Author Archives: tikichris

About tikichris

Chris Osburn is the founder, administrator and editor of tikichris. In addition to blogging, he works as a freelance journalist, photographer, consultant and curator.

8 Breathtakingly Beautiful Train Rides You Have Got to See (Going Places)

Posted on 2016-05-02 by tikichris

All aboard for a ride through eight of the world’s most beautiful spots! As it is so often said, the journey itself and not necessarily reaching one’s destination is the most meaningful part of a trip. Such sentiment rings particularly … Continue reading →

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Mia in Mauritius

Posted on 2016-05-01 by tikichris

If you are planning a trip to Mauritius – which is not a honeymoon but for a group of thirtysomethings (a single mum with her toddler son, her almost single sister, and her very single best friend in the rainy/cyclone season –then this series is for you. Continue reading →

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Spring Focus (Going Places)

Posted on 2016-04-27 by tikichris

Here’s a teaser course of some of spring’s prettiest, tastiest and most splendidly fragrant moments. Continue reading →

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Wiener Demeanour: Just the Beginning

Posted on 2016-04-26 by tikichris

Sure, Vienna isn’t the biggest city in Europe. But the role it’s played in shaping European and Western culture cannot be overstated. And the many distinctively Viennese things to see and do while visiting are span broad and deep whatever your interests may be. Continue reading →

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2016 UK Blog Awards: The Big Night is Soon!

Posted on 2016-04-25 by tikichris

This Friday night the winners of the 2016 UK Blog Awards will be announced at an awards ceremony that promises to be an especially swish affair. Continue reading →

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New Menu at The Drift and All Drake & Morgan Restaurants

Posted on 2016-04-25 by tikichris

London bar and restaurant group, Drake & Morgan, has launched a new spring/summer menu focused on “Mediterranean flavours and sun-kissed ingredients.” An invitation to have a taste of the new menu led to a lovely Sunday lunch for Kemey and me at D&M’s airy, expansive and pleasant The Drift at the base of Heron Tower. Continue reading →

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Wiener Demeanour: Galleries, Art and Design

Posted on 2016-04-25 by tikichris

Schönbrunn Palace … St Stephen’s Cathedral … the Belvedere … the Albertina … even a cursory list of Vienna’s top attractions packs the sort of artful wallop that would delight even the pickiest of culture vultures. And by all means as many of these (and so many other) places should be included in any sightseeing itinerary of the historic Austrian capital. But that doesn’t mean visitors to Vienna must relegate themselves to an urban escape set only in the past. Continue reading →

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Plenty, Berners Street

Posted on 2016-04-24 by tikichris

Folks foraging for food in Fitzrovia listen up! Mediterranean and Middle Eastern eatery, Plenty on Berners Street, offers a tasty range of healthy options for breakfast and lunch at reasonable prices. Continue reading →

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Recipe: Hazelnut Comté Mac n Cheese

Posted on 2016-04-23 by tikichris

Comté and hazelnut are especially tasty together. Plus, Comté is an smart choice for a hearty and robust mac ‘n cheese. So coming up with a dish that incorporates both ingredients seemed like a smart idea. Continue reading →

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Spice Deli Supper Club

Posted on 2016-04-22 by tikichris

A love of spices and how they boost immunity and flavour are the inspirations behind North London supper club, Spice Deli. Continue reading →

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Win a Three Piece BBQ Toolset from Napoleon Grills

Posted on 2016-04-21 by tikichris

Can you feel it? The days are getting longer – and warmer – and everybody’s in a much better mood than seemed to be just a few weeks ago. Spring is in the air, and summer’s not too terribly far off. It’s BBQ season, folks! And I’ve teamed up with Napoleon Grills to help one lucky reader make the most of this gorgeous time of year. Keep reading for your chance to win a three piece BBQ Toolset for free. Continue reading →

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Theo’s Simple Italian, Earl’s Court

Posted on 2016-04-20 by tikichris

Newly opened Theo’s Simple Italian is Chef Theo Randall’s second restaurant, this one near Earl’s Court and tied to The Hotel Indigo. Like his eponymous restaurant at The Intercontinental, this venture features expertly prepared dishes of top quality and seasonal Italian ingredients but with a smaller menu (fairly ‘smaller’ prices too) that changes on a more frequent basis and is presented in a more casual setting. Continue reading →

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You’re a Mess Too? This Hassle.com Promo Code Can Help.

Posted on 2016-04-19 by tikichris

Thumbs up to Hassle for a phenomenal service keeping my house the cleanest it’s been since I moved in. I’m happy to recommend this online and app-based cleaning service and to do so with a bit of promo code incentive … Continue reading →

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Wiener Demeanour: Cafes, Restaurants, and Bars

Posted on 2016-04-18 by tikichris

I had a delicious time in Vienna – a city that perhaps more than any other best exemplifies European café culture and presents visitors with a delectable array of food and drink options ranging from down-to-earth comforts to upscale innovations. … Continue reading →

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Recipe: Tamago Miso French Toast

Posted on 2016-04-17 by tikichris

Talk about a pain perdu! My eggy bread took a long detour through Japan on its way to France! I hope you enjoy my recipe for tamago miso French toast – aka Japanese French toast. Continue reading →

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Good Stuff #56

Posted on 2016-04-16 by tikichris

Good stuff and lots of it! Here’s the low down on some fine things to see, sip or savour – all of which I’ve recently come across and thought were worth sharing with you. Enjoy.

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#Shaveril: Shave Your Beard This April in Support of Mental Health

Posted on 2016-04-15 by tikichris

To donate, simply text SHAV68 and £5 or £10 to 70070 or go to justgiving.com/shaveril. Continue reading →

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Shepherd Market Wine House

Posted on 2016-04-15 by tikichris

Bravo to Ben Van de Meutter – manager, buyer, and Head Sommelier at Shepherd Market Wine House – for knowing his stuff and backing it up with enthusiasm and presenting his wares in an approachable manner and in an easy-going and comfortable setting. Continue reading →

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Win £50 Worth of Free Healthy Eating from Pod

Posted on 2016-04-14 by tikichris

I’ve teamed up with London-based healthy eating restaurant group, Pod, to offer one lucky reader five £10 vouchers. But this competition’s not just a chance to win a free lunch (and then some) but to explore a menu of nutritious and free-free food and drink options at a number of convenient locations throughout London and to start improving eating habits and be more pod-uctive! Continue reading →

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Greek Cheese and Wine Tasting at Isle of Olive

Posted on 2016-04-14 by tikichris

Isle of Olive – Hackney’s home of Hellenic hospitality and great Greek food and drink – continues with its delicious charm offensive by offering wine tastings and related events. Continue reading →

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Roba Bar & Restaurant

Posted on 2016-04-12 by tikichris

Welcome to the brand new Roba Bar & Restaurant in Paddington where a young executive chef – Andrea Secchi (ex-Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley) – a focus on in-house aging of beef and smoking of salmon, and a menu designed largely around a robata grill add up to a hearty dining experience. Continue reading →

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St George Cheeseburger at BRGR.CO

Posted on 2016-04-11 by tikichris

Slay the dragon of deep carnal cravings and celebrate St George’s Day throughout April with BRGR.CO’s limited offer St George cheeseburger – a blade steak patty topped with a Cheddar and a Red Leicester cross and served with a side of sweet, sticky caramelised onions and a portion of fries for only £10 (or upgrade to hanger steak for an extra £2). Continue reading →

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Cork Report | Obrigado

Posted on 2016-04-10 by tikichris

From ancient oak forests south of Lisbon to state-of-the-art processing facilities near Porto in the north, tracing cork’s route from the tree to the finished product turned out to be a fascinating journey across Portugal. Continue reading →

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Wiener Demeanour: Visit Vienna

Posted on 2016-04-09 by tikichris

Wait a second. You’ve never been to Vienna? *Wien* not!? It’s a terrific city – one of the world’s most beautiful – teeming with culture and plenty of fun things to do. Continue reading →

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I’m Still a Mess. But at Least My House is Clean.

