From Death To Death And Other Small Tales: Masterpieces from the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art and the D.Daskalopoulos Collection … brings together works from the D.Daskalopoulos Collection, one of the most important collections of contemporary art, with a number of significant pieces from the Scottish national collection.
Read my complete post at the CheapOair blog.
Ever been hypnotized?
I spent three sessions with hynpotherapist Chloe Brotheridge of Easy Way to Change back before Christmas and am now more than happy to spread the good word about her practice.
My own personal reasons for visiting Chloe pertain to a business best categorized as nunya, but basically I was looking for help building my confidence and to develop a healthier attitude toward eating.
To be honest, I wasn’t actually looking for a hypnotherapist or actively seeking an “easy way to change” anything in my life, but (long story short) when I came across Chloe’s Twitter feed something sort of clicked and I got in touch.
I think more than anything, I was just curious about what it would be like to be hypnotized. But when I considered the possibilities I realized there were all sorts of things in my life that I wanted to deal with. So, I contacted Chloe, and we discussed me coming in for a few free sessions in exchange for a review. Now on the other end of that agreement, here’s that write up – and it’s a rave.
Results
This was my first time being hypnotized, and I was amazed by how powerful an experience it was. I got way more out of the sessions than I expected, and I feel that I’m better off for giving hypnosis a chance. I’m closer to reaching my goals and more tuned in to what’s really important to me. But even if I’d walked away from it all with little change to my life, I’d still probably recommend trying out hypnosis for yourself. I’ve never been so relaxed than after my visits to Chloe. Seriously, each of my three sessions was an absolute treat.
More about Chloe
Chloe is a fully qualified and insured hypnotherapist, registered with the National Council for Hypnotherapy. She’s also a qualified nutritionist who worked within the NHS for several years. She holds clinics in north and east London. I visited her at a comfortable and convenient office near Old Street Underground Station. I found Chloe to be a total pro but still very friendly and very easy to open up to. And I was really blown away by how thorough and transformative hypnosis was for me.
Resolute
If you’re looking to stop smoking, lose weight, keep your new year’s resolutions or more effectively chill out, I recommend getting in touch with Chloe. She offers a free 20 minute telephone assessment to see if hypnotherapy is a good idea for your situation and if she’s the right therapist for you.
Find out more at easywaytochange.co.uk.
This year I’m going to make considerably more money, crush any competitor who stands in my way and come out on top. Resolute!
I’m also thinking 2013 might finally be the year I break down and buy that gorilla suit I’ve been dreaming about getting for years.
You think I’m kidding about these two items, don’t you?
Along with channelling my aggressions toward a more prosperous end and letting out my inner ape, I intend to keep improving on last year’s resolution: be more patient and focus on what’s at hand. I think I’ve done a decent job trying to reach this goal over the past 12 months, but I know I can do better and that I’ve still got a long way to go.
Thanks to everyone who checked out my blog last year. Please keep coming back! I’ve got some awesome stuff lined up for 2013, and I can’t wait to share my adventures with you.
Read my resolutions for 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.
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 blogger. As the year draws to a close, I thought now would be a good time to highlight five posts which, for me, sum up the thrill of travel writing. I hope everyone’s had a fantastic 2012 and that the months head promise more fun and adventure for us all.
Read my complete post at the OneTravel blog.
From Miami to Burgundy and all sorts of excellent destinations in between, I had a blast blogging for CheapOair this past year. As 2012 draws to a close, I thought now would be a great time to highlight five of my favorite posts which sum up best the thrills of travel writing for me. Here’s to a fun year of exploring the world and to more adventures to come in 2013.
Read my complete post at the CheapOair blog.
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 loves a good bargain. Just make sure that when you visit that you go hungry! From home made fish cakes, conger eel tempora, freshly roasted chestnuts and all sorts of pickled everything, Nishiki is one of the most delicious shopping experiences you can imagine and a brilliant spot for edible and otherwise souvenir shopping too.
Read my complete post at the OneTravel blog.
There are lots of great opportunities in London to glide right through this holiday season and well into the New Year. Here’s a list of the best rinks in town.
