Belgium Beers in Belgium

The Belgium Beer Festival

Thanks to my friends Neil and Kay?! I am getting more and more into Belgian beers now.

It suits me good as I like to sip than gulp, I like to enjoy the aroma and flavour than just gassy alcohol lagers. Mind you, if you're one of 6pints a night lager drinker, take it easy on Belgian beers, most (except lagers/pils like Crystal, Jupiler, Stella Artois etc) have 6% to mighty 13% alcohol in it, think it as wine to sip slowly.

No wonder in Belgium, people snack on cheese with beer like with wines. (with mustard!)

My beloved IV saison with cheese board at Moeder Lambic bar in Brussels, one of only places they have IV on the tap

This year on 11-12th September, we went to the annual Belgian Beer festival in Bruge. This was my second time there, same lovely city hall on Bruge's most beautiful Markt De Bruge.

Last year was in November, so this year, everyone was enjoying the summer feel in the courtyard sitting space to enjoy the dark/amber/blonde/fruits/pale beers in their hand.

Only pity thing for me is that, beers are served in a small wine glass (BAB brewery logo glass seen in the photos) so I easily forget which one was that I liked when it comes to buying it in a shop.

Courtyard of the festival

How it works here at the festival is that we buy tokens and a glass and a info leaflet about the beers, then go visit each brewery booth to try out, a portion is small and they offer plain bread to wipe off the taste and they wash the glass for you to pour the new beer, so you can go around and try as many as you want.

It's not like Oktoberfest in Munich where people just drink and rave (!), Belgian Beer festival is more like a emporium for beer connoisseurs from all over the world. (I was interviewed by Belgian TV company last year as a representative of a Japanese national!)

As a pale ale/blonde beer lover, I go for 6-7% beers which seem to be the perfect alcohol amount to enjoy the refreshing aroma without leaving strong taste in my mouth.

Slaapmutke Blond

Bos Keun

Bloemen Bier

My favourites so far are
Valeir Extra (Pale Ale, 6.5%, Very smooth and naturally sweet hop with hint of citrus, very similar to Sierra Nevada, American Pale Ale which is getting more and more available in London)
IV Saison (6.5% Blonde Ale, also similarly fruity/citrusy flavour as Valeir Extra but more depth)
Saison Dupont (6.5% Ale, slightly more spicier than other of my favourite listed here, very crisp and moderate hop) 
Moinette,(8.5% Blonde, fermented beer, despite the strong alcohol rate, this is very easy to drink and refreshingly sophisticated blond beer)
XX bitter, (6.2% IPA, mild and bitter at the same time, very earthy smell and taste), Slaapmutke Blond.(6.4% Pale Ale, the design of the bottle has this sleeping moon, apparently it means "night cap/hat", I like it with little more form on top yet smooth and fruity)
Bloemen Bier (7% Ale, literally means "Flower beer" and it certainly smells and taste like flowers-not that I eat flowers!- very sweet and tender. I love it but when it's warm, it gets too sweet for my liking)

I have tried some weird beers from pure curiosity such as Mustard, Banana (not yet to taste Chocolate!) but I always settle in Blonde/Pale Ale or IPA style.

In 3 days of Belgium stay, I had (or tried off my friends) 15 kinds of beers. Did you know that Belgium produces the biggest amount of beers in the whole world, over 8700 of them! (of which over 800 is standard, others are on-off beers such as Christmas beers and seasonal/event beers) If you take the fact that Belgian population is about 10.7 million compared to 2000 beers for the population of 58 millions in the UK.

Islaja + Family Elan live at Cafe Oto

Family Elan

Islaja

15th September 2010

Barbican Centre produced A night of electronic and acoustic music influenced by the shamanic traditions of Northern Europe.

This event was at my favourite venue/cafe Cafe Oto in Dalston.

Nowadays, being in London with vast amount of choices of events, I don't normally go to gigs which cost over £10 (I'm broke too) but having missed A Hawk and a hacksaw show few weeks back at Oto, I had to catch what Chris Hladowski has been up to. I absolutely love his multi-instrumental talent and the music he gets his hands into.

