LONDON FASHION WEEKEND SS13

What better university campus is there in the whole world when your very own - KCL's Law campus at Somerset House - changes every season? In the summer the courtyard blossoms with flowers, the winter brings with it an ice-skating rink and this spring, Somerset House has bestowed upon us (as it does every season) London Fashion Week. You can't live in London without being influenced by its quirky styles - pastel haired girls, metallic studded leather boots and loud, bright colours pepper London's streets.

As a final year student, I feel an uncontrollable desire to experience everything I can before my time here is up, so I finally made it a priority to go for LFW. Unfortunately, all the designer catwalk tickets were sold out, but I managed to snag tickets for the trend catwalk + shop. Curated by Hilary Alexander, the SS13 trend show comprised 4 trends, all collections from Issa London, ALICE by Temperly and Twenty8Twelve. 

First Trend: Eastern Promise

It's incredibly difficult to photograph models on a runway because they're constantly moving. There is a split second when they pause to pose, and that is your highest chance of getting a decently composed shot without the bright lights overexposing your subject.

Note to self for future catwalk shows: 
1. Move to the very front of the catwalk so the lights are behind you. 
2. Adjust ISO to 100 and exposure compensation to -1.1 so as to prevent the models from looking like indiscernibly white figures. 
3. Hold your breath when you squeeze the shutter so you don't get blurry photos

Second Trend: Dolls House

 Third Trend: Graphic Art

Finale

LFW Shop at Somerset House

"Like bicester village on steroids" - Charlie 

 If you're into designer shoes, dresses or maybe even, like me, looking for a clutch for the upcoming law ball, Somerset House is currently stocked to the brim with unique finds at decent prices. (By decent, I mean decent for designer wear.) I found a House of Harlow clutch that looks very similar to one I saw at Alexander McQueen in Bicester Village for £75 (previously at £210). If you're a girl sorely in need of a good shopping spree after a long week of essay writing, I'd suggest saving up and getting a ticket for LFW Shop. If all the good stuff has run out by the time you read this, then check out Toni & Guy for a £5 fringe trim, get your nails done for free at the vodafone lounge or buy Elle for £1. 

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I could photograph people all day; I'm so jealous of Scott Schuman of The Sartorialist. Immersing myself in the creative energy that fashion inevitably carries with it, I can't help but get a little wistful - as hard as it is to break into any kind of creative industry, be it fashion or photography or journalism, the one, very rare, thing that keeps these people going is passion. 

LONDON: Restaurant Gordon Ramsay

Roasted rabbit loin with Bayonne ham, confit leg, Puy lentils, toasted hazelnuts and pickled mustard seed

A world away from Gordon Ramsay's Maze, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay was a breath of fresh air. Although my salad starter was nowhere near as epiphany-inducing as the lemon salad I had at Dinner by Heston, Gordon Ramsay's mains were exquisitely executed. My roasted rabbit loin (I know, I know. I'm eating a bunny. But it was oh so worth it.) was tender, flavourful and ingeniously paired with a side of lentils enveloped in hazelnuttiness. 

The better the bread, the better the restaurant. The mark of a truly good restaurant is warm, freshly toasted bread. This is the most irresistible form of carbohydrate out there and, slathered with butter, a revelation on the taste buds. 

Smoked potato and poached hen’s egg ravioli with pak choi, roast chicken jus and leek veloute

Spiced free range Devon duck with Swiss chard, beetroot and grilled onions

Banana parfait, peanut butter mousse and bitter chocolate sandwich with caramelised bananas

Roasted pineapple with coriander financiers, coconut sorbet and vanilla cream

Though I found the roasted pineapple slightly disappointing in terms of the excitement/luxurious factor, the financiers it came with were one of the best I've had. (My other favourite financiers are the ones at Pollen Street Social). Moist without being cloyingly sweet, these financiers are the pinnacle of baking - simple, uncomplicated and perfect from crust to centre. 

