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Filippino life and culture have always been a part of my life, firstly through my family with my auntie and more recently my sister-in-law. However, this visit to Romulo Restaurant in Kensington was the first time I have been to a Filippino restaurant. I have eaten lovely Filippino food before and always wanted to explore more and try more. Thankfully a catch-up with family was arranged and with it, a visit to my first Fili restaurant experience. Romulo Cafe into from Romulo (taken from their site): Following our four critically acclaimed restaurants in Manila, we were passionate about introducing London, the food capital of Europe, to Asia’s best kept culinary secret……authentic Filipino cuisine. At the core, our flavours are very fresh and authentic, originating from my grandmother’s recipes but they have been elevated and refined and adapted to include more options for Vegetarian and Vegan offerings and with a focus on health and nutrition. We also wanted to have fun with our menu and have given creative freedom to chef Villanueva resulting in some extraordinary dishes that create a total food experience.  With a large group of us in attendance, we went for a dual approach of individual dishes each as well as some sharing plates for the group. This is probably my favourite way to dine as it lets me have my comforts but and try more dishes. The list of what we (I) had was: Sizzling Chicken Inasal Sisig Jack Brand diced chicken thighs marinated in annatto, ginger, green chili, garlic, and lemongrass served on a sizzling skillet Chicