Exhibition Review: Rising Stars in Bethnalham at High Roller Society (Londonist)

Posted on 2010-12-04 by tikichris

Exhibition Review: Rising Stars in Bethnalham at High Roller Society
Londonist, December 4, 2010 at 16:36 pm

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Rising Stars in Bethnalham opens today at High Roller Society with an eclectic mix of art inspired or otherwise derived from London’s East End. Urgent, sarcastic, reflective or cranky, all the works from the dozen or so up-n-comers (along with a few more established London street art favourites) grab the viewer’s attention with insistence. Particularly engaging to us at last night’s PV were …

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Exhibition Review: Rising Stars in Bethnalham at High Roller Society

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New Restaurant Review: Inamo St James (Londonist)

Posted on 2010-12-04 by tikichris

New Restaurant Review: Inamo St James
Londonist, December 4, 2010 at 14:00 PM

Inamo St James

Londonist has no qualms recommending a small dish of truffle marbled beef (thin slices with truffle vinaigrette and crispy garlic and mixed cress, £7.95) and are adamant in suggesting you try the gorgeous Berkshire pork neck (with confit of apple, and a spicy chocolate sauce, £12.50). Cocktails are tropically fruity yet sophisticated; the wine and sake list more than adequate – we particularly liked sipping on a few post-dinner glasses of Gls Shirimani sweet potato shochu (£4.00). We enjoyed other items from Inamo’s kitchen and bar during our launch party visit but reckon it’s preferable for you to discover the rest yourself while perusing the cursor prompted E-Table™ projection menu.

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New Restaurant Review: Inamo St James

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London Daily Photo: Snow Angel

Posted on 2010-12-04 by tikichris

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Reindeer Pie at Battersea Pie Station, Covent Garden (Londonist)

Posted on 2010-12-03 by tikichris

Reindeer Pie at Battersea Pie Station, Covent Garden
Londonist, December 3, 2010 at 16:30 PM

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Made from organic free-range (not farmed) Swedish reindeer meat in a red wine and mushroom sauce and garnished with a dusting of herbs, it’s good value at £6.00 eat in or £5.00 takeaway . Low in fat, high in protein and rich in minerals, it’s also pretty tasty. We had ours doused in gravy and served alongside some decent mash and flavourful red cabbage (sides start at £1) and reckon we won’t need to worry about dinner tonight.

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Reindeer Pie at Battersea Pie Station, Covent Garden

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London Daily Photo: Hanging Gardens

Posted on 2010-12-03 by tikichris

LDP 2010.12.03 - Hanging Gardens

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Guru Event: A Warming Wednesday Fiesta at Camino Canary Wharf (Qype does London)

Posted on 2010-12-02 by tikichris

Guru Event: A Warming Wednesday Fiesta at Camino Canary Wharf
Qype does London, December 2nd 2010

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Our gracious hosts at Camino went well out of their way to ensure conditions were perfect for a wonderful evening of socializing. Owner Richard Bigg took the time to chat with everyone and share his enthusiasm for great wine and all things Spanish while Head Chef Nacho del Campo confidently and kindly opened his kitchen to us to demonstrate how to make gambas ajillo (and, just as importantly, how to suck up all that deliciously garlicky olive oil with some phenomenally crusty bread). Service was friendly and efficient and never seemed to stop bringing out an array of tapas for us to sample – I absolutely adored the chipirones a la Andaluza (crisp-fried baby squid with alioli and lemon)!

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Guru Event: A Warming Wednesday Fiesta at Camino Canary Wharf

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London Daily Photo: Suspended

Posted on 2010-12-02 by tikichris

LDP 2010.12.02 - Suspended

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Steampunk Brunch at A Fluid State This Sunday (Londonist)

Posted on 2010-12-01 by tikichris

Steampunk Brunch at A Fluid State This Sunday
Londonist, December 1, 2010 at 15:00 PM

gritty gears

A “mash up of the Aussie-brunch lifestyle and Victorian-era Britain”, A Fluid State’s Steampunk Brunch this Sunday the 5th offers a weekend recovery of mini breakfast foods for £6 by Clerkenwell eatery Giant Robot, alcohol infused porridges for £3 by Crussh, coffee from Taylor Street Baristas, pints from Camden Town Brewery, and organic wines from Les Cave de Pyrene. As a “Rube Goldberg” machine cranks out Bloody Marys a line up of quirky independent live music acts and more (including a “Pants to Poverty” breakdance for charity) will entertain.

