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Category Archives: Shopping
Barn the Spoon in East London (OneTravel)
It’s refreshing to come across something that’s practical and simple by design. When form and function meet in equal measure, the results resonate with a lasting satisfaction. Rambling along perpetually up-and-coming and increasingly trendy Hackney Road with its speakeasies and new boutiques mingling with stalwart pubs and dwindling wholesaler outlets, a shop selling handmade wooden spoons stands out. Continue reading
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Posted in Design, London, OneTravel, Shopping, Travel
Tagged barn the spoon, carving, design, east london, hackney, Hackney Road, London, OneTravel, Shopping, spoons, Travel, wooden spoons, woodwork
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Gorilla Perfumes Pop-Up, East London (CheapOair)
No fancy schmancy bottles, no fashion labels bashing you over the head with over the top branding, no celebrities tarting things up: just pretty smelling perfumes. Gorilla Perfume is an East London pop-up open until June and selling its own fragrances and range of related items. Continue reading
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Posted in CheapOair, London, Shopping, Travel
Tagged cheapoair, east london, frangrance, gorilla perfume, hackney, London, lush cosmetics, perfume, pop-up, Shopping, shoreditch, Travel
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Wine of the Month: Soryu Koshu 2010
Japanese wine … yes, by “wine” as in fermented grape juice. Who knew? Not me until very recently when I attended the fourth annual Koshu of Japan UK Trade and Press Tasting late last month at the Westbury Hotel. Continue reading
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Posted in Drink, Food, Hotels, Japan, London, Restaurants, Shopping, Wine, Wine of the Month
Tagged Food, japan, JAPANESE CUISINE, japanese food, japanese wine, KOJ, koshu, Koshu of Japan UK Trade and Press Tasting, koshu wine, London, review, Soryu, Soryu Koshu, Soryu Koshu 2010, Soryu Winery, umu restaurant, westbury hotel, white wine, wine, Wine of the Month, wotm, yamanashi, yamanashi prefecture
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The Breakfast Bible | Seb Emina & Malcolm Eggs
If you love breakfast but haven’t read this newly published work of delicious dedication by Seb Emina and Malcolm Eggs (of The London Review of Breakfasts fame), you should. The book is written with dry wit, authority and spread thick with useful knowledge and quirky fact. Continue reading
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Posted in Blogs, Books, Food, London, Recipes, Shopping
Tagged biscuits and gravy, blog, bloombury publishing, books, breakfast, Food, London, malcolm eggs, recipes, review, seb emina, the breakfast bible, the london review of breakfasts
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Good Stuff
Here’s a quick list of good stuff: things I’ve come across lately and really liked but for whatever reason weren’t featured in a dedicated blog post here or on one of my client blogs. New Pies at Vintage Inns: Lunch … Continue reading
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Posted in Books, Celebrities, Design, Food, Good Stuff, London, Movies, Pubs, Shopping, Video
Tagged book, cookbook, ephotozine, james martin, Jez Fenwick, meatballs, mobile phone, pies, pubs, recipes, sony, sony xperia z, stewart fawcett, the bowler, the bowler's meatball cookbook, vintage inns
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A New Generation of Tablets
Have you jumped onboard the tablet bandwagon yet? Me neither. I reckon I’ll hop on for a ride sooner than later though. And, I must admit I’m doing my best to try and keep pace of what’s what with tablet … Continue reading
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Butchery Classes at the Ginger Pig (Great British Chefs)
With two decades in the business and five butcher shops throughout London selling rare breed meat reared across more than 3,000 acres of the North York Moors, The Ginger Pig is one of the best known and most highly respected bands of butchers in all of Britain. Offering classes that allow the public behind the counter and the chopping block demonstrates confidence and a refreshing nothing-to-hide approach to promoting the quality of their products. Continue reading
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Posted in Food, Great British Chefs, London, Shopping
Tagged butcher shops, butchers, butchery, GBC, ginger pig, GREAT BRITISH CHEFS, London, marylebone, meat, moxon street, sausage, sausage making, sausages, the ginger pig, W1
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Easter 2013 at Hotel Chocolat
