tikichris

‘Make My Switzerland’ App Helps You Discover Top Tips from Locals (OneTravel)

Posted on 2014-06-05 by tikichris

“Choose a city, pick your mood, discover top tips from our locals.” That’s what a relatively new Make My Switzerland app offers visitors hoping to achieve maximum Swiss delight – whether aiming for alpine heights, lounging by the lake or getting down in some of Europe’s most fashionable cities.

Designed by Switzerland Tourism (the national marketing and sales organization for Switzerland), the app offers a local perspective on the best things to do in seven Swiss cities – Basel, Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, Lucerne, Lugano, and Zurich – with actual firsthand accounts from local ambassadors about the best things to take in while …

Read my complete post at the OneTravel blog.

Posted in Apps, Art, Basel, Design, Drink, Food, Hotels, OneTravel, Restaurants, Shopping, Switzerland, Travel | Tagged alps, app, Basel, Bern, geneva, Lausanne, Lucerne, Lugano, make my switzerland, make my switzerland app, my switzerland, my switzerland app, OneTravel, swiss cities, switzerland, Travel, Zurich | Leave a comment

London Daily Photo: Top of the Stairs

Posted on 2014-06-05 by tikichris

Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography | Leave a comment

Win a Carnaby World Cup Shopping Spree + Dinner for Two at Whyte & Brown

Posted on 2014-06-05 by tikichris

COMPETITION IS NOW OVER AND THE WINNER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING TIKICHRIS. PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR LOTS MORE FUN AND FREEBIES TO COME!

Want to watch the World Cup in style? Carnaby’s a smart place to do it … especially if you’re the lucky reader who wins my latest comp: a shopping spree worth £100 and dinner for two at free range chicken and craft beer haven, Whyte & Brown. Keep reading to find out how to win along with details about all the great World Cup action taking place in the heart of Soho.

Carnaby has been swept into football frenzy as shops and restaurants unite to cheer for this summer’s 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil.

Once the Cup kicks off Carnaby will be one of London’s sportiest destinations with screenings of matches, limited edition products, special menus and more. So whether shopping is your favourite sort of contact sport or something you’d rather enjoy as a spectator, a £100 gift card for you to spend as you wish along the fashionable lanes of Carnaby should be just the thing to please any football fan.

All that shopping should leave you with a hearty appetite too. Good thing then I’m able to throw in dinner for you and a guest at Whyte & Brown. During the World Cup this new chicken ‘n beer restaurant will offer nine special edition burgers representing some of the World Cup’s participating nations. Burgers include the Japanese burger which combines tempura chicken with wasabi mayonnaise and pickled ginger, and the English All Day Breakfast burger featuring baked beans, fried egg, black pudding and bacon. Yummy!

To be in with a chance win the Carnaby shopping spree worth £100 along with dinner for two at Whyte & Brown, simply tweet the following:

RT to win a £100 @CarnabyLondon shopping spree + @whyteandbrown dinner for 2 a la @tikichris. http://bit.ly/1hB1xsB #WorldCupCarnaby

Good luck. Please take a moment to read the terms and conditions before tweeting!

T&C

I’ll pick one winner at random on Wednesday 11 June at 11.30am. The winner will receive one gift card valued at £100 redeemable at a variety of outlets in the Carnaby area as well as a free dinner for two at Whyte & Brown (value yet to be determined). To be eligible to win, you need to have an address in the UK where the gift card can be posted.

Whyte & Brown is located at Kingly Court, W1B 5PW. Find out more at whyteandbrown.com. For more about all the terrific stuff on offer at Carnaby go to carnaby.co.uk.

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Here are some more highlights of all the footie festivities taking place round Carnaby Street during the World Cup:

Fashion …

Puma’s Tricks football boots have just landed in their only standalone UK store on Carnaby Street. To celebrate the shop has been covered half in bright pink paint and the other in electric blue to match the boots. You could pick up a pair as worn by Mario Balotelli, Cesc Fàbregas, Yaya Touré and many more.

Ben Sherman, Pretty Green, Laurel Wreath by Fred Perry and Johnny Cupcakes will all be releasing football inspired t-shirts. Ben Sherman’s collection of five tees feature a mix of imagery which include table football and football boots along with the iconic Ben Sherman target symbol as well as a free gift with every purchase. Pretty Green have created two shirts – one with a football logo and the other inspired by football shirts of old. The Newburgh Quarter’s Laurel Wreath by Fred Perry shop will be stocking a range of football polo shirts. Johnny Cupcakes on Foubert’s Place will be producing a three lions inspired t-shirt, featuring their iconic cupcake and crossbones logo.

Size? will be stocking World Cup inspired products including retro style track tops, replica football shorts from Adidas Originals and an exclusive selection of Starter socks.

Brazilian footwear brand Havaianas has created a collection of flip-flops for each national team. Each team will have a pair of flip-flops flying its colours, with its flag on the strap and the number 10 on the soles. This collection is set to delight footie fans everywhere. Countries include England, Spain, France and Brazil.

Head to Soccerscene on Carnaby Street where you can support your country in style, add your own touch by personalising your football shirt in the store.

Onitsuka Tiger are celebrating the World Cup with their Brazil inspired trainers which feature the countries national colours of yellow, green and blue. Visit the shop in the Newburgh Quarter to pick up your colourful kicks.