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Steampunk Brunch at A Fluid State This Sunday

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Exhibition Review: Aware: Art Fashion Identity at the Royal Academy of Arts (Londonist)

Posted on 2010-12-01 by tikichris

Exhibition Review: Aware: Art Fashion Identity at the Royal Academy of Arts
Londonist, December 1, 2010 at 8:44am

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Considerably more profound and than one might expect, Aware: Art Fashion Identity at the Royal Academy of Arts sets an often haunting and thoroughly thought provoking tone as it examines how artists and designers (and indeed those of us who merely dress ourselves each day) use clothing – both deliberately and unconsciously – to express status, aspiration and desire.

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Exhibition Review: Aware: Art Fashion Identity at the Royal Academy of Arts

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London Daily Photo: Shook Up

Posted on 2010-12-01 by tikichris

LDP 2010.12.01 - Shook Up

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New Restaurant Review: Made in Camden (Londonist)

Posted on 2010-11-30 by tikichris

New Restaurant Review: Made in Camden
Londonist, November 30, 2010 at 17:05 PM

Seared onglet steak sandwich, horseradish cream & Balsamic red onion at Made in Camden

Highlights from our lunch included scrummy baked eggs, spicy tomato, greek yoghurt and sourdough (£8 or £9.50 with grilled chorizo … and you’ll want to go with the tasty chorizo). The dish served a trio of diners well as a starter but would be a brilliant and substantial main for one. We reckon if there’s a second visit, we’ll order that one again. Seared onglet steak sandwich with (especially creamy) horseradish cream and balsamic red onion (£9.90) was filling and flavourful as well. We also had a taste of MiC’s home made chuck steak hamburger (served with caramelized onion, cheddar, chilli jam and fries for £9.90). Compact and peppery, it was pretty alright. The fries were done up nicely too.

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New Restaurant Review: Made in Camden

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Discovering the Right Boutique Hotel for You

Posted on 2010-11-30 by tikichris

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When booking a hotel, if you can “go boutique” I reckon you should …. most of the time anyway (I recently had a very comfortable and convenient stay at the high rise and well heeled Presidente Intercontinental Mexico City and would be keen to stay there again). Often, especially when I’m travelling solely for pleasure, I crave a stay somewhere small scale and personable with a bit of quirk to it.

Yes, I lean toward boutique hotels in my accommodation preferences and reckon my travels have benefited greatly from this. In particular, past adventures in Thailand and Hawaii spring to mind where I’ve had gorgeous times while bedding down in boutique digs. Trips to anywhere, from urban jungle to tropical rainforest, can be greatly enhanced if the right accommodation is discovered.

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But what does the term “boutique hotel” mean away? It’s a somewhat catch-all phrase but seems to infer a more one-off, intimate experience than one might normally expect from a hotel chain. And how should you go about finding small boutique hotels that are suitable to your own tastes? I suppose imagining how your own individual interests might be translated into a physical space would be a good way to think about it.

Are you an avid foodie, cocktail connoisseur, wine buff, gadget geek or furniture freak? Have a penchant for pop art, an eye for a specific style of architecture or need some major pampering? Odds are there’s a hotel somewhere out there designed just for you. In fact, it might be interesting to start off with a certain hotel concept in mind and build a holiday around it, rather than choosing the destination first and then trying to decide where you’ll stay.

Humphrey's Half Moon Inn

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London Daily Photo: End

Posted on 2010-11-30 by tikichris

LDP 2010.11.30 - End

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Never Judge … ? Group Exhibition at StolenSpace in Association with Penguin Books (Qype does London)

Posted on 2010-11-29 by tikichris

Never Judge … ? Group Exhibition at StolenSpace in Association with Penguin Books
Qype does London, November 29th 2010

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Contributing artists (and there are many) include Anthony Lister, Blek Le Rat, Cyclops, D*FACE, EINE, Jon Burgerman, Kid Acne, Matt Small, Methane Studios, Michael De Feo, Miss Van, Pete Fowler, Shepard Fairey, Sickboy, Sylvia Ji, Tara McPherson, The London Police, Usugrow, WK Interact and Word To Mother and more. Woo.

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Never Judge … ? Group Exhibition at StolenSpace in Association with Penguin Books

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London Daily Photo: Big Cats

Posted on 2010-11-29 by tikichris

LDP 2010.11.29 - Big Cats

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London Daily Photo: Neck-N-Neck

Posted on 2010-11-28 by tikichris

LDP 2010.11.28 - Neck-N-Neck

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London Daily Photo: Wonders

Posted on 2010-11-27 by tikichris

LDP 2010.11.27 - Wonders

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Chefspective: Allan Pickett, Head Chef at Plateau (Londonist)

Posted on 2010-11-26 by tikichris

Chefspective: Allan Pickett, Head Chef at Plateau
Londonist, November 26, 2010 at 14:00 PM

Allan Pickett

A few months back, Allan Pickett became Head Chef at Canary Wharf mainstay Plateau. With a challenge to create dishes that rival or exceed the quality of this restaurant and bar’s lovely fourth floor views (especially nice at the moment with the ice rink below), Allan’s set with the task of livening the menu up and keeping his well heeled punters happy. It’d been awhile since we ventured to the wharf for a visit at Plateau and were pleased with what we sampled from Allan’s kitchen. Equally pleasing was getting to chat with the affable and down to earth – but no less enthusiastic – chef. Here are the highlights of our interview.

