Hello Kitty Returns

Woke up today at 3pm, showered and watched episodes of That 70s Show. 5pm came along and I managed to drag my butt to Marks & Spencer for groceries. 

The first thing I saw in the food hall was something which would usually make me go 'UGHHHHHHH' but it made me go '....KAWAII'. Drats. £5.99 ..........plonked it into the basket.  

Hello Kitty made out of white chocolate with a decorated dress and the cutest pink bow. 

Only 549 calories per 100grams which means my whole day's meal is gone. 

Managed to munch its head down after dinner. 

Great Saturday. 

(^o^)

Good stuff <3

Great for photos too =)

Only Steps Away

How would you tell which pub is amazingly good or ridiculously bad?
................????????
 Yes thats right, you cant. There is just no way to tell !
Apart from going in and submitting yourself to whatever hidden surprises may arise. When walking out from a friend's place, the familiar smell of good gravy caught the whiff under the nose and then I found myself looking at the menu framed outside a pub. I didn't read what was on it but after K said 'I wouldn't mind a pint', we were in. This is one of those budget months and I've really been wishing for a money tree lately but this pub was definitely worth the last bit of chunk left in the stash. 

The interior echoed sophistication and after two waiters opened their mouths, 'ahh.' popped up in my head. Little wonder the place was furnished so well. The French definitely have taste and do not settle for less. The menu had an interesting range of dishes which had intriguing names which required us to ask the waiter what they actually were. Such as 'God Save The Queen' was basically a banana split. Everything screamed refined bistro which would be tasty but definitely not fill you up. What stood out to me was only the 'cow pie' and the 'pigeon pasty'. HMMMMM pieegoon. K just went 'ew' but its pieegoooon. mhmmmmm. Cow pie was rather intriguing too since usually its just 'homemade beef pie'. Pigeon would've taken 20 mins longer in the kitchen so I opted for the cow pie which JUST HIT THE SPOT. Best pub food I've had in a loooooooooooong time. It was big, had alot of succulent beef meat which was so so tender, had an interesting green paste which tasted like stuffing and the actual pastry of the pie was so crispy and tasty. OMG it was just D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S. 

Its looks do not live up to its taste.Believe me.

[£12.50]

Sooooooooooooo sooooooo freaking delicious. Not sure why they would just dunk green paste on the top of it but the combination was just refine. 

Both thumbs , hands and feet up! 

Accompanied by a pint and you're in heaven. 

[£2.50]

These were interesting. K already had lunch and wanted a snack so she ordered this which were fried roasted pork bits which reminded me of the Chinese siew yok. They were roasted and deep fried but they didn't taste oily. They were crunchy and not overly salty. The accompanying sauce was a homemade apple bramley sauce which acted as a good dipping sauce. 

Extremely addictive snack. 

If we weren't on a diet, we would've tried their desserts which seem promising now. Definitely going back to try that pigeon!!!! 

________________________________________________________________________________

The Mall Tavern 

71-73 Palace Gardens Terrace

London

W8 4RU

Love from Taiwan

Love from a philosophical goldfish girl.

Taiwan post is FAST, beats Royal Mail 

(^_^)  

Are you mad for MADD?

So Sunday was the grand opening for MADD, the new dessert kid on the block. Located well between Chinatown and Soho. They couldn't have asked for a better location. Their store is in the heart of Soho aka Gay Town which is where all sweets should be homed and then a street away is our Little Chinatown where most of their customers will be flocking from. Cute concept, cute interiors, dessert shop. It HAS to be marketed at Asians. Or at least I feel that the Asians of London will be the core and stability to their success. Please prove me wrong. 

Their name is MADD which is catchy and new for any shop in London. So good start there. I was told that it stands for either 'Mad Addiction' or 'Mango Addiction'. ....Mad Mango Addiction? 

Yes, their store concept is MANGOS. 

UMMMMMM....do we hear an awkward silence..??
I find myself thinking, am I gonna be mad for MADD? Like ever be mad for MADD??!

Mangos....where to start....they are expensive and if they aren't in season, the desserts will not be faring well. 

Anyhow, that isn't of my concern for the shop isn't mine and I just want a fab dessert place to own this town. 

It is opened by a young Thai fellow who studied here in London. FnB runs in their family for his mother has an exceptionally good Thai restaurant back in Singapore. I know his younger brother personally as well as their mother which was why I was so ecstatic when I heard his older brother was opening this dessert shop in Soho. 