Lifestyle …

Lomography have launched a special Brazil edition of the fisheye camera and will be sold in their Newburgh Street flagship.

Beauty …

Head to Benefit Cosmetics and score a beauty goal with the brand new limited-edition set which celebrates Brazil’s bestselling beauty champions for face, eyes and cheeks in a cool tropical set.

Food and Drink …

Whyte & Brown in Kingly Court will offer nine special edition burgers representing some of the World Cup’s participating nations. They include the Japanese burger which combines tempura chicken with Wasabi mayonnaise and pickled ginger, and the English All Day Breakfast burger featuring baked beans, fried egg, black pudding and bacon.

Ramen bar Shoryu Carnaby will be serving up limited edition football Hirata Buns made with nori seaweed to look like a real football. They have added ‘Penalty Shot’ sake shooters to their drinks menu –crafted to look like the Japanese and Brasilian flags – along with a Passion Sake Bomb.

All American restaurant The Diner has created 32 burgers, each one representing a country taking part in the tournament. Each bun has been created to visually represent its country’s flag, and contains a unique filling that has been carefully crafted to reflect local flavours and ingredients.

Where to Watch …

Book Zebrano’s balcony bar to watch the match on their 110 inch screen. Enjoy their flavoured Caipirinhas all night long or take advantage of their beer and a burger for £8 deal.

For the unrivalled atmosphere of a traditional British pub, the historic Shakespeare’s Head, The Blue Posts and The Clachan will all be screening the matches.

Football boot emporium and only UK store for Pro Direct coming soon.

Let the games begin.

COMPETITION IS NOW OVER AND THE WINNER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING TIKICHRIS. PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR LOTS MORE FUN AND FREEBIES TO COME!

Check out more tikichris competitions.

Posted in Beer, Competition, Drink, Fashion, Food, London, Restaurants, Shopping | Tagged £100 shopping voucher, carnaby, carnaby street, competition, contest, fashion, free, freebies, KINGLY COURT, London, London blog, RT to win, Shopping, soho, style, twitter competition, W1, W1B 5PW, Whyte & Brown, WIN, win a carnaby world cup shopping spree, win a free shopping spree, win dinner for two, world cup, world cup 2014, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

London Daily Photo: Only Way is Up

Posted on 2014-06-04 by tikichris

Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography | Tagged bermondsey, downside, LDP, London, London blog, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, photography blog, south london, street photography, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

3D Me Goes to Amsterdam on a Last Call with British Airways

Posted on 2014-06-03 by tikichris

Whoa. Check out this 8″ 3D print out of me.

Apparently while I was trotting around Greece, this lil dude was paying a visit to Amsterdam on my behalf a la BA’s new Last Call range of last minute flight and last minute holiday deals. Stay tuned for the details of this little fella’s Dutch adventures.

Cheers to Urban Travel Blog for bringing me and my new diminutive doppelganger together for this fun opportunity.

Posted in Design, Travel, Urban Travel Blog | Tagged #lastcall, 3D printing, BA, british airways, last call, Travel, urban travel blog | 1 Comment

London Daily Photo: Oxford Street Shades

Posted on 2014-06-03 by tikichris

Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography | Tagged LDP, London, London blog, London Daily Photo, london photographer, oxford street, Photography, photography blog, street photography, W1, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

Discovering Athens … #blogtrottersgr

Posted on 2014-06-02 by tikichris

Over this past weekend I visited Athens as the guest of Discover Greece – an interactive digital platform for “community building and social media campaigns” related to Greek tourism. I was there as a “Digital Influencer” to attend a “Blogtrotters” workshop alongside a handful of other UK based influencers, a few German counterparts, and some on-the-ground Athenians involved with Discover Greece and tourism in Athens. Yawnsville, right? Not at all!

Beyond the workshopped chin wags and our digitally influential pontifications, there was plenty of epic sightseeing, exuberant merrymaking and even an idyllic day at the beach – all stuff I’d suspect any visitor to Athens would enjoy thoroughly and all stuff that I would be more than happy to recommend.

To be completely honest, Athens wasn’t the most attractive city I had ever seen. As anyone who’s been paying any attention at all to the news over the past few years might expect, it looked a little down on its heels. And by no stretch of imagination did it come close to being as beautiful as any number of other European cities (or even other destinations within Greece) vying for your holiday considerations.

But that’s kinda what I liked about it. Athens’ street art was edgy and ubiquitous. The nightlife was laid back and F-U-N. The centre of town felt like a perfectly safe place to navigate even late at night and with a slight buzz. Cabs were abundant. Everything was considerably less expensive than in London (and most anywhere else in the EU for that matter). Folks were super friendly. And pretty much every Athenian whom I encountered seemed to speak perfect English. I left with the impression that I could spend a long time exploring Athens before ever contemplated moving on. I certainly did not get enough of it this go round and would be keen to return soon.

Of course, it wasn’t just the street life that I loved about Athens. My tour of the Acropolis was the very essence of a bucket-list-cross-off dream. Set loftily above the city, the ancient ruins served as a surreal reminder of the roots of democracy and Western Civilisation – almost always in my periphery engaging with the most current sights before, sometimes in celebration of how far we’ve come in “the West” and other times how much more there is do accomplish with respect to how a 21st century society should be. Actually being there among the ruins though – well, that was an awesome geek out for anyone with even the mildest interest in history.

And then there was the beach. No urban edge, no historic awe – just blue sky and blue sea (and maybe a few beers). Yabanaki Beach on the so called Athens Riviera about 30 minutes or so from the city centre (Saturday morning traffic) was an ideal spot for weekend relaxation.

So, in closing, what exactly is a blogtrotter? After 72 hours of being one, I still have no idea other than to say it was an absolute blast.

Here’s the rundown of the other influential peeps who attended the trip:

We had a great time together. And despite being a fairly diverse lot with a rather divergent range of interests, we all concluded Athens is ace. Whether on its own as a cheap and cheerful city break or as a pivotal component to an extended Greek vacation, Athens is a wonderful destination and one that I’ll be raving about for awhile.

blog trotters 2014 from WEDDREAM on Vimeo.

I’ll get into the particular highlights from my time in Athens in future pieces for this blog and some other outlets to which I contribute. Did you notice how I didn’t even mentioned how amazing the food and drink were or how much I loved my hotel? Just wait.

Until then, have a look at this handy online resource – discovergreece.com – now online in Greek, English, German, Russian and French.

In Athens, I stayed at the super convenient four star Grecotel Pallas Athena and flew hassle free via Heathrow compliments of Aegean Airlines. I would be pleased to do the same again, and I’m happy to recommend both.

Posted in Art, Blogs, Design, Drink, Graffiti, Greece, Luxury, Shopping, Travel | Tagged 72 hours in Athens, acropolis, Art, athens, athens greece, Athens Riviera, backpacker becki, black dots white spots, Blogs, blogtrotters, discover greece, Family Affairs and Other Matters, Graffiti, luxury, Off the Path, Planet Backpack, Rosie Scribble, street art, thepastamaster, Travel, Travels with Kat, Yabanaki Beach | 8 Comments

London Daily Photo: Whitecross Street Cowboy

Posted on 2014-06-02 by tikichris

Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography | Tagged east london, EC1, LDP, London, London blog, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, photography blog, street photography, whitecross street, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

London Daily Photo: Brick Lane Jesus

Posted on 2014-06-01 by tikichris

Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography | Tagged brick lane, east london, LDP, London, London blog, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, photography blog, street photography, tower hamlets, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

London Daily Photo: VINY

Posted on 2014-05-31 by tikichris

Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography | Tagged LDP, London, London blog, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, photography blog, street photography, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

London Daily Photo: Score

Posted on 2014-05-30 by tikichris

London Daily Photo: Rabbit Ears

Posted on 2014-05-29 by tikichris

Recipe: Surf ‘n’ Turk’ Prawn and Turkey Tacos

Posted on 2014-05-28 by tikichris

Inspired by a recent sit in at a British turkey cooking demo hosted by ace TV chef Phil Vickery, I gleaned a thing or two from him for my own home kitchen creations. I was particularly impressed when he showed his audience how turkey and prawns can be paired together for a really tasty combo. Here’s what I came up with: surf ‘n’ turk’ prawn and turkey tacos. Enjoy!

SURF ‘N TURK TACOS

Yum

Ingredients (6-8 single servings)

2 tablespoons of olive oil;
Sea salt to taste;
Juice from one freshly squeezed lime;
1 bay leaf;
2 finely diced cloves of garlic;
250g of chopped turkey breast fillets;
150g of peeled king prawns;
Seeds from 2 chipotle chillies,
1 dash of Worcester sauce;
Small handful of pine nuts;
1 finely diced apple;
1 tablespoon of oregano;
1 tablespoon of sage;
Black pepper to taste;
100g of shredded iceberg lettuce;
Small bunch of fresh coriander (chopped, stems removed);
4 to 6 diced spring onions;
1 tablespoon of sour cream;
6 flour tortillas.

Method

Add the prawns, turkey lime juice and garlic to a bowl;
Lightly mix these ingredients together, cover and set aside to marinate;
On a low setting, heat up about a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan with salt and bay leaf for a couple of minutes;
Put the marinated prawns and turkey in the pan;
Add the chipotle seeds, Worcester sauce, pine nuts, apple, and seasoning;
Look for the prawns to ‘go orange’ and the turkey meat to start to brown;
Stir regularly and just before the meat is done mix in the sour cream;
Drain the liquid before serving and garnish with coriander, lettuce, and spring onions and top with sour cream (if reheating squirt a bit of fresh lime juice on the prawns first;
For the tortillas, heat in the oven at 75º C (165º F); and check every so often to make sure the tortillas aren’t getting too hot or crispy. They should be soft when you serve them.

Serve

Serve DIY style with the cooked bits and the garnishes separate so that folks can assemble their tacos as they see fit. The portions ought to be plenty to satisfy a couple of hungry adults or to serve as starters for a small dinner party. I think the recipe is straightforward enough to figure out if you want to make more than six tacos.

Read more tikichris recipes.

Posted in Celebrities, Food, Recipes | Tagged british turkey, chipotle, chipotle pecan sour cream, Food, garlic prawn tacos, Garlic Prawn Tacos with Peach Salsa and Chipotle Pecan Sour Cream, garlic prawns, garlic shrimp, garlic shrimp tacos, my recipes, old el paso, peach recipe, peach salsa, peaches, pecan recipe, pecans, prawn and turkey recipe, prawn and turkey tacos, prawn tacos, prawns, recipe, Recipe: Garlic Prawn Tacos with Peach Salsa and Chipotle Pecan Sour Cream, seafood, seafood recipe, shrimp, shrimp and turkey recipe, shrimp and turkey tacos, shrimp puppies, shrimp tacos, sour cream, surf 'n' turk' tacos, surf n turk, taco recipe, tacos, tikichris recipes, turkey, turkey recipe, turkey tacos | Leave a comment

London Daily Photo: Untitled

Posted on 2014-05-28 by tikichris

Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography | Tagged aldgate, east london, LDP, London, London blog, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, photography blog, street photography, tower hamlets, whitechapel, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

Made in Mayfair Insider Experience with Intercontinental and London Luxury Quarter (OneTravel)

Posted on 2014-05-27 by tikichris

The InterContinental London Park Lane hotel has teamed up with London Luxury Quarter to create custom made “Made in Mayfair Insider Experience” tours. From Britain’s oldest family run perfumery to bespoke shoes that take nine months from order to delivery, Made in Mayfair offers hotel guests the chance to enjoy a behind the scenes opportunity to learn about the “true heritage of luxury” and to see how Mayfair has evolved to blend tradition with contemporary talent.

Each experience is designed to the personal preference of the guest and might include a visit to any of a rich variety of artisan shops. For example …

Read my complete post at the OneTravel blog.

Posted in Design, Fashion, Hotels, London, Luxury, Shopping, Travel | Tagged Floris, Foster & Son, Gieves and Hawkes, hotel, hotels, INTERCONTINENTAL, INTERCONTINENTAL LONDON PARK LANE, London, London blog, London Luxury Quarter, luxury, made in mayfair, Made in Mayfair Insider Experience, mayfair, ONE HAMILTON PLACE, OneTravel, park lane, perfume, savile row, shoes, Shopping, st james's, W1, W1J 7QY, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

London Daily Photo: Hackney Road

Posted on 2014-05-27 by tikichris

Posted in Graffiti, London, London Daily Photo, Photography | Tagged east london, Graffiti, hackney, Hackney Road, hoxton, LDP, London, London blog, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, photography blog, shoreditch, street art, street photography, sweet toof, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

Ai Weiwei at Lisson Gallery

Posted on 2014-05-26 by tikichris

Just opened at Lisson Gallery is its third solo exhibition of works by Ai Weiwei. Featuring a “monumental new installation of bicycles” alongside a number of “hand-carved, domestic-scale copies” of highly personal objects, the show offers some of the best contemporary art I’ve seen in quite awhile and was a real inspiration for me to view during last week’s private view.

Admittedly, I’m a fan of the dissident Chinese conceptual artist. But I reckon just about anybody would get a kick out of Ai’s bike installation. It’s great fun to view and to contemplate. The rest of the works are more contextual and referential … but still resonate with the intensity the artist is known for and reward gallery goers who are willing to read up on this artist’s situation.

For example, there’s the marble recreation of an armchair. Upon immediately seeing, it seems a most playful (if excessive) study of medium. But when realised it’s a copy of the artist’s father’s favourite chair, the piece seems more to be a poignant and understated memorial.

Other items in the exhibition exist on similar on similarly duel levels of meaning and yield a fascinating peek into Ai’s life as it was before and currently is in Beijing, where he is forced to live in confinement. All of it suggests an artist creating with a half smirk, half sneer on his face and a profound sense of humour and introspection.

Lisson Gallery location at 27-29 and 52 Bell Street, NW1 5DA. The exhibition is at the 27-29 Bell Street space and runs until 19 July. Admission is free. Find out more at lissongallery.com.

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Posted in Art, Freebies | Tagged AI WEIWEI, Ai Weiwei at Lisson Gallery, ai weiwei exhibition, Art, Bell Street, chinese art, CHINESE CONTEMPORARY ART, contemporary art, edgware road, exhibition, EXHIBITION REVIEW, free, freebies, gallery, lisson gallery, London, London blog, NW1, NW1 5DA, review, Richard Long, Travel, travel blog, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

London Daily Photo: Nuts

Posted on 2014-05-26 by tikichris

Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography | Tagged Bell Street, LDP, London, London blog, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Nuts about Nuts, NW1, Photography, photography blog, street photography, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

Dom’s Place – Traditional Turkish Food with E5 Flavour

Posted on 2014-05-26 by tikichris

Since moving to Clapton three years ago, I’ve seen a lot of changes – mostly for the better and particularly along the retail strip of Lower Clapton Road. One of the tastiest has been the opening of Dom’s Place, a casual little low key eatery with a pared down menu featuring “traditional Turkish food with a modern twist.”

By “modern twist,” I reckon Dom and co mean it’s an assembly line kind of ordering experience which in many ways is more similar to a burrito bar than a typical London kebab shop. Here customers choose from one of a broad selection of main fillings, a choice of salad and whether you want it all wrapped up in a thick or thin flat bread. Most wraps cost around £7. All are huge and, if you like, are served with ace chilli sauce and garlic sauce. Everything’s made fresh with a number of ingredients sourced locally. I’m torn between the lamb and chicken as to which wrap I think is yummiest … but I’ve hardly had a chance to sample everything available. Despite the prominence of the grill, there’s a good range of veggie options. Indeed, one of my faves from the menu is a fairly substantial side order of sweet potato fries (£4). They serve Climpson & Sons coffee here too as well as a decent selection of beers (locally brewed, celebrated international craft or budget friendly Efes for £2.90) and wine and even a “skull cracking” raki cocktail.