Along with his other projects, Nalle, The One Ensemble and A Hawk and a Hacksaw, Family Elan seems to be becoming more transcendent as members change around. Today, Chris employs his sister Stephanie along with his friend Mark. 

Not sure if it was only me thinking FE music was more to do with Eastern Europe than Northern as curated for this event. Anyway, I was so happy to hear Les Mogol's "Toroslar" (1970's Turkish song) played, what a short and great tune. (I couldn't find mp3 to upload here but 30 second play can be done on the link here)

I personally enjoy instrumental pieces of them but Stephanie's voice certainly gives them a credit for some Irish songs they performed and the sentimental feel regardless of what background in music we all have. 

I love their new album (Alt.Vinyl) download here

Islaja is a Finnish woman on Fonal Records, who sings in Finnish and performs in keyboard samples with some make-shift sounds from anything from balloons to wooden pieces.

I am yet to visit Finland, but certainly her music and all other Fonal releases offer some insight into this semi-hidden corner of Northern Europe where they speak strange language with no strong connection in Latin. (apparently Korean language went up north via Hungary then Finland, they all have some connection in their languages)

Her voice for me is something else than simply put "Female singer", her voice is a sound itself along with her employed instruments. I greatly enjoyed the show and it made me want to find out this "Finnish" treasure awaiting to be in the cold Northern air of the tranquil some day. 

Patisserie Macaron (Clapham Common) review

lovely cafe by the common

Patisserie Macaron

22 The Pavement
London 

SW4 0HY

0207 498 2636

http://www.patisserie-macaron.co.uk/

How can I ignore this lovely French cafe called my favourite sweets Macaron?

Few yards from Clapham Common tube and facing the common, this French cafe exists rather discreetly.

The good way of finding is to spot the huge ice cream sculpture outside the shop.

They bake breads, cakes and serve great coffee/teas in classy flowery cups and saucers.

You can get a lot of sunshine through their huge glass windows or sit outside looking into the park.

Today, I had big sized blueberry macaron and a latte.

The coffee was perfect brew for me (I'm a huge fan of Monmouth and Square Mile), I should have asked which coffee they used.

And the macaron!

It was heavenly! So blueberry with a slight hint of some liquor? (rum or cognac? I didn't ask..)

Teas are served in pots. They serve sandwiches and other mouth-watery cakes to make it difficult for you to make a final decision.

I just came back from a trip to Paris and Belgium. and I can't help noticing this time that London has so much good places to go and cheaper. I used to think UK is the most expensive (except some Northern Europe such as Iceland, Finland etc) in Europe, but now I guess because I somehow know where to go around London, it can be so good and cheap. (Most of the very French Bistros/Cafes I went in central Paris charge €4 for a latte (Cafe Creme).

Anyhow, Patisserie Macaron sells home-baked macaron 100g for £7 as well as serving each for £1 (£1.20 eat-in) and they have about 5-10 different flavours such as strawberry, coffee, blackberry, pistachio, caramel etc, the big one I had in the photo here is £3.4 eat in. How can anyone just have 1 small macaron?

I am planning a challenge of making my macarons soon, but if I fail...I may be going back there straight away!

Verdict (5 star being best ☆is half a star)

Food quality: ★★★★

Price:★★★★

Service:★★★★

Interior/Decor:★★★★

Menu:★★★★

Overall points:★★★★(4)

Here We Go Magic at Hoxton Bar and Grill 7th Sep 2010

Last year's Here We Go Magic album "Here We Go Magic" (Western Vinyl) was one of my top 10 best 2009 album of the year.
I remember we listened to this timelessly driving on the way to Green Man Festival from London to Wales, the magic of the music somehow fitted into the twilight of the highways, nature resort country roads etc. I was simply amazed by the pure variety of pop they could squeeze in one album. Not only the favourite tune from the first album, but the song "Everything is big" went straight into one of my favourite tunes in a long time straight away.



So when I obtained their follow up second album "Pigeons" (Secretly Canadian) didn't forget to bring more sweet candy to my ear. 
This time they gave me a tune which I added to my "dance like a crazy" playlist! 