The post-dessert treats that came were no different from the ones that were presented two years ago when I first came to London. Strawberry ice cream is encrusted in white chocolate and floats magically on a bed of dry ice. If there were one thing differentiating this michelin star restaurant from the rest, it would be this. 

Restaurant Gordon Ramsay

68 Royal Hospital Rd

London

Greater London SW3 4HP

020 7352 4441

Dear Coffee,

Cappuccino at Stranger's Reunion, Singapore

Dear Coffee,

I never really liked you when we first met. I thought you were bitter compared with my dear friends Apple juice and Coke. I didn't understand you at all. But then I entered University and we were introduced yet again. And now, I need you like a car needs petrol.

We've gone through so much together - sleepless nights and pre-exam panic. Sometimes I wonder where I'd be without you. You drag me out of exhaustion, you inject my day with purpose like a shot of adrenaline and you smother any impulse to procrastinate. Even the smell of you makes me swoon. You smell like a perfect concoction of sunshine, warmth and deep, unwavering happiness. Sometimes I think your aroma alone is enough to get me through the day.

Our time together is a fleeting one, however. And any commitment in this relationship would turn into a deep dependency that there is no turning back from. Every craving you satisfy is temporary and keeps me coming back for more. I can convince myself you're good for me, or that my future career needs you, but in the end, indulging in you is stepping over the line into an unhealthy addiction. 

If I want to maintain any sort of control in this relationship, we must part for the holidays. But don't despair; come April when my examinations draw near, we will be reunited once more. 

Your schooltime fling,

Mary 

LONDON: Billingsgate Market and Lemon Sole

The freshest, and most affordable, fish is the kind that takes waking up at 5am for. In Michel Roux: A Life in the Kitchen, Michel describes how his father used to drag him out of bed in the wee hours of the morning to buy produce from Billingsgate Market for their family restaurant. My housemate Michael had been trying to convince me for awhile that the visit was worth sacrificing sleep for and I finally relented after reading Michel Roux's cookbook. 

Billingsgate market at Canary Wharf is an experience. Fishmongers are brusque, curt people, probably weathered by a life of fishing in harsh conditions. Even so, Michael and I came home from Billingsgate with a hefty bounty of healthy pink salmon, fresh cod and two perfect dover soles. 

Billingsgate Market

I have an unexplainable penchant for Jamie Oliver's recipes and this time I tried his tray- baked lemon dover sole. Despite it's boney texture, the sole came out juicy, lightly flavoured and perfectly cooked through. I can see why Jamie chose to add olives to his recipe - something I chose to forgo because the only time I can eat them is when they're blended and mixed into my thai rice - as the sole came out slightly under salted.

I wouldn't visit Billingsgate market again (I need my sleep) but I now know what a good restauranteur has to go through. After all, a truly great dish would be nothing without the freshest ingredients. 

Baked and ready to eat! 

Tray-Baked Lemon Sole 

Jamie Oliver's recipe 

Ingredients 

• 4 whole lemon soles, from sustainable sources, ask your fishmonger
• 2 handfuls red and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely sliced
• 1 handful fresh oregano or basil, leaves picked
• 1 bunch spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• zest of halved lemons
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1 handful black olives, destoned and chopped
• 1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Method 

This is really simple. First of all give your fish a wash, then with a sharp knife score across each fish down to the bone at 2.5cm/1 inch intervals on both sides. This allows flavour to penetrate the fish and lets the fish's juices come out. 

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6. Get yourself a bowl and add the tomatoes, garlic, oregano or basil, spring onions, balsamic vinegar, a pinch of salt and pepper and the zest and juice of 1 lemon to it. Loosen with a couple of good tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and mix well, then spread over the bottom of a large roasting tray. Use one that will fit all 4 fish quite snugly (or you can use two smaller trays). Place the fish on top – top to tail.Now add the olives, parsley, juice and zest of the second lemon to the bowl that the tomatoes were in. Loosen with a little olive oil and then divide this mixture between the fish, placing an equal amount on the centre of each. Cook in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of the fish. To check whether they're done, take the tip of a knife and push it into the thickest part of the fish. When done, the flesh will easily pull away from the bone.

