Tapas'd up at Barrafina

If you like the idea of a tapas bar serving fresh sea food, chances are that you will like Barrafina. This small L shaped bar opened in 2007 and judging by the queue outside its door, its pretty popular. The interior is quite compact, with stools dotted along the bar and the chefs cooking away in front of you. As there is no reservation you have to be prepared to wait, we ordered glasses of white wine, olives and  bread and deliberated on the specials.

I decided on the Carabinero and some Padro Peppers, the hubby went for the Octopus and Milk Fed Lamb from the regular menu.

Both the Octopus and the Lamb were quite good (I had a taste of both) but it wasn't as good as my Carabinero, I mean look at that big fat shrimp in all its red glory: cue picture of very happy me.

Of course while all this eating was taking place, I saw the person next to me order a Tuna Tartar. Just looking at it made me want to try it, but too late, the tuna's finished. But at that point I saw someone loading fresh lobsters onto the ice tray and I went for that instead. And it was a treat.

Nice and juicy with a light salad, the lobster was the star for me. Besides all the food and wine, the bar is also a great spot to people watch. You see a good mix of people and the atmosphere is buzzing. Watching the chefs get on with their food preparations is fascinating, sort of like a live cooking show.

We ended our meal with a much needed coffee and two Crema Catalans, caramelised on the outside and creamy on the inside.

If you are in and around London this summer, pop over for a visit. I visited the Frith Street one but there is a new Barrafina in Covent Garden too.

Lunch at Flesh & Buns, London

Since I have already written about Bone Daddies, let me now show you around its sister concern Flesh and Buns. If I have to choose from either of these two places, I would definitely go for Flesh & Buns. The place is bigger and brighter, the foods great and made in front of you (its an open kitchen) and you have a variety of seating options: sharing tables, booths and round tables if you go with your friends and family. Its also located near a very cute pet store which houses loads of interesting stuff, sort of Korean fashion for man's best friend. I bought a faux fur pink jacket for Lilly and she was quite a fashionista in our nook of the woods last winter. Anyways back to Flesh & Buns, here's what it looks like:

And here's the menu, lots of options for everyone. The drinks here were better than Bone Daddies or maybe my selection was better. Who knows but this meal was a success.

And one more thing, this place has interesting anime wall paper in the loo, so basically you have something to read while you pee or do the number two. I actually have an uncle who always checks the loo before ordering food in a restaurant, this would have been a good fit for him. When we went in the place was quite empty but slowly it filled up, a good mix of families, groups of friends and city types. So now to the business of food, we ordered a plate of sashimi and a whole load of sticky pork belly and fried sole as our mains.

 
The sashimi was good, the fried sole was better, perfectly crispy and great with a spritz of lemon on top. But the pork, aah it was heaven. I always have a soft spot for pork and this was awesome, sticky, slightly sweet with light fluffy buns to sandwich them in. The buns reminded me of the thukpas at Tee Dee, Majnu ka Tila in Delhi.

It does require a bit of an assembly job, but the end result is pretty awesome, so no complaints. Flesh & Buns do dessert as well but we were pretty stuffed by the end of the meal. No complaints though.

Ramen at Bone Daddies

This year has been a bit quiet on the travel front but I thought I would post a few pics from some of my previous outings. First up is Bone Daddies in Soho. My first impression is that this is a nice place to go during winters, mainly because of the seating arrangements, bar stools across the window and sharing tables for big crowds. On a hot summer night this would not be my first choice, but on a cold winters day, with reindeer noses and puffs of steam coming out of your mouth, it is your own cozy nook to enjoy a bit of good food. By the way, from the looks of it, this place is always crowded, and of course no reservation unless there is a big group. So hope for the best and be prepared to wait a bit. And dress casual, and girls, please no sack sized bags. Its pretty annoying when you have to share your teeny tiny table space with a big designer bag of the person seating next to you. or better still, invest in a handbag hanger, that way everyone's happy.

