Category Archives: Food

How to Chow Down Like a Houston Food Blogger (CheapOair)

Houstonians are a proud bunch, especially when it comes to their great BBQ, Tex-Mex and fine Southern cooking. Of course these days, this world class city is home to just about any cuisine you could hanker for. For a local scoop of what’s yummiest, have a look at this quartet of superb Houston food blogs and see how long you last before you’re craving for a taste of east Texas. Continue reading

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Deck the Halls with Post-it Index This Christmas

Hoping to avoid a fa-la-la-la-fail this Christmas? Post-it Index is an excellent and versatile resource to help you stay organised and on top of your game over the festive season. Continue reading

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Destination Dining: Seymour Place near Marble Arch in London (OneTravel)

Just up the street from Hyde Park, Marble Arch, Park Lane and Oxford Street, tiny Seymour Place offers a long list of great places to eat. So whether you’re out sightseeing or shopping or looking for somewhere to step out … Continue reading

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Celebrating Edward VII’s Birthday with The King’s Ginger and Berry Bros

The level of kitsch and pretence was nearly as copious as the amount of booze in the cocktails during a recent posthumous birthday lunch for King Edward VII, with The King himself on hand to preside over the merriment. As wackily anachronistic as the celebration was, the setting could not have been more authentic or historically spot on. Of course as is so often the case with too many wonderful experiences, there had to be a hitch. Continue reading

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Win a Selection of Christmas Chocolates from Hotel Chocolat

Love chocolate? Check out the recently launched 2013 range of Christmas chocolates from luxury British chocolatier and cocoa grower Hotel Chocolat. From gorgeous stocking fillers and stunning boxed chocolates to full-on family hampers, there’s something for everyone with something for all gift giving budgets. And for one lucky reader of this blog, there’s a chance to win free chocolate. Continue reading

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Excellent Steaks and More at Gillray’s Steakhouse & Bar, County Hall

A recent visit to Gillray’s Steakhouse & Bar at The London Marriott Hotel had me enjoying finely crafted cocktails and tucking into an amazingly satisfying mega-steak dinner. Here’s a quick report on what made my meal so special along with details on how you can dine with a discount if you tell ’em tikichris sent you. Continue reading

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Top 10 London Restaurants for High Rise Dining (CheapOair)

High rise dining is a relatively new consideration for London, which aside for a few grand exceptions is a rather low rise city. Still with multi-storey towers such as The Shard and Heron Tower opening in the past few years, breaking bread with a breathtaking view of the city’s historic landscape is more possible and desired than ever. Here’s a list of the ten place restaurants for eating out and up in London. Continue reading

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Just Eat Takeaway APP | Anti-Cooking Video

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#FreeBurritos from @Burrito_Mama Noon to 5pm Today at One New Change, St Paul’s

Thomasina Meirs and the folks at Wahaca are celebrating the opening of Burrito Mama at One New Change, EC4M 9AF with free burritos on offer today (Thursday 7 November) until 5pm. Yum! Continue reading

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London’s Duckiest Menus (OneTravel)

A true gourmand’s delight, duck is one of the heartiest and most satisfying dishes around. Here’s an appetizing look at four London restaurants with delicious duck dishes guaranteed not to ruffle any foodie tail feathers. Continue reading

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Upstairs Dining at The Portman Pub & Restaurant, Marylebone

The contact address may say Upper Berkeley Street, but The Portman Pub & Restaurant is very much part of the dynamic dining scene of its cross street corner – Seymour Place, home to Lockhart, Vinoteca, Sandy’s and Donostia. After my Friday night dinner, I’m pleased to report this Marylebone gastropub just a short jaunt from Marble Arch does a good job keeping up with the competition. Continue reading

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Delightful and Lofty Dining: The New Dim Sum Lunch Menu at Hutong, The Shard

The recently launched dim sum menu at Hutong proves an ideal opportunity for Sunday brunching. I very much enjoyed a chance to sample this upscale restaurant’s dim sum lunch menu a few weekend’s ago. Continue reading

