In Parma - Ham and Lambrusco

When I think of cured meat, cheese and wine, lots of Spanish restaurants would pop into my head. Such as Dehesa, Pizarro, Opera Tavern and Capote y Toros. Not only do they serve great hams like Iberico bellota (one of the best hams in the world), their tapas are also some of the best in London. However, none of which are Italian restaurants. Having just watched the episode of Masterchef Australia where the crew went to Parma to cook those amazing hams, I was interested to try them in London. A tiny restaurant in Fitzrovia called In Parma happen to fit the bill, it imports PDO certified ham, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and the sparkling red wine Lambrusco. 

Read more

Ceviche vs Lima - Peruvian cuisine

The small plate dining restaurant Ceviche was perhaps the first to introduce Peruvian food to the mainstream in London. The cappuccino like pisco sours, the citrus soaked ceviches in many variations freshly made at the ceviche bar and the delicious corn cakes. Now with another Peruvian restaurant opened last week at Fitzrovia how will Lima compare to Ceviche?  Read on to find out!

Read more

Mad Hatter’s Tea - Sanderson Hotel

Anything can be marketed, but finding that original yet distinctive story is difficult. It’s not everyday we come across something as unique as Harry Potter, where Quidditch equipments and wizard wands can be easily manufactured into toys. Sanderson hotel has found a story, the Mad Hatter’s tea in Alice in Wonderland. To turn the clock into a super cute cake and to turn the scene into an anything but traditional afternoon tea. 

Read more

Dabbous - Plenty of wow factors

A new restaurant almost never get a perfect score, let alone two. Fay Maschler (Evening Standard) and Timeout both rated Dabbous 5/5, spiking a mad rush that will jam their reservation line for the next three months. If you can’t get a booking, it’s also because their small kitchen can only serve 10 tables or so. Ollie Dabbous was the former headchef at Texture with four years of experience at Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saison, but his cooking style was unlike anything I’ve tried before, the finest mix of Nordic, French and British. 

Read more

Salt Yard - Serrano & Iberico Jamon

If you have an afternoon to spare in this cold weather, outdoor options seem less attractive with the snow still glistening. Salt Yard came to mind that serves bar snacks, charcuteries and cheese after lunch service in a cosy bar layout. The Salt Yard group has three restaurants, all difficult to book at anytime of the day. Dehesa pleases the shopping crowd at Carnaby street while Opera Tavern grills the finest Iberico foie gras burgers at Covent Garden. Salt Yard at Fitzrovia was where it all started when the small plate dining concept proved so popular. 

Read more

Roka - Zuma’s sister

Stepping into Roka at Canary Wharf was like viewing the centre stage of a concert. Tables were positioned around the open plan kitchen, where all the spotlights pointed to. I was magnetically drawn to the chefs at work, some tossing things in the flame while others meditatively diced some onions. Being the little sister to Zuma (no 66 on S.Pellegrino world top 100 restaurant list), it spelled ‘modern restaurant in a metropolitan city’ very well.  

Read more