Back to food, we were pretty hungry and thirsty when we came in so we went for soft shell crabs and fried chicken.

Went for a round of cocktails which were passable. But the mains more than made up for any disappointment in the drinks department.

What I liked about the food at Bone Daddies were that broths were hearty and flavoursome and not some insipid liquid with strips of meat and noodles floating around. This was broth with heart, enough flavours to pack a punch and very very filling. A perfect bowl of satisfaction on a cold winter's night. 

Where to eat - Burger & Lobster London

Going by the number of tweets and instagrams, I can safely say that Burger and Lobster has become a London institution. Concept wise its pretty neat, serve only burgers and lobsters with chips and garlic butter sauce, add a good mix of cocktails/beers/wine, and you will be guaranteed to never find an empty seat in the restaurant. Everything is for £20 (with sides) so price wise its a bargain in London. They don't take table reservation unless its a party of 6 or more so the wait line is huge. My suggestion is that you pop in before the rush hour, around 5-5.30ish in the evening, grab a drink and enjoy your meal in peace. Location wise, B&L have four branches, Soho, Mayfair, Farringdon and the City. I went to the Soho one and here's what I ordered.

I went for the Lobster instead of the burger and it came with chips, salad and garlic butter sauce. You need to get a bit grubby with your hands while eating this so don't be shy. I had a trendy Topshopy set on one side and a YSL and Chanel flag bearer on the other, and trust me, they were all getting down and dirty with their meal. So bib on and attack. 

Just a word of warning, this is not a place for vegetarians unless you are happy with chips and salads. Another thing I really liked about this place was that they never hurried us, even when there was a huge waiting line outside. Burger & Lobster is a lively place where you can catch up with friends or just unwind after a long London day. If you are visiting London or planning to, pop in for a meal. You won't be disappointed.   

The Great Gatsby @ Harrods

For the last two months every freaking magazine I picked up had something about The Great Gatsby. The movie, not the book. The book I love, the movie I haven't seen till date. I have my reservations about Baz Luhrman but I want to see the Prada dresses, there you go. Shallow much. Anyways, so when I was in London I had gone to Harrods. Harrods is my thing. I love going there, the absolutely OTT ostentatious presentation, the perfectly made up faces, the window displays. I think I once picked up a £8 wine bottle and waffed away most of the evening checking out gentlemen's pipes until one of those tuxedo type employee told me very politely to clear out as they were going to have a wine event. Which was whatever for me, coz I wasn't moving out till they chilled my cheap vino. 

Anyways, last month they decked out their drinks section in the Gatsby style but it was so crowded that I couldn't get any decent pics. Actually it never fails to amaze me how crowded Harrods is, its like a tourist spot, know what I mean. But anyway, I love it, crowded or not. Back to The Great Gatsby, cue photos of the window displays. 

Black Gatsby flags around the establishment

Wanted a feather wrap after see in this one

Love the geometric/art deco backdrop of TGG

My favourite display of all,  recreation of 1920s Americana/jazz age

Flapper girls, this window was so gorgeous in real life, shame my camera didn't pick it up

Coming back to the movie, has anyone seen it? As far as the book is concerned, I had read it when I was 14 years old. I am sure a lot of the references flew over the top of my head. If I reread it now, my inferences are sure to be different. But one of the recent Fitzgerald books that I did read was a collection of short stories and it included what I consider one of his best stories, Bernice Bobs Her Hair.  

I read it and thought ok this is what they mean when they say Fitzi is the voice of an era. And when I was reading it, this song kept on playing in my mind. Makes no sense I know, but the song-book co-relation works in funny ways, don't you think? 