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Win a Digital Meat Thermometer Worth up to £61

Want to cook your roast dinners with more confidence and be able to know you’re serving them at just the right time and temperature? Keep reading for your chance to win a digital meat thermometer from Digital-Meters.com. Continue reading

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Movember Mo’Shroom Burger at Byron

Available from today and through to the end of November at all Byron restaurants is this year’s special Movember offering, the Mo’Shroom Burger. This classic combination of mushrooms and Swiss cheese features a 6oz hamburger with sliced Portobello mushroom and Emmenthal cheese, streaky bacon, shredded iceberg, red onion and cep aioli. 50p of each burger sold goes to support Movember. Continue reading

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Good Stuff

Here’s a quick little list of good stuff I’ve recently come across and thought was worth sharing with you. Enjoy! Continue reading

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Win a Free Christmas Hamper Worth up to £200 from Hampergifts.co.uk

Tis the season or – at least – tis gonna be here soon! Are you ready for Christmas 2013? Here’s an opportunity to spread a little Christmas cheer and treat yourself to a bit of Yuletide yumminess or share a lovely gift with someone special. I’ve teamed up with Hampergifts.co.uk to offer one lucky reader the chance to win a Christmas hamper worth up to £200 in value. The competition runs this week only. Best of luck with the comp and with all your festive season shopping! Continue reading

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Recipe: Chilli con and non Carne

Autumn is here and there’s a chill in the air. That means it’s a great time to cook some chilli on the hob! Here’s my recipe for chilli con carne – or non carne if you prefer the vegetarian option and even some tips for making a chilli Quorn carne if you’d like to go veggie but still get some meaty flavour and good dose of healthy protein. Continue reading

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Two Cocktails for £10 at The Liquor Cabinet, Hackney Road

There’s a new bar opened up in Shoreditch. Okay, that’s not really news, is it? But a smartly curated selection of spirits and a range of superbly crafted hand bottled cocktails make The Liquor Cabinet well worth shouting about. Plus, I blagged a way for my readers to get two cocktails for a tenner! Keep reading for more about this fantastic bar and to find out about my exclusive two-for-a-tenner cocktail special. Continue reading

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Heavy Metal Bowling vs Bompas & Parr’s Metal BBQ

Aw man, I’m going to be out of town and thus unable to attend this event but look: Heavy Metal Bowling – your chance to “finger holes, caress balls” while “crushing pins” to a soundtrack featuring Black Sabbath, Electric Wizard, Elder, The Sword, Slayer, Sleep, Metallica. Continue reading

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London Daily Photo: The Juicery at 108 Marylebone Lane

In a collaboration with New York owned, The Juicery, 108 Marylebone Lane hosts its first ever pop-up from now until the end of January offering a nutrious menu of 16 fresh juices, shots and smoothies – including some exclusives designed by the nutritionist Amelia Freer – alongside an expanded breakfast menu and light bites to eat-in or takeaway. Continue reading

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World Heritage Dining in the South of France (Blue Tomato)

Romping round the South of France touring UNESCO World Heritage sites can sure work up an appetite. In a country whose very gastronomy has achieved world heritage status, finding myself somewhere of cultural or historical significance paired nicely with the safe bet that I wouldn’t be far from something seriously delectable too. Here are but a few of the tastier highlights from my recent jaunt round La Región – all well within easy and scenic drives of Montpellier–Méditerranée Airport or Nîmes-Alès-Camargue-Cévennes Airport. Continue reading

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50% Off All Steaks at MASH Steakhouse in London (CheapOair)

To celebrate its first birthday, Danish steakhouse MASH is to offer all their steaks at half off their regular price from Sunday the 3rd to Thursday the 7th November. For these five days only, diners will be invited to indulge … Continue reading

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London Daily Photo: Did You Celebrate Apple Day?

