Review: "Eat Your Way Around the World"

If there's one thing I miss about India [besides family, food, noise, vibrancy and the general palava all over the place] it's the huge American style malls that seem to be cropping up everywhere and the grand food courts they entail. Yes okay, Westfields and a handful of others have cottoned on to the idea (Thurrock's is particularly impressive), but they boast not even a fraction of the variety you find in say the Oberoi or Inorbit malls of Mumbai. Lets face it, deciding what to eat in large groups [read indecisive families] can always be tricky and ultimately result in a compromise. The solution? The Indian food court - buy what you want from wherever you want yet be able to enjoy your respective meals together.

And as we Indians go, we're well accustomed to the 'queue up for your food' system. If you don't believe me, tell me if YOU've ever been to an Indian wedding with table service...? Nahhhh, table service, what's that? We're pretty used to queuing and waiting our turn pushing and shoving to raid a buffet and pile our plates sky high. So I guess it comes as no surprise that as far as the new Jimmy's World Grill in Watford goes... well it's a smashhit success, with my bunch at least. Remember this post? Let's say Jimmy's is the perfectly cross-bred child of Elaichi and the Red Hot World Buffet - countless variety, value for money and best of all, a chocolate fountain! Give it a try if you haven't already, it is Friday after all. 

Happy weekend guys!

SL xx

And then there's gourmet @ gabriel's

So I've been mulling over just how long it feels since I last wrote here with some semblance of regularity and whilst pouring over past posts, it dawned on me that I left you right here, on an incomplete walk along London's Southbank. Now, if Saturday was about the speediest sofa supper one can muster, today is about identifying what is irrefutably Italian in essence - Pizza Margherita at Gourmet Pizza Company. Now, don't get me wrong 'cause I'm all for doughy American crusts, rich Pizza Hut pizza sauce and an overload of melted, oozing cheese (mmmmmm) but it can be nice sometimes to go authentic too. This one, and Franco Manco's have stolen my heart. 
SL. x
Visit Gourmet Pizza Company at 56 Upper Ground, Gabriel's Wharf, London SE1 9PP

g.i Joe: A Newfound Woe?

So. The other day. We rocked up at the cinema to watch Django Unchained. Only to find, of course, that we'd left it just a liiiiiitle too late (3 months, to be precise) and shows were really rather few and far between. Our options there and then - G.I. Joe, Spring Breakers, G.I. Joe 3D. A scratch of the head, a stroke of the chin & a quick read of some reviews... and G.I. Joe it was. I KNOW, *shock, horror*, I'm supposed to be the rom-com-chick-flick-gal and this is something I wouldn't have been caught dead watching - not even for free on TV (while we're at it we can throw Sci-Fi + Super Heroes into that category too). G.I Joe? Really....? I hear ya, BUT. Stop. Wait. Don't jump to conclusions for there is a 'but'. 

'Don't knock it 'til you've tried it' is the approach that's always worked for me. Now, in my family, for some unbeknowest or potentially non-existent reason there is a huge adversity to films of the aforementioned genres. So I guess I never really got into them. Superman, Spiderman, Batman, The Matrix, Star Wars.... naaaaaaahhhh *change the channel*. It's said though that you can discover a lot about yourself through new challenges and adventures (okay, okay, this wasn't exactly either of those... but it was 'foreign territory' of sorts). And here's the thing. What I've learnt whilst watching films and subsequently blogging about them - time to confess. 

1. I've come enjoy more than the odd Bond every so often in terms of good, slick, action packed entertainment - read here, you'll understand. (I'm sort of coming round to the idea of Super Heroes too...but...don't tell anyone, shhhhhhhh.)

2. I would make, quite possibly, the worst film critic in the history of the whole entire world, like EVER. Lets put it this way - I seem to like something about everything so there's nothing bad to say about anything - I'm simply far too easily amused! Oh dear. 

Thus, I hereby scrap my claim that I post condemning & critical film reviews - pahhh, who'm'I kidding? All you'll find here are reasons to give every film a chance... lest you miss out! Back to G.I.Joe - here are your reasons ;)

1. Rip-roaring action & mind-blowing explosions delivered by tough, beefy stars...

2...The Rock

3...& Bruce Willis...

4...& if they don't do it for you, a token hot chick too...

5...and finally entertainment that doesn't require you have your thinking cap on - mindless, escapist and fun.