“Modern” might also refer to the fact that the place certainly doesn’t look or feel like most kebabs shops either. With its minimalistic ‘rustic industrial’ décor accentuated with with some street art murals and little else, there’s a bit of a hipster vibe about this humble takeaway with a relaxed dining area.. It’s not off putting though or anywhere near as egregious as some of the other newbie “East Dalston” shops nearby. Music wise you’re as apt to hear something along the lines of Fleet Foxes piped through the space as anything (unless there’s a live event).

Beyond the menu and the digs, the things I like most about Dom’s include its super close proximity to my flat (if you’re shuffling around Clapton Pond, it’s right there) and the late night hours (noon to midnight Monday to Thursday and on Sunday; noon to 3am on Friday and Saturday). Folks working there are friendly and it’s a chilled out place for relaxed dining. They’ve got toothpicks at the till too.

Dom’s Place is located at 199 Lower Clapton Road, E5 8EG. Find out more at doms-place.com.

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Posted in Beer, Drink, Food, London, Restaurants | Tagged clapton, CLAPTON POND, cocktails, Dom's Place, E5, E5 8EG, east london, efes, Food, hackney, kebab, kebabs, London, London blog, lower clapton road, new restaurant review, raki, restaurant review, takeaway, turkish, wine, WRAPS, zomato, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

London Daily Photo: Chelsea Flowers

Posted on 2014-05-25 by tikichris

Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography | Tagged chelsea, chelsea flower show, LDP, London, London blog, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, photography blog, RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Royal Hospital, Royal Hospital Chelsea, street photography, SW3, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

Good Stuff

Posted on 2014-05-24 by tikichris

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.

RHS Chelsea Flower Show

Did you go or are you planning a visit for tomorrow? I wasn’t able to make as big of a deal about the show as I did last year, but I was able to swing by as a guest of the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism. I loved checking out its Massachusetts Garden designed by Susannah Hunter and Catherine MacDonald as a representation of Cape Cod.

RAW, the Artisan Wine Fair

I had a great time last week slurping my way through this year’s RAW. I had tons of favourites. Absolutely the best sip for me was Joseph Pedicini’s 2010 Crawford Beck Vineyard Pinot Noir from Montebruno Wine Co in Willamette Valley, Oregon (imported to the UK by Wine Source Group). I really enjoyed the offerings from Sardinian winemakers Tenute Dettori, especially the Renuso Bianco (imported to the UK by Sardinian Wines).

Jenius Social

Speaking of delicious things from Sardinia, I loved sampling the cheese and charcuterie from Capo Caccia Fine Food – especially the coppa! I had a taste of Capo Caccia’s delectable selection of antipasti at the launch party for Jenius Social, a newly opened “social food hub” conveniently located near Holloway Road Tube and hosting “a smorgasbord of daily food adventures from supper clubs, cookery classes and experiences to special events with industry experts and the top food producers from around the UK.” Tasty! From now until 21 June, Jenius is offering 25% off all bookings.

Coffin on Cake AW14

Given how prone I am to put my foot in my mouth, I think I found my perfect shoes at the recent Coffin on Cake AW14 preview. Yep, I really got a kick out of the Burger Shadow 500 trainer, a team up between Saucony Originals and Newcastle collective END.

Posted in Design, Discounts and Special Offers, Drink, Fashion, Food, Good Stuff, London, Shopping, Travel, Wine | Tagged 2010 Crawford Beck Vineyard, american wine, AW14, brick lane, Burger Shadow 500, Capo Caccia, Capo Caccia Fine Food, Catherine MacDonald, CHARCUTERIE, cheese, chelsea, chelsea flower show, Coffin on Cake, Coffin on Cake AW14, cooking classes, Crawford Beck Vineyard, cured meat, design, east london, END, fashion, Food, good stuff, holloway road, islington, italian cheese, italian food, italian wine, Jenius Social, Joseph Pedicini, London, London blog, Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism, montebruno, Montebruno Wine Co, old truman brewery, oregon wine, pinot noir, raw, raw wine, RAW WINE FAIR, red wine, Renuso Bianco, RHS Chelsea Flower Show, sardinian cheese, sardinian wines, saucony, saucony originals, sneakers, supper clubs, Susannah Hunter, Tenute Dettori, the Artisan Wine Fair, The Massachusetts Garden, The Massachusetts Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, trainers, white wine, Willamette Valley, wine, WINE FAIR, Wine Source Group, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

London Daily Photo: The Green Woman

Posted on 2014-05-24 by tikichris

Win a Mixed Case of Codorníu Cava Limited Edition Bottles

Posted on 2014-05-23 by tikichris

COMPETITION IS NOW OVER AND THE WINNER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING TIKICHRIS. PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR LOTS MORE FUN AND FREEBIES TO COME!

Heard about the Cava Revolution? Well, here’s a revolutionary idea – a chance to win a mixed case of Codorníu Cava Limited Edition bottles for free!