I swung by Roast + Conch last night for the press launch of Hotel Chocolat’s collection of chocolates for Easter 2013. This year’s yield is an especially delicious assortment that’s attractively presented with a bit a quirk. Hand tied ribbon hat boxes, a dapper Beau Bunny illustration by Neal Murren adorning most packaging, prettily coloured pralines and bonbons all help to ensure delight whether the chocolates are a treat for yourself or a gift for someone special. Continue reading
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Posted in Chocolate, Easter, Food, London, Shopping
Tagged beau bunny, bonbons, chocolate, chocolate easter eggs, competition, contest, easter, easter eggs, Extra Thick Egg, fine chocolate, Hotel Chocolat, London, milk chocolate, neal murren, pralines, Roast + Conch, Shopping
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Win an Extra Thick Easter Egg from Hotel Chocolat
To celebrate the launch of this year’s range of Easter goodies, Hotel Chocolat is kindly offering one of these Extra Thick Eggs to one very lucky tikichris reader for free! Continue reading
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Posted in Chocolate, Competition, Easter, Food, Freebies, Shopping, Social Media
Tagged caramel, chocolate, chocolate easter eggs, competition, contest, easter, easter eggs, Extra Thick Egg, fine chocolate, free, freebie, Hotel Chocolat, milk chocolate, Rocky Road to Caramel, Rocky Road to Caramel Extra Thick Egg, Shopping, twitter competition
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Kopi Coffee Club
So, when the folks at Kopi – an “exclusive monthly subscription coffee club that is passionate about premium taste and ethical sourcing” – dropped me a line to ask if I’d like to sample their coffee in exchange for review, I was keen … and maybe a little suspicious too. Gourmet, fair trade, luxury … these days there are so many endowments attached to the front of too otherwise straightforward words like coffee that descriptions such as “exclusive” and “premium” don’t necessarily mean anything anymore. Continue reading
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Recipe: Michel Roux Jr’s Crushed Garlicky Rooster Potatoes in Their Skin
With only these six ingredients (okay, eight if you count the salt and pepper) and just a handful of basic steps to follow, I found this recipe offered especially tasty value for minimal effort. Not much clean up afterward either. As the name implies, this dish is a garlic lover’s treat. I reckon you could tone down the amount of garlic suggested and still be happy with the results. An additional splash or two of the pastis wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Continue reading
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Posted in Celebrities, Drink, Food, London, Recipes, Shopping, Television
Tagged BBC, BBC 2, celebrity, chef, cookery, cooking, cooking demo, crushed garlickly potato skins, Crushed Garlicky Rooster Potatoes In Their Skin, demo, Food, Garlic, gerry beck, high street kensington, kensington, Kensington High Street, London, masterchef, masterchef; the professionals, michel roux, MICHEL ROUX JR, one-post casserole, potato skins, preview, recipe, Rooster Potatoes, The Barkers Building, W8, W8 5SE, whole foods, whole foods market kensington, wholes foods market
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I’ve Got an £80 Groupon Voucher to Give One Reader
Get £80 of Groupon Love with @tikichris Continue reading
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Posted in Competition, Discounts and Special Offers, Freebies, Shopping, Social Media, Valentine's Day
Tagged £80 groupon voucher, competition, contest, free, freebie, giveaway, groupon, Valentine's Day, voucher
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Volare con Vino on Your Flight Back from Rome (CheapOair)
But what do you do when you want to take a bottle of the good stuff back home with you on your flight? Packing glass bottles containing liquid in your check in luggage can be messy – especially if the … Continue reading
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Posted in CheapOair, Drink, Italy, Rome, Shopping, Travel, Wine
Tagged air travel, airports, cheapoair, duty free, duty free shopping, fiumicino, Fiumicino Airport, good buy roma, italian wine, Italy, Leonardo da Vinci International Airport, roma, rome, Shopping, Travel, wine
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In the Market for a New Car? “Reevoo” Your Options with Kia
In the market for a new car? Or maybe you’ve already found your ideal car and want to share your experiences to help others making similarly big and long lasting decision? Well, what better way to find the right car … Continue reading
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Posted in Cars, Shopping, Social Media, Uncategorized, Video
Tagged 2012 Car Manufacturer of the Year, buying a new car, cars, customer reviews, kia, reevoo, SPONSORED POST, Video, Which?