"collector"

The live was half full Hoxton Bar and Grill, without knowing much about the band in advance except the music (shame on me..) I somehow spotted Luke Temple (Vo) sitting next to me, he had some strangely good existence. (because of his summer straw hat?)
They pretty much played most of the 2 albums in just over 60 minute set, all my favourites (most importantly!) Very unforgettable melody "Fangela" was played without its signiture percussion rhythm but very neat and candypop. Song after song they would melt into this crazy synth-noise you just comfortably feel lost in, then Bang! emerge the next song like a party cracker. Excellent show.
I actually ended up going to this show alone (my friends didn't turn up) which is quite rare for me, but I knew they are not one of the bands I can't miss it, and knew that I'd be smiling and dancing alone. It had been a long time actually I was so into live music (indie/melody) I didn't give a damn about my surroundings a while, which I believe is one of the magics music can bring about (especially in a place like London where people are so used to "going to shows"=not attending 100%)  
Here are some photos of the night.

Luke Temple (vo)

Great bands: A Hawk and Hacksaw and Family Elan

Lots of people now know Beirut.
In my case, I found Beirut simply because he was produced/found by my all time favourite band called Neutral Milk Hotel's Jeremy Barnes.
Now apart from Jeff Mangum randomly appears to play his solo and NMH tunes in USA, the youngest/newest member Jeremy Barnes is the man behind this magnificent band A Hawk and Hacksaw.
I was them twice, and both are such blast experiences!
This is one of the best videos of them performing with Serbian musicians in Wales.

If you like this Eastern gypsy music, don't forget to check out my friend Chris Hladowski who is a young talented British multi-instrument player.

His band Family Elan is supporting Islaja, Finnish female musician (a great pop/experimental label Fonal records) for Barbican music project on 15th Sep at Cafe Oto.

This is Family Elan's latest (from lovely Altvinyl label in Newcastle)

After leaving music industry, I am not buying music nowadays but I need to buy this!

I love this music so much..

Enjoy!

Some tunes which make me smile :) 5th Sep 2010

Oh, Daniel! Daniel Johnston...
Ever since I heard his album "Artistic Vice" in 1995, I was touched his innocent voice and tunes. I so wanted to see him, just see him and say hi and how much I love his music and art back in Japan, I thought I'd have to go all the way to Texas to do so, but luckily I saw him many times in London and even had some chat with him.
This video of Casper the friendly ghost surely put anyone's face a warm smile :)

Chocolate cake with Butter cream recipe

with the touch of marshmallow to decorate

It is my flatmate Elin's birthday today, Happy Birthday, or rather, Grattis på födelsedagen!
So this is another opportunity to bake a cake for me :)
I don't normally like chocolate or chocolate cakes (strange girl huh?), but it's her favourite, so I thought I'd have a go. And writing now in my room, a floor up from our kitchen, I'm already wrapped in the sweet smell of the chocolate.
By the way, some people don't know how to pronounce my name right, I'm a bit embarrassed but I always say, it's like "chocolate" in French, but this normally sort things out.
Also, I was just going to write about "chocolate cheesecake", I love cheesecakes and I've tried many kinds for years, but chocolate cheesecakes.. or toffee cheesecakes, I just don't understand it... WHY? 
It's like mixing Sushi and Pizza together.. I enjoy both, but not together. The flavours crash inside the mouth in my opinion. As supposed to New York cheesecake, I'd name chocolate cheesecake a "British cheesecake". 
Having said all these, I am mixing cream cheese in the chocolate cake for it produces even more dense creamy inside/crunchy outside effect.


This recipe is very basic, you can do with or without flour. (great news for wheat allergy sufferers!)
The cake itself actually turns out not sweet enough.. so I made butter cream in the last minute which made it so nice!


Ingredients:
plain/milk chocolate 150gm
butter 30gm
30 gm cocoa powder (increase to 50 if you're not using flour)
flour 20gm
cream cheese 200gm
3 eggs


(for Butter cream)
butter 70gm
sugar 50 gm
1 egg
60ml milk
(optional) 1 tbl spoon of cognac or brandy or grand manier


1: On low heat hob, boil water and melt butter, chocolate and cream cheese in a bowl over the pan, mix well
2: when creamy, take 1 out from the heat and shift in cocoa and flour and put egg yolks
3: in a separate bowl, whisk the egg white with sugar until hard enough to stand
4: slowly put 3 into 2 and mix well carefully not to destroy the fluffiness of the mix.
5: bake in 180 degree oven for 30 min


(Butter cream)
1: boil the milk and sugar in the hob until about 115degrees
2: whisk the egg white until hard merange
3: add 1 slowly into 2 continuously mixing (never stop!)
4: soften the butter until white then mix in egg yolk and spirit
5: slowly mix 3 into 4 and beat into cream form
(don't worry if it curdles, just beat and beat! if necessary, drain out the liquid)


Slice the cake into 2 and spread the cream and chill in the fridge before surving


Bon apetit!

