Archive for Jo Aspin

23 Feb
2012

Vietnam in London: Vietnamese Restaurants

Posted by Jo Aspin in Eating Out, World in London 2 Comments

Thanks to the influx of Vietnamese migrants towards the end of the Vietnam war in the 1970s, London’s Vietnamese dining is as good as it gets.

A classic bowl of Vietnamese noodle-soup (Pho) is the place to start. This flavoursome rice-noodle broth is the staple diet for most of the nation. Filled with the fresh aromas of ginger, lemongrass and spice, it’s served with a side plate of garnishes and you add in fresh herbs, bean sprouts and chilli to your liking.

It certainly beats a chicken tikka masala or fish and chips, (both contenders for Britain’s national dish), in my opinion.

To sample great Vietnamese food in London, begin in Shoreditch on Kingsland Road, where you can take your pick from numerous, inexpensive eateries.

Favourites include Song Que (make sure you try their spicy soft shell crab), and Old Street’s trendy Cay Tre around the corner for fabulous grilled fish and peanut-based broths.

Neighbourhood local Namo in Bethnal Green village, offers a lovely environment and top quality food and there’s now a second outlet Hop Namo in Shoreditch’s shipping-container shopping mall – Box Park.

If you’re after a Vietnamese feed in the West End, a second Cay Tre has now opened on Dean Street in Soho and it’s equally as popular as the original so make sure you pre-book. Due to being in the centre of town, prices are slightly higher but the food is just as good and they offer a menu of classic dishes and regional Vietnamese specialities.

For more central Vietnamese dining, look out for the Pho chain with outlets on Great Titchfield Street, Clerkenwell and Soho. No guesses what’s on the menu here!

If you want to sample more upmarket Vietnamese dining, take a trip to Bam Bou, by Charlotte Street. Housed in a beautiful wooden-floored townhouse, the three-floored restaurant offers upmarket Chinese, Thai and French Vietnamese cooking.

Vietnam’s French influences have culminated in national street snack – the Vietnamese baguette (Bánh mì) made up of fresh bread, your choice of marinated meat, pickled carrots, chilli and lashings of coriander. You’ll see many mobile baguette shops being wheeled through the streets of Vietnam.

Recently, Bánh mì shops have been popping up in London. Try Viet Baguette by Goodge Street, or, one of the originals – the Bánh mì 11 baguette stall on Broadway Market open every Saturday.

Read Jo Aspin’s blog for more foodie inspiration http://foodiefollower.blogspot.com/

Where else can you find Vietnamese culture in London?

14 Jun
2010

Pop-Up Dining: Elliot’s In The Park

Posted by Jo Aspin in Eating Out, Open Spaces 4 Comments

On Friday night I got to check out London’s latest pop up dining experience – Elliot’s In The Park.

Taking place at Vicky Park’s lakeside Pavilion Café, this Friday night supper club is a chance for the owners to showcase a finer side of their dining before Elliot’s restaurant opens in Borough Market in October.

We were treated to glasses of bubbly and canapés, while overlooking the picturesque lakeside setting complete with water fountain and fluffy ducklings, before being shown to our seats at communal tables.

Each week chef Isaac McHale will create a different five-course menu using seasonal and locally-sourced ingredients. Fruit and vegetables are bought from Chegworth Valley Farm in Kent, rare breed meats come from The Ginger Pig butchers up the road, and herbs are grown right on the pavilion’s porch. A different wine to match each dish is chosen by local wine store Bottle Apostle.

We started with a vibrant plate of asparagus with mussels in tarragon sauce and orange edible flowers. Cornish mackerel with Celtic mustard and dill-pickled cucumbers came next, followed by a main course of shoulder of Old Spot pork with broccoli and spring onions.

Then, interestingly, not one but two desserts. The first, which our waitress confirmed was more of an amuse-bouche, was an inventive goat’s milk foam with blackberry jam and Belgian speculoos (sweet-spiced biscuits).

Lastly, we finished with English strawberries with sour cream and elderflower and a deliciously creamy flat white from Square Mile, and given a jar of homemade cherry jam to take home.