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Wine of the Month: 2011 Monte delle Vigne Lambrusco 2011
It’s crimson and velvety. It sparkles. It even comes from the ancestral lands of St Valentine. So why Lambrusco isn’t the official wine for couples celebrating Valentine’s Day is a bit beyond me. Having recently tried Monte delle Vigne Lambrusco 2011 during a low key and rather romantic evening out, I thought this lightly frizzante vino rosso would make a fine choice for February’s Wine of the Month. Continue reading
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Posted in Drink, Food, Italy, London, Parma, Restaurants, Shopping, Valentine's Day, Wine, Wine of the Month
Tagged emilia romagna, february, in parma, italian wine, lambrusco, London, Monte delle Vigne, Monte delle Vigne Lambrusco, Monte delle Vigne Lambrusco 2011, parma, red wine, restaurants, review, sparkling red wine, sparkling wine, wine, Wine of the Month, wine review, wotm
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Photo Story: Tsukiji Market, Tokyo (Urban Travel Blog)
With 23,000 square metres chocked full of wholesalers peddling more than 400 species of edible marine life, Tsukiji is not only the busiest market in Tokyo but the biggest fish and seafood market in the world. Sightseers are certainly welcome, but catering to tourism seems to be the last concern for folks working here. Don’t wear your favourite open-toed shoes. And, unless your Japanese language skills are impeccable, strongly consider going with a guide. Continue reading
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Posted in Food, Japan, Photography, Shopping, Travel, Urban Travel Blog
Tagged fish market, japan, japanese food, PHOTO STORY, Photography, seafood, shinto shrine, sushi, tokyo, Tsukiji, Tsukiji Market., urban travel blog
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Volpetti, a Truffle Lover’s Salumeria in Rome (CDCLifestyle)
Volpetti is a lovely family owned salumeria specialising in all things tartufi alongside a quality assortment of cured meats, home made pastas and all sorts of other Italian delicacies. Here you’ll find a gorgeous selection of freshly prepared dishes here as well and a deli counter stacked high with freshly baked pizza slices, calzones and panini as well as an array of potential gifts for all your gourmet friends back home. Continue reading
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Posted in CDCLifestyle, Food, Italy, Rome, Shopping, Travel
Tagged CDCLifestyle, cheese, comte des cierges, deli, Food, italian food, Italy, roma, rome, salami, salumeria, Shopping, tartufi, tartufo, Travel, truffles, volpetti
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Limited Edition Hand-Coloured Woodcut Print: “Lovers” by Sweet Toof
The Lovers, a new hand-coloured woodcut print by East London street artist, Sweet Toof Continue reading
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Posted in Art, Graffiti, London, Shopping, Valentine's Day
Tagged Art, east london, Graffiti, high roller society, limited edition, London, print, street art, STREET ARTIST, sweet toof, the lovers, Valentine's Day, woodcut print
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Best Macarons in London? Pierre Hermé. (OneTravel)
Luckily for the sophisticated sweet tooth in London, there are two venues offering the opportunity to purchase Pierre Hermé’s macarons. There’s his own boutique in ultra upscale Belgravia as well as a concession on the ground floor of the world famous department store, Selfridges. His few other boutiques are dotted here and there in Japan, the Emirates and, of course, throughout France. Continue reading
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Posted in Food, London, OneTravel, Shopping, Travel, Valentine's Day
Tagged BELGRAVIA, confectionary, Food, les jardins 2013, London, macaron, macarons, macaroons, OneTravel, pastry, patisserie, pâtissier, pâtissier-confectioneur, piere herme, pierre herme les jardins, pierre herme paris, review, selfridges, SW1X 9EX, Travel, Valentine's Day, valentine's gift ideas
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British Airways “Perfect Days” App and the Eternal City (Urban Travel Blog)
The gist of my brief Roman holiday was pretty basic: eat a lot of pizza, walk around all over the place and brush up on my street photography. And, in that sense, the day was indeed a perfect one for me. Continue reading
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Posted in Apps, Food, Italy, Photography, Restaurants, Rome, Shopping, Social Media, Travel, Urban Travel Blog