Onion Pie recipe

This is a little improvised recipe from a Moomin Finnish Cook Book I received for my birthday present from Judith (thanks!).
As a Japanese, any recipe book without photos are strange.. but somehow feeling like in the Moomin world in the book, and experiencing Nordic simplicity before inspire me and I picked this super easy pie recipe.
It's like a quiche, great for side dish or snack or lunchbox.
I was lazy to use the shortcrust pastry today.. but you can make it using oats and grated carrots into the base for adding more flavour. 
I can see many variations of this recipe with bacon, peppers and tomatoes etc

Ingredients:
Pie/short crust pasty (frozen or chilled)
2 large or 3 medium onions
oil
100ml cream
1 beaten egg
salt and pepper
120g grated cheese (Cheddar or Emmental)

photo 1

photo 2

photo 3

1: roll the pasty and put on the oven-proof dish (photo 1)
2: bake this for 5-8 min in oven 200 degrees, then take out (leave the oven at 200c)
3: slice the onion in strips and fry until transparant soft (just before it gets brown!) (photo 2)
4: mix cream, egg and cheese and season with salt and pepper
5: put softened onion in 2
6: pour this into pre-baked pasty dish and oven cook for 15-20 min until golden on top (photo 3)

Family Tree shop *cute and ethical goods that make you smile*

Family Tree

53 Exmouth Market,
London,
EC1R 4QL  

0207-278 1084

http://www.familytreeshop.co.uk/

A Japanese/English couple Takako and Matthew started this shop over 6 years ago.

I used to go to college very near but the shop opened right after I graduated and despite that fact that I love the area, I hadn't been there at all until my friend introduced me to temporarily work there when they need help (couple now have a cute little baby). 

The shop is in Exmouth Market, off Farringdon or Kings Cross station, close to Angel also, and it has such a nice community feeling throughout the street with all catering putting up authentic Indian/Spanish/Italian/English dishes for lunch time, everyone saying hello to each other. It smells yummy this time :)

The shop sells interior, baby stuff from their signature Washi (Japanese craft-made paper) lamp shades, indie designers' handmade accessaries, porcelain, cushions to baby clothes, books, cards etc. It's one of these places your eyes shine and you smile as if you're suddenly on holiday in Paris or Tokyo within the shop.

Perfect to find some original gift for your special friends wedding, baby births, new homes, birthday as it's sometimes hard to be "original" when we see same things all over from Ikea, Paperchase, Habitat, Gap or Accessarize.

They change the goods all the time, so you better grab what you love from your visit quick!

For the stocked goods, they even do postal service for those who are too far/busy.

Sundried Tomato in oven recipe

I absolutely love Sundried Tomato!

Yet, I find most of them "too dry" to my likeness.

My favourite one is from Sainsbury's Take The Difference range, Sun Blushed Tomatoes which is not as "dried" as Sundried, but half fresh. This range doesn't come cheap and the oil for this isn't olive oil, so I decided to make my own.

Every time I see ripened cherry/mini or normal tomatoes on reduction, I have a couples of packages and I always stock a good quality extra virgin Olive oil with me.

I have tried this recipe in one scorching hot day in June on my balcony, which took about a day and half sun light, but in this country, we are not lucky with strong sun to make this possible option..unfortunately, so stick to the oven option!

It's super easy.