Macaroons & Laduree

I was born with a sweet tooth. And over the years my palate has reached epic proportions of flavour discernment as far as the taste of sweet is concerned. You have the delicate spun sugar flavour of macaroons, an ingenue, with lingering traces of innocence. You have the deeper more comforting taste of pecan pie, more syrupy laced with bourbon. And then you have the sweet for the grown ups, rich dark chocolate mousse tinged with chilli powder, a treat to be enjoyed in the dark. These are the tastes that I have savoured and committed to memory. But if I am honest, a tiny part of me will agree that part of enjoying a dessert is visceral. A sweet or a dessert is by nature an enticement, something illicit to be enjoyed with each bite. And in these times when eating anything with white sugar is a sin, desserts have taken on a more forbidden fruit kind of analogy. I mean just look at these macaroons, they just scream "look at me".

I couldn't resist so much of "pink", I just had to go in and taste them. And I did so twice, both times from the same brand but each experience was different. Laduree is of course the byword for macaroons, so popular that its a bit pretentious. Sells itself on its Frenchness and Sophia Copolla's Marie Antoinette certainly helped. I first went into the Harrods branch. Bad choice. The decor is very dark, not what I associate with the pastel macaroons. And all around me were rich arabic women, all burqa'd up relaxing after marathon shopping expedition at Harrods. Still the weather was cold and I was hungry so I ordered myself the afternoon tea which consist of sandwiches, macaroons and pastries. Did I enjoy it? Of course I did. I never let anything come between me and my food, not even screechy 

20 somethings wearing Isabel Marant wedge sneakers. I took the obligatory pictures, stuffed my face, paid my bill and left. The macaroons were great no doubts on that, but the whole tea drinking experience was just a bit off. I didn't have any charm. 

  

And then I visited their Covent Garden branch and i was sold. Right from the pretty menus to the seating areas, everything was perfect. I could imagine sitting here and giggling with friends, spending a first date, or just enjoying a cuppa on my own, with no books, iphone or friends for company. 

The green-blue one is actually called Marie Antoinette

You can also get champagne to go with your treats if you prefer. I stuck to good old Darjeeling. There is a very nice terrace to sit on if the weather is warm. And of course you can bring some millefeuille back home to share with your dog in your backyard. 

Queen Mary room @Liberty London

I had been eyeing the Omoravicza night cream for more than a year now but its steep price always acted as a deterrent. However last month I finally made the commitment and bought the cream. I am saving it for the winter days though so can't report on its performance. But what I can do is give you the low down on the treat of buying the brand from Liberty. Unlike Harrods, which I do love, Liberty has a more pared down version of luxury which lacks the OTT glitz of Harrods.And I find the service in Liberty more personal. Case in point Bouchana, the SA for Omoravicza at Liberty. After cutting the ice with a long chat about Illamasqa pigments, hair cuts and bad London weather, she gave me an excellent deal: a one hour facial in the Queen Mary's room and the booking fee redeemable against purchase. There was a last minute cancellation and if I wanted it, the spot was mine. After five minutes of dithering I took the deal and hands down had the best massage of my life.

The complimentary facial does not include extraction which was okay for me because my skin was pretty clear at that time. What I was looking for was a bit of relaxation after a long day of strolling around V&A. And Dominica, my facialist has the bloody best hands in the business. After I got wrapped up in towels and lay down on the heated bed with a hot water cushion for my acing shoulders, she cleansed, toned and massaged my face with what I can only describe as pianotage, tapping of fingers around the face along with lymphatic drainage movements. An hour later I was literally glowing, sort of a combination of a good nap and an intense orgasm if it makes sense. If you are ever thinking of investing in a luxury brand, try booking a session at the Queen Mary's room first. Seriously its worth it.

Chanel @ Covent garden

Chanel store @ Covent Garden

One of the pleasures of being a girl is that I know a thing of beauty and I am not ashamed to squeal a bit when I see it. Case in point, the nail bar at the Chanel store in Covent Garden. Originally planned as a pop up store last summer, this pop up has now become a permanent fixture. During Christmas they had put up the most fabulous window decoration of huge Chanel no. 5 bottles with snow flakes. It was heavenly. during the holiday season there was a calligrapher who would write down personalised messages on cards inscribed with some of  Coco Chanel's famous quotes. I have mine tucked away in my bedside drawer, an heirloom for my unborn mini me.