Tagged apps, BA, british airways, British Airways' Perfect Days, Fiumicino Airport, Food, hotel artemide, Italy, Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport, leonardo express, metro, Perfect Days, Perfect Days app, pizza, pizza taglio, public transport, public transportation, review, roma, rome, rome metro, sightseeing in rome, social media, street photography, trains, Travel, travel itinerary, urban travel blog
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Michel Roux Jr Breakfast Event at Whole Foods Kensington, Monday 28 January
BBC 2’s Masterchef: The Professionals presenter, Michel Roux Jr, will appear at the Whole Foods Market in Kensington on Monday morning for a cooking demo, Q&A and book signing. Michel will be joined by Gerry Beck, head chef at Whole Foods Market. … Continue reading
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Posted in Books, Celebrities, Food, London, Shopping
Tagged BBC, BBC 2, celebrity, chef, cookery, cooking, crushed garlickly potato skins, demo, Food, gerry beck, high street kensington, kensington, Kensington High Street, London, masterchef, masterchef; the professionals, michel roux, MICHEL ROUX JR, one-post casserole, preview, The Barkers Building, W8, W8 5SE, whole foods, whole foods market kensington, wholes foods market
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In Parma … in London
Just under a year old, Fitzrovia restaurant, In Parma, has been bleeping wildly on my foodie radar all this time. I finally got round to having a meal there earlier this week, and I’m happy to report that my visit was just as delightful, delicious and autentico as what I experienced in the actual city of Parma itself. Continue reading
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Posted in Drink, Food, Italy, London, Parma, Restaurants, Shopping, Wine
Tagged caponata, charlotte place, charlotte street, cheese, cured meat, emilia romagna, fitzrovia, Food, in parma, italian cuisine, italian food, italian wine, parma, parmesan, parmigiano, parmigiano-reggiano, pasta, ravioli, red cow parmigiano, red wine, restaurant, restaurant review, review, Shopping, sparkling wine, TIRAMISU, tortelli d'erbetta, W1, W1T 1SH, wine
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Rome’s Tartufo Wonderland: Volpetti (OneTravel)
Like truffles? You’ll love Volpetti! And no, I don’t mean the little chocolaty bonbon kind of truffles, rather the earthy, mushroom-y kind. However, if you happen to like chocolaty Italian treats you should still probably keep reading as this lovely … Continue reading
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London’s Finest Chocolate (OneTravel)
… the proof is truly in the truffle. Here’s a cream-of-the-crop list of some of London’s finest of the fine chocolate shop offerings. And just in time for Valentine’s Day too! Read my complete post at the OneTravel blog.
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Posted in Chocolate, Food, London, OneTravel, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel, Valentine's Day
Tagged belgian chocolate, BEST CHOCOLATE IN LONDON, cafe godiva, cheapoair, chocolate, chocolate shops, chocolatiers, fine chocolate, Food, godiva, godiva chocolate, godiva chocolatier, harrods, hot chocolate, Hotel Chocolat, knightsbridge, London, milk chocolate, OneTravel, paul a young, paul a young fine chocolates, RABOT ESTATE, review, reviews, Roast + Conch, Travel, Valentine's Day, valentines, WILLIAM CURLEY
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Pierre Hermé’s Masterful Macarons (Great British Chefs)
… it’s not just me raving about Hermé’s confections. The Guardian considers him the ‘king of modern pâtisserie’ while the New York Times ups his status to ‘kitchen emperor’ and Vogue reckons he’s the ‘Picasso of pastry’. Hyperbolic to be sure, but I … Continue reading
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Posted in Chocolate, Food, Great British Chefs, London, Shopping, Valentine's Day
Tagged BELGRAVIA, confectionary, Food, GBC, GREAT BRITISH CHEFS, les jardins 2013, London, macaron, macarons, macaroons, pastry, patisserie, pâtissier, pâtissier-confectioneur, piere herme, pierre herme les jardins, pierre herme paris, review, selfridges, SW1X 9EX, Valentine's Day, valentine's gift ideas
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The Perfect Kyoto Souvenir: A Tenugui from Eirakuya (OneTravel)
A bit kitsch, but tenugui are gorgeous items for the kitchen and provide nice reminders of that special trip to Japan. They’re light weight and can be packed with ease. Read my complete post at the OneTravel blog.