Ingredients:

Tomatoes cut into slices or half if it's mini/cherry tomatoes

Italian herb mix (dried) 1 tbl spoon 

1 clove of garlic crushed or sliced

Plenty of olive oil (Extra virgin if you can) to cover

A jar

Pinch of sea salt

photo 1 (after 30 min)

1: Cut/slive the tomatoes onto a oven tray

2: sprinkle sea salt and oil over it

3: Leave in 80-100 degree oven middle shelf for 3-4 hours (photo 1) until dried as you like

4: Take out from the oven and cool down

5: Put in a jar with herbs and garlic, finally pour olive oil until the tomatoes are all covered

Done! (photo 2)

This should last a good month or so, great in salad, pasta, nibbles etc

photo 2 (after 3 1/2 hours) *bit over-done as I was out!

Kara-age (Japanese Chicken Fritters) recipe

photo 3

This is one of the most popular nibbles for beer/sake dish, also for picnic.
You would stop going to KFC if you can make this at home.
You can add so many different things for different results, but here I will introduce pretty basic one with some personal touch :) (shiso this time)
Onion and Sake make the chicken so succulent and tender, it's almost a magic!
When grating onion, I have to wear a swimming goggle not to weep(!), but in this way, onion gives lots of juice which softens the chicken as well as seasoning.
Shiso is very Japanese herb we all love, but if you can't get it, chopped basil would do or seaweed powder or Nori pieces to wrap the chicken before frying would make very Japanese flavour. If you like it spicy, you can sprinkle some chili powder in the mix.

Ingredients: (serves 4 people)

Chicken Thighs (skinned) cut into bite size about 500-800g
Flour & Cornflour mix 5 tbl spoons each or enough to coat the chicken
little Salt and white pepper 
Soy sauce 4 tbl spoons
Sake (or vodka or white wine) 3 tbl spoons
small piece of ginger grated
one medium onion grated
1-2 garlic cloves crushed
3-5 Shiso leaves (basil would do)
one medium beaten egg (optional)
Sauces for dip (Ponzu or Mayonnaise or salt/pepper)

Photo 1

photo 2

1: Cut the chicken thigh into bite sizes and season with salt and pepper
2: Grate onion, ginger and garlic into the chicken in a bowl (photo 1)
3: Add all sauce (soy, sake and beaten egg) into the bowl to coat the chicken 
4: Cut Shiso leaves into small pieces and put in chicken mix
5: Leave to season in the fridge for at least an hour to overnight (photo 2)
6: In a small plastic bag, put flour and corn flour (this will be the coating for frying) *you can do in a bowl but plastic bag is easy not to make mess*
7: Put plenty of oil in a small pan or frying pan (plenty enough to cover the chicken when frying)
8: Dip the chicken pieces into this flour bag to coat the chicken thoroughly *only right before frying (otherwise it gets soggy)
9: Fry the chicken pieces into the pan until golden (about 3-5 min)
10: To take the excess oil from chicken, put chicken onto newspaper 
11: Serve! Eat while hot. (photo 3)

It's good with on its own as it has plenty flavour already, but I recommend some side dip sauces such as Ponzu (STRONGLY recommended!!!), Citrus salt, Mayonnaise, Yuzu pepper.

*Ponzu is Japanese sauce with citrus elements such as yuzu orange, you can make this by simply mixing 1 part soya sauce preferably Dashi Shoyu (dashi in soy sauce already), 1 part squeezed citrus juice, some Dashi powder (if not with Dashi Shoyu) melted into soy sauce by heating the sauce slightly (then cool down before serving)

The Hinds Head pub meal review (Bray, Berkshire)

The Hind's Head

High St, Bray, Berkshire

SL6 2AB

01628 626151

http://www.thehindsheadhotel.com

I was curious as everyone is about Heston's Fat Duck restaurant.
I think you still need to book in advance for over 6 months.. and the course menu is £150 per head with service charge, oh well.. when I'm rich sometimes..
My friend Haruka took me to Heston's pub The Hind's Head which is opposite Fat Duck in a small village Bray for a nice lunch one afternoon as my birthday present (how sweet!) few weeks back.
There is no singing puddings or bleeding deer meat or edible snow or stone etc here, it's rather quintessential British gastro pub menu.

