A Neighborhood of Hidden Yummy Treasures

My Notting Hill and West London friends are gonna kill me once they find out what I'm about to say... but I've gotta lay it out there...I've gotta just come out and say it. I've been falling in love with a different neighborhood than my own lately. It's been a serious crush, really. I'm talking about the cool, short-of-being-as-hip-as-Shoreditch, but raising-the-bar-in- comparison-to-Islington (sorry Islingtonites), awesome indutrial neighborhood of Farringdon. I know I know, most of you are thinking...who is this girl? Is she like...like some sort of alien who's just landed on planet earth or something? Farringdon has been around for the cool kids long before she (I) landed here! Yes, I know, I'm a little late in the game and I guess I kind of am some sort of alien. But hey, at least, I'm psyched.

Farringdon

I'm really psyched about Farringdon, my latest zesty discovery. And that's not only because it houses one of the most delirious and decadent places in all of London called Volupte Lounge (find more info in previous entry), but also because it is the home of 3 of London's most sought out yet underrated restaurants. And as you've probably figured it out by now, I'm pretty obsessed with restaurants... being a closet fat kid and all...

St Johns, Farringdon

The first one of these joints being (its sister restaurant is located in Spittalfields): St Johns . St Johns, on St Johns Street, is a truly cooky place. To prove to you just how cooky it is, I've decided to paste the description they've put up on their site just for giggles: St John Restaurant is a restaurant in London that is a London Restaurant. Saint John Restaurant also has another Restaurant called St John Bread and Wine, you could also call it Saint John Bread and Wine. These are both located in London, i.e. London in the United Kingdom, UK, England, Britain. St John Restaurant and St John Bread and Wine offer good food as they are a restaurant in London. St John Restaurant is located in Smithfield in London, this is next to farringdon, but Londoners call it Smithfield, because it is really Smithfield, not Farringdon. St John Bread and Wine is located in Spitalfields, thats strange - Smithfield and Spitalfields - they both are in London and have restaurants near there and the end in field! 

Anyways it goes on...I could continue, but you'd probably start browsing elsewhere...if you haven't done so already.

The Modern Pantry, London

The second one being: The Modern Pantry. This adorable restaurant will give your mumbling tummy goosebumps you won't even forget. Check them out online and book a table immediately for Saturday or Sunday brunch, dinner with the girls or a romantic date out on the town with the BF. Man, I'm salivating just writing about it. If you're not quite there yet, read this description the guys at Modern Pantry used to excite your palate! Modern comes from the Latin term modernus; pertaining to, or characteristic of the current period. It conjures up the excitement of something new, fresh and original. Pantry comes from the Latin word panis, meaning bread. A pantry is a cupboard or room which house the necessity of life...Together, these two words embody The Modern Pantry's philosophy: the desire to please and excite the palate by fusing everyday cooking with modern ingredients.

Lovely....

The Quality Chop House, Farringdon

The third and last but not least one being: The Quality Chop House: The steak tartare at this quirky restaurant is glorious and so are the other meats, veggies and British pies. And, the decor appears to be straight out of a movie set from a 19th century butcher shop....eery! For a little taste of their motto: The Quality Chop House is one of the rare survivor's of late nineteenth century working-class chop houses. London's literati and epicureans would meet and enjoy a plate of meat, bread and half a pint of ale for the modest sum of six pence. 

So go enjoy Farrgindon's delicious treasures! Then come back here and tell me how much you enjoyed them!

Burlesque Tease Party

I had never been to or organized a proper hen party before and, I have to admit, after organizing one for one of my best friends this past weekend, I now understand why: these things knock the wind outta you. Not that it wasn't one of the most fun weekends I've had in London since I've arrived, au contraire. Celebrating my friend getting married in London as opposed to flying to a foreign city and feeling the pressure of discovering that new city and being a tourist, meant that we could really truly enjoy the moments spent together. It also meant that everything we did, and all activities/games we prepared had to be extra special. And extra girly. I will not go into detail about my weekend but one thing I must share with you has got to be the most zesty discovery I've made in London so far.

Have you ever done something so decadent, so extravagant and so full of excess that you felt like the whole world outside and reality were light years away from your reach and you could anything?

Have you ever stuffed your face with delirious amounts of scones, jelly, clotted cream, cupcakes, finger sandwiches and tea, while watching a burlesque show take place right before your eyes? Have you ever wanted to do nothing else for the rest of your life than to be served yummy treats by a girl in a French maid uniform, while enjoying eye-popping gorgeous women sing, dance, do strange skits and twirl nipple tassels? Ahem, I haven't. Yeah, I mean, what kind of a absurd fantasy is that? 

Anyways, this unbelievably decadent supper club called Volupte Lounge in Farringdon is a fun girly afternoon guaranteed. Not only is the show fantastically original, intimate and memorable, but you will spend 5 beautiful hours with your friends, fabulous English treats and tea while being entertained by incredibly talented performers. This is a perfect venue for birthdays, hen parties or other surprises for your girlfriends, boyfriends and gay mates. 

The Freak Show Must Go On

I've been missing this! Ahhh...I've been missing you! Here I am, back in the blogging world, to fill all your heads with lots and lots of nonsense about London. Yeah! I'm psyched! My latest sushi entry has left me quite hungry for more food entries but I've decided to lay low on the food writing for at least one day. Some of you have brought to my attention lately that the food entries tend to be too plentiful and too mouth watering (boohoo) and that I should find more "cool stuff to do" in London rather than "good tuff to eat" in London. That's totally fair. I get it. I guess the fat kid in me comes out a little too often through my food entries and I can understand that we're not all food fanatics. So I have a great one for you. But if I tell you, you have to promise me that you'll at least try to check it out. I am notifying you a good chunk of time in advance just so that you'll at least consider trying. So here it is. 

Three months ago, I was dragged down to the Hippodrome Theater in London to go see a "circus."...Or so I was told. I quickly realized that the circus was no ordinary circus, but that instead when there was supposed to be a clown, there was a man called Mario, Queen of The Circus; the contortionist was a guy called Captain Frodo slithering his body through two unstrung tennis rackets in a mini 1970's McEnroe outfit; the acrobats were performed by two British gents, wearing nothing but a tuxedo and bowler hat, revealing, at times phenomenal bodies and chiseled abs; and the circus diva was a girl called Amy G. who liked to "sing" America the Beautiful from dark and mysterious areas right underneath her dress. Yes, ladies and gentlemen. This is no ordinary circus. This show is a crazy, burlesque, (almost) porno, sensationally heart warming, gut wrenching, and stomach churning show that you will not want to miss. This is La Clique in London and I must tell you now, they were gone for a while but they're back November 20 til January 10 at The Roundhouse in Chalk Farm. Book your tickets now before it's too late. Tickets are selling out like hot cakes all over the world, from Sydney to Paris, and you must grab your chance now to see this incredibly sexy cabaret/burlesque freak show called La Clique (promo video).   Enjoy the good stuff to do! I''ll be back soon with good stuff to eat! HAHAHA (evil laugh).

Frodo The Contortionist

Mario, Queen of The Circus