Tag Archives: Food

Teapigs Matcha Pop-Up at Boxpark

Teapigs, the English company founded with an eye for ethics and a taste for good tea, has had a short stint at Boxpark in Shoreditch since last week. Launching on the 16th of January, the popup shop has put a heavy focus on their most popular product: matcha, a delicate powdered green tea from the Nichou region of Japan, packed with flavour and antioxidants. Unit 26 has been transformed, at least for a little while, into a haven for tea and a menu of tasty treats you may never have associated with it. Continue reading

Posted in Drink, Food, London, Recipes, Shopping | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Delicious East End Traditions on Fish Island (Great British Chefs)

In the run up to Burns Night, Chris takes a tour of one of the country’s oldest producers of smoked salmon. Who’d have guessed it was a stone’s throw from the Olympic Park in London’s East End. Continue reading

Posted in Food, Great British Chefs, London, Restaurants, Shopping | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Kanada-Ya: Tonkotsu Ramen Worth Waiting For

Since Kanada-Ya opened last autumn in St Giles, the restaurant has attracted steady queues of people waiting patiently for a fix of authentic tonkotsu ramen.
The good news for those shivering outside is, Kanada-Ya is not the kind of place you linger for ages. The menu is ultra streamlined, offering just three choices of piggy goodness (vegetarians, look away now). Sure enough, a couple of spots at a window bench became available fairly quickly. Continue reading

Posted in Drink, Food, London, Restaurants | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Win an Assortment of Positively Good For You Olive Oils

Still resolved to stick with your new year hopes for a healthier lifestyle even as 2015 gets well settled in? Good for you! Positively Good For You actually. To help you maintain your momentum and enjoy the taste and the benefits of the Mediterranean diet, here’s an opportunity to win a selection of Positively Good For You olive oils from southern Italy. Continue reading

Posted in Competition, Food, Freebies | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Den Udon: Time for Japanese Food Lovers in London to Rejoice?

Den Udon’s hip new venue just opened its doors to business, with a clean layout and alternating menus that convert it from a casual luncheon spot to a cosy place for conversation over dinner and drinks. The trendy, minimalist vibe and welcoming staff make you feel right at home, and hearty menu options offer an array of traditional Japanese food with a bit of a twist. Fair portion sizes, a long list of sharable appetizers, and communal tables make Den and especially appealing alternative if you’re dining with a large group. Continue reading

Posted in Beer, Drink, Food, London, Restaurants | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Healthy and Quick Italian-Japanese Fusion at Beiriso in Holborn

Recently opened Italian-Japanese fusion eatery, Beiriso, brings a tasty assortment of lunchtime and on-the-hoof dining options to the hectic streets of Holborn that’s bound to woo passers-by with affordable prices and a mostly health-conscious selection of food and drink. Continue reading

Posted in Drink, Food, London, Restaurants | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Good Stuff #37

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. Continue reading

Posted in Chocolate, Drink, Good Stuff, London, Shopping, Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The World’s End Market: Fresh and Flavoursome Finesse on the King’s Road

I expected a very good – potentially even great – dining experience when I accepted an offer to review newly opened The World’s End Market. I didn’t expect to be wowed though. However, some of the dishes that Kemey and I tried on our Monday night visit did just that and delighted my unsuspecting palate. I was deeply impressed and can easily recommend this King’s Road eatery for anyone seeking quality meal simply prepared with locally or ethically sourced ingredients. Continue reading

Posted in Drink, Food, London, Restaurants | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The MacRib: Mega Meaty Americana at Joe’s Southern Kitchen

Up until last weekend, I would have filed Joe’s Southern Kitchen under that category of Central London restaurants that I’ve walked by innumerable times but never actually ventured inside. Heck, I can even remember when the place was called Navajo Joe’s. But when an offer came round to sample this Covent Garden stalwart’s new (and blatant “homage” to you-know-who’s limited offer you-know-what) MacRib sandwich, I reckoned it was time to give the place a go. I’m glad I did. Continue reading

Posted in Drink, Food, London, Restaurants | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Recipe: Duck Tacos with Blueberry Salsa (Gressingham)

Yes, duck and blueberry pair remarkably well as a flavour combo. Shredded duck leg is an excellent option for tacos, and blueberry salsa is a perfect sidekick to serve with such a succulent dish. Continue reading

Posted in Food, Gressingham, Guest Post, Recipes, Shopping | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Free Breakfast with Lyle’s Golden Syrup: Victoria Station, Wednesday 14 January

Lyle’s Golden Syrup is going to treat folks passing through Victoria Station to a free breakfast during the morning of Wednesday the 14th. Continue reading

Posted in Food, Freebies, London, Shopping | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Win All Dark or Paleo Chocolate with Hotel Chocolat’s #CocoaDetox