I had 3 course set for £30, fish cakes for a starter, then moved onto Sausage and Mash, then I had legendary Quaking pudding (very old recipe that only available here) which is actually shaky and wobbles like what Heston did in his Medieval banquet on TV. 
Fish cakes were delicate and with good homemade tartar sauce, Sausage and Mash was, well, pretty normal to my taste but mash was gorgeous, I can tell they use only good potatoes and good butter and maybe some cheese? then Quaking pudding was something to "experience". Served warm and the introduction of its history was shown before on a nice piece of paper and lovely waitresses would tell you the history. It's like Panna Cotta with chai flavour (Cinnamon and Cardamon etc).

fish cakes

Quaking Pudding

I personally couldn't eat all of it, it was too milky and flavoury. (No photo on Sausage sorry, I was busy eating!)
The pub has very lovely atmosphere, very old wooden interior throughout with its own history (built in 15th century).

Bray village was so small with merely 2 pubs and a church, 1 hospital and 2 shops, we were expecting to leisuring around whole day in a country but we were done after an hour walk after the lunch.

To burn the lunch out, we walked back to the Maidenhead station (30min walk).

Thanks Haruka!

Verdict (5 star being best ☆is half a star)
Food quality: ★★★☆
Price:★★★☆
Service:★★★★
Interior/Decor:★★★★
Menu:★★★★
Overall points:★★★★(3.8)

Burgh House Buttery Cafe review (Hampstead)

Burgh House/Hampstead Museum

New End Square
Hampstead
London NW3 1LT

House / Museum	020 7431 0144
The Buttery Cafe	020 7794 2905

http://www.burghhouse.org.uk/visit/buttery.aspx

I visit this very "English village garden experience" cafe everytime I receive some guests at mine. I always wonder how Hampstead is slightly neglected by people who live in London..

It's 15min on tube and you can enjoy the English countryside, very cute one with the gift of Hampstead Heath being easy reach where you can wonder for ages, picnic, dog walking, even swimming in a pond.

This tea house is little hidden yet 4 min walk from high street/tube station on the way to the heath, in front of where John  Constable (19th century English painter) used to live. (Along with many novelists, painters, artists all preferred to live near the heath, e.g. George Orwell, Syd Barret, Keats, T.S. Eliot, A.A. Milne, Lucien Freud, Sigmund Freud, Lee Miller etc.. )

They cater proper lunch dishes, but I always settle on tea and scone, of course served with homemade jam and clotted cream. fruit scone with jam/cream £2.75, pot of tea £1.75 and I have it in the garden looking out for seasonable flowers there. At this moment, I already feel being in the countryside :) merely 20min walk from home..

If you need some fresh air of countryside and can't afford it? then visit Hampstead.

Verdict (5 star being best ☆is half a star)

Food quality: ★★★★
Price:★★★★
Service:★★★☆
Interior/Decor:★★★★☆
Menu:★★★★
Overall points:★★★★ (4.2)

Oliver's Fish and Chips review

Oliver's

95 Haverstock Hill, London NW3 4RL

0207 586 9945

http://www.oliversfishandchips.com

This is my very local new celebrated place, good old fish'n'chips diner.

Very cute (bit too posh to be called a "chippy") decor and fresh fish made by people who cares about food.

I call this particular block of street a "dead spot" (except for ever so great Sir Richard Steel's pub next door-one of my favourite pubs-), because it's 10 min up from all the attraction of Camden and 20min to Hampstead, very residential otherwise, anyone passing by would be local people only. This used to be one of the only kebab houses in NW3 and it was bad business then, it was all empty all the time and it closed after less than a year. Posh people don't need to stuff their mouths with deep fried unknown objects after drinking? There are so many Sushi places than Chips or Chicken places in NW3.

Then there came Oliver's Fish & Chips.

I was excited to go and try from the day they were still furnishing the place as soon as I could manage to read with my tilted neck through half covered glass "Fish and Chips" sign.

As well as traditional Chippy menu of Cod, Haddock (£5.50), Mushy peas (£1), Curry sauce (£1), they even have Northern speciality Deep fried Mars bar (£1.50) !! and they have little cosmopolitan menu as Open Ciabbata Specials (Grilled fish, Salad, Chips and a piece of toasted Ciabbata £6.95-8.95) and Cod bites in corn etc.

I had the traditional Cod and regular chips with curry sauce today.