Read my complete post at the CheapOair blog.
Howdy folks. I hope everybody’s had a lovely Christmas. It’s been one of the most relaxing ever here on my end. So I thought I’d take advantage of the down time to post another recap in my #SoupSearch adventures. This’ll probably be my last #SoupSearch related post for awhile – definitely the last one for this year. Thanks again to everyone who voted for me to win this thing. I really appreciate you making it possible for me to have such a remarkable experience.
The latest news is about my visit to the Symington’s factory up in Leeds. That’s where Ainsley Harriott Foods, including the World Flavours range of soups, are produced and packaged. Not one to miss the chance to get snooded up, I was taken on a fascinating tour of the facilities where I saw from ship-in to ship-out the high speed and large scale process of manufacturing and packaging that goes into all of Symington’s products.
Calling the shots on the industrial end of Symington’s is Steve Sheldon. Steve was my guide during the factory visit. Not only does the man have a firm and competent grip on how to run a big time show (Ainsley Harriott Foods alone is worth a purported £3 million a year), but he’s a fine host as well.
After my factory tour, I spent the afternoon in the Symington’s kitchen with Mr Harriott himself. We caught up on how things went for me in Japan and cooked up a storm. It was a lot of fun and cool to see how me blathering about what I’d had to eat in Japan could be transcribed into a warming and comforting bowl of delicious soup.
Offering considerable help generating awesome flavours from my ramblings was Lisa Harris. Lisa’s a true behind-the-scenes hero with a palate as sharp as any I’ve ever come across. How she could so astutely, precisely and quickly turn a concept into something tangible kinda blew my mind.
I think we came up with some flavours worth sharing while I was at Syminton’s. Time (and their marketing department) will tell I suppose. Whatever the case, it’s been a fun excuse to travel around all over the place and slurp a lot of soup!
Have a happy new year! Here’s hoping that 2013 will be just as soupy.
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 for all of you as well.
Here’s a Christmas Eve list of things I’ve come across lately and have really enjoyed but for whatever reason they didn’t make it into their own blog posts here, on my tikichris-to-go Tumblr blog or on one of my client blogs.
Merry Christmas!
Bompas & Parr: Their Feasting book launch at the Barbican Centre’s conservatory was a “rumble in the jungle” of a party. A jelly doughnut ziggurat? Why not? Slightly decadent, definitely out there and totally fun.
Hansen & Lydersen: Just picked up my whole side classic fillet of the best smoked salmon I’ve ever tasted. Yeah.
Leonard Lopate: Listened to a great episode of this WNYC show featuring an excellent interview with author Howard Bloom, who imparted this bit of wisdom during the airing:
There are only 26 letters in Shakespeare. And it’s where they’re placed, the context in which they are placed that makes them meaningful.
More Old Jews Telling Jokes: Caught this hilarious BBC 4 show featuring “American Jewish pensioners from all walks of life” telling their favourite jokes, a lot of them pretty dirty too. Brilliant. There’s a new episode out now.
Orange Buffalo:
You’ve heard about these guys selling buffalo wings out of a trailer at the Old Truman Brewery, right? Their wings are awesome.
Paranoia on Paper: Another memorably fun book launch, this one for the Sickboy/Word to Mother collab, ,
The Regimental Condiment Company: This Australian brand’s “West Bengal Rifles” mango chutney’s the tastiest I’ve ever had. Best I reckon, you can still pick their pruducts up at Harvey Nichols.
Scandinavian Kitchen: Okay, I mentioned their Christmas gift offerings some time back but I didn’t mention how awesome their stinky Danish Gamle Ole cheese is. Gotta get some more of it before New Year’s.
Steamy Kitchen: Tried and loved this blog’s step-by-step recipe for super healthy and seriously yummy baked crispy kale.
Whether as a destination to be thoroughly explored over a few weeks or one to consider for a relaxing weekender or quickie day trip from Toyko, Hakone represents an accessible opportunity to see another side of Japanese culture beyond the urban bustle and to experience some of the best of the nation’s gorgeous countryside.
Read my complete post at the OneTravel blog.
