I managed to miss the entire myspace thing probably due to generational things more so than anything, but it seems like the Facebook wave has hit me. I can definitely say I’m not (yet) addicted to it (I don’t have plans for installing the Facebook Firefox sidebar). In a good way, it’s at least put me in contact with people from school and University I’ve not chatted to for a while.
Where’s the good coffee? Monmouth
Monmouth coffee is one of my most favourite places to drop in for a takeaway coffee with the benefit of being located just around the corner from my main work office in Covent Garden. Their flagship store that just happens to be several years older than yours truly is located on Monmouth Street although they also have a store at the Borough, and a further stall inside the Borough Market. Their flagship store is tiny and for the most part, you end up sharing tables with other people but worth it for its unique atmosphere.
I’ve found the staff seem to enjoy working there and have always been pretty helpful. That helps a lot when the store gets very busy, particularly on weekends when the line sometimes stretches onto the street.
In terms of coffee, Monmouth only offers a single size for things like filtered coffee, americanos and lattes. Within the last year, it also seems that one of their Antipodean staff has had quite an influence because they now offer a Flat White in addition to their normal drinks. When you pick up your take away coffee, the small stand next to that counter offers a small selection of things you can add to your coffee, including a bottle of milk if you desire a little bit more, or soft brown sugar if you want to make your coffee sweeter.
If you happen to enjoy making coffee at home, Monmouth offers plenty of roasted coffee beans in a variety of forms for you to take home. I’ve found they make a great present for someone you know who enjoys their coffee. They also offer a mouth watering display of all types of cakes, pastries and baked savoury goods that go well with your coffee.
Location: Monmouth is found on 27 Monmouth Street, Covent Garden, WC2H 9EU (Google Map link) and 2 Park Street, Borough, SE1 9AB (Google Map link)
Keane at the O2
On Saturday night I ended up at The O2 to see British band Keane perform. It was my first time at the O2 and is easily the strangest venue I’ve been to, looking like it was part shopping centre, part convention centre and stadium merged into one. It’s got plenty of restaurants with the only probably being you have to join a queue of at least twenty to thirty people for every single restaurant to get a table. Inside the venue doesn’t seem as big even though it apparently can hold up to 23 000 people. It certainly doesn’t seem as big as Earl’s Court of Wembley Arena. It probably helps that the first of the three layers of seating start next to standing and the stage is very accessible to everyone.
Keane are really great performers and often called upon the crowd to get even more involved at many times. The lead singer would often tell a little story before a few of the stories, sometimes drawing a little bit of haggling from the audience who just wanted to listen to the music. Our standing tickets ended up being perfect for this performance since there was a second stage right in the midst of the standing crowd and Keane performed a number of their softer songs from it.
To finish the night off, the band ended their half hour encore with a bang, with what almost looked like an endless stream of confetti blown into the rafters. Overally a fantastic
Where’s the good coffee? Tinderbox
When I head to the markets in Angel on the weekend, I make sure that I stop by this ‘espresso emporium’ found on Upper Street. It’s got a great set up – some tables outside, a tall bar by the window to look out onto the world, and then a very roomy interior complete with a sunlight and free wi-fi. Everything looks purposefully retro-styled with a shiny metallic espresso machine pumping out all the orders.
The coffee here is tasty with plenty of styles to choose from including your traditional espresso, americano, latte as well as the less mainstream macchiatos, and even the affogato. If you find yourself having a take away latte, you’ll only find your pocket a reasonable £1.90 lighter. Though less important to the coffee, Tinderbox also offer a variety of sandwiches, soft drinks, pastries and cakes.
Location: 21 Upper Street, Islington, N1 0PQ (Google map link)
Where’s the good coffee?
Back home in Australia, Barista’s are generally a commodity and London could easily do with many more of them. Forget chain stores like Starbucks or Costa because I want to know more about the cafes that are worth going back to. I’m going to start writing about the best ones I find in London (since they’re so rare), so that you, too, can benefit from them.
Could it be?
The picture above is what I woke up to (very late) this morning. It looks like we may still have a summer yet. Thanks to the rain clouds for seriously pouring down yesterday so that today ended up just as nice. Now I need to get out of the house!
Pandan Flavoured Friands
Experimentation means failure, though I still reckon it’s worth the success. Fortunately my most recent experiment, Pandan flavoured friands actually turned out okay. I figured that adapting the Lime and Coconut recipe shouldn’t be too hard to turn into something more tropical.
The outcome: Light and moist combined with subtle undertones of sweet, coconut and pandan flavour. I think it might work better with slightly less sugar and butter and increased coconut cream next time. The recipe I used follows suit… Read more “Pandan Flavoured Friands”
The Gate: Vegetarian Restaurant
A couple of weeks back I finally caught up with Ben, Michelle, Gerrod and Kristy at the very enjoyable The Gate restaurant out at Hammersmith. When I trialled Vegetarianism back in January, this place had been on my must-do list although dropped off quickly as the month and the rest of the year flew by. Since it was a place quite close to everyone else, I thought it’d be a great spot to wine, dine and have a nice chat.
The restaurant is in the midst of a bright and airy converted loft, although the building looks like part church. Tables inside this lovely dining space are limited so make sure you book early and with proper numbers to ensure a spot especially on weekends. The menu is uniquely different and takes a step away from being your classic vegetarian foods. Their recipes mix and match lots of different vegetables to achieve fantastic tasting combinations. My starter, the Butternut and Cashew Samosa had the perfect blend of sweetness and crunchiness that was really moreish. Thankfully I held back my temptation to have more as my Aubergine Teriyaki dish arrived at the same time. According to their menu, it’s:
grilled aubergine crumbed & layered with coriander pesto, roasted red pepper, plum tomatoes & horseradish, served with stir-fried noodles
and a very enjoyable different dish at that. The aubergine was crispy on the outside, with its surprisingly sweet filling and the small kick from the horseradish.
To finish off, I could not resist the temptation of the Lavender Creme Brulee. Not one to rarely refuse dessert, I’m very glad it didn’t really cross my mind since not only was the custard perfectly set, and the top caramelised to the right amount, but the unique flavour of Lavender really shone through. As Gerrod mentioned, it was
“like a Creme Brulee and an air freshener put together, but in a good way.”
The menu is not exactly your everyday, run of the mill food and although prices reflect their uniqueness, is quite worth it for the appropriate occasion. I’d definitely go back there again someday!
Details: The Gate, not to be confused by the dozen other “The Gate” places around London
Found on: 51 Queen Caroline Street, Hammersmith, W6 9QL
Contactable on: 020 8748 6932
Highlights: Amazing combinations of really flavoursome vegetarian foods and plenty of options to choose from. The dining room is a really spacious lofty room that gives enough privacy though still feels very buzzing with the number of diners. You can also buy a cookbook to try out some of their recipes at home.
Room for improvement: A well deserved reputation means not enough tables so book ahead. Prices are quite expensive for vegetarian though I still think worth it.
The Kua Rating: 8.5 out of 10