I can tell that Cod was fresh and very good quality, battered in thick golden crust and chips as it should be. I was probably served a fish which was fried 30~60 min ago, and this crucial time left some marks.. It wasn't as freshly fried crunchy as I expected and I needed to put a lot of Tartar sauce and vinegar. Curry sauce was pretty spicy, so I was surprised since my love of chip shop curry to be very stewy mild like Japanese curry. Mushy peas are good and sweet, but lacked salt, I guess this all means all are fresh and served without much seasoning to enjoy the wholesomeness of the food.

I can easily become obsessed with food, so I have to say my expectation was too high.

Yet, for the price, quality, service,decor, menu, it's totally a celebration of "Good Old Fish'n'Chips" with impressive effort and attention.

I will definitely go back and try the Ciabbata special next, I can see myself going back not too long from now already!

Verdict (5 star being best ☆is half a star)
Food quality: ★★★★
Price:★★★★
Service:★★★★
Interior/Decor:★★★★☆
Menu:★★★★☆
Overall points:★★★★(4.1)

Green Pesto recipe

I started growing some vegetables and herbs in my balcony this summer.
Thanks for the "proper" summer sun in this June/July, they all grew really well (then stopped growing or extremely slow since August..), so far I have Sweet Basil, Red and Yellow peppers, Cherry tomatoes, Japanese basil family Shiso (my favourite herb! which I'm determined to contribute some recipe/idea here soon), Chili and Mint.
Having seen a easy recipe on my friend's recipe book (Italian recipe by Harumi Kurihara), I stripped naked my basils and made my own green pesto.

To be honest, I made it without any precise recipe, but roughly to make a small amount (about 4 servings)
1-2 package of basil or medium whole basil plant 
8-12grams of pine nuts
5-8 table spoons of extra virgin oil
1 clove of garlic 
sprinkle of sea salt


grind all ingredients in a food processor or grinder until smooth.
Voila! that's it, all in 2 min.
You can add Parmesan cheese if you like, but I prefer vegan version simply it last longer and I can sprinkle it when I eat.

looks like this 

It's SO good that you will never have to/want to buy one from supermarkets.
I personally like to have it with some seafood in Fussili pasta.


Today's lunch :)

with Japanese soy-marinated scallops and mozzarella cheese

 Bon Appetit!

Ottolenghi review (Islington branch)

Ottolenghi

287 Upper Street, London N1 2TZ
0207-288-1454
http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk/

Ottolenghi deserves all praises and compliments they ever received over the years from Guardian times to their little cafe/bistro branches.
I love the fact that it's not quite called a "restaurant" but more of a cafe feel where you can have a full dinner or a naughty cake and coffee anytime of the day.
I had their pear cake (baked in a square tin) and cafe latte (£8 with tip) while my friend Christina had their Beef with coriander mayo and Marinated Aubergine grill served with selection of breads and olive oil.
Their breads are out of this world especially the cornbread with chili. That was so good I spent some time searching the recipe and baking anything close to theirs became a bit of my recent obsession. Off course the olive oil quality is very very good.
The cake is just perfect.. wordlessly perfect. All the food as you can see when you choose over the counter instead of looking at any pictures on a menu or imagining are so loyal and even better than how it deliciously look.
Their branches are all located in well-desired posh areas and I just hope the quality of their food spread all over the country soon.

Verdict (5 star being best ☆is half a star)
Food quality: ★★★★★
Price:★★★
Service:★★★★
Interior/Decor:★★★★
Menu:★★★☆
Overall points:★★★★ (4.2)

Necco Japanese canteen/Japas review

Ok, after all this time, I realized that I am very picky/fussy and very Foody person I can't stop talking about food topics both cooking and dining out.
So I decided to dedicate the topics here.
I will review the food I ate and I post photos and recipe on those I cook.
Welcome to the first blog!