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 of the Month. I picked up a couple of bottles of it and a few other goodies when I visited the Bouchard Aîné & Fils maison back in May. Indeed, this is my second Bouchard Aîné & Fils WOTM selection this year. The Clos du Roi Cuvee Signature 2009 really knocked my socks off earlier this year with its depth and complexity.
Essentially a sparkling wine from Burgundy, crémants de Bourgogne offer exceptional value for money. If you’re able to find this particular crémant in the shops or online odds are you’ll only pay around a tenner for it. Bouchard Aîné & Fils Brut 2007 is top quality stuff made in the méthode traditionnelle (eg like they do it in Champagne). You’d pay a lot more for a comparable bubbly that happened to have been made from grapes grown in Champagne – just because it’s from Champagne.
I’m certainly not one to shun Champagne, but neither am I one to keep my other options closed to delicious possibilities. I like to mix things up from time to time, especially when sampling something a little different might enlighten me or save me money. Bouchard Aîné & Fils Crémant de Bourgogne Brut, 2007 started my Thanksgiving dinner off on just the right celebratory note … and raised eyebrows when I explained it wasn’t actually Champagne. I’ve got another bottle in the fridge for New Year’s Eve. And I wish I had a few extra bottles for more upcoming toasts.
Have a merry Christmas and happy new year everybody! Cheers 🙂
Yesterday I published my list of ten best London restaurants for 2012. Today, I’m sharing a list of some faves from trips beyond the M25.
I didn’t get out of town as much as I would have liked during 2012. However, I travelled more than I actually thought I was going to, and a significant number of my trips were (wonderfully!) food related. My first meals of this year were in sunny Miami followed by tasty excursions to Burgundy, San Sebastian, Parma, Pembrokeshire, Japan and a few other places. Here are but a few of my non-London dining highlights from the past 12 months.
Le Bistrot des Grand Crus
8-10 Rue Jules-Rathier, 89800, Chablis, France
Simple and savoury Bourgogne dishes (I remember the veal flaking with the lightest of touches from my fork). As this bistrot’s name suggests, it’s a smart spot for wines as well!
La Ciboulette
69 Rue de Lorraine, 21200 Beaune, France
Classic Bourgogne cooking at this low key and seemingly humble little eatery in the heart of Beaune. Humble, that is, until they pull out the wine list. Bam!
Cwtch
22 High Street, St David’s, Pembrokeshire SA62 6SD, Wales, United Kingdom
Preceded by its outstanding reputation and requiring a reservation for pretty much any time of day or year you intend to visit, Cwtch lives up to the hype and is indeed worth the forethought and planning ahead.
L’Ecusson
2 Rue du Lieutenant Dupuis, 21200, Beune, France
The best of Burgundy’s restaurants are down to earth with a tasteful focus on simple dishes made with quality ingredients and, of course, phenomenal wine lists to accompany the menus. L’Ecusson is no exception.
Itoh Dining by Nobu
1300-64 Gora Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
Itoh Dining by Nobu is a group of steakhouses from chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa and the crew behind his famed Nobu brand. The one I went to was up the mountains in the resort town of Hakone. This was my first experience eating Kobe beef and to do so in a minimalist zen-like setting with forested mountain vistas was like a dream.
Loiseau des Vignes
31 rue Maufoux, 21200, Beaune, France
Loiseau des Vignes is famous for being the first restaurant in Europe to offer an entire list of wines by the glass, with close to 70 different wines, a number of which cannot be found anywhere else nowadays. It’s also home to arguably the yummiest damn cheese board in the world and one of the tastiest soufflés I’ve ever had. Triple wow.
Morihei
Bottom floor inside JR Kyoto Station, Kyoto, Japan
A rather luck of the draw approach to lunch paid off big time when I took a chance with a seating at Morihei restaurant, one of the many eateries inside Kyoto’s bustling and massive JR train station. A hearty bowl of udon nabeyaki (noodles with shrimp tempura, scallions, yuba, steamed fish paste, rice cake, chicken and egg served boiling in an earthenware pot) turned out to be one of my favourite meals of the year!