Give it go - it supposedly kicks the first one's booty (not that I had any idea there was a first). 

xx

Lounging at The Grove

If you've ever been to The Grove, Watford, you'll know what I mean when I say it's possibly the closest thing to perfection in terms of a venue - huge stately mansion, a rolling green golf course, lush beige interiors, stunning light features and an exotic flower arrangement on every sparkling surface. Painstaking effort is put into delivering seamless service where no detail is insignificant, no request an inconvenience. It's pretty easy to lose yourself just gazing at all the beauty, almost like you've left behind the rest of the world and found yourself a little piece of paradise, a place of peace.
Not that I'm the big white fairytale type, but I'm sure it would more than suffice... as long as I'm prepared to be homeless for the following few years. Or I'm lucky enough to win the lottery. Wish me luck ;)
xx

Review: A Good Day to Die Hard

Almost everyone who's seen it says Bond 23 is the worst of the lot. Faiiiiiiir enough, it doesn't have the best plot in the world but don't I recall some breath-taking action and cinematography? The opening car chase had me stumped in a jiffy. Well, just when I thought that couldn't be topped, off I was whisked to watch the latest of the Die Hard franchise. Now. I'm 23 - exactly one year younger than Willis' first adventure - so it's a little before my time. Even so, I'm assured left right and centre (mum, dad, brother, I get your point!) it's well worth a watch. Once more though critics are saying this one's a complete let down on what Willis has previously accomplished. 

I quote - "For anyone who remembers the Die Hard adventures at their vital and exciting best, this film feels like a near-death experience."

Lucky then eh that I've got nothing to go on 'cause I was won over once more (starting to think I'm too easily pleased... I never write bad reviews?!). If you're looking for ground-breaking, reality-hitting, awareness-raising cinema, avoid. If you're looking for entertainment, many-a-sarcastic giggle and a bit of our old Bruce - what are you waiting for? 

xxx

Chowing Down at Chowki

Have you ever had a craving? Like a real gut-wrenching, tongue-teasing want for something so bad that when you spot what you're after, you have that eye-popping moment of pure lust? Greasy chips, for example, & dirty doner at the end of a night out? Or chocolate on a rainy day? No...? Oh, must just be me then...

Aaaaaaaanyway, the point I'm trying to make is how good it feels when something just hits the spot. And so it happened one cold Christmassy night out on the town. A few tipples later = tipsy time i.e. time to find food. With the wind making your eyes water, what better than spicy Punjabi food so your nose joins the party too? And so in the company of a well-seasoned city worker, off to Chowki (which I've just learnt is relocating, so don't go to the address I was about to give you) it was. Proper dhaba-style bench seating, Bollywood posters, Indian waiters all over - but retro-chic, bright colours encased in tall glass windows, of course. The service was good, choice extensive and the food? Lip-lickingly delicious. We went for the white box option (ha, good luck piecing that together) which was a dal pot, rice pot, naan and a curry of our choice. If you're going to ask which one, search me. Hmmmmm... Could have been something mushroomy now that I'm thinking about it.

7/10, well recommend, visit when it reopens.

xx

Chowki Indian Restaurant, currently relocating.  

Tongue Ticklers at Mamounia

If you've been reading a while, you'll know that I've been pretty much living on Prezzos, Pizzas & Paneer for a long time now (not a complaint, all three come in abundant combinations). Buuuuuuut, as much as Indian and Italian are well up there on my list of loves, what's with cutting out all that Mexico & Morocco have to mete out, all the flavour Greece has to gloat about? Let's not forget Jamaican, Japanese & Chinese, Thai, Turkish & Lebanese. Oh and smashing Spanish, super soups and sharp sushis. Mmmmmmm. 
And so I guess it's just as well that there's been a sudden but very, very, VERY welcome explosion of new restaurants close to where I live. Japanese, check. Tex-Mex, check. Fast food American style, check. But the glittering, sparkling, dazzling jewel in the crown, for when you just can't decide (/feel hungry enough to eat an elephant)? A world food buffet. More on that later though. 
At the moment I'm here to tell you of recent escapades in the Knightsbridge area. Don't you think the best evenings unfold when you hit them without a plan in place? I like to think so. Especially when you end up in a cosy, Christmassy corner you didn't expect to find. Mamounia Lounge, slap bang diagonally opposite Harrods, describes itself as broadly Middle Eastern - one glance at the decor and you'll understand why. It boasts "menus inspired by the tastes, recipes and flavours from the great cuisines of Morocco and Lebanon"... which would be numerous variations of humous, falafel, cous cous, tagine & pitta.
 Considering it's been... an age, at least, since a pitta last passed this pout (and I've never had a tagine before) I'd be hard pushed to say just how good the food was. All I can say, really, is that it was guuuuuuud. And affable, efficient service in a beautiful restaurant. Plus SO many (v)s on the menu!  

