The Crown & Anchor Restaurant Review

Posted on June 13, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

Chiswick High Street is quite a bustling, yet tranquil part of West London. It is green and full of environmentally conscious people and yummy mummies. We headed to the newly refurbished Crown & Anchor to review it.

The Decor looks great and there is a good atmosphere. It is a sunny day and the flowers on the table all add to a lovely vibe. We start with the Pork, Apple and Leek Terrine With Piccalilli and Baby Toffee Apple & Toast and Watercress, Tarragon, Mint & Purple Carrot Salad With Roasted Pistachios, Sunflower Seeds & Orange Blossom Dressing. The terrine is delicious, very well done and all of the ingredients work well together. The salad is interesting and too tasty for something so green, but could of done with a little something else, more colour perhaps, or more dressing. It was a popular dish, the manager, Gordon, told me, and it was delicious. I just thought it could do with a little kick of something.

We also had a good bottle of prosecco. Perfect for summer.

There is a lot to say about our mains, mostly because they were so huge and generous that we really didn’t need a starter or a dessert. In fact, it took us ages to finish them and we still didn’t actually manage to polish the plate off.

We had the Cider & Tarragon Battered Cod With Mushy Peas & Tartare Sauce With Double-Cooked Chips and the Half Roast Chicken With Bread Sauce. The cod is well-battered with a good twist thanks to the tarragon and cider, the mushy peas are great and have some mint in them, the chips are double-cooked and there is also a good tartare sauce. The chicken is huge, an actual half chicken. No stinginess here. The bread sauce is very good, as is the gravy. It comes with a huge Yorkshire pudding, carrots, broccoli, parsnips and roast potatoes. This is a meal and a half, and you certainly get a lot for your money. It tastes good too.

All the way through our meal the service was amazing but seemed to completely drop off when we were ready to order dessert. It took a while to catch a waiters eye and order something. To be fair, they probably got sick of waiting for us to finish. My colleague and I hate wasted food but gave up towards the end.

For dessert (yes, our legs are hollow) we had an Earl Grey Infused Tart With Creme Fraiche and a Chocolate and Pear Tart With Creme Fraiche. Both were great and came with a biscuit and another sauce that really complimented the other ingredients. Very good desserts. I loved my chocolate and pear one. The combination of flavours really worked.

We enjoyed our meal at The Crown & Anchor. They also have a newly refurbished upstairs bar and more seating. It is a gorgeous, friendly pub with good food.

The Crown & Anchor

374 Chiswick High Road

London

W4 5TA

020 8995 2607

www.crownandanchorchiswick.co.uk

enquiry@crownandanchorchiswick.co.uk

www.facebook.com/CrownAndAnchor.Chiswick

@crownanchorw4

Interview with Kit Rice

Posted on June 12, 2014 by Sarah Bacchus

Getting to interview amazing new and exciting talent is part of my job I find so wonderful. Now and then we see brilliant new singers pop up and when you realise you are in the presence of a new rising star it sends shivers down my spine. I had the pleasure of meeting, photographing and interviewing the incredible Kit Rice recently. We chatted for hours and I left loving this chap so much, he and I sat and chatted for well over 2 hours all about his life journey, music and style. He bowled me over how wonderful he was…he is a rising star and one name to really lookout for.

Kit is not only a truly versatile artist with a wealth of musical knowledge behind him but he is a graduate of the prestigious BRIT school, established songwriter and classical violinist making him an emerging talent to really watch out for in the coming year!

Kit’s first iTunes release, Not on My Time EP was self – produced and released in December 2011, followed swiftly by Lies EP in February 2012 which attracted attention from music agents based in Central London.

At just 21, Kit’s debut album Stay Gone was completed with well known producer Cam Blackwood who is known for his work with artists including; Cee – Lo Green and Jamiroquai. His first single BYOB, was released on November 11th 2013 with the music video attracting wide spread attention from both the UK and the US.