Brought a bunch of friends over to the grand opening not knowing it was a private party but thankfully I knew the owner through his mum and his brother so that was a smooth entry in. They did not however publicize that it was going to be a private event on their newly made website. 

The place stands out ALOT from the outside because of its striking solid orangeness. They definitely scored high points for marketing techniques since anyone would notice the store from miles away and the layout of the store is intriguing. The shop has two floors, seating is both upstairs and downstairs accommodating approximately 60-70 customers at one time. That out numbers Snog's seating capacity already. The menu seems rather overpriced and people might be curious as to why prices are that high however this may be another marketing tactic- if something is priced high, it could either be freaking amazing or just a gimmick. We tried a few samples and here are my thoughts.... 

Mango mousse pudding-

Light and not too sweet. Mangoes couldve been firmer which could've been a nice balanced texture. Nothing special. This was a sample size, the real deal priced at like 6.50 pounds will not be this size-hopefully. 

Mango champagne-

similar to the passionfruit champagne at the Marriott, if not mixed the champagne is overpowering but once mixed it is rather enjoyful. I hope this wasn't made with carton mango juice....

Mango pudding-

An Asian's traditional favourite.

Nothing special at all. 

Mango sticky rice-

Now this was something special and hopefully will mark their name in the business of sweets here in London. The rice was PERFECTO, not too sweet and not overly sticky. The mango could've been sweeter to accompany it but the combination on that day was just alright. It is by far my favourite and I would definitely be willing to pay 7 quid for a portion-much bigger of course. Aren't sample pieces such a tease? You always end up wanting more. This dish may be the thing which keeps them up and running in Soho because A) its different, not a lot of people know about it B) its actually freaking tasty and authentic for that matter C) I'm guaranteed that the regular portion is big so WOOHOO! 

The menu hosts alot of other dishes which they didn't serve out during the function but there are cupcakes and cakes and other different mango puddings. I really hope they change the recipe for the mango pudding or at least make it different. Mango pudding should have cream too. Sigh. 

Their drinks include the usual tea coffee and smoothies which are freshly made-very good. 

Surprisingly enough there isn't mango ice cream anywhere on the menu and I was personally hoping for some mango froyo. If they were to sell frozen yoghurt then they would be able to compete with their neighbor SNOG. I forgot to mention that they are literally 3 streets apart from each other. 

CAT FIGHT. 

About the interiors. Well, theres nothing particularly special. They went for the modern contemporary hip solid colours and uncomfortable seating arrangement which is probably done to not encourage customers to sit ahem hog seats for a long time. Speaking of benches, K sat down on one of the benches downstairs and ended up getting her velvet harem pants from FCUK covered in white as well as her coat. WTH?!?!!? There was no sign and no one pre-warned us. I wondered how many other people walked out that day with white butts. 

The opening day was well received in the number of people who turned up but I dearly hope many of them do return not only for friendship sake but for the desserts. I do want them to do well and I will be back for a proper tasting sometime soon and hopefully I'd be able to write something nice for them on their cute suggestion card.

Tempting to draw something > Another good marketing technique 

The exterior of the shop. See what I mean? It just shouts out LOOK AT ME. 

Haha and see, the Asians outside are already flocking over :D 

Check MADD online at...

http://www.wearemadd.com/

or personally go for a taster at...

53 Rupert Street Soho London W1D 7PQ 

Marriott? YA, Marriott.

Sunday can mean a few things but here in England it can only mean one thing - Sunday Roast.

Flate mate and I were craving roast and we intentionally woke up early to doll up and get some English tradition. We wanted to try something different than our usual down the road pub so we ventured two streets further away from home and came across the Cumberland Hotel which advertised their Sunday roast. The hotel is rather stunning for it definitely is NOT England. A very phuture kind of theme with contemporary interiors. Rhodes was the bistro which did the roast but we were turned away when told they only opened at 1pm. Our blackberries read 12.30pm. Dammit.