Puerto Sagua
700 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, Florida, 33139, USA
Nowhere near as flashy as most of its SoBe competition, nevertheless this stalwart of the Collins Avenue strip knows how to reel ’em in: with a solid reputation for excellent food, efficient service and a no nonsense approach to dining.
Restaurante Illarra
De Illarra Bidea 97, 20018, Gipuzkoa, Spain
I think Illarra is the only restaurant to make this list that I actually haven’t blogged about this year. Still, such a fantastic restaurant is worthy of so much more than this mere slice of bandwidth. A great Basque country establishment on the outskirts of San Sebastian but well within that famed foodie city’s parameters of good taste and fine dining.
Ristorante Cocchi
Viale Antonio Gramsci 16, 43100, Parma, Italy
A smart place to keep in mind for trying the best of Parmigiano cuisine. Upscale and more modern, Cocchi is nonetheless molto autentico. Enjoy the service, the attention to detail and most of all the food! You can’t go wrong with the flan di Parmigiano al tartufo nero (Parmesan soufflé with black truffles) or the city’s favourite dish, anoli in brodo (handmade pasta stuffed with meat and cooked in broth).
YUCA
501 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, Florida, USA
YUCA’s menu features traditional Cuban dishes with a contemporary twist, and the result is delicious.
Yuzuya
Miyuki-cho Sanjo well east Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
This spacious and attractive restaurant is an ideal venue for sampling a range of izakaya dishes. Highlights? Many! Grilled mackeral, conger eel tempura, mushrooms in foil, salmon, lotus root, matcha ice cream …
So many more that almost made this tasty list! To read more about the above listed restaurants and all sorts of other great eateries around the world, check out my blog’s Restaurants category. Thanks for a delicious year!
A good one to keep in mind for contemplative and/or convivial sipping in the early evening and for getting drunk ‘n’ sweaty later in the night, Quiquiriqui is worth adding to any list of easy going East London watering holes.
Read my complete review at Blue Tomato.
2012, what a delicious year for London! This city – this big old convoluted mess of a city – kept improving its flavour profile and coming up with new and better ways to offer locals and visitors alike more choice and better quality. Narrowing down my “best of” list to a mere ten was tough. To be sure, there were plenty of dud meals along the way, but maybe not as many as in recent past years. Listed in alphabetical order (don’t make me rank them!), here are my favourite London restaurants from the past year:
Moreno at Baglioni
Baglioni Hotel London, 60 Hyde Park Gate, SW7 5BB
This newly launched restaurant situated inside Kensington’s lush Baglioni London Hotel sees two Michelin star Italian chef, Moreno Cedroni, share his avant garde approach to Italian cuisine with his first venture outside Italy.
Morgan M
50 Long Lane, EC1A 9EJ
Chef Morgan Meuier’s new “affordable haute cuisine” restaurant across the street from Smithfield Market and just a pleasant stroll away from the Barbican and St Paul’s Cathedral wins big time … or at least won me over big time with a combination of service, setting and sensational food and wine pairing.
Pizza Pilgrims
Berwick Street Market, Berwick Street, W1F 8TF
Okay, so technically a van and not a restaurant … Pizza Pilgrims offers a simple range of made from scratch pizzas using quality ingredients and traditional preparation learned during a foodie pilgrimage to Napoli.
Pizarro
194 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3TQ
Chef Patron Jose Pizarro’s eponymous restaurant is a low key and becoming foodie retreat and an ideal setting for quality conversation over exemplary Spanish cuisine and an anything but fussy wine list.
The Rib Room
Jumeirah Carlton Tower hotel, Cadogan Place, SW1X 9PY
Young’uns and tweeting foodie upstarts may blather on and on about meat this and meat that as if no one in England had eaten an animal before the onset of the 21st century. But the 50 year old Rib Room reassures that enjoying masterfully made meat dishes in London is something that’s been going on for quite some time.
Roganic
19 Blandford Street, W1U 3DH
Simon Rogan and Penny Tapsell’s Blandford Street eatery is a two year pop-up restaurant “passionate about the very best in British natural ingredients all cooked with skill and imagination and served with warmth and style.”