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Best of 2012 (OneTravel)
Discovering more of London’s hidden gems, jetting off to Parma to partake in the local dining scene, winding my way through the weird and wonderful world of Japan’s largest fish market: 2012 was an awesome year to be a OneTravel … Continue reading
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Posted in England, Food, Italy, Japan, London, OneTravel, Parma, Restaurants, Shopping
Tagged city of london, england, Food, harmondsworth barn, heathrow, Italy, japan, lea valley, lea valley walk, London, OneTravel, parma, POSTMAN'S PARK, restaurants, the Cathedral of Middlesex, tokyo, Travel, Tsukiji
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Visit Kyoto’s Amazing Food Market: Nishiki (OneTravel)
Known as Kyoto‘s kitchen, people have been buying and selling food and food related items in Kyoto’s Nishiki Market since the 1300s. A stroll through this mile long, covered food market is a must for gourmets, history buffs or anybody who … Continue reading
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Posted in Food, Japan, OneTravel, Shopping, Street Markets, Travel
Tagged food markets, japan, japanese food, kyoto, nishiki, nishiki market, OneTravel
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Good Stuff
It’s been six hectic weeks since my last Good Stuff post, but things have settled down and the rest of 2012 promises a smooth and gentle coast to the finish line. I hope the year ends on a pleasant note … Continue reading
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Posted in Art, Blogs, Books, Food, Graffiti, London, Recipes, Shopping, Television
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Wine of the Month: Bouchard Aîné & Fils, Crémant de Bourgogne, Brut, 2007
Oh sure, Champagne gets all the credit this festive time of year. But before you pop open another bottle of tried and true champers, consider some of your other fizzy options. Bouchard Aîné & Fils Brut 2007 is December’s Wine … Continue reading
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Shop at East London’s Burberry, Pringle of Scotland and Aquascutum Outlets (OneTravel)
Still a bit rough around the edges – but nonetheless up and coming with exceptional vigour – an area of the East London borough of Hackney is in the midst of being transformed into a high end shopping destination. Here’s the scoop (just in time for holiday shopping) on the bargains available, how to get to the area and what may lay ahead for Christmas shopping excursions to come. Continue reading
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Posted in London, Shopping, Travel
Tagged Aquascutum, burberry, Burberry Factory Shop, chatham place, E8, E9, east london, factory outlets, hackney, HACKNEY CENTRAL, London, London blog, luxury brands, morning lane, OneTravel, outlet stores, pringle of scotland, Shopping, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦
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A Soupy Search for Flavours in Japan (Blue Tomato)
As crazy as it sounds, I spent the last week of October touring Japan on a “soup search” for celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott. Basically, I’d won a blogger competition that came with a free trip for two to Japan (brownie … Continue reading
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Follow the Bread Line to Some Amazing East London Bakeries (CheapOair)
A blend of hipster craftsmanship mixed evenly with some long standing East London traditions has led the London borough of Hackney along with the eastern fringes of Islington to yield some especially delicious baked goods. Here’s a slice by slice route to … Continue reading
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Posted in CheapOair, Coffee, Food, London, Restaurants, Shopping
Tagged bagels, bakeries, baking, bread, cake, cheapoair, clapton, dreyfus cafe, E5 BAKEHOUSE, finsbury park, hackney, Happening Bagel Bakery, islington, J Grodzinski & Daughters, London, london fields, palm 2, palm II, pizza, sodo, Sodo Sourdough Pizza Cafe, sourdough, stamford hill
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I’ve got a £20 Groupon Voucher Code to Give One Reader
Good morning everybody. I’ve got a £20 Groupon voucher to give away. To win it, all you’ve got to do is dig a little through my blog (this one you’re reading right now) and find the title of my London … Continue reading
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Visit Kappabashi, Tokyo’s Kitchen Town (OneTravel)
You know those incredibly realistic plastic samples of menu items that you see in the windows of Japanese restaurants and other types of east Asian eateries? Well, there’s a street in Tokyo where the shops specialise in selling those plastic … Continue reading
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Posted in Food, Japan, OneTravel, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel
Tagged asakusa, japan, kappabashi, kappabashi don, kitchen town, OneTravel, restaurants, tokyo
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