After a quick brain whiz of what kind of food was around the area, we recalled that there was a small Marriott round the corner from Primark, down from Marble Arch station. Scurried across and was warmly greeted at the bar. When asked to view the menu, an eccentric lady showed and explained what they were serving that morning. She also kindly pointed out that the meal cost 25.50 pounds which was nice for most of the time no one tells you how much it is until the very end, ending up with a shocking figure. There was roughly just two other people in the room and usually hindsight would've told us to turn away then but for some reason we decided to take the risk. Our laziness was fruitfully rewarded.

(I'll call my flatmate K on this blog)

We had a choice of an appetizer, main and dessert. Basic three course meal which included bread and butter as well as a specially made passion fruit champagne. Tea and coffee was also available.

K started with the salad and I opted for the soup of the day. Its always a pleasure to ask what the soup of the day is because for some reason, I find the explanation from the waiter/waitress rather interesting. Our waitress was completely eccentric, however she was bearable during our stay for the meal. She explained that she was told it was Leek and Onion but tasted it more like cauliflower soup when she had sampled it earlier on that day. Leek and onion soup which tasted like cauliflower? Yeah, why not. Usually if the homemade soups determine the verdict for the remainder of the courses. We came in without any expectations, even though this was the Marriott (probably because I dont rate or regard The Marriott very highly) but we were delightfully surprised.

The passion fruit champagne. Pretty colours. Perfect for a Sunday start!

The butter came out on a small black slab with cute little forms and thats all they were. Aesthetically pleasing but extremely tasteless. Less trying to impress with looks till the substance is 100% there!

The salad K ordered.

 At first glance it looks over rich with too many flavours for the anchovies would have probably been too strong for the parmesan cheese however the dressing was considerately light, tomatoes were fresh and sweet which was perfect with the crunchy lettuce. The anchovies were a tad fishy and could've been smaller but overall the salad was refreshing and easy to nom down.

The leek and onion soup I ordered. 

Definitely home made for the lumps were still there and the cream could be tasted. I could understand what the waitress was saying about it tasting like cauliflower for it was rather creamy and that would've deluded to a creamy cauliflower taste. However the onions are present and gives the soup a strong solid flavour. Addition of salt or pepper was not needed. Was tasty but not out of this world. I guess French Onion soup would still remain as one of my foremost favourite soups. 

Onto the main course.....SUNDAY ROAST NOM NOM NOM. 

Doesn't it just look MHMMMMMMMM. Water drooling. I was water drooling when it came to the table. Both of us had the beef with steamed vegetables. I was surprised to see the bok choi haha maybe the chef put it on the plate because we were Asians???? Lol. 

The cavalry was spot on, succulent and tender. The vegetables were lightly salted, not overcooked (for once) and the gravy was beautiful. K and I both agreed that the roast here was better than the one we had at the buffet at Harrods. 

The yorkshire puddings came on a separate plate and were HUGE. Never seen such big yorkshire puddings in my life. They were home made and were crunchy on the outside but once sliced through, the moisture instead of pudding steams out and the dough gives off a beautiful sheen. I sound crazy but it does and it just makes you go GA GA when you eat it with the roast and the gravy. *Drool. 

 Lastly the dessert, my favourite part of a meal.

We both opted for the homemade apple pie and Z-O-M-G. F******KING delicious. The biscuit top was semi over cooked but the sugar from the mixture of the dough just somehow melted so magically inside the mouth. The apple filling was not overly sweet and the base was creamed with a soft half cooked sugared dough. It sounds overly sugared but it just explodes and then melts in the mouth. The ice cream is also home made because you can taste the frozen bits which meant it hadn't been made completely right. However, the taste of the ice cream was interesting. They had mixture vanilla and cinnamon together for this flavour. Not my favourite. The custard dressing for this pie was left on the side.

Oh heres a photo with the custard poured over the pie. Not overly thick which makes it a nice light dessert. The ice cream was probably not necessary for the custard for enough. Strawberries also not necessary. The pie was beautifully made and you could see that they tried hard to make the presentation work but perhaps they tried abit too hard. Contemporary chefs should not follow contemporary artists (-_-)" 

Either way, I enjoyed the dessert and could've eaten the entire tray of pie if I was offered it. (free for course)

This experience at the Marriott opened new doors to the fact that we could try the roasts at not only pubs but also in the hotels. Alot more venues just got added to the list, better work harder at earning more cash-or suspend myself from shopping for awhile. 