Once cooked, remove the fish from the oven and allow them to rest for 3 or 4 minutes while you get your guests round the table, serve them some wine and dress your salad. Then you can come back to the fish. Divide them up at the table on to 4 plates, making sure that everyone gets some tomatoes and juice spooned over the top of the fish. Lovely!

LONDON: Maze by Gordon Ramsay

Pressed duck and foie gras,
Black pepper poached pear, sauternes gel 

From Heston Blumenthal to Nigella Lawson, Britain's food scene has erupted with michelin starred chefs and celebrity home cooks. Gordon Ramsay resides amongst the best of these and with this in mind, expectations were reasonably high when I visited Maze.

Unfortunately, the service was so drastically mediocre that it eclipsed the entire experience. The maitre'd was too distracted to bring us to our table; the waiters and waitresses had to be called at least twice before we got any attention for order taking or menus and our waitress shot us dirty looks when we mentioned this. Our only reprieve was the apologetic words of the hostess at the end of our meal.

Objectively speaking, service aside, the chefs at least seemed unfazed by the Saturday crowds and the savoury food was a pleasure to eat after weaving through the Bond Street Christmas crowd. The braised beef feather blade was the highlight of the menu - drizzled over with a sweet pomme puree, the soft, flaky meat gave way easily under my fork and melted into a blissful beefiness on my tongue.

On the other hand, the desserts belied the astute sense of taste - emphasized by his draconian demeanour -  that Gordon portrays in his television shows. The yuzu tea cake lacked an intensity of flavor and had a frosty texture that didn't slide easily onto my fork. All in all, Maze puts Gordon Ramsay's name to shame. Is there too much hype built up over Gordon Ramsay? With high celebrity status comes great expectation. When it comes to Maze, Gordon's myriad of television shows and michelin stars may well be his downfall.

Quail, confit leg, girolles, smoked sweet corn veloute    

Pork belly, clams, wasabi, lobster and sake dressing    

Braised beef feather blade, pomme purée, shimeji mushroom, togarashi spice 

Yuzu ‘tea cake’, mango & lime jam, lemongrass ice cream    

Clementine parfait, orange polenta cake, cointreau gel, clove ice cream 

Maze  10-13 Grosvenor Square  Mayfair London W1K 6JP United Kingdom Reservations +44 20 7107 0000

LONDON: Dinner by Heston Blumenthal

soda bread with wild organic butter

When Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Heston being chef behind three michelin starred restaurant The Fat Duck, first opened last year, it received 6000 calls a day for reservations. Significantly more substantial and down-to-earth than its quirky counterpart The Fat Duck, lunching at Dinner is a revelation in itself. Securing a lunch reservation on a monday afternoon meant two things: first, we had the opportunity to take advantage of the set menu of 3 courses for £36 and second, giving up a 2 hour lecture. Needless to say, I did not regret the latter.

Lemon Salad: smoked artichoke, goats curd & candy beetroot

The delicately crunchy salad leaves, the sweet tang of beetroot and velvety smoothness of goats curd melded seamlessly with zesty lemon dressing in my Lemon Salad starter. One forkful of this dish and the concert of flavours that played on my tongue cured all doubt that Heston's new restaurant would be a disappointment.

Dressed Snails: Beetroot, salty fingers, sea fennel & red wine juice

Snails are chewy, slimy things. I've always been impartial to escargot but the ones in the Dressed Snails starter were deliciously warm, smooth and soft all the way to the centre, releasing a burst of unadulterated flavour of something I can't quite describe but loved nonetheless.