So anyways, back to why this store was so brilliant for me is that it provides a whole new buying experience. You can book in different beauty sessions which are redeemable against purchase. I booked in for a nail session at £30 which included nail shaping, colour and my purchase.

Chanel Nailbar

Holiday on my nails

Le Vernis Chanel

I was also lucky to get Amanda, the most friendly makeup artist I have met in any beauty store. I happily played around with the illusion d'ombre eyeshadows and finally plonked in for a blush which was £31. Me and Amanda hit it off so well that in the end I walked away with a new mani, a new blush, travel size levres scintillantes in Amour, travel size mascara and most importantly the black Chanel camellia which is sitting pretty on my bedside table now. I will never get a personal invite to visit Coco Chanel's private apartment in Rue Cambon, so for me, this is as close as it gets to a complete experience of a brand which is the ultimate in chic. I highly recommends it.

My stash

Hair Cut and Other Stories

Since the time I adopted my roomies hair philosophy of "ghar ki kheti, ugg jayegi" I have shared a chequered history with haircuts, some good, some bad. My last hair cut could definitely be included in the book of bad. But after eight months of struggling with an awkward length, I knew that it was time to shorn off my mane. A haircut for me is a very emotional thing. I mean I look at my face in the mirror at least five times a day, and I would like to see a reflection of what I perceive to be in harmony with me: a woman, a carer, a survivor with a taste for hot chocolate. Which in non esoteric terms means a haircut I can live with and most importantly know how to style. So I started my search on the internet through recommendations made by bloggers and their readers and narrowed down on five salons. Interestingly none of them were in my city, but I didn't mind a drive if I could get what I wanted. As luck would have it, none of these five places had appointments available which were suitable for me. And this turned out to be such a blessing in disguise because in about a months time I got to make a surprise trip to London and I discovered Smiths and Tom, the only hairdresser till date who really made me enjoy the whole process of transformation with each snip.

I actually came across Smiths in a lifestyle blog but I had my doubts. Firstly, the blogger in question who obviously had her cut for free, had a lifestyle which was completely different from mine. Secondly, I didn't want to end up in a salon where I pay through my nose and end up with a hairdresser pushing their products at me. So I called them up and asked for the expertise available and the price. I know it shouldn't, but it always comes as a surprise to me when services give you what you want. Websites can sometimes be a bit misleading or intimidating with the kind of images they put up. But if you know what you want, more often than not, you can actually get what you want or at least a close approximation of it. So appointment was made and everything seemed nice and hunky dory except for the directions.

I think Smiths has a couple of branches, I went to the Soho one. And the google map directions for it is absolutely crazy. I like my directions to be old school, you know like get out at Oxford Circle station, walk straight ahead from Topshop. Landmarks include Zara, H&M and French Connection. Reach HMV, cross the road, walk up the seedy lane. End of street, grey door on the right. I understand this language, the google one of Poland Street and Regent street is just blag for me. To make it worse, for some reason I wore a skirt, in London when its raining. Fashion victim tots and my vagina was freezing. 15 minutes left for my appointment and I still can't find the damn place. Call up the salon, put on hold, finally answered by a receptionist who was as clueless as me direction wise. I ended up ambushing a couple of Polish waiters on a break. My logic was Polish waiters would know Polish Street, talk about generalisation, but I was clutching at straws. And I was right, five minutes later my trials were over. I had finally made it to my destination.

And now I finally come to the man who made all of this worthwhile, Tom. When I first walked in, I was thinking of a trim with a side fringe and some soft waves in the front. But Tom managed to talk me out of the safe style, and instead we went for a Juergen Teller overload, a bit of Hannah Holeman from Marc Jacobs Daisy ad and Daria Werbowy's Celine cut minus the braid. A shaggy chic, deconstructed shape which I could style myself. To be honest I haven't perfected it, but I am slowly getting the hang of it. Now if only I could get the guaranteed sunshine to go with my hair, this summer would be awesome.