Kit has performed numerous gigs at venues around the country including celeb spots such as The Ice Bar and XOYO. Kit was crowned the winner of The Bedford’s Song Slam in 2012 after wowing the judges with original tracks from his album and he has played live acoustic sessions on main radio stations including BBC Radio London.

Q. Who did you listen to growing up?

A. I listened to a lot of Prince growing up, Whitney and Maria but mostly, with loads of Celine. I listened to classical music mostly when growing up. For years at Brit school I didn’t listen to anything with words. Then I went on to being a Dub Step DJ for a while!
Q. Where do you take your inspiration from when writing songs

A. I have tons of posters in my room from Prince, Snoop dog to Lady GaGa. If I am having a bad day I cam look up and just think what would they do and it normally does the trick.

Q. You love to perform live, where would be the ultimate place to have a gig.

A. Kensington roof gardens, the actual balcony and strip it back, that would have to be the best place as I love the intimacy and the vibrant nature of the place, obviously Wembley would be incredible but for now that would tick the box. I love intimacy of the smaller venues.

Q. If you could collaborate with any other artist who would it be

A. Prince…he’s just the greatest. Defiantly Prince and brandy a she’s my vocal inspiration

Q. Your latest release has a really cool video, I particularly love the guy on roller skates! Where would you love to shoot a great video, your dream location?

A. This was shot in a dance theatre owned by my parents, it was a really cool, but my favourite place to shoot would be on a huge yacht just like a JLO inspired version. The new video called NONSENSE out on the 1st of July is really great and the video for that is …well basically nonsense!! You will have to wait to see it, it also will have a 48 hour free down loads too.

Q. I see from your twitter….I haven’t been stalking you just researching! You love a good selfie, if you could have a picture with anyone, who would it be? Anyone even from the past?!

A. Prince….I love taking pictures with loads of people. SHOTS is amazing app that Justin Bieber made famous and you can connect with fans that way. I love to connect with my fans.

Q. What do you love about fashion and do you have a certain look that you are trying to create.

A. I take a lot of influence from the likes of David Bowie, and Snoop dog. Lady Gaga is one amazing and cool lady. My look is all about looking strong, cool and a bit different.
Q. What can we expect from you over the next 12 months.

A. The new album will be out by the end of the year and now its about promoting myself. Getting myself out there and showing the world what I have to offer. Its very exciting.

Q. If you could play live for anyone who would it be

A. I have played in front of Nelson Mandela and that was incredible and very cool. Price would obviously be one all time great that I would love to play live for. To see what he would think..Even if he said dude your doing it all wrong!! HAHA!

Q. What is your vision for the future.

A. I want everyone to have heard the album as I was in a really good place when I wrote it and I am incredibly proud of it.. There are some really nice songs about my life on there.

Q. Tell us something we need to know about Kit! What’s your message?!!

A. LVE MUSIC…everything is played live, with strings bows etc. Keep it going and get people inspired. Peace and Love.

Watch Kits last BYOB Video

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJLpx9E1QlM]

Follow Kit on Twitter @KitMusicUK and pop over to say Hi. Come say hi to me @sarahbacchus and check out our online lifestyle magazine over at SLBStyle.com. For information regarding my Photographic work here is the link to the Sarahbacchus.com site

This interview and shoot was held at the beautiful Mamounia Lounge in Mayfair, I want to thank them for their hospitality and for allowing me to take over an entire room for a few hours! Tweet them @MamounialLounge

Karpo… A Restaurant of Choice

Posted on June 11, 2014 by Corinne Tuddenham-Finn

Deep in the heart of King’s Cross, right opposite St Pancras Station is Karpo brasserie, the ideal place to rest, relax and recharge in an unpretentious setting… everything a restaurant should be. Draped in an anti-camouflage montage of colour, this restaurant is no shrinking violet.

Serving cuisine with a global influence, the standards of service are uncompromising, with a highly developed sense of noblesse oblige, each and every customer is valued as a welcome friend by Massimo, the front-of-house manager. The light streams in through a roof window onto a vibrant wall of foliage creating the perfect backdrop to the non-conformist tables and chairs, different styles and textures, refreshingly breaking up the dining area with slices of beautifully turned wood and marble… there were no ‘bad tables’.

Karpo have created a pleasingly uncomplicated menu that discards unnecessary fripperies , keeping to the bare essentials in terms of ingredients and cooking processes. We were tempted with the brunch menu offering a selection of superb egg dishes ranging from Benedict through to plain and simple poached egg, but the deep fried cod cheeks and polenta with wild mushrooms came a close second to our choice of confit duck leg, sausage and lentils (£12) and Cumberland sausages, mash and gravy (£10). It was pleasing that Karpo chose to ignore the zeitgeist of listing every supplier on the menu, just occasional references of where the menu was taking us.

The duck was cooked to perfection with the sausage and lentils adding a twist of colour and texture, an adequately-sized portion, nicely washed down with a glass of house wine (Chardonnay, £4.75 glass). The Cumberland sausages, mash and gravy were presented in an uncomplicated way, you just can’t sex this dish up, the taste reminiscent of good ‘ole home cooking… but better. I rounded my meal off with lemon posset with handpicked lavender (£5), daintily presented but with a potent citrus kick! English breakfast tea was served… properly. The tea was presented and a healthy amount of tea leaves were allowed to brew in a teapot instead of the usual ‘coquette of the teabag’ ritual most restaurants resort to. Attention to detail was uppermost and it was reflected in the taste.

It was refreshing not to be asked ad nauseam if everything was ok, the well-mannered hosts discreetly sashayed around the tables keeping a close eye but not interrupting the quiet intimacy of the couples or the vibrant interactions of business people wooing clients in an appropriate setting.

And this is the defining point about Karpo, when we visited, customers looked relaxed as if they genuinely wanted to be in this establishment rather than ‘this’ll do’ as a need to just ‘grab a bite to eat’. People brought people to eat here… and that’s good enough for me.

Karpo Restaurant
23-27 Euston Road
King’s Cross
London
NW1 2SB
Bookings for up to 8 via email: reservations@karpo.co.uk
Website: www.karpo.co.uk
Telephone: 0207 843 2221
Facebook: karporestaurant
Twitter: @karporestaurant

Open for breakfast 7:00am to 11:am Monday to Friday
Neighbourhood brunch: 8:00am to 4pm Saturday and Sunday
All day menu runs from 12:00pm to 10:00pm weekdays, 5:00pm to 10:00pm Saturdays/Sundays (till 9:00pm Sundays)

Imagery by Shane Finn at Visual Devotion

Superdrug’s 50th Birthday Experience | Social Diary

Posted on June 11, 2014 by Frostie

Tuesday 10th June, Bankside Vaults, SE1, Unilever were honoured to host an all-encompassing beauty experience to celebrate Superdrug’s 50th Birthday, in one unforgettable party.

Held at one of the largest nightclubs in London, Bankside Vaults was transformed into a highly creative venue where VIP guests came together to experience a unique event, that included an immersive fashion show, exhibiting designs from some of the most up and coming creative heads in the industry hailing from London College of Fashion. The conceptual show blurred the boundaries between creativity, fashion and beauty.

Celebrity model, presenter and DJ, Jameela Jamil was on the decks for the party’s VIP guests including celebrities Laura Whitmore, Made in Chelsea’s Andy Jourdan, models Kimberley Garner and Imogen Thomas, boy band Kingsland Road and BAFTA winning violinist Linzi Stoppard.

#Superdrug50

All images Courtesy of Piers Allardyce

Busaba Eathai Kingston Riverside Is Now Open

Posted on June 10, 2014 by Frostie

Frost favourite Busaba Eathai has now opened its 11th restaurant in Kingston, located at the picturesque Kingston Riverside, next to the historic Kingston Bridge.

New dishes recently trialed at the Busaba Eathai Songkran pop-up at Fairground, Haggerston, feature on the menu at the new Kingston restaurant, such as Isaan grilled pork and a selection of summer salads, all inspired by the executive chef Jude Sangsida’s recent trip to Thailand. Another first for Busaba, and long-awaited by many fans of the brand, the Kingston Riverside branch offers Thai style desserts, such as mango sticky rice and sweet plantain fritters with vanilla bean ice cream.

The new site has 135 covers, including outdoor seating on a 30 cover riverside terrace. The interior is in a familiar Busaba Eathai style, featuring communal teak tables and benches in dark wood. A new lounge bar concept recently launched at the Old Street branch, includes a bar snack menu of small plates and cocktails including Lemongrass and Thai basil Martini and Tamarind Negroni.

Busaba Eathai Kingston Riverside is now open at 4 Riverside Walk, Kingston-upon-Thames, KT1 1QN.

Bounce Ping Pong And Cocktail Club | Restaurant Review

Posted on June 3, 2014 by Catherine Balavage

It is hard to create something unique and different in London, but it is fair to say that Bounce – Europe’s largest social ping pong and cocktail club based in Holborn, achieves this. In fact, it has everything you could need: cocktails, good food and ping pong.

The venue was designed by lauded interior designer Russell Sage and is visually stunning. It boasts an impressive 95 cover restaurant and cocktail bar and 17 bespoke designed ping-pong tables available for play – one being the Olympic final table. All of this can be enjoyed surrounded by London’s most impressive UV installation rolled out throughout the entire club.

The Frost team went down in force to review. Here is how we got on.

Paloma, Marcin, James and I arrive and head to the restaurant area. The menu has a great selection and it takes us a while to decide what we want. We order our starters and a cocktail each.

Paloma has the H Forman’s Scottish smoked salmon, roasted beetroots & horseradish cream which she says is earthy and smoked. The horseradish was a perfect accompaniment, didn’t have too much of a sting. Marcin has the Bruschetta 3 ways (Parma ham & pesto, Datterini tomatoes, peas, broad beans & pecorino): he says it is fresh and the pea complimented the mint well. James had the Gamberoni – baked king prawns, smoked garlic, chilli, Sicilian lemon butter, rocket & parsley: he says the prawns were huge and juicy and the sauce was amazing. For my starter I had Buffalo Mozzarella, Pixel tomatoes, Sorrento olives, toasted pine nuts, wild rocket & lemon infused olive oil. It was amazing. The ingredients are high quality and the combination really works well together.

For mains Marcin had the Baked salmon, heritage beets, broad beans and horseradish cream which he said was excellent: tender on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside. Paloma had the Spiced Newlyn Bay crab macaroni cheese. She said it was slightly a let down and overshadowed by chilli. James had a Spicy pork & fennel, plum tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, basil & fresh chilli pizza which was excellent. James thought it was perfectly spicy. I had the Pan fried Label Anglaise free range chicken breast with smoked pancetta, roast squash, Italian beans in a rich tomato ragu: this dish was amazing. The best one I think. It was comfort food but even better. The sauce was amazing and the chicken was perfectly done.

For my dessert I had the Rum & raisin panna cotta with winter berry compote. It was amazing, with real raisins in. A very unique and tasty dessert. Paloma had the Warm chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream, which she said was possibly the best she had ever had. James had the Spiced plum & amaretto tart with Devonshire clotted cream which he says was superb. Marcin had an expresso which he said was good and we also had some really good English Breakfast tea. The service was also amazing. Everyone is really friendly.

We made a fair dent in the cocktail menu. We had The Tipping Point, which tasted fruity and dangerous. It was far too drinkable for something which had every alcohol under the sun in it including absinthe. Bounce only allow two per person, the clue is in the name but Marcin handled it well, a Hatton Garden Spritz which was delicious and summery, a Wiff Waff which was also amazing and different, The Pink One which was yummy, a Ladies Delight No 2, which, indeed, was a delight, a Ping Pong Show which was brilliant, a Daddy Mac, which says it is not for girls but we’ll show them, it was very tasty and strong. Lastly we had a Gin Lane Spritz which was superb. Phew! All of the cocktails were fruity and easy to drink.