Doing a “detox” for January? How about a cocoa detox? No, I’m not necessarily talking about excluding chocolate from your diet. I’m talking about considering the benefits of cocoa as part of any kind of diet … whether it’s dairy-free, gluten-free, diabetic, vegan, low carb, low sugar, sport performance or paleo. Keep reading to find out more about including cocoa in your healthy start to 2015 as well as an opportunity to win your choice of an All Dark Collection or a Paleo Light Gift Box from Hotel Chocolat. Continue reading

Posted in Chocolate, Competition, Food, Freebies, Shopping | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Foodies100 and the Top 20 UK Food Blogs on Twitter

It was such a nice surprise (and just before Christmas!) to find out my blog had been listed in among the top 20 “UK Food Blogs on Twitter” by Foodies100, the largest and “most exciting” network for food and drink bloggers in the UK with almost 5,000 members reaching 8m readers a year. And not only had tikichris made the list, but it came in at second place. Continue reading

Posted in Blogs, Food | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Good Stuff #36

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. Continue reading

Posted in Food, Gardening, Good Stuff, London, Luxury, Shopping | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

2014 – Best of the Best

Going back over of the best sights, bites and more from the past 12 months was a fun and fruitful exercise in counting my blessings and strive for more. I hope my series of Best of 2014 lists may assist you in making the most of your time in the months to come. Cheers for reading tikichris in 2014! Continue reading

Posted in Beer, Best of 2014, Best of the Best, Coffee, Drink, Food, Hotels, London, Luxury, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Best Restaurants in London – 2014

Most of these ‘best of lists’ I’m doing have been compiled with some degree of difficulty often leaving me feeling guilty for excluding somewhere excellent that for whatever reason was nudged out by another place. However, making a concise and definite list of my favourite few London restaurants visited over this past year was an absolute breeze as five fantastic eateries clearly did stand out from the rest with respect to quality of food and overall dining experience. Continue reading

Posted in Best of 2014, Best of the Best, Drink, Food, Hotels, London, Luxury, Restaurants, Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Upscale Japanese Served with Knightsbridge Panache at Nozomi

From my wisely suggested and promptly served Japanese Old Fashioned to my palate cleansing spread of homemade sorbets (ooh the pineapple!) – and all the tasty moments in between – there were so many highlights worth reporting from my luxuriant Saturday night out at Nozomi in Knightsbridge. Continue reading

Posted in Drink, Food, London, Luxury, Restaurants | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Win a De Beauvoir Deli Basket from The De Beauvoir Deli Co

Teaming up with the dynamic De Beauvoir Deli, I’ve come up with a great excuse to pop round this ace little shop by offering my readers the chance to win a De Beauvoir Deli Basket valued at £30. The lucky winner will need to be able to pick up the prize in shop and will walk home with a delectable assortment of treats in a handy dandy 12” basket. Continue reading

Posted in Beer, Chocolate, Christmas, Competition, Drink, Food, Freebies | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Best Beer – 2014

Beer. I can’t say I really drank a whole lot of it in 2014 (especially compared to how much I’ve consumed in earlier years), but I can say I drank some very fine beer indeed over the last 12 months. Continue reading

Posted in Beer, Best of 2014, Best of the Best, Drink, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Best Bars in London – 2014

The options for getting one’s drink on in London continued to broaden and improve in 2014. I truly was impressed with the libations on offer at so many bars around town this year. Continue reading

Posted in Beer, Best of 2014, Best of the Best, Drink, Food, Hotels, London, Luxury, Restaurants, Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Washington DC: Where to Eat in the Political Capital of the Western World (City AM)

Over the past few years, ravenous London scenesters have been snarfing down a vast array of steaks, burgers, hot dogs, shakes, pizzas, burritos and all sorts of other full-flavoured Americana from a diverse range of restaurants, pop-ups and food trucks. US food, as our Stateside cousins would say, is hot right now. Meanwhile, denizens of US capital Washington DC have been reinvigorating the very concept of what it means to eat American, as I discovered during my recent city break there. Continue reading

Posted in City AM, Coffee, Drink, Food, Hotels, Luxury, Restaurants, Travel, Virginia, Washington DC, Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Best Cheap Eats in London – 2014

Yes, it is still possible to enjoy a halfway decent meal in London for under a fiver. Here’s a list of a few of what I reckon are the best of the cheap eats in town. Continue reading

Posted in Best of 2014, Best of the Best, Food, London, Pizza, Restaurants | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Best Coffee in London – 2014

What a fantastic year! I’m going to wrap up 2014 with a series of “best of” posts highlighting some of my favourite sights, bites and more from the past 12 months. As with so many important endeavours, I’d like to start off with one of the most fundamental resources known to humanity: coffee! Continue reading