Seoul Bakery
55 St Giles High Street, WC2H 8LH
Seoul Bakery’s cosy vibe, simple menu and tasty dishes should win you over to the realisation that this sweet little place is a bit of a one-off wonder.
Sodo Sourdough Pizza Cafe
126 Upper Clapton Road, E5 9JY
The dudes from E5 Bakehouse recently opened this to-the-point and back-to-basics pizzeria close to Clapton Railway Station.
This Bright Field
268 Cambridge Heath Road, E2 9DA
This Bright Field offers a “fresh, well crafted, ever changing menu” that’s English in both its recipes and ingredients used.
Tommi’s Burger Joint
58 Marylebone Lane, W1U 2NX
Proust had his madeleines. I’ve got charred medium rare cheeseburgers. And an entrepreneur from Iceland brought those memories back to me in a Marylebone restaurant?
There are just too many honourable mentions and 11th place ties for me to list, but to read more about the above listed restaurants and all sorts of other great eateries in London and beyond, check out my blog’s Restaurants category. Thanks for a delicious year!
Oh yeah. Bibigo will see me again (and probably several times again after that).
Read my complete review at Blue Tomato.
Burberry Factory Shop
29-53 Chatham Place, Hackney, London E9 6LP
Top British luxury brand, Burberry, has long had a “secret” factory outlet here, but with coach loads of East Asian tourists and more and more savvy East Londoners flocking to the store these days, the fashionable cat is now definitely out of the proverbial designer label handbag.
Much if not all items in this massive and Spartan warehouse are at least 50% off the suggested retail price and much less expensive than what you’d expect to pay in London’s more traditional luxury shopping destinations such as Harrods or Selfridges. In most cases, the major discounts still don’t equal super cheap, especially for clearance items. Still, considering Burberry’s quality and endurance (with respect to materials and seemingly perennial popularity) shoppers can walk away feeling confident they’ve received great value for money.
Pringle of Scotland
86 Morning Lane, E9 6NA
Right next door to the Burberry Factory Shop, this outlet is only a couple of months old and housed in the premises of the old Duke of Wellington pub. Pringle of Scotland is a luxury knitwear brand popular with international celebrities and royality alike. Got cashmere? Oh yeah. As at the Burberry store, expect 50% or more off most items. Need a special jumper (that’s what we call sweaters here), a new pair of gloves or a sharp suit at a smart price? The Pringle outlet might be just the place for you.
Aquascutum
Chatham Place, E9 6LY
Since the 1850s, Aquascutum has been frocking stylish Londoners with “elegant yet city chic” clothing that blends sophistication with functionality. Across the street from Burberry and Pringle, this newly opened outlet offers great bargains for suits, jackets, winter coats and more.
More to come
With the likes of the Financial Times and Vogue heralding the creation of this new “fashion hub” and with millions pounds of Hackney council funds being put aside to make sure such a development happens, what is now just a trio of shops is set to become a designer store district. Beyond the big name outlets, a wealth of independent shops and local owned restaurants, bars and cafes await, keen to retain a bit of the ege that’s made Hackney such a great part of town in the first place. When you come, make an effort at least to grab an independently brewed coffee or a locally baked treat during your visit.
Getting there
Morning Lane and Chatham Place are a minute or so walk from the Hackney Central Overground Station (on the East London Line). Homerton Overground Station is about ten minutes walk away. Bethnal Green is the nearest Tube station and is about a 30 minute walk. A number of buses from Bethnal Green and, indeed, all directions drop passengers off steps from these outlet stores.
This post was originally published at the OneTravel blog.
‘Tis the season to be jolly! Here are a few excellent ways to get in the holiday spirit around Northern Ireland during Christmas time this year.
Read my complete post at the CheapOair blog.
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 points with the missus – yes!) along with an upcoming opportunity to sit down with Ainsley to create a new flavour based on my trip for his World Kitchen range of soups.
Read my complete post at Blue Tomato.
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 some of the best bakeries – old and new – around this part of town.
Read my complete post at the CheapOair blog.