Paloma and Marcin play ping pong.

After all of that alcohol came the ping pong. I was terrible which I won’t blame on the alcohol but just on my general ineptness. I did get a little better towards the end. Annoyingly the boys did very well. Although Paloma held the girl’s side up. The ping pong is lots of fun and comes in thirty-minute slots. Bounce is the home of Ping Pong and you definitely get an amazing vibe from the place. Paloma text me the day before I wrote this review saying Bounce was on Made in Chelsea, so it has reached the peak of trendiness and is showing no signs of letting up. The day before we were going to go, my fiance and I were at his best man and girlfriend’s house and they were also going to Bounce. It is thee place to be seen at the moment.

Bounce has amazing food, brilliant cocktails and excellent ping pong. I cannot praise it enough, we really had a wonderful time. A hen party even come to our ping pong table after we had finished, so Bounce is perfect for many different occasions. We will be going back, numerous times.

Bounce
121 Holborn
London
EC1N 2TD

020 3657 6525

Sarah Ball: Damaged Humans By Margaret Graham

Posted on June 1, 2014 by Margaret Graham

Sarah Ball, Welsh Artist of the Year in 2013, and an encouraged artist at the Royal Academy’s Summer Show, has her first solo show in London at the Coningsby Gallery, which is just round the corner from Goodge Street tube station. And what an exhibition!

Small is definitely beautiful. Sarah’s portraits measure no more that 18 x 24cm, the tone of each is muted, the pose motionless and the eyes so compelling that each portrait seems to speak of their past, to our present.

I remember talking to Paul Vates, the actor, who was explaining the difference between stage and television. Television is all in the face and eyes. So too are Sarah’s portraits, painted with a flawless technique, and the universal blank stare of those locked in a place of suspended life and time.

We look at them and remember when, perhaps to a different degree, we were lost. I founded and run Words for the Wounded and have seen this look in the eyes of the wounded many many times.

Sarah uses mainly oil on board for her signature portraiture. She moves from prostitutes to soldiers with an artist’s objective eye, but with intimacy and empathy, revealing her emotional depth, a depth that connects with us.

The artist sourced these disadvantaged characters from photographs, many held in the Stanley Burns archive in the US, Denmark’s state archives, and from civil war photographs from the Library of Congress in DC, their personal histories unknown.
Her work provokes questions. What crimes, what woes, what damage was wrought on each individual? She acknowledges that all humankind experiences damage of some kind and it is for this reason that there is an implicit understanding between the subject and the observer. We say, ‘Ah yes, I remember…’
This is a glimpse into the subjects’ reality and at last they receive a sense of compassion, from Sarah and from us.

It will be interesting to see where Sarah Ball, represented by www.bo-lee.co.uk (bo.lee Gallery), goes from here. Don’t miss this exhibition which closes on 7^th June. It’s at Coningsby Gallery, 30 Tottenham St. London W1T 4RJ

Harry Styles, Russell Brand Pay Tribute To Gay Equality Charity Stonewalls 25th

Posted on May 31, 2014 by Frostie

Sam Smith, Harry Styles, Russell Brand and friends pay tribute to gay equality charity Stonewalls 25th anniversary

Celebrities have contributed to a #FirstSNOG Insta-Exhibition using an app created by SNOG frozen yogurt to pay tribute to gay equality charity Stonewall’s 25^th anniversary

Celebrities from the worlds of fashion, film, music and art provided their image in support of the charity’s international work and decorated them with graphics by Cassette Playa inspired by peace and love.

From top to bottom: Harry Styles, Russell Brand, Sam Smith, Alan Carr and Rita Ora.

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