Posted in Best of 2014, Best of the Best, Coffee, Drink, Food, London | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Good Stuff

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. Continue reading

Posted in Chocolate, Christmas, Design, Drink, Food, Good Stuff, Hotels, London, Shopping, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Win a 600g 50 Flavour Christmas Gift Box from Jelly Belly

Love Jelly Belly gourmet jelly beans? They make a great gift for Christmas! Here’s your chance to win a 600g 50 Flavour Jelly Belly Gift Box featuring a special Christmas Design sleeve that’s a UK web exclusive! Continue reading

Posted in Christmas, Competition, Design, Food, Freebies, Shopping | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Go Greek Naturally and Independently at Isle of Olive, Broadway Market

Isle of Olive is a lovely little shop just off Broadway Market. Specialising in sourcing natural products from independent producers in Greece, its shelves represent a smartly curated selection of the best in Greek food, drink, health and beauty. Continue reading

Posted in Drink, Food, London, Shopping, Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Theo Randall’s Pasta and Wine Menu (Great British Chefs)

Theo Randall at the Intercontinental is THE place to head to for an upscale dinner focused on basic quality ingredients with a no-fuss approach to bringing out the best in Italian cuisine. Continue reading

Posted in Drink, Food, Great British Chefs, Hotels, London, Restaurants, Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

#PukkaPimms Pop-Up Curry House – Saturday 6 December, Bethnal Green Road

A cold winter’s night, a warming spicy curry … and a refreshing glass of Pimm’s and lemonade? Wha … ? Believe it or not, these elements come to together in a moreishly complimentary way as I discovered last night at a preview of the #PukkaPimms pop-up restaurant near the ‘top end’ of Bethnal Green Road. Not sure such a mix would actually go down well? Find out for yourself this weekend when the pop-up opens to the public with celebrity Hardeep Singh Kohli as front of house. Continue reading

Posted in Celebrities, Drink, Food, London, Restaurants | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Win a Yeni Raki Drinking Kit and Cookbook #UnrushYourWorld

More than simply a bottle of premium drink, a couple of glasses to pour it in and a cookbook, my latest competition offers one lucky reader the chance to “unrush your world” with Yeni Raki, whose distillers believe “slow is a luxury” and the “art of extending memorable moments” is a noble endeavour. Hear! Hear! I’ll drink to that! Continue reading

Posted in Competition, Drink, Food, Freebies, Shopping | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Infographic: How Clean is Your Chopping Board?

Click here for a closer look at the above infographic. According to research,around 40% of food poisoning cases are caused by poor hygiene in the home. [1] The Global Hygiene Council found that almost half of frequently touched items in the … Continue reading

Posted in Food, infographic, Shopping | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Good Stuff

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. Continue reading

Posted in Beer, Christmas, Design, Drink, Food, Good Stuff, London, Shopping | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Win an Assortment of Positively Good For You Olive Oils

My experience has been there’s never too much olive oil in the kitchen – especially when it’s top quality, extra virgin and free! Enjoy the taste and the benefits of the Mediterranean diet with this opportunity to win a selection of products of Positively Good For You olive oils from southern Italy. Continue reading

Posted in Competition, Food, Freebies, Shopping | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Valrhona 12 Buches de Noel (Great British Chefs)

Talk about a baker’s dozen! This Christmas for the first time ever luxury chocolate maker Valrhona has teamed up with 12 of London’s best pastry chefs to launch a dozen limited edition Buches de Noel – each made with Valrhona chocolate and with individuality, imagination and skill applied by the chefs. Continue reading

Posted in Chocolate, Christmas, Food, Great British Chefs, Restaurants, Shopping | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Jerusalem City Break: Eat, Drink and Be Merry

A man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry (Ecclesiastes 8:15). So said Solomon – one of Jerusalem’s more notable personalities from the past two millennia – and so was the case during my visit to his hometown a couple of weeks back. I believe I only began to scratch the surface of the good food scene in this ancient city. Whatever the case, here’s the scoop on some of the yummier findings from my time in Jerusalem. Continue reading

Posted in Drink, Food, Israel, Jerusalem, Jerusalem City Break, Restaurants, Shopping, Street Markets, Travel, Wine | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Recipe: Lavender Duck Fried Rice (Gressingham)

Considering how easy it is to cook duck breast, it’s amazing how much robust flavour it can add to even the simplest of recipes, such as this one for a lightly floral and somewhat zingy egg fried rice. Duck breast is such a juicy and tender meat too. One of the things I like best about this dish is how the chunks of meat blend with the tiny grains of rice and bits of onion for a succulent and multi-textured bite. Continue reading

Posted in Food, Gressingham, Recipes, Shopping | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment