Category Archives: Food

2014 – Best of the Best

Going back over of the best sights, bites and more from the past 12 months was a fun and fruitful exercise in counting my blessings and strive for more. I hope my series of Best of 2014 lists may assist you in making the most of your time in the months to come. Cheers for reading tikichris in 2014! Continue reading

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1001 Restaurants You Must Experience Before You Die – the Book (Including a Few of My Own Selections!)

One of the coolest projects I worked on this year was contributing to 1001 Restaurants You Must Experience Before You Die – an “essential reference guide for anyone who adores food and eating out” compiled by experts of fine cuisine and edited by the delightful and extremely knowledgeable Jenny Linford (with forward by Jay Rayner). Continue reading

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Sponsored Video: Win a Ski Holiday to South Tyrol, Italy + £1000 of Salomon Gear!

So about this time last year I was actually in the Italian Alps where I was having a blast and left with but one regret: I didn’t actually make it to South Tyrol. Based on my experience, I can say … Continue reading

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Restaurant Review: The Cavendish, Marylebone

Newly opened The Cavendish sets a dual tone for a night out. The downstairs bar (which was absolutely jam packed the Tuesday evening I was there) offers casual drinks with upscale air while a more subdued if rather swish upstairs dining room promises a more formal experience (though still quite far from stuffy). Whether it be a quick drink, bar snacks with cocktails, or a full-on feast – The Cavendish is a worthwhile venue to keep in mind next time you’re seeking a suitable place to enjoy food and drink in Marylebone. Continue reading

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Best Restaurants (Everywhere Else) – 2014

Have I ever eaten so well in so many different destinations? Nope. If 2014 was one thing for me, it was a fantastic time of great foodie adventures. When coming up with this list of noteworthy restaurants visited the past year (see my list of London’s best here), I realize I did the bulk of the job of making a list of the best restaurants I’ve ever visited in my life. Continue reading

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Best Restaurants in London – 2014

Most of these ‘best of lists’ I’m doing have been compiled with some degree of difficulty often leaving me feeling guilty for excluding somewhere excellent that for whatever reason was nudged out by another place. However, making a concise and definite list of my favourite few London restaurants visited over this past year was an absolute breeze as five fantastic eateries clearly did stand out from the rest with respect to quality of food and overall dining experience. Continue reading

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Upscale Japanese Served with Knightsbridge Panache at Nozomi

From my wisely suggested and promptly served Japanese Old Fashioned to my palate cleansing spread of homemade sorbets (ooh the pineapple!) – and all the tasty moments in between – there were so many highlights worth reporting from my luxuriant Saturday night out at Nozomi in Knightsbridge. Continue reading

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Win a De Beauvoir Deli Basket from The De Beauvoir Deli Co

Teaming up with the dynamic De Beauvoir Deli, I’ve come up with a great excuse to pop round this ace little shop by offering my readers the chance to win a De Beauvoir Deli Basket valued at £30. The lucky winner will need to be able to pick up the prize in shop and will walk home with a delectable assortment of treats in a handy dandy 12” basket. Continue reading

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Best Bars (Everywhere Else) – 2014

A blogger walks into a bar … and has an amazing time! No joke! Here’s a quick write up of some excellent places to have a drink in a handful of awesome destinations I had the pleasure of visiting this year. Continue reading

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Best Bars in London – 2014

The options for getting one’s drink on in London continued to broaden and improve in 2014. I truly was impressed with the libations on offer at so many bars around town this year. Continue reading

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Washington DC: Where to Eat in the Political Capital of the Western World (City AM)

Over the past few years, ravenous London scenesters have been snarfing down a vast array of steaks, burgers, hot dogs, shakes, pizzas, burritos and all sorts of other full-flavoured Americana from a diverse range of restaurants, pop-ups and food trucks. US food, as our Stateside cousins would say, is hot right now. Meanwhile, denizens of US capital Washington DC have been reinvigorating the very concept of what it means to eat American, as I discovered during my recent city break there. Continue reading

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Best Cheap Eats in London – 2014

Yes, it is still possible to enjoy a halfway decent meal in London for under a fiver. Here’s a list of a few of what I reckon are the best of the cheap eats in town. Continue reading