What is cava? Essentially, it’s sparkling wine from Spain, mostly Catalonia. Some of it is super tasty and – compared to most bubbly on the market today – all of it is excellent value. The major player in the cava game is Codorníu, the world’s largest producer of this bottle-fermented sparkling wine made by the traditional Champagne method (méthode traditionelle). Founded in Catalonia in 1551, Codorníu produces 60 million bottles annually.

Celebrating its unique heritage, Codorníu has released two limited edition bottles of two of its most popular wines:

Codorníu NV Rosado Brut
Bottle features a stunning pink design splashed with elegant pink hearts.
Delicately pale pink in colour, the Codorníu Brut NV Rosado is bursting with fruit and citrus aromas. Delicious served as an aperitif or with summer puddings.

Codorníu Brut NV
This stylish, delightfully crisp, refreshing cava is perfect for Summer drinking.

To be in with a chance win the case of cava, simply tweet the following:

Fancy something bubbly from Barcelona? RT to win a #caseofcava from @CodorniuUK. Cheers from @tikichris! http://bit.ly/1t2vIYZ

Good luck. Please take a moment to read the terms and conditions before tweeting!

T&C

I’ll pick one winner at random on Thursday 5 June at 11.30am BST. The winner will receive a mixed case of six Codorníu Cava Limited Edition bottles (three NV Rosado Brut and three Codorníu Brut NV). To be eligible to win, you need to have an address in the UK where the case can be delivered. Obviously you also need to be of legal drinking age to receive this alcoholic product and must be able to show ID that proves your age.

For more about Codorníu Cava go to codorniu.com. For the facts about alcohol visit Drinkaware.co.uk.

COMPETITION IS NOW OVER AND THE WINNER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING TIKICHRIS. PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR LOTS MORE FUN AND FREEBIES TO COME!

Check out more tikichris competitions.

Posted in Competition, Drink, Freebies, Shopping, Wine | Tagged catalan wine, CAVA, cava revolution, CODORNÍU, competition, contest, Drink, free, freebies, limited edition, retweet to win, Shopping, spanish wine, sparkling wine, WIN, win a case of cava, win a case of wine, Win a Mixed Case of Codorníu Cava Limited Edition Bottles, wine | Leave a comment

4 Great Blogs about Portugal (OneTravel)

Posted on 2014-05-23 by tikichris

It’s right there almost glaring at you on any map of Western Europe: Portugal. So to call it a hidden gem would be something of a misnomer. Nonetheless, compared to most of its neighbors, this compact and scenic country is still largely undiscovered by international travelers. With its long stretch of coastline, age-old yet incredibly modern wine regions, ancient history, and easy access from the rest of Europe (and the world), those unaware of what’s on offer in this warm and welcoming destination are really missing out!

Of course, some folks are clued in to the benefits of visiting Portugal. Take this quartet of blogs, for instance…

Read my complete post at the OneTravel blog.

Posted in Blogs, OneTravel, Portugal, Travel | Tagged Blogs, Julie Dawn Fox, OneTravel, Piglet in Portugal, portugal, portugal blogs, Portugal Confidential, Salt of Portugal, Travel | Leave a comment

London Daily Photo: Shutter Smile

Posted on 2014-05-23 by tikichris

Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography | Tagged east london, hackney, Hackney Road, LDP, London, London blog, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, photography blog, street photography, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

Win a Free Pair of Tickets to Isle of Wight Festival 2014

Posted on 2014-05-22 by tikichris

Ah. Summer’s almost here and that means festival season will kick off soon. One of the biggest and best is the famous Isle of Wight Festival. Keep reading to find out how to win free pair of tickets to the Isle of Wight Festival, compliments of sponsor BT.

Yes, BT is back on board this year as its official sponsor and will be hosting the Big Top tent where superstars Katy B, Boy George, Travis and lots more will be playing. BT will also host a “Sport Field of Dreams” to give football fans an opportunity to watch every kick, card and corner from the World Cup during the festival. Alongside the footie will be coverage of the MotoGP from the Grand Prix of Catalunya as well as films and live performances. Back to the musc …among the festival line up for 2014 are Biffy Clyro, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Kings of Leon to name but a few.

But wait. It gets better. In the run up to the festival, BT is giving away free pairs of weekend camping tickets every day until 30 May. Each day there will be a new question posted on the BT website. Answer it and you’ll be in with a chance to win!

Stay tuned to BT.com for your chance to win!

Posted in Competition, England, Freebies, Music, Sports | Tagged Biffy Clyro, Boy George, BT, BT.com, competition, concert, contest, england, free, free tickets, free tickets to isle of wight festival, freebies, isle of wight, isle of wight festival, Katy B, Kings Of Leon, live music, music, music festival, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Travis, WIN | Leave a comment

London Daily Photo: Peninsula

Posted on 2014-05-22 by tikichris

Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography | Tagged east london, LDP, London, London blog, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, photography blog, street photography, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

First 100 Corn Dogs Free – 23 May at Shake Shack Covent Garden

Posted on 2014-05-22 by tikichris

Consider the Shack Corn Dog, a “Vienna beef hot dog dipped in Shack-made corn batter and fried crisp, served with Rick’s Picks sweetcorn relish.” It’s going on sale tomorrow at Shake Shack Covent Garden for a super short limited run until the 1st of June. The treat will be priced at six quid. But from 11am tomorrow morning (23 May) the first 100 dogs will be given away for FREE.