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Chefspective: Allan Pickett, Head Chef at Plateau

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London Daily Photo: Amused

Posted on 2010-11-26 by tikichris

LDP 2010.11.26 - Amused

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The Mad Men of Jazz and a Three Martini Lunch at A Fluid State (Londonist)

Posted on 2010-11-25 by tikichris

The Mad Men of Jazz and a Three Martini Lunch at A Fluid State
Londonist, November 25, 2010 at 16:30 PM

Whisky
Photo/Tiberiu Arsene

Improv jazz, whisky pairings, foodie finds from New York street vendors and a Plymouth gin cocktail bar: it’s going to be a Mad Man kind of time at The Palm, Upper East Side – one of five main experience areas to transform an as-yet undisclosed Central London venue), at A Fluid State – where food and drink meet art, music and live performance. One of London’s most immersive food and drink festivities, A Fluid State will be held over the first weekend of December.

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The Mad Men of Jazz and a Three Martini Lunch at A Fluid State

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Win a Free Week’s Stay at Park Inn Manchester, Berlin or Djerba, Tunisia

Posted on 2010-11-25 by tikichris

Berlin! December 2008

Park Inn Hotels are running a competition with a chance to win some killer prizes, such as iPads (ooh!) and £250 hotel vouchers which can be used at more than 200 hotels in 16 countries (including Park Inn, Radisson Blu and Hotel Missoni) for booking a room or visiting a hotel’s bar or restaurant. The best part is that everyone who enters the competition becomes eligible to win the final draw for one week’s stay at Park Inn Manchester, Park Inn Berlin, or Park Inn Ulysse Resort (in Djerba, Tunisia) along with a £300 giftcard. Sweet!

Folks can enter the competition up to 20 times per week. It’s tied to an online version of “4 in a row” (perfect for a coffee break or a bit of spare downtime). After playing the game, you’re given the opportunity to register for the free week’s stay and to choose your preference of the three Park Inn options.

I played the game and entered the comp. The game was fun in a dangerously distracting and slightly addictive sort of way. Afterward when registering for the comp, I had trouble choosing the location where I’d like to have my free week’s stay (they all appealed to me!) but went with my gut and chose Berlin. It’s one of my favourite cities with a great creative buzz. Even though I’ve been there several times already, I doubt I could ever tire of it. In fact, it’s one of the few cities that rivals London for my loyalty!

Obviously this fab competition comes with terms and conditions (i.e. entrants must be at least 18 years of age). Visit the website to check those out and to play 4 Park Inn.  It’s fun and easy .. and you might win some great prizes!

Play 4 Park Inn
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London Daily Photo: Hold Out

Posted on 2010-11-25 by tikichris

LDP 2010.11.25 - Hold Out

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London Daily Photo: Whitehall

Posted on 2010-11-24 by tikichris

LDP 2010.11.24 - Whitehall

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New Restaurant Review: Wright Brothers Soho (Londonist)

Posted on 2010-11-23 by tikichris

New Restaurant Review: Wright Brothers Soho
Londonist, November 23, 2010 AT 19:35 PM

Cornish Squid with butter beans, chorizo and aioli at Wright Brothers - Soho

Kumamoto oysters (three for £8). We’d never had these slightly sweet and delicately flavourful morsels before, but after a lovely meal at the newly opened Wright Brothers in Soho we’d be quite keen to slurp ‘em down again … and soon.

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New Restaurant Review: Wright Brothers Soho

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Imagine the Blogabilities!

Posted on 2010-11-23 by tikichris

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ebuzzing.co.uk, part of the Wikio Group, allows bloggers to display videos and publish articles about their particular kind of brands – and actually pays ’em for it.

ebuzzing is completely free to join for bloggers. They’ve got a strict code of ethics ensuring all posts are clearly marked as sponsored and that the posts are written in the blogger’s own words. They do a great job finding relevant campaigns, helping out with bullet points, links and images while leaving the creativity and presentation up to the blogger.