Posted on 2016-04-08 by tikichris

Welcome back to my messy series of posts about Hassle.com – the online and app-based cleaning service offering vetted cleaners, online payments, and 100% money-back guarantees. I’ve been booking cleanings via Hassle for just over a month now and thought it was time to share my thought about the service with you. Continue reading →

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Cork Report | Bringing It Back Home

Posted on 2016-04-08 by tikichris

So impressed were we with our cork tour of Portugal that Kemey and I wanted to bring back home with us a more substantial than usual souvenir as a keepsake. Before we knew it we were making plans to clad an entire wall of our house with cork tiles. Having now lived with the tiles in place for several months, our choice seems more and more sensible and aesthetically sound as the days go by. Continue reading →

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London Coffee Festival

Posted on 2016-04-07 by tikichris

The London Coffee Festival returns to the Old Truman Brewery for a long weekend of everybody’s (or at least) my favourite warm beverage. I’m heading over tomorrow for my morning cup o’ Joe. See you there? Continue reading →

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Good Stuff #55 | Southbank Centre Food Market

Posted on 2016-04-06 by tikichris

This latest list of good stuff is filled with street eats enjoyed during a forage through Southbank Centre Food Market, which celebrated its one year anniversary last Friday. Continue reading →

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Whaam Banh Mi Celebrates its First Anniversary

Posted on 2016-04-05 by tikichris

Congratulations to Whaam Banh Mi for reaching a first full year of trading – and cheers for celebrating your big bday by offering folks the chance to have a taste of your ace sandwiches for free. Continue reading →

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Rib Fest Finale: Home Team BBQ at The Blues Kitchen Brixton

Posted on 2016-04-04 by tikichris

Damn. That was delicious! Deep flavour from the Deep South came to London for the finale of The Blues Kitchen Brixton’s Rib Fest with a sold out, one night only feast of epic proportion. In town from the States to man the grill were the award-winning keepers of the low and slow flame: Home Team BBQ. I was mightily glad to have managed to slide in for a taste of the action and reckon I enjoyed some of the best BBQ I’ve had since October 2015 when I had a chance to visit the Home Team fellas on their own turf of Charleston, South Carolina. Continue reading →

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The Langham London Launches New Afternoon Tea with Wedgwood

Posted on 2016-04-03 by tikichris

The Langham London’s Executive Pastry chef Cherish Finden and her team have launched a new Wedgewood Afternoon Tea. Inspired by (and served with) classic Wedgwood collections and featuring butterfly and daisy motifs, the new tea service is a salute to spring and the warmer and sunnier days to come. Continue reading →

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Win the Complete Range of Sown & Grown Cereals

Posted on 2016-04-02 by tikichris

Craving a wholesome to start your day? Say good morning to Sown & Grown, a new range of delicious and nutritious breakfast granolas and mueslis that are high fibre, low fat, low salt, low saturated fat, baked in small batches and made of 100% British grains. Packed in resealable tubes to stay fresh and stow easily, recently launched Sown & Grown cereals are available now in shop and online and at Sainsbury’s – and for free for one lucky tikichris reader who wins this generous giveaway competition. Continue reading →

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Ten Years of London Daily Photo

Posted on 2016-04-01 by tikichris

Celebrating the tenth anniversary of my blog, I’m going to take the month of April to share – via Twitter and Instagram – some of my favourite London Daily Photo shots from over the past ten years. Continue reading →

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I’m a Mess. There is Help.

Posted on 2016-04-01 by tikichris

I’ll get to the specifics with a review of the actual service and my cleaner in a later write up (it’ll pretty much be a rave, by the way). But in this piece, I want to focus on one of the key benefits of my Hassle experience. Continue reading →

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Day Trip to Margate

Posted on 2016-03-31 by tikichris

Over Easter weekend, Kemey and I had a really fun time visiting Margate. It was the first time down that way, but it’s safe to say we’re both now keen to return. Already fans of a few fantastic destinations in Kent (Whitstable, Folkestone and Canterbury in particular), we were so glad to say we could add Margate to our list of preferred places within easy reach of London – about 75 miles drive or an hour and a half train ride from Central London). Continue reading →

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