Also on sale from tomorrow until 1 June will be the Blueberry Pie Oh My, a vanilla frozen custard blended with a slice of blueberry pie from artisan bakers, Cocomaya (single £5, double £8).

Shake Shack is located at 24 Market Building, The Piazza, Covent Garden, WC2E 8RD. Find out more at shakeshack.co.uk.

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Posted in Discounts and Special Offers, Food, Freebies, London, Restaurants | Tagged corn dog, corndog, covent garden, discounts and special offers, Drink, Food, free, freebies, frozen custard, London, London blog, milkshake, Shake Shack, shakes, The Piazza, WC2, WC2E 8RD, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

London Daily Photo: Hackney Road

Posted on 2014-05-21 by tikichris

Posted in Graffiti, London, London Daily Photo, Photography | Tagged east london, Graffiti, hackney, Hackney Road, LDP, London, London blog, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, photography blog, street art, street photography, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

More London Free Festival at The Scoop (OneTravel)

Posted on 2014-05-21 by tikichris

Photo/Shemsu.Hor

Returning to London for its twelfth year this June is the More London Free Festival. All summer long this free outdoor festival takes place in and around The Scoop, a sunken riverside amphitheatre near the southern end of Tower Bridge. Running from the 4th of June until September 26th, this year’s More London Free Festival promises a “jam-packed programme of free music, dance, award-winning theatre, films and, this year for the first time, live tennis coverage from Wimbledon.”

Here’s a quick roundup of all the activities to come …

Read my complete post at the OneTravel blog.

Posted in Art, Freebies, London, OneTravel, Travel | Tagged amphitheatre, film festival, free, freebies, London, London blog, more london, more london festival, more london free festival, Movies, OneTravel, outdoor cinema, river thames, RIVERSIDE, scoop, south london, thames, the scoop, the scoop at more london, tower bridge, Travel, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

London Daily Photo: Passage

Posted on 2014-05-20 by tikichris

Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography | Tagged city of london, door, east london, LDP, London, London blog, London Daily Photo, london photographer, Photography, photography blog, street photography, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

KFC Me: Clucking Off

Posted on 2014-05-20 by tikichris

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my short series of posts about my “behind the scenes” visit to KFC HQ. Through KFC Me, I tried to add some nuance to the discussion about what it means to eat fast food and to get past the urban myths and corporate hype to tell the truth about what this global fried chicken peddler is and does.

I don’t think the visit really changed my attitude toward the brand or that I will now begin patronising the restaurants on any sort of regular basis. But my view of KFC is slightly more positive than it was before. I am more aware of how KFC goes about its business and how those charged with expressing the KFC message perceive its image. There’s value in that, and I appreciate the folks at KFC for opening their doors (and kitchens) to me. I must add that everyone was incredibly friendly … and not in any sort of creepy party line overly corporate sort of way. Just nice and seemingly happy to hear what I thought about things.

Before heading back to London, I was given a £10 gift voucher redeemable at any KFC restaurant in Great Britain or Ireland. I’m kinda looking forward to the ‘rainy day moment’ I cash it in. I see the voucher as a good excuse to indulge in some trashy, yummy nosh. After that, well, I’m not sure. However, I don’t think I’ll start to frequent KFC or that anyone else should ever envisage these restaurants as anything other than a place to have an occasional treat.

Here’s a list of all the posts in the series:

KFC Me

Special thanks to Jenny Packwood, Head of Communications & CSR for KFC UK & Ireland, for her time and consideration during my day at KFC’s offices in Woking and at the restaurant in Heathrow.

Posted in Food, KFC Me, London, Restaurants | Tagged animal welfare, chicken, colonel sanders, fast food, Food, free range chicken, fried chicken, Head of Communications & CSR for KFC UK & Ireland, Jenny Packwood, kentucky fried chicken, kfc, KFC Me, London, London blog, qsr, quick service restaurant, surrey, woking, yum brands, yum international, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

Cookery School Social

Posted on 2014-05-20 by tikichris

Last week I had the delicious pleasure of hosting a friendly little social event at one of my favourite London kitchens, Cookery School. My guests and I made our own tagliatelle from scratch with asparagus and wild garlic leaves as well as tiramisu. We then enjoyed a convivial and candlelit feast together tucking into our handmade creations along with a few other treats whipped up by the hard working Cookery School staff. There was plenty to drink as well and an especially ample amount camaraderie shared.

If you’ve never made your own pasta, it is an absolute blast. We had so much during our Cookery School Social! Here’s what a few of my guests had to say about the evening and about Cookery School in general:

The learning experience at Cookery School was incredibly easy, fun and hands on. I left feeling confident I could cook everything at home again. Just what you want from a cooking class!
Belen, Londres 101

What a great night! It was hugely fun to share the pasta making among a great group of food lovers.
Cassie, A Girl has to Eat

I think Cookery School is a great place to learn for all cooks of all levels with a friendly and knowledgeable team led by the heart-warming head chef Rosalind. If you love food and want to get your cook on, this is a fun way to do it in nice and simple steps!
Cathia, Jingle Jungle

I had just come back from a day of meetings in Bath – the evening was very energising.
Emily, Kindaware

We would be delighted to recommend Cookery School to anyone who has an interest in improving their culinary skills on a personal or corporate occasion whatever their level of experience. The classes are run efficiently with sustainable and organic products using high-quality equipment in an airy room kept spotless at all times. What steals the show is the warmth and passion of Rosalind, the Home Economics teacher we all wish we’d had, the fabulous matriarch of this exceptional establishment.
Krista, Neon