One More Day to MADDnessss

GRAND OPENING TOMORROW 20TH FEBRUARY 2011 

Soho London 

FREE DESSERT BEING GIVEN OUT FROM 3PM-6PM 

BE THERE FOR THE LOVEEE OF SWEETSSS!!!


'Madd-insanely addictive desserts' is their shout out, lets hope its a hit for our picky tastebuds! We need a good accessible (like not all the way in canary wharf =.=) dessert place here in London! 

Taster for their menu, abit pricey for London desserts but tomorrow will be the taster verdict whether they can survive the first 4 months in this cold cold country!!

ECSTATIC. 

New Blooms for Sakura?

Spring is round the corner meaning the Sakura buds will be in full bloom soon. Rows of the light pink trees running down a stretch of road being cleared out for the viewers to lay out their picnic mats, ready to just sip some tea whilst admiring the Sakura trees. .......

Major SIGH, no we are not in Japan and the possibilities of having a Sakura picnic gathering is a solid nil. 

However, major renovations works have finished and the favourite budget place for local Japanese cuisine has moved to Conduit street here in London. [they moved two streets down regent street. why? hm perhaps to be opposite Vivienne Westwood? Actually why not-shoppers come out of Westwood, see the cute facade and go 'yeah! I fancy jap today!' Hm..maybe...

Anyhow, Sakura is the name of this little Japanese restaurant. They used to look very scruffy with unappealing interiors and mediocre food quality but just the other day I thought of bringing my flatmate down there since we were in the area and not to mention STARVING. Then once we got to the door, a paper sign explained they had moved down to Conduit street. After frowning for abit we managed to get our lazy bums down the two streets and we were greeted with this...

WHAT?!?!?!?! Okay, I don't now where to start about the transformation but this is the old Sakura:

Different much? 

I guess it has gone form a more local look to a higher end look-ahem 'Mayfair' look. Well, I love the new look. It is towards the Japanese French style which is an ever growing trend in Asia. Ma Maison is a favourite in Singapore where you get transported to an interior of a snow lodge which seems likes its on an abandoned snowy mountain however in reality its on the 2nd floor of a shopping mall. The power of interiors :D 

Pink isn't a big fave of mine but it works with Sakura for obvious reasons. They are smart enough to not only attract the rich shoppers along the streets of Mayfair but also the business people in the area. I have been to the new Sakura twice and on both occasions, the place was packed with corporate people. It would be an ideal place to have a business lunch, its classy yet not crazy expensive and its Japanese. Japanese cuisine seems to be one of the Asian markets whereby no one makes a loss. Everyone is always up for Japanese food and over the years, the cuisine has taken on a more traditional and local taste within this city. Its not rubbish like Samurai or Yo Sushi. Ugh, don't get me started. 

The interiors match the exterior. It does follow the European French style of red leathered studded chairs and wooden tables. Georgian lightings and pastel colours. They do seem have gotten rather confused with their picture hangings by placing blown up photographs of Chinese flowers and pagodas though. Seating is on the upper floor or ground floor, toilets are in the basement which I guess is where the kitchen is also located. HMMM...basement kitchens  are always rather dodge. However, I'm not going to do a Gordon Ramsey and hey, Japanese are known to be clean right?

Service is probably the only downfall about this place. Utterly rubbish if we look upon it from a stereotypical Japanese point of view. The receptionist had the arrogance of a bull and ignorance of a cow. The waiters had the Chinese mindset of getting things out quickly, taking takes back quickly, oh customer service ooh what is that? 

We got taken up to the upper floor and into a back room which I first presumed was where all the 'Azns' were seated since everyone in that room was Asian whereas the customers out near the window porch were Europeans. Racist? I dare not bring anything up. 

The room we were in had little to no furnishings and had the furniture from the old restaurant. HAHA, maybe they still have abit of work to do. Not sure if they plan to keep it that way but having different furniture is rather weird and not elegant. Especially if you have Georgian look alike furniture in the main areas and only village furniture in the back rooms. 

Anyhow, the food is the most important thing here and it definitely has improved. Prices have increased but that goes with the new location and the profits they have to make. Fine no big deal. 