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Best Coffee in London – 2014

What a fantastic year! I’m going to wrap up 2014 with a series of “best of” posts highlighting some of my favourite sights, bites and more from the past 12 months. As with so many important endeavours, I’d like to start off with one of the most fundamental resources known to humanity: coffee! Continue reading

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Good Stuff

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. Continue reading

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Riverford at the Duke of Cambridge, Britain’s Only 100% Organic Pub

The Duke of Cambridge – Britain’s first and only certified organic pub – has teamed up with Riverford (aka the organic veg box folks from Devon) to “champion seasonal produce” and offer Londoners an ethical and healthier option for quality pub grub. I dropped by the Duke earlier this week for a low key Monday lunch – and very much enjoyed the experience. Continue reading

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Win a 600g 50 Flavour Christmas Gift Box from Jelly Belly

Love Jelly Belly gourmet jelly beans? They make a great gift for Christmas! Here’s your chance to win a 600g 50 Flavour Jelly Belly Gift Box featuring a special Christmas Design sleeve that’s a UK web exclusive! Continue reading

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Go Greek Naturally and Independently at Isle of Olive, Broadway Market

Isle of Olive is a lovely little shop just off Broadway Market. Specialising in sourcing natural products from independent producers in Greece, its shelves represent a smartly curated selection of the best in Greek food, drink, health and beauty. Continue reading

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Sunday Night Jazz at Beagle, E2

Much lauded Beagle restaurant and bar in the railway arches next to Hoxton Station has launched a December series of intimate jazz sessions featuring musicians from The Thames Delta who have played with such notables as Amy Winehouse, Sam Smith and Kelis. I had the pleasure of attending the premiere show this past Sunday. For a chilled out (and not so pricey) Sunday evening of live music and quality drink, keep Beagle in mind. Continue reading

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Theo Randall’s Pasta and Wine Menu (Great British Chefs)

Theo Randall at the Intercontinental is THE place to head to for an upscale dinner focused on basic quality ingredients with a no-fuss approach to bringing out the best in Italian cuisine. Continue reading

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#PukkaPimms Pop-Up Curry House – Saturday 6 December, Bethnal Green Road

A cold winter’s night, a warming spicy curry … and a refreshing glass of Pimm’s and lemonade? Wha … ? Believe it or not, these elements come to together in a moreishly complimentary way as I discovered last night at a preview of the #PukkaPimms pop-up restaurant near the ‘top end’ of Bethnal Green Road. Not sure such a mix would actually go down well? Find out for yourself this weekend when the pop-up opens to the public with celebrity Hardeep Singh Kohli as front of house. Continue reading

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Win a Yeni Raki Drinking Kit and Cookbook #UnrushYourWorld

More than simply a bottle of premium drink, a couple of glasses to pour it in and a cookbook, my latest competition offers one lucky reader the chance to “unrush your world” with Yeni Raki, whose distillers believe “slow is a luxury” and the “art of extending memorable moments” is a noble endeavour. Hear! Hear! I’ll drink to that! Continue reading

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Infographic: How Clean is Your Chopping Board?

Click here for a closer look at the above infographic. According to research,around 40% of food poisoning cases are caused by poor hygiene in the home. [1] The Global Hygiene Council found that almost half of frequently touched items in the … Continue reading

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Good Stuff

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. Continue reading

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Win an Assortment of Positively Good For You Olive Oils

My experience has been there’s never too much olive oil in the kitchen – especially when it’s top quality, extra virgin and free! Enjoy the taste and the benefits of the Mediterranean diet with this opportunity to win a selection of products of Positively Good For You olive oils from southern Italy. Continue reading

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Valrhona 12 Buches de Noel (Great British Chefs)

Talk about a baker’s dozen! This Christmas for the first time ever luxury chocolate maker Valrhona has teamed up with 12 of London’s best pastry chefs to launch a dozen limited edition Buches de Noel – each made with Valrhona chocolate and with individuality, imagination and skill applied by the chefs. Continue reading

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Jerusalem City Break: Eat, Drink and Be Merry

A man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry (Ecclesiastes 8:15). So said Solomon – one of Jerusalem’s more notable personalities from the past two millennia – and so was the case during my visit to his hometown a couple of weeks back. I believe I only began to scratch the surface of the good food scene in this ancient city. Whatever the case, here’s the scoop on some of the yummier findings from my time in Jerusalem. Continue reading

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Recipe: Lavender Duck Fried Rice (Gressingham)

Considering how easy it is to cook duck breast, it’s amazing how much robust flavour it can add to even the simplest of recipes, such as this one for a lightly floral and somewhat zingy egg fried rice. Duck breast is such a juicy and tender meat too. One of the things I like best about this dish is how the chunks of meat blend with the tiny grains of rice and bits of onion for a succulent and multi-textured bite. Continue reading

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Win a Pasta e Sughi Christmas Gift Box from Carluccio’s

The gracious folks at Carluccio’s have offered (for a second year in a row – grazie!) to share a free Pasta e Sughi gift box valued at £29.95 with one tikichris reader. A Christmas gift to inspire the chef in you, this fantastic prize includes three delicious pasta and sauce pairings plus a recipe book by Antonio Carluccio! Continue reading

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Cookery School Collaborates with Caprice Holdings Restaurants for New Gourmet Cooking Classes

Cookery School has teamed up with Caprice Holdings Restaurants to launch a new series of gourmet masterclasses for early 2015. Continue reading

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The Langham Afternoon Tea with Wedgwood

The Langham Afternoon Tea with Wedgwood historic home of the afternoon tea – and one of the most stylish venues I’ve yet to encounter in this town – The Langham London has collaborated with leading luxury brand Wedgwood to launch a new afternoon tea featuring a special menu of delectably dainty creations by Executive Pastry Chef Cherish Finden (one of my London foodie heroes!) inspired by and to be served alongside Wedgwood specialty teas in bespoke “Langham Rose” Wedgwood teaware. Launching across all The Langham and Langham Place hotels and ahead of The Langham London’s 150th anniversary in 2015, new tea offering is available now. Continue reading

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Sunday Brunch at The Jones Family Project, Shoreditch

The Jones Family Project is an “ever-evolving restaurant, bar and social space in the heart of Shoreditch.” Keen to keep up with all the Joneses and their foodie doings (there’s actually no one behind this venue named Jones funnily enough), I dropped by this past weekend for a taste of the restaurant’s recently added Sunday roast menu and left satisfied and hoping the Sunday offering is one new evolution that will last. Continue reading

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Elegant Japanese Dining at Kouzu, Belgravia

Japanese fine dining restaurant, Kouzu, opened with a hush of a soft launch (although apparently the Prince of Monaco had already caught wind and paid a visit) last week. Via an invitation extended by the restaurant, Kemey and I dropped by Saturday for what turned out to be a most elegant meal. Continue reading

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Botin: Oldest Restaurant in the World (Great British Chefs)

Founded in 1725, the age-old tavern sits on the tiny and winding Calle Cuchilleros amid a wealth of bars just a short stroll from the city’s Plaza Mayor. In its almost 290 years of existence, Botin’s offering has changed very little. The wood fired oven that roasted meats for weary travellers nearly three centuries ago are the same ones fired up to delight the throngs of tourists whose numbers suggest the restaurant may well be around and doing a booming trade for at least a few more hundred years. Continue reading

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A Night Out at The Hippodrome

I’ve walked by The Hippodrome Casino at Leicester Square a zillion times. Not a gambling man, I never thought there was much inside the large scale and lavish venue for me. However, taking up an invitation to give Hippodrome’s food, booze and entertainment a try, I discovered there’s more to this Central London landmark than gambling. Continue reading

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Recipe: Three Bacon Butty with Lardo and Iceberg Lettuce

Having trouble choosing which was the best type of bacon to use, I simple decided to layer this epic sandwich with three of my favourite cures (English style back, American style streaky, and Italian pancetta) along with plenty of crisp iceberg lettuce for good measure and a couple of ultra thin slices of super savoury lardo to up the flavour to the next level of yum. The bread? I reckon it’s gotta be a crusty roll for added crunch with a bit of soft, sop-it-up texture on the inside. Continue reading

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