Roast Ray Wing: Parsnip & butter milk puree, sea aster, brown butter & capers

Ray wing is a seemingly exotic but actually rather popular British dish. The depth of flavour of this succulent, flaky fish was brought out by the brown butter sauce. Unfortunately, the accompanying capers had a sharp flavour almost too sour to complement the texture of the ray wing. Capers aside however, ray wing seems like a light yet satisfying dish that I would love to attempt to make at home.

Sambocade: Goats milk cheese cake, elderflower & fig

Prune & Tamarind Tart

There is an optimum temperature at which food should be served to ensure pristine flavour and texture. This is a crucial, yet often overlooked, merit that distinguishes the good restaurants from the exceptional ones and a point not lost on the chefs and service staff at Dinner. The prune & tamarind tart was neither oven hot nor pre-refridgeration cold, but lukewarm, enriching the subtlety of a custard intensified by a daringly tangy prune layer. 

Every diner gets a complimentary chocolate ganache at the end of their meal. This was divinely creamy and bittersweet; striking a stark contrast to the crumbly caraway seed biscuit it came with. Passion and care runs through every dish right to the very end - nothing is done in haste and nothing is too pretentious. Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, be it set lunch on a weekday or full-fledged a la carte dinner, is a must try for any Londoner serious about their food. 

Chocolate ganache infused with earl grey tea and a caraway seed biscuit

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park

66 Knightsbridge

London SW1X 7LA

Tel: +44(0)20 7201 3833

SINGAPORE: Basilico

rocket leaves, cherry tomatoes, artichoke, grilled mushroom, buffalo mozzarella, grilled seabass and grilled salmom

Here's my personal opinion on how to attack a buffet without feeling sick after (of course if you're one of those people with a second stomach for these things then feel free to ignore the next two paragraphs):

Go for the food you appreciate but don't get to eat on a regular basis, maybe the buffalo mozzarella or truffle oil dressing. Take only enough for at most three mouthfuls. Remember that every consecutive mouthful gives you less satisfaction than the previous one. Wouldn't you prefer the first bite of creamy, pillowy tiramisu to the tenth bite of sinfully rich chocolate cake? 

Bread, rice and pasta should be kept to a minimum; you won't savour that succulent roast duck and perfectly grilled seabass as much if you're filled up with carbohydrates. Buffets aren't about eating until your buttons burst, their selling point is the sheer variety of cuisine on offer - capitalize on this by eating a little bit of everything and only help yourself to a second portion of that grilled sea bass if you truly believe it's one of the best things in the buffet. 

scallop, roasted pumpkin, asparagus, smoked salmon, roast duck and grilled salmon

On the rare occasion that I go for buffets, I've found myself at Basilico at The Regent Hotel more often than others. While the array of food on offer seems to have decreased somewhat over the years, it has remained of unrelentingly stellar quality. Set up elegantly on a number of slenderly curved islands, Italian cuisine comprising food like nutty ravioli in silky cream sauce, subtle but creamy buffalo mozzarella and heart-stoppingly scrumptious mushrooms tempt even the most weight-conscious. Prosciutto, parma ham-wrapped rock melon, crisp salad leaves and tender, exquisitely dressed artichoke are some of the antipasti on display that make for perfect appetizers. 

Mouth-wateringly alluring savoury food aside, the desserts are not only thoughtfully prepared but exceedingly well-executed. The chef had perfected the level of citrusy sourness in his lemon meringue curd in a way that I hadn't managed to in my attempt (see previous post). I was pleasantly surprised when I sank my teeth into the crunchy biscuit of what I believed to be a miniature croissant and discovered velvety pistachio-suffused cream within. 

Basilico

Level 2, The Regent Singapore Hotel
One Cuscaden Road
Singapore 249715
Tel : +65 6725 3232

Weekday Lunch Buffet $42++ 
Saturday Lunch Buffet $46++
Sunday Brunch Buffet $69++ 
Daily Semi Buffet Dinner $69++