Necco
(Japanese Cafe Bar)
52-54 Exmouth Market, London EC1R 4QE
0207-713-8575
www.necco.co.uk

Necco is a new Japanese canteen/cafe/Japas in Exmouth Market.
I popped in as I was helping my friend's shop Family Tree opposite the bar and I can't ignore any new Japanese restaurant/Sushi bar.. Mind you, being Japanese especially from Osaka (the kitchen of Japan) I can be very critical about food.
The decor is all done in Pink! very pink indeed from menu to chairs to walls and signs etc.
Necco (neko) is "cat" in Japanese.
The staff are friendly, I'm impressed with the ideas on menu. Japas (small size dishes to nibble to accompany the drinks or when you're little hungry) and Japanese cakes (Matcha Green tea cakes) and Sake/Shochu wines and lunch boxes and Sushi selection.
I love the idea in general of a place where you can have just tea, coffee and cake, lunch, nibble or full dinner.
I had California roll sushi take away. Made to order. Very reasonable £2.50 for 6 pieces.
I also tried their lunch bento box you can pick one small dish, one main dish comes with portion of rice (white or brown) and pickles for £5. The main/side dish changes daily and they all cook on site, it's like having your mom behind the kitchen, very homey food we tend to cook.
Down side of for me is that, the quality of the food I had (Chicken Teriyaki, Curry, chilli spiced Aubergine) were all something I could cook at home maybe better.. Curry especially was very blunt and tasteless stew.
So my verdict is, good for lunches when you want choices of home cooking Japanese and tea/coffee with home made cakes, but not a praised restaurant quality. The shop decor is a bit too much mish-mush tastes all thrown together too which I didn't like well.

Verdict (5 star being best ☆is half a star)
Food quality: ★★☆
Price:★★★
Service:★★★☆
Interior/Decor:★★
Menu:★★★
Overall points:★★★ (3)

Dreams: 17.02.2010

Last night I went to see the tribute to Jack Rose in Cafe Oto.
It was very touching and gentle night I enjoyed greatly. I loved to see some friends (Voice of Seven Thunders, Hush Arbors) play after a long time and meet some old faces.
Probably because I bumped into a friend who was with an elder couple of 50-6oyo, and I had a good chat with the woman, this may have affected in my dream I had after I climbed into my bed.

I was in Kure Hiroshima, a house on the street where my grandparents lived.
Somehow I was staying at this woman's house, very modernly refurbished flat, just arrived from London. The woman goes out. Being tired or lazy or jetlagged, I woke up late alone, make my way to the kitchen to make tea. Someone opens a door and there was a Japanese girl with shopping bag full of groceries. She greets me and comes into the house putting things in fridge. I understand she is a house helper and we start chatting.
She shows me a big bag of pickled cabbage proudly saying that was a bargain. This makes me think about the Japanese food shopping/prices I do in London and think London isn't bad.
This is in Hiroshima, yet, somehow being dream, it's not in Japan..
There was a knock on the door and some people come in and tell me they want "smoothies".
I realized this place is a house-cafe where people from word of a month come in to have some drinks, light snacks though it is completely normal kitchen space.
I automatically start "working in a cafe".
I ask the girl how I can make smoothie and open the fridge there I see 2 bottles of ready made smoothie, but she says "I'll show you how to make it" then she put a dry Udon noodle into a glass and put a bowl to onto it so it won't float and the noodle will get soft, then she carries on preparing some vegetables.
I wonder if she has mistaken me saying "smoothie" but I let her do what she's doing and decided not to voice my confusion.
More people start coming into a cafe and they all look like regulars, some with foreigners, some couples etc. I get busy taking orders but not sure how to prepare what I was ordered.
Despite the confusion, I like the idea of this make-shift cafe and the fact that these people come here to relax and feel the privilege to know this cool place where there is no sign, no menu but cool people's hangout in this very countryside.
Some people are ready to leave and I ask how much was what they had, the girl tells me
"noodle and a juice.. it'd be 1000 yen. Most of the light meal/snacks would be 500yen"
I am impressed with the price being so low and reasonable.

That was my dream.
I kinda see why I dreamt.. I saw some Japanese girls in Oto, Keiko san who works/owns the palce, Midori san who works there, then Alex's friend, Japanese girl was around too last night.
So great cafe with Japanese ideas/twist + Foreign-ness in both Europe and Japan = why countries were mixed up in my dream and the fact I love to run a cafe where I cook/serve good food and want people to enjoy + the woman was whom I was chatting to last night.
So why Hiroshima? I don't know.. but the locations in my dreams are quite often in Japan, especially places I have old memories of.
I should think I am lucky to experience being those places, doing stuff while I sleep away.