Since 2007 ebuzzing has worked with brands such as Lloyds TSB, PayPal, Levis, FHM and the Mirror. There are many more big name brands coming to their platform these days. So, if the idea of actually making money through your blog sounds appealing, this might be an ideal time to register and start earning.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I’ve posted some stuff via ebuzzing (such as this post) and certainly wouldn’t be averse to doing so again. My experience has been that the pay is pretty good and the suggested content in line with what I write about anyway. I’ve never felt like they expected me to comprise the integrity of my blog or that they were Spamming me with lame ideas.

I always keep an eye on what’s new with their campaigns. Usually pleased with what’s on offer I would nevertheless relish ops to blog about photography related brands (I’m a Nikon guy – hint hint). What’d be really really cool would be to see somebody (via ebuzzing or not) eager to sponsor my London Daily Photo series (MEGA HINT HINT). But, hey, I ain’t complaining – just dreaming. I’m having a lot of fun working with ebuzzing and I’m glad to see some extra cash flowing my way for doing what I love!

Find out more on ebuzzing.co.uk

Find out more on ebuzzing.co.uk

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René Redzepi – chef at the Best Restaurant in the World (Locally Sourced)

Posted on 2010-11-23 by tikichris

René Redzepi – chef at the Best Restaurant in the World
Locally Sourced, 23 November 2010

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Much of the success behind this nouveau Nordic restaurant seems to stem from Redzepi’s pared down innovation and keen interest to adhering to what nature’s already provided and not mucking it up with what’s expected or trendy. Said the chef, when he noticed Spruce trees growing near the plot of land where he sources his asparagus, he thought why not use the Spruce needles as a seasoning? When he saw reindeer munching on moss, he gave it a try himself to discover that moss is “crazy delicious” like mushrooms and a healthy and plentiful source for protein.

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René Redzepi – chef at the Best Restaurant in the World

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London Daily Photo: Cathedral Segments

Posted on 2010-11-23 by tikichris

LDP 2010.11.23 - Cathedral Segments

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Western Conceptual Art and Ghanaian Film Meet in Doug Fishbone’s Elmina Photography Exhibition (Cadbury Fairtrade)

Posted on 2010-11-22 by tikichris

Western Conceptual Art and Ghanaian Film Meet in Doug Fishbone’s Elmina Photography Exhibition
Cadbury Fairtrade, November 22, 2010

Running parallel to his groundbreaking feature-length film, Elmina, the American-born London-based artist Doug Fishbone’s new photography exhibition at Rokeby gallery in London “investigates a range of questions about art, relativity, race and globalization whilst examining ideas of representation”.

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Western Conceptual Art and Ghanaian Film Meet in Doug Fishbone’s Elmina Photography Exhibition

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London Daily Photo: A Head for Fashion

Posted on 2010-11-22 by tikichris

LDP 2010.11.22 - A Head for Fashion

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London Daily Photo: United Flags of Mayfair

Posted on 2010-11-21 by tikichris

LDP 2010.11.21 - United Flags of Mayfair

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London Daily Photo: One Foot in the Grave

Posted on 2010-11-20 by tikichris

LDP 2010.11.20 - One Foot in the Grave

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And Guadalajara Too! (Qype Community)

Posted on 2010-11-19 by tikichris

And Guadalajara Too!
Qype Community, November 19th 2010

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With its mix of old and new, thriving business environment and large university, Guadalajara is a dynamic destination. Whether basking in the glory of its cathedrals, taking in the heaving nightlife, going for a round of golf, catching a bullfight or venturing into the surrounding Jalisco countryside to see how tequila is produced – there’s something for everyone.

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And Guadalajara Too!

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Island Restaurant & Bar Now Serving its Own Honey (Londonist)

Posted on 2010-11-19 by tikichris

Island Restaurant & Bar Now Serving its Own Honey
Londonist, November 19, 2010 3:25 PM

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Photography by Max Nathan

A half million bees later (talk about sweet occupancy rate!), the hotel had its first honey harvest this summer and is now making their urban honey (with a touch of taste from nearby Hyde Park no doubt) available to the public for the first time with a new breaky menu at onsite eatery, Island Restaurant & Bar.

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Island Restaurant & Bar Now Serving its Own Honey

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London Daily Photo: Lamb Street

Posted on 2010-11-19 by tikichris

LDP 2010.11.19 - Lamb Street

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Wafflemeister Opens on Portobello Road (Londonist)

Posted on 2010-11-18 by tikichris

Wafflemeister Opens on Portobello Road
Londonist, November 18, 2010 8:51 PM

Wafflemeister Opens on Portobello Road

Wafflemeister opens its third London store to the public tomorrow in Notting Hill. Londonist went along this evening for the launch, talked shop with the founder of the chain and generally had a good time nibbling waffles and sampling gelato.

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Wafflemeister Opens on Portobello Road

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