It's very rare, as a vegetarian, to be flunked with so many choices that you don't know if you've chosen right - then there was dessert we were too full to deliberate, shisha we were shivering too much to give a shot. But always a next time. 
xx
http://www.mamounialounge.com/knightsbridge/

Seasonal Surfeit

One of the best things about Christmas time, in my opinion, is the ready availability of overly indulgent, rich, luxurious and lip-lickingly delicious food, both in and out. I know there's always something special on the hob/in the fridge around my house (even leftovers are a treat in December!) but should we choose to eat out, many-a-seasonal-special on menus as well. And what with birthday celebrations, Christmas dos, family meals, dinner dates & girly catch-ups, there's a plethora of excuses to overindulge too. 

On the flip side though, one of the worst things about Christmas time is probably the ready availability of overly indulgent, rich, luxurious and lip-lickingly delicious food (!). I've been eating no less than a little piglet (I literally have a muffin top to show for it) and silly as it sounds, I'm quite looking forward to eating slightly more moderately (hey, let's not push it okay?) once the Christmas goodies, and spirit, have run out. Yes, I know how out of character that sounds for me but... a picture paints a thousand words: 

That, in case you're ogling, drooling and curious, is the Gnocchi al Quattro Formaggi I had a few nights ago at a little Italian called Zinco. I.e. hot, fresh, oven baked Gnocchi in a bubbling, creamy four cheese sauce of fontina, mascarpone, mozzarella & parmesan. As if one cheese simply wasn't lavish enough for Christmas. Mmmmmmmmmmm. Look at it. Just look at it. So extravagant (and I daresay, calorific!) I think I'm gaining weight just eyeing it up. 
Word of advice - get in the door before you embark on your post-Christmas detox. It really is one of the better Italians I've had in a long while. 
xx
Zinco, 89-91 High Street, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD17 1LN

To See, To Do, To See

It’s official - the sunny spell is over. What are the odds that that was actually the full extent of our British summer? Yeh… I wouldn't put millions against it. So did you guys make the most of it? We definitely did - two weeks packed with fun and frolics, gallivanting and giggling; from Camden to Amsterdam, from Taco Bell to the zoo. We managed to catch numerous movies (very rare when he's working) and even squeeze in a picnic. Here's this week’s To See, To Do, To See for you.

To See: If you're feeling glum, bummed, depressed, down and out or just a little bit low (we were tired, this works too), 21 Jump Street is a must see. It's a complete no-brainer that had us in stitches every two minutes - the icing on the cake? The presence of fittie Channing Tatum (think Dear John, yum yum); so in case the humour's just a little boorish for you girls out there, you know you've got eye candy to tide you over. 9/10

To Do: My new number 1 for spending those long, warm afternoons has to be picnicking - embarrassingly enough, this sunny spell saw me have my first adult picnic (by which I mean before this, my only recollection was of sitting on dad’s knee as a pig-tailed, frilly-dressed-and-socked little girl) - sandwiches jammed up, basket piled high, we chose Shenley Cricket Club for our picnic in the park.

To See: If you've been half awake for even half a second over the past fortnight, you can't have missed news on the film that's breaking all box-office records; The Hunger Games. Based on a novel by the same name, the film stars Jennifer Lawrence as a teen forced to compete in a televised death match against other youths in a future North American society where a privileged Capital city oppresses the people of 12 outlying worker districts. Thrilling yes. But in my opinion, predictable as well. 7.5/10

xxx

Hang-Up

Well as they say, all good things come to an end - so as we wound up the last of his holidays and my freedom (I'm now near enough a month away from my first exam - though I may as well be on summer break, the way I've been gallivanting!), we decided on Monday to do it with a bit of a bang; when you were younger, nothing quite denoted "school holidays" like a trip to the theme park - and so we thought, why the hell not?

As a kid, I can't say I loved theme parks; while my brother dragged us from ride to ride, I'd stand, nervous and wary, counting the loops and turns, watching peoples' distorted expressions, assessing whether or not I could hack it - soon enough butterflies and a mild sensation of fear would take grip so mum and I'd be left peering up at the huge loops and big falls, waiting, as dad (unwillingly, trust me) and brother were whizzed around. So I quite surprised myself on Monday, then, when I started on Stealth, which accelerates from 0-80mph in under two seconds. It felt like the undoing of 22 years of unnecessary hang-ups. #soproudofmyself! Wishing you all a sunny Thursday.

xxx

Tickets for Thorpe Park cost a ridiculous £42 pp - make sure to shop around, 2for1 deals are often easy to come by. Alternatively, booking online and in advance can save you some pennies. We learnt this the hard way.

The Ideal Home

Yes, yes, I hear you - it's a little odd that though I'm nowhere near owning a home of my own (not even within touching distance, hell not even with a three-year-long barge pole) I spent a good four hours of my Saturday ooohing over the choice of comfy love chairs at my disposal, ahhhhing over sparkling, glinting chandeliers, ummming over which rustic stove I'd choose and oh wowing over crazy, clever little gadgets that I never even knew existed, let alone thought I needed. Hmmmmm, yeah, maybe I'm jumping the gun just a little.