The whole event felt fabulously local, community spirited and unique and I now can’t wait to visit Elliot’s restaurant when it opens in Autumn.

Elliot’s In The Park dinners are on Friday nights only and booking up fast but if you want to bag one of the few remaining seats call the Pavilion Café on +44 (0)20 8980 0030 between 8am and 5pm.

8 Mar
2010

Cocktail Masterclass at Park Plaza Westminster Bridge

Posted by Jo Aspin in Accommodation, Classes, Pubs & Bars No Comments

On Friday, I was invited to the brand new Park Plaza Westminster Bridge hotel for a cocktail masterclass with mixologist Aristotelis Papadopoulos.

Aristotelis beat off stiff competition from around the world (6,000 bartenders from 24 countries) to become 2009 World Class Bartender of the Year.

The hotel’s general manager spotted Aristotelis in a newspaper and decided they just had to have him create a bespoke cocktail list for the hotel bar, Primo.

Passing the Houses of Parliament, we saw the huge building looming in the distance. This is a hotel of vast proportions: 1,000 bedrooms, two huge revolving doors at the entrance, multi-coloured light installations for walls, and not one but three receptions on the first floor.

We pitched up on stools at the bar and shook hands with a tired-looking Aristotelis. He’d flown in from Greece for just a week to set up the bar and train the bartenders; the next day he was headed off to host the heats of the 2010 World Class Bartender of the Year awards in Korea.

Still, he pushed on through and entertained us with a crash-course in some of his unique concoctions.

Here is a man who likes grapes – they seemed to feature in more than half of his cocktails, either within them or on top as a garnish. When he wasn’t adding grapes to his drinks, he was busy tossing them in the air and trying to catch them on the end of a toothpick suspended in his mouth!

We worked our way through a Vita Vini (vodka, red seedless grapes, lychee juice, Prosecco and lemon juice), Ginger Grape Daiquiri (Havana rum, lime juice, fresh ginger and white grapes) and my personal favourite Vodka Crème Brulee (vanilla-flavoured vodka, Frangelico, Grand Marnier and cream).

Looking around, I was surprised to see the bar was already quite full – despite having just opened – with a mix of hotel guests, businessmen and even Boris Johnson (although he slipped on his bike helmet and snuck off before I got a chance to nab him for a photo).

After we’d drunk our way through Aristoteli’s entire list and made Pinday the PR promise to invite us back when the hotel restaurant opens (watch this space), we wobbled off into the night a tad tipsy. What a great start to the weekend.

If you ever swing by, do let us know which one of the cocktails is your fave.

30 Nov
2009

Free Porridge on London’s Southbank

Posted by Jo Aspin in Eating Out 6 Comments

Crowds enjoying free porridge Who ever said London was expensive? Anyone passing by Giraffe restaurant on the Southbank on Saturday morning was treated to free hot porridge and a chance to see ‘London’s Porridge Prince or Princess’ crowned.

The sun was shining on London’s most picturesque riverside tourist spot, and as I was strolling past The Royal Festival Hall with the great London Eye rising up in the background, I noticed a hive of activity going on outside the colourful Giraffe restaurant and wandered over to see what all the hype was about.

I was welcomed with a warming pot of Rude Health porridge and then treated to a live feast for the eyes whilst competitive hopefuls cooked up porridge oats on mini stoves, adding all manner of exotic ingredients.

Crazy concoctions included, sweet maple porridge with sausage and bacon, Boozy Breakfast – white chocolate, macadamia nuts and brandy-soaked cranberries, and my particular favourite Porrichino – a layered attempt to win the porridge crown – made up of espresso and rum-soaked sponge fingers, rum-soaked sultanas, Greek yoghurt, caramelised almonds and chocolate dusting.

The overall winner was a spicy take on the popular winter breckie: Mexican Mole Porridge containing lime, chilli, chilli paste, ginger, cumin, coriander and lime zest.

Anyone still hanging around then got to see PorridgeLady (winner of the world Porridge-Making Championships), cook her award-winning Spotted Dick Porridge Pudding and then sample it with hot custard. Yum!