The traditional local foods are very tasty but that makes me rather skeptical for I'm thinking they put alot of MSG in their 'dons'. The Sashimi is fresh and generous however, I would still prefer having my sashimi sliced well and not in a thick chunk. The sushi is definitely on par, melts in the mouth kind-perfect. The bento boxes are abit disappointing for the daily special bento had everything overcooked including the tofu which is just not right. Ah, it seems that I have changed my mind about the food at this place. The best thing here is their yakiniku don though and their tempura which has a lovely batter. The dons are all delicious but be prepared to drink tons of water afterwards. I was surprised to find that their green tea is non fillable unless charged. Their green tea ice cream was nothing special and was definitely from a box. Haha, ok I'm officially not giving this place a good summary. A shame for its has great potential but most of the little things here just don't click and overall when I look back, the imaginary greatness I initially had in my head just isn't there. I guess, I was just really hungry that day. 

(o.o)  

oyaku don

yakiniku don

sashimi & sushi set

special set of the day-why would they give calamari rings?!?!?

matcha green tea ice cream

(i like the bowl more.)

Add A KG?

I almost swore to a good friend that I would never go near KG ever again but when the sales hit the stores this winter, I caved and pranced into the boutique to seek out any good finds. I didn't end up finding anything close to a good bargain nor anything which quenched my thirst except for this.....which was part of the NEW COLLECTION section. [its always the new stuff isn't it]

                

Kurt Geiger's Akira stands at a whooping £180. Its nothing compared to purchasing a Louboutin or Wang shoes but that doesn't mean I'm willing to just splash close to 200 quid on a pair of KGs. Kurt Geiger is a UK brand which acts as a retail brander for Miss KG, Carvela, Solea, Fashionistas, Gucci, Prada and a few more I can't think of at the top of my head. They do have tempting designs but I cant help thinking that they also remind me of past seasoned luxury branded shoes. HMmmm......As for comfort, KG's shoes are on the higher end of 'comfort which lasts for 3 hours' maximum. I bought a pair of brown summer carvela wedges and they dont even last me an hour and a half-AND THEY'RE WEDGES. Doesn't make any sense. Anyhow, I tried these Akira pair on in Harrods and they feel AMAZINGLY comfortable however the asking price is a major big at the moment. I feel like my inner financial self is screaming "you idiot, why would you spend all that money on these pair of shoes which may end up hurting your feet as compared to spending it on travel fare or FOOD!" Freaking dilemma. I may just be blind but even if this design has been out with McQueen or Wang already, I STIll have a weird attraction and desire to have this wedge. Perhaps I am putting KG abit too low on the international brand scale for their shoes are made in Italy and it is all genuine leather. This may lead to the argument of why we have these so called luxury brands in our world-perhaps for another day. Girls are materialistic by nature, wait, so are guys but we need to fufill these materialistic urges for we are lacking a certain thing in life? Is something typical of what a psychoanalyst would say.*roll eyes* No, I genuinely need them and I swear they would look hot on anyone. AND NO, they are not a rip off the stupid gladiator trend from last summer. So, what to do?! 

Note to self-still on the search for those perfect 100% comfort heels!  

Je T'aime Pango

These were the adorable cards I was ranting on about at the end of the previous post. I actually noted down this time that they were from a company by the name of Pango Productions who have their won cute website : www.pangoproductions.com
After scanning through their webpage, it seems like this small business started from the typical story of 'I have always loved art since I was 8' kind of tales. Its sweet and perhaps true but regardless whether its a commercial idea from some person in a 88th floor office wanting to make a few grands, it freakingly annoyingly works. Its nothing worldly, nor 'original' in such a sense but its simple, cheeky and does MORE than a normal card. Yes, its like one of those annoying cards which sing out a tune until you close it or break the circuit. Haha I'm such a cynic at times. Anyhow, cynics get touched too and I'm a huge sucker for cute things so yes of course I gladly bought one for £7.99 and then passed it off as a Congratulations card for a friend. LOL.
Well, you gotta admit, they'd make anyone smile :)

Je T'aime moustache & COWS!!!

strawberries & octopus 

Jigsaw pizzle & Edamame <3

'Mummies' 

Its past midnight but Happy Valentines Day once again & Happy Birthday Daddy!

TO SNOG OR NOT TO SNOG

'You Wanna Snog?' 'UHH........'