Nevertheless, it was a day filled with inspiration ("ooh, I'd LOVE that Savan", "We should have one of those when we get our own place Savan” “Buy me one of those please Savan…") and even more so, aspiration. Aspiration towards being able to furnish our own place. One glance at these photos probably explains why I loved it so much; lots of things pink, girly and glittery. In a way, I think it kind of worked out for the best anyway - else I'd probably have wanted one of everything in sight. This time round, he got away with buying me just one (spicy, tangy, totally awesome) box of olives. Not bad ey? ;)

xxx

From the Ideal Home Show Website:

Open from March 16 - April 1 2012 at Earls Court London, this multi-award winning 17 day show is currently bringing together more than 600 quality exhibitors from all over the UK to offer a unique shopping experience for all areas of the home, including ideal Interiors, ideal Home Improvements, ideal Gardens, ideal Gadgets, ideal Food, ideal Housewares, ideal Shopping and ideal Woman. Whether you are looking for inspiration for a home project, redecoration solutions or just a fantastic day out the Ideal Home Show 2012 has everything you need for you and your home all under one roof.

Review: Masala Zone, Earls Court

As it turns out, plans to hit Brighton yesterday, the single nicest day of the year so far, pretty much went to pot. Sort of overslept by a good two hours you see. Hmmm. Spirits all but dashed, we were about to give in to despondency and spend the day moping when a light-bulb moment struck. With eyes and ears all over the place (trust me, I have my sources) I'd heard nothing but praise for the Ideal Home Show in Earl's Court. Gadgets, Girly Bits and Good Grub? What's not to like? Armed with an Oyster, an iPhone and (a very lovely) Boyfriend, off I trudged through the tube to spend the day meandering up and down (very, very crowded) aisles flogged with stalls displaying any and every home and lifestyle improvement idea conceivable. As this deserves a post in its own right, I'm going to let the exhibition lie for now and tell you instead about dinner. Food first, as always.

I'd been eyeing up Masala Zone for a while - probably since I'd wandered past their Covent Garden restaurant and seen, to my delight, several hundred Rajasthani rag dolls suspended from the ceiling - so spotting the restaurant as we wandered away from the exhibition was a rather pleasant surprise (especially as I’d planned a birthday meal there last week but failed to deliver - yes, again!). Noted as one of the most popular Indian restaurants around London, it sets itself apart by way of an authentic menu (none of this chicken tikka masala business) coupled with efficient, informed service (very often lacking at Indian food joints) and a visually unique experience. They serve up everything from mouth-watering street-food (tangy savouries eaten at street-side stalls, probably the main form of eating out for the Indian urban populace) to a full-on traditional three course thali - the way Indian families eat at home.

Total masala fiends, we opted for two of the street food style starters and a main of Masala Chili Paneer; tasty, spicy, tangy and an all-round taste-bud-tingling experience. The service surpassed expectation and even better, there was plenty to look at whilst we waited on our food (Masala Zone Earls Court showcases canvases by a female tribal artist from East India). Definitely the place to begin if you’re searching for the real nosh.

xxx

Masala Zone Earls Court, 147 Earls Court Road, London, SW5 9RQ

Review: A Taste of Taco Bell

If you've ever been to the States, you'll know what I'm talking about. Fast food à la Mexicain?! Why the HELL has England not caught on? Yeah we have Chiquito's; tasty tequilas, cheesy chimichangas…but how long does it take them to bang out a burrito? Not two minutes, I can tell you that. Taco Bell has to be waaaaay up there on my list of American loves (close contenders would be Hershey's kisses, New York style Pizza and Chips Ahoy chewy choc-chip cookies) so you can imagine my excitement when a friend told me they'd opened a restaurant here in the UK…. albeit some 50 miles away.

Taking FULL advantage of a boyfriend on leave, off we sped round the M25 to Lakeside shopping centre in Thurrock purely for the thrill of a 99p taco and 7-layer burrito (yes, I've got the good life). And boy was it worth every single one of those 50 miles; fast food, yet so spicy, so fresh and not all that unhealthy (hey, count out the chips and the burrito is actually not half bad!). The best thing of all? Its location slap bang in the middle of an American-style food court housing everything from Spanish to Sushi, from Burger King to Bella Italia and from KFC to Krispy Kreme's. So when he decided he'd rather have cookie dough than churros for dessert… guess what he found? Exactly that.

xxxx

For more information, visit the Lakeside Shopping Centre Website; if you're a foodie like me, this place is well worth a visit.