Did you know that yesterday was Apple Day? Honestly, I wouldn’t have realised it either if I hadn’t been for the folks behind English Apples and Pears kindly inviting me along to an English Apple tasting and cheese pairing at Marylebone’s fabulous La Fromagerie on Moxon Street. Continue reading

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Delicious Italian Seafood Menu at Pescatori, Charlotte Street

It’s been a few weeks now since I enjoyed dinner at Italian seafood restaurant, Pescatori. I haven’t forgotten how lovely it was though. Indeed, I’ve been waiting for the right time to publish my review so it didn’t get crowded out by other posts about places receiving more than an equitable slice of momentary hype. So with little happening in the tikichrisosphere today, here’s my review of fantastic Fitrzrovia restaurant, Pescatori. Buon appetito! Continue reading

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5 Best Restaurants for Service in the UK (OneTravel)

UK restaurant bookings site, toptable, has announced the winners of its 2013 Diners’ Choice awards for the Top 50 Restaurants for Service in the UK. The awards represent the “combined opinions of approximately 350,000 reviews submitted between September 2013 and August 2013 by verified toptable diners for more than 4,000 restaurants across the UK. Continue reading

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A Quartet of Great Chicago Food Blogs (OneTravel)

No matter what’s taking you to Chicago, one thing you need to make sure to bring is a healthy appetite! Folks here know how to eat – and love to talk about what they’re eating too. Here’s a list of five … Continue reading

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London Daily Photo: Matsuri

The fine folks from Kikkoman invited yours truly out earlier this week to upscale Japanese restaurant Matsuri St James’s for a soy sauce masterclass taught by Chef Simon Hulstone. Continue reading

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London Daily Photo: The Last Instinct at Gillray’s Steakhouse & Bar

Man oh man! I got an education last night from Jaume Beato, lead bartender at Gillray’s Steakhouse & Bar at the Marriott Hotel County Hall. From a crash course in the history and global reach of gin (Gillray’s keeps close to 70 different gins behind the bar) to how to mix a classic cocktail … Continue reading

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An Interview with Chef Albert Roux (Great British Chefs)

… the affable 78 year old seems as pleased or perhaps even more so to talk about the recent successes of his son as he is his own achievements. My interview with Albert felt more like a friendly conversation as he shared memories from the early days of his career along with advice for up-and-comers in the restaurant industry today. Continue reading

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“Free From” But Still Flavourful Food by Orgran

I recently got hold of a range of “free from” products by Orgran. The three products I sampled – Buckwheat Pancake Mix, Buckwheat Pasta Spirals and Spaghetti in Tomato Sauce – were gluten free, wheat free, dairy free, egg free, yeast free, soy free and vegan … and still right flavourful too. Nice thing is, all those missing ingredients hadn’t been replaced with a lot of unpronounceable crap created in a lab. Instead the products provided me with a few back-to-basics meals that left me satiated without feeling bogged down. Continue reading

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5 Top Sights in Manila (OneTravel)

Manila – it’s one of the world’s biggest cities and one of its most exciting and diverse. Steeped in history but with a vibrant 21st century edge, Manilaoffers a tantalizing variety of delights for all travelers. Here’s a list of five … Continue reading

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5 Fine Ceviches in London (CheapOair)

Ceviche and Latin American cuisine are all the rage in London these days. With terrific restaurants such as the following five places wowing British palates with New World panache, it’s easy to taste why. Continue reading

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Culture Vulture Tour Across the South of France

If you like your natural history served with a heaping dose of ancient tradition (not to mention some fantastic wine), then Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France is for you. I certainly had a splendid time riding around the region on a recent tour of UNESCO World Heritage sites. Continue reading

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2014 Michelin Stars for London (OneTravel)

Whoa, when I first had the idea to list all of London’s Michelin starred restaurants I really didn’t realize it would be quite so lengthy. Yep, London’s got just over 60 fine dining establishments boasting the much sought after stars … Continue reading

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Shake Shack Brat Burger and More: Shacktoberfest

It’s October. Need an excuse to stuff your face? How about the limited time only Shacktoberfest menu at Covent Garden’s Shake Shack? You can even take home your very own Shake Shack beer stein for your gourmand efforts. Here’s my take on the Shake’s autumnal offering. Continue reading

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