Snog has one of the smartest marketing tactics in town and it surely knows how to coax the crowds. It is always full even though their natural flavour clearly tastes like ass-cheese. Their Green Tea flavour does not have the slightest hint of the leaf nor does their chocolate tingle any sweetness in me. The only thing which is attractive is their interior whereby the most fantasizing lights draw you in from miles away. Their selection of toppings are sinful but not fresh. However, this isn't an entry on their name alone, their sexual connotation of 'Snogging' is appropriate for this post and I look forward to crushing Snog with the upcoming but highly acclaimed MADD which will be opening on the 20th of February 2011. 

Its already year 2011 and this day has come round the corner once again. It would either be the voluptuous valentines or venomous valentines. Which one is it for you this year? 

Most of the time, friends gather together arranging a 'singles' event while the couples plan their memorable dates. The time of the year when restaurants take advantage and market their 'offers' or 'lovely promotions'. WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY. Perhaps I would be saying something different if I was attached. Hm, would I? Probably not, I would still rant on about how Valentines day is just a hoax and a ridicule since Sir Valentines may well have never had a lover who he wrote to upon his death. 

And here I am watching Bridget Jones Diary 1 & 2 with my heart friends on this supposedly loving day. Now does the label 'LAME' appear above my head? Maybe. If I want it to. 

Yes, it would be great if I had my love one beside me and to make memorable memories but why sulk when friends can provide the joy which we do need. Friends are always there when we are down at our lowest so we shouldn't take them for granted. Valentines day isn't a day to cry about being single....OH who am I kidding. YES, it does suck to be single on Vday and when friends gather together, they are trying to make up for that empty hole which they know won't be filled that day. SO, typical things for us singles to pick and choose from for this exceptional day:

• order sinful cookies n brownies from Midnitecookies.com (their cookies are DIVINE and last orders are from 1am) 
• arrange and create a home lit dinner for close friends and altogether toasting to brilliant singlehood (drunkiness may follow)
• load a movie marathon filled with the sappiest movies (korean movies such as winter sonata is included ONLY once)
• fill a laptop with music videos and ktv out your lungs without a care about your 'nice' neighbour
• take a chance for once in your life and send that special person a valentines greeting> no worries, you would be rather tipsy by now 
• clean out your wardrobe and strut out in the sexiest outfit and party the whole night long with your besties 
•  inject the thought, 'maybe its about time to get a dog...hmmm'
• dont forget about those friends who have their birthdays today, so send them wishes and love on their day (we can be single but not selfish)  
• throw those packs of fags away (GOOD DAY TO GIVE UP) 
• buy those shoes you've been eyeing for 4 months 
• get a large canvas and create something (hmm...really?) 
• finally go out to the Ritz for high tea (it should be empty on vday right?)
• while with your girlfriends, break through couples by walking through them and no 'Sorry' today !
• total camwhore session , why not make new potential dps? 
• dont forget to call your parents and siblings to tell them that you love them (THIS IS SINCERE) 
• get your driving license (and perhaps then drive far far away)
•  propose? (i guess.....)
• serenade with the morning birds (yes by now you may be drunk) 
• bake cookies or make chocs and deliver them to your friends (I feel like this will happen soon enough, I feel like walking out to Sainsbury to buy the ingredients...hmm white choc caramel snacks?) 
• Oh yeah, if you have work today...dont worry, someone will give you a nice surprise today =D 

Hmmm my list ended up to be rather 'cleaner' towards the end which probably means the Vday down syndrome is passing. Love is a funny thing and the perfect couples don't always compliment each other but it is sad to personally admit, True Love is out there somewhere but for now, just work on not getting pricked by those rose thorns. 

__________________________________________________________________________

Note to those who are attached, Selfridges has a GREAT valentines day counter down at where they sell all those chocolates and cards. There are racks of the cutest cards one could get for their love ones. The picture of the green peas above are from a card I purchased for a friend. Yes, it was the wrong occasioned card but it worked as a congratulations card-Somehow. They were two peas in a pod stuck on a card and they are actually magnetic ! HOW CUTE IS THAT! They also have different themed animals and items. EXCEPTIONALLY ADORABLE. So if you (yes, you the guy) are desperately stuck then get one of those cards and you might as well grab those Richart Chocs on the way to the counter. (Want cheaper, ok ok fine Godiva then) 

<3

Its A Pink Addiction

Surprise surprise, didn't take me long to wander back to the Tom Ford counter at Selfridges and submit to another lipstick. Luckily enough I didn't have to purchase it myself for a good friend of mine bought it for me as a belated bday present. Smashing bold colour yet perfect for casual clothes. Who needs layers of mascara now?

