Taste of London Festival

If there existed a checklist for a successful food fest, Taste of London Festival would tick every single box. Food quality, service, variety and organization-wise, it was incredibly enjoyable despite the rain and occasional mud-dipped boot.

It cost me £20 for the ticket in and another £20 for food vouchers or "crowns”, but it was entirely worth it. Pollen Street Social, Jamie Oliver's Barbecoa and Bar Boulud are just a few of London’s iconic restaurants that set up a pop up booth today. Like treasured excerpts from my favourite books, each food stall was a miniature version of the restaurant - complete with a miniature kitchen, a few waiters and the chefs behind the scenes. What amazed me was the sheer scale of it all. From the simple things like cheese to the more sophisticated like ox cheek and black truffle risotto, it felt like a metropolitan-ized borough market (i.e. London’s local farmers market). 

Pollen Street Social: Slow-cooked ox cheek with apple pomme purée and braised turnip

10 Crowns

Gauthier Soho: Black truffle risotto- Parmigiano Reggiano and light chicken jus 12 Crowns

Michel Roux Jr's starter for La Gavroche: Roulade de saumon fumé fromage frais à la ciboulette, vinaigrette de truffes: smoked var salmon with cream cheese and chives and truffle dressing 8 Crowns

Michel Roux Jr 

Petrus: Suckling pig belly with apple and prune compote and sage jus 

12 Crowns

Bar Boulud: Tunisienne 'Hot Dog'
Lamb Merguez with Harissa, Roasted Peppers, Brioche Bun and Mint Yoghurt 
12 Crowns

Bacardi 

Gaucho: Sea bass ceviche with mango and passion fruit sauce
10 Crowns 

The festival is on for the next two days until the 24^th this month. If you haven’t bought your tickets yet, and you're a foodie looking for something to epitomize your summer experience, I highly recommend you do. 

LONDON: Roka

A truly good meal is one not one that leaves you bloated and unable to move, but one that bestows upon you complete satisfaction after the last bite. Roka melds together Japanese cuisine and the French tradition of sharing with exquisite perfection. The sashimi is presented with blocks of carved ice, lending the dish a kind of ethereal elegance that precedes its distinctly fresh flavour as it settles on the tongue. 

What I particularly enjoyed was the contemporary, innovative twist on traditional sushi. I'm not exactly sure what ingredients were combined, but every bite revealed new textures and flavours that I couldn't quite place my finger on yet adored nonetheless. 

This black miso cod made any residue of exam stress I was feeling disappear. As my favourite dish, this cod is a must order.  

I love mushrooms, and these were complemented perfectly with a tangy yet sweet sauce. 

Green tea filled molten chocolate cake - I would've taken more photos but this disappeared within 10 seconds of landing on the table. 

Roka
37 Charlotte Street
London W1T 1RR

BATH: The Mad Hatter's Tea Party

After two excruciating months of study hibernation, the sudden wave of freedom that crashed over me the moment I stepped out of the Lindley Hall after my Criminology exam seems almost surreal. Even the sunless grey skies that greeted us in Bath couldn't dampen my spirits. 

Bath was a wonderfully chaotic amalgamation of eating, attempting to walk to our next activity, being waylaid by the rain and so resorting to stopping and eating. This was interspersed with rowing, cycling and hilariously pointless debates in random pubs. 

One of our cafe pit-stops was at The Mad Hatter's Tea Party. Decked in delightfully quirky Alice and Wonderland themed paraphernalia, it was no wonder the place was packed. I had my first taste of teapigs tea which was so potent that I bought my first pack at Waitrose the moment I got back to London. The scones were exceptionally fresh and retained the moisture that so often eludes scones that have been left lying on a platter on a cafe shelf throughout the day. The choice was between Jane Austen tea and the Mad Hatter's tea but I'm really glad we chose the latter. 

 

Note to self: Not everybody craves adventure - some are perfectly content with familiarity. It struck me that a cafe does not have to serve completely new and innovative food to do well - a simple, generic menu can be equally successful if executed with exceptional skill. 


The Mad Hatter's Tea Party
5 Orange Grove
Bath
BA1 1LP

SINGAPORE: Kki and The Little Drom Store

I fear I'm losing bits of myself to this law degree. While studying for my second year examinations, I've lost myself in my books, and not in a way that I would like. A piece of news isn't just a piece of news. Before I can help myself, endless questions run through my head: "Who is liable? What's the cause of action? What would Lord Denning say?" Whether this is a curse or a blessing in disguise, I've found some reprieve in the comfort of good food. 

Ann Siang Hill is a breath of fresh air from the general harried affectedness that Singapore conducts itself with. Kki fits into Ann Siang Hill like a hand into a glove - it's japanese-clean feel and quirky charm melds easily into Ann Siang's relaxed atmosphere. Even their cakes are exquisitely light without losing their flavour to the soft texture. 

Cheese Souffle Cake

Little Red Riding Hood: Chocolate cake with a raspberry centre

These were reserved in a little corner

Within Kki is the little drom store that feels a little bit like walking through the fantasy playroom of a child in the 90s. Perusing through the items in the shop is akin to a memory trip to primary school. Remember when power point slides were still brand new and our teachers still used projectors and printed transparency slides? Remember the dreaded phrase "I don't friend you" that would pierce the heart of any 7 year old? It's the tiny details like these that have an uncanny ability to crystallize the defining moments of our childhood. 

charming animal pins by a local designer 

Kki + The Little Drom Store

7 Ann Siang Hill

Singapore 06979