.co.uk

And For Breakfast: Lizi’s Granola & Nature’s Path Gluten Free Porridge Review

Posted on September 26, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

It is the most important meal of the day and without it I get rather grumpy. So with that in mind I reviewed some breakfast options.

First up is Lizi’s Granola.

The press release calls it ‘the UK’s healthiest and most tasty breakfast cereal’. Lizi’s Granola is not new but has a new low sugar variant. It has less than 4% sugar. Impressive and definitely a plus with the amount of bad press sugar gets now. It is just not good for you. When I first tasted this granola I wasn’t sure if I liked it but as I finished I did. It is tasty and has just a touch of sweetness. It is nutty and oaty and also makes you feel healthy. It is high in fibre and all of the ingredients are natural. It is really good granola with less sweetness. You could also add more sweetness by adding fruit or yoghurt. Tasty and healthy.

Lizi’s Low Sugar Granola retails at £3.89 for 500g. Low Sugar available in Asda, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose.

Nature’s Path Gluten Free Hot And Steamy Porridge Oats have the advantage of not having that other things people hate at the moment: gluten. The box has three flavours: original, spiced apple and maple. They are convenient, you can put them in the microwave after adding water, or just add some milk or water and cook for two minutes on the hob. They are high in fibre, suitable for vegans, kosher and made with natural, organic ingredients. But how do they taste? Amazing. High quality, even with water instead of milk and keeps you full until lunchtime. They are far too healthy to taste so good. Available from Waitrose, Ocado, eBay and Amazon.

Belfast City Guide

Posted on September 12, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

If you have never been to Belfast before and are planning to go then you will be in for a treat…

Belfast Facts

A thriving city which always has something going on: Belfast is the largest city in Northern Ireland.

Belfast may be a small city but it is big on excitement.

There is a population of only 286,000 in the city of Belfast but what it lacks in size and population it more than makes up for in history, events and fun things to do.

First Thoughts on Belfast

Your first impressions of the city is just how beautiful it is. The accent of the resident will also leave an impression. The Irish accent is know to be beautiful and lyrical, as is the friendliness of the Irish people.

Then there will be so much stuff to do that you won’t know where to start.

If you are a Game of Thrones fan then you are certainly in for a treat as the hit fantasy TV show is filmed in Belfast and the rest of Ireland.

You can take a tour of Titanic Studios in Belfast where it is filmed. You can also take a Game of Thrones location tour and get a picture of yourself sitting on the throne.

For something else that will also inspire a high amount of awe you might want to go for some real-life history and see the Titanic Belfast. Titanic Belfast is the largest Titanic visitor experience in the world. It is situated right beside the real historical site where the world’s most famous doomed ship was constructed. The 6-floor building will also have all of the information you could ever need to know about the Titanic, from her construction to the very tragic end.

Because there is so much to do in Belfast and you will be surprised at just how amazing the city is, the best thing to do is to sort out your accommodation first. Find a good hotel from Hotel Direct before you leave so you can just relax and enjoy the rest of your visit. After you have dropped your stuff off the first thing you should do is grab a guinness. A trip to Ireland is not fully complete until you have tried this famous beverage.

Whats happening in Belfast?

There are also a number of festivals that happen in Belfast throughout the year.

Check ahead before you leave and you won’t miss out.

Festivals range from Red Bull Music Weekend, Sound of Belfast and the Belfast Restaurant Week.

You can take your pick depending on when you visit but there is usually at least a few great festivals or events running in the city. Catch some live music and you might hear the next big thing. A lot of famous artist have come our of Northern Ireland like Snow Patrol, Ash, Van Morrison, Therapy?, The Divine Comedy and The Undertones.

What about food?

You will also have a good choice when it comes to eating out.

There is a substantial amount of good restaurants in Belfast. Try and have a traditional dish like Irish Stew, Colcannon (a traditional Irish dish which generally consists of mashed potatoes with kale or cabbage) or soda bread.

Family fun

There is also plenty of things to do for families. The Belfast Zoo is a good place to start and the W5 interactive science museum will have hours of educational fun to entertain you and your children. For the more sporty and energetic there is the T13 Urban Sports Academy.

Here there is a good range of exciting and sporty things to do: BMX, skateboarding, kick scooter, break dancing, urban art and DJing. Rather handy, the T13 Urban Sports Academy is opposite the Titanic Belfast. So you can catch both star attractions on the same day if you have time.

All in all, Belfast is a wonderful place to visit, not only will it make a good first impression on you, but it will also leave a good lasting one, with wonderful memories and an urge to go back again and again. What are you waiting for?

Langshott Manor Review | Travel

Posted on September 11, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

After our recent marriage my new husband and I spent a wonderful bank holiday weekend at Langshott Manor which we booked via http://secretescapes.com. It was a truly wonderful 16th-century Elizabethan manor house in Surrey. We got a good rate and it included breakfast and a five-course tasting menu.

This is what http://secretescapes.com said:

A 16th-century Elizabethan manor house, complete with red brick walls, casement windows and an ancient moat, Langshott Manor is a real boutique gem. Set within three acres of secret garden near Horley in the heart of sleepy Surrey, you’re just an hour’s drive from the Big Smoke. Slip on your Hunter wellies and get ready for a decidedly stylish country retreat.

The refurbished Mulberry Restaurant is full of nooks and crannies to hide away in. Packed with original features, it has a cosy fireplace and views out across the pristine gardens. The menu is both refined and hearty, with plenty of home-grown produce and local ingredients.

Good to know

Please note that check-in is at 4pm ad check-out is at 11am.

The restaurant’s dress code is smart-casual, which excludes trainers, sportswear and ripped denim.

We like

The quirky original features in this grand 16th century Elizabethan manor house

The re-invented Mulberry Restaurant where you can have fabulous gourmet dishes and afternoon tea

Walking through the grounds to discover the ancient moat and beyond, tranquil countryside

We were very impressed with the food, the service and our room. The grounds were beautiful and relaxing. Ducks played in a pond and even came right up to the restaurant. They were completely adorable. Our room had a four poster bed, a hall and a beautiful bathroom. The food truly is first-class, as good as anything in the best restaurants in London.

We had a wonderful time. Upon checking out we noticed the service charges were quite a lot but, to be fair, the service is impeccable. The papers are not free and will be added to your bill. The nearest train station is Horley. You could take a taxi to the manor house and it won’t cost much. It is also possible to walk as long as you have a good sense of direction or GPS on your phone.