Last Dinosaur

Some things just seem like a weird dream, just like today when I awoke to my flatmate scurrying around. I semi recall having a brief conversation with her before rolling back to sleep thinking I had another hour before I had to get up. 1 hour 30 mins later, I jolted out of bed-shyte, I would have to run to class now. Major sigh but high at the same time. For some reason, I find delight in challenging myself to get to places in time within a set time. I ended up leaving 15 minutes later which meant I had another 15 minutes to get to class. Some adrenaline pumping.

Everytime I run to class, I skip traffic lights, dodge people and take shortcuts. Its weird because in the midst of things, time seems to slow down and my thoughts start to trail off thinking, 'that girl should not wear that skirt with those shoes.....oo valentines day balloons....doggie!!..........it would hurt if i ran into that stone bench......what if a car just crashed into me now?' And i keep running and running till I get to class. (I made it today by the way-score)

Baseline is that we always take life for granted and its inevitable that we do. Yes, until something major happens to us. Such as this morning after my first lecture, I get a fb message from my cous, '..yeye has passed away'. I find myself pacing up and down the road randomly before noticing waterworks breaking out. Thousand of thoughts filled my mind, 'should i call my mum?.....how is gran????....why didnt i spend more time the last time i saw him?  why him?'

Why him? I have my own thoughts and why he met his downfall but still, he was my grandfather. I have memories of being his only second granddaughter and it breaks me to think that the family structure has just cracked and its only going to get worse here on. Family drama that is.
To lose a love one, some say its the end of the world or a piece of them as been torn out. Yes, a fragment has been torn away-mentally but not physically. Life is unfair and I dont agree with how we should embrace it but I do stand for how we should live without any regrets and we are the only ones who can make things happen for ourselves. And once we've helped ourselves, we can help others. Life is too short for regrets, money is important but is made to be used in this world and if you want to see that person for the last time, then you should go buy that ticket and go home.

Oui ! Its French For A Reason

Recently I had a lunch date with a girlfriend of mine and we were stuck in a terrible French & Japanese craving. We couldn't get a table at Zuma or its sister branch, Roka. So, after googling French restaurants for 5 minutes, I got a table for us at Clos Maggiore at Covent Garden. And boy, was that the best decision I've made the entire week.

The exterior doesn't scream 'COME IN' but once you step into this little humble abode, some sort of magical Narnia feeling starts to grow. I sound weird right now but I SWEAR something like this happens.
Anyhow, it is a small little place with an extremely fine decor having the core room being the 'STAR room'. This room fits around 8 tables and is showered by such calm flowers which have bloomed from beautiful branches. These trees if I may call them that, have been positioned in such a way that from when you approach the room till when you actually step into the room, you would have a framed view of the most beautiful interior scene ever. There is true light shining through the glass room above which just adds to the already elaborated yet natural effect. Its like dining in a secret forest with beautiful trees just above your head but also inside a big house. You would think the massive fireplace would be out of context but it probably joins the restaurant scene to the intended decor scene. Absolutely stunning.

The food is yet another magical thing. Everything which we ate was so incredible, it made us stop talking and just think about what we had in our unworthy mouths. I started off with the foie gras followed by lamb and then an apple gratin dessert. Nothing, even the simple seasoned vegetables was delicious. I had nothing to complain about, so compliments to the chef! Actually maybe if I had to complain about something then the service may have been rather uptight (not saying just because everyone working there was French)-maybe because we were the only Asians there? Who knows. I am a sucker for dessert wine and once I saw Riesling on their menu, I had to try it. So I did. And surprise surprise, I loved it. It came from S.America and was just perfect to accompany my meal. It may be abit too sweet for most people but I have a major sweet touch and thought it went AMAZINGLY well with the lamb and foie gras let alone the dessert. Each dish was presented well, extra care was taken with the decors and nothing was over or under cooked. It was one of those kind of rare food places where you encounter feelings once the food enters the mouth. No, I am not crazy.

Either how, the bill came to roughly a hundred quid for the two of us which I say is EXTREMELY cheap and decent for French food here in London. Theres nothing to it, it really was just marvellous and you won't believe me until you try it.

Please forgive me if my photos don't live up to what I have rattled on about. =)

I will definitely go back to take more photos next time !!!