Finally, I got out of the cold and ventured into Giraffe for a stack of fine blueberry and banana pancakes with maple syrup, before wandering off to hunt down some free lunch…

28 Sep
2009

The Friends Central Perk Café Pops Up in Soho

Posted by Jo Aspin in Attractions, Special Events 1 Comment

Gunther actor, James Michael Tyler, pops into the Friends Central Perk Coffee Shop in Soho

London’s pop-up craze continues with this latest pop-up café in Soho, modelled on the Central Perk coffee shop in the hit US TV series, Friends.

I “popped” down to check it out at lunchtime and the hysteria had already begun.

There was a queue down the street to get in, and both inside and outside the mock café, people were snapping away to capture the moment.

Once inside you can treat yourself to a complimentary cappuccino or latte and marvel at the effort that has gone into bringing the TV coffee shop to life.

The coffee is surprisingly good, and you can perch at a table or even the famous Friends sofa (home to many a memorable gag) if you’e lucky enough to get a space…

When we arrived, we were slightly star-struck to see that Gunther was there in the flesh, although sadly, we couldn’t spot Joey.

Die-hard Friends fans can even reminisce alongside some classic props used in some of the favourite episodes.

You’ll have to be quick though as the fun’s all over after 4th October.

Visit the website and download your free coffee voucher: www.warnertv.com/friends

It is, of course, all a blatant plug for the 15th anniversary of Friends, but who cares when you get free coffee?

15 Sep
2009

Bedtime Solos at The Old Red Lion Theatre in London

Posted by Jo Aspin in Theatre 1 Comment

Last night, I decided to get cultural and went to check out Bedtime Solos, a new play by Jakob Holder at The Old Red Lion Theatre in Islington.

The Old Red Lion Theatre

Featuring two actors and just two lone beds, Bedtime Solos is an emotive narrative, which explores a relationship from the inside out.

Poetic and humorous, a couple’s insecurities are laid bare and the audience is let into their inner most thoughts, worries and distractions.

Across The Pond is a new non-profit theatre company, showcasing fresh talent from the UK and USA.

Producer of the show Emma Laugier said, “We chose to stage our first play at The Old Red Lion Theatre as it’s a well known platform for new fringe theatre and has a good reputation for showcasing up-and-coming plays.”

Jakob Holder is one of the company’s two resident playwrights, accompanied by British playwright, Ali Muriel.

Look out for more plays from the new company on both sides of the Atlantic as they plan to take a British play to the USA soon.

Bedtime Solos is on at The Old Red Lion Theatre until 26September. For further information or to book tickets, visit the website www.oldredliontheatre.co.uk

Read about more of London’s top theatre pubs

Do you know a great theatre pub that we’ve missed? We’d love to hear from you.

18 Aug
2009

A Jazzy Picnic Summer’s Eve on London’s Hampstead Heath

Posted by Jo Aspin in Music, Open Spaces 1 Comment

Jools Holland at Kenwood House

On Saturday we packed a picnic and ventured off to listen to some live music courtesy of Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, in the glorious setting of Hampstead Heath’s Kenwood House.

We came upon the scene from behind the magnificent 17th century villa just as Jools was striking up his first few chords on the piano. And what a scene it was. The huge brightly lit stage looked spectacular, surrounded by the beautiful lakeside setting, with no less than 21 musicians jamming on stage.

Kenwood House Picnic Concerts really are one of London’s summer must-dos, like the Open Air Theatre at Regent’s Park or a trip to the crazy Notting Hill Carnival.

Highlights included guest singer Ruby Turner belting out some soulful tunes, an effortless performance from ska legend Rico Rodriguez, Gilson Lavis on the drums, and some seriously bad middle aged dancing in the aisles!

A little tip for future Kenwood Picnic Concert goers; allow a lot of time to get there as Kenwood House is not that near to a tube station.

There’s still a chance to snap up tickets to the grand finale Last Night Of The Proms starring Alfie Boe next Saturday. Snap up your tickets now.