Rosalind and her team at the Cookery School are absolute magic makers! They took a room full of nice people but slightly shonky cooks and had us create delicious food, learn new skills AND have fun in under 3 hours. A brilliant experience.
Michelle, London from Scratch

It turned out to be one of my favourite blogger events in London so far. The Cookery School staff were amazing and obviously enjoy their work.
Stephanie, Little Observationalist

This was my first visit to the Cookery School and I had a great time. Rosalind was such a lovely teacher, warm, no nonsense and made it all very easy to follow. We made some dishes as a team which was great fun and a brilliant way to get to know people. The kitchen crew turned the place into a restaurant for us to eat what we had made and it was quite the feast. I would happily recommend the Cookery School as a great place to learn some new dishes and pick up great cooking tips you can really put into practice at home.
Sue, It’s Your London

About Cookery School

Over the past ten years, thousands of people that have passed through Cookery School’s doors and have been taught to cook simple, honest and delicious food, using common utensils that can be found in most home kitchens. The school’s focus is on demystifying cooking, removing jargon and bringing back good home cooking skills. It’s the only London cookery school awarded the maximum three stars for sustainability from the SRA. Only high quality, sustainable and primarily organic ingredients are used.

Located at 15B Little Portland Street, W1W 8BW (literally a two minute walk from Oxford Circus and just off of Regent Street), Cookery School is a great place to keep in mind for days out in around Marylebone, Fitzrovia and Soho.

Find out more at cookeryschool.co.uk, facebook.com/CookerySchoolLondon and twitter.com/cookeryschool.

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Posted in Blogs, Drink, Food, London, Recipes, Restaurants, Shopping | Tagged #CSSocial, A Girl has to Eat, Blogs, cookery, cookery school, Cookery School Social, cooking, cooking class, Food, It's Your London, Jingle Jungle, Kindaware, Little Observationalist, LITTLE PORTLAND STREET, London, London blog, London from Scratch, Londres 101, make your own pasta, marylebone, Neon blog, oxford circus, oxford street, pasta, recipes, regent street, tagliatelle, TIRAMISU, W1, W1W 8BW, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

KFC Me: Fry Time

Posted on 2014-05-19 by tikichris

Here’s another post in my KFC Me series about my recent “behind the scenes” visit to the global brand’s UK offices. From the headquarters in Woking, we headed out to an actual KFC outlet near Heathrow where I tried my hand at cooking a few products and having a taste of some as well.

It was kinda gross prepping chicken pieces for the Original Recipe menu items but didn’t seem too different than when I’ve cooked chicken at home … just on a larger scale and with a bit of customer service pressure applied to the process. The typical KFCer can prep a batch of on-the-bone chicken for frying in under two minutes; it took me a little longer than that. I guess I should note here that all meat at all KFC restaurants is freshly prepared onsite and during the day it’s cooked.

While at the restaurant, I sampled some limited time offer “secret recipe fries” – yep, fries made with the same seasoning as used for Original Recipe chicken. As long as the fries stayed hot, they were irresistibly yummy. Similar to what I said in my last post about how I try to see meat as a treat and not a staple, the same goes for these fries. Total cheap and cheerful treat.

I’ll wind this series down soon with an ‘end notes’ post, but basically what I concluded from my visit is that KFC is indeed junk food but that it’s probably not as junky as similar offers from most of its competition. If you really wanted you could go to a KFC restaurant for a relatively healthy meal you could. With respect to nutrition and animal welfare KFC practices are as good or better than industry standards, but there’s plenty of room for improvement.

More to come …

Posted in Food, KFC Me, London, Restaurants | Tagged animal welfare, chicken, chips, colonel sanders, fast food, Food, free range, free range chicken, french fries, fried chicken, fries, kentucky fried chicken, kfc, KFC Me, kfc secret recipe fries, KFC Supersweet Corn Cobette, London, London blog, natural enrichment, nutrition, original recipe, qsr, quick service restaurant, Red Tractor, Red Tractor Assurance, secret recipe fries, surrey, woking, yum brands, yum international, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | 1 Comment

London Daily Photo: Old Compton Street

Posted on 2014-05-19 by tikichris

Posted in London, London Daily Photo, Photography | Tagged gerry's, Gerry's Wine & Spirits, LDP, London, London blog, London Daily Photo, london photographer, OLD COMPTON STREET, Photography, photography blog, soho, street photography, W1, Лондон, ロンドン, 伦敦 | Leave a comment

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Whoa. Check out this 8″ 3D print out of me.

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SURF ‘N TURK TACOS

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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.

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Heard about the Cava Revolution? Well, here’s a revolutionary idea – a chance to win a mixed case of Codorníu Cava Limited Edition bottles for free!

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Ah. Summer’s almost here and that means festival season will kick off soon. One of the biggest and best is the famous Isle of Wight Festival. Keep reading to find out how to win free pair of tickets to the Isle of Wight Festival, compliments of sponsor BT.

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Here’s another post in my KFC Me series about my recent “behind the scenes” visit to the global brand’s UK offices. From the headquarters in Woking, we headed out to an actual KFC outlet near Heathrow where I tried my hand at cooking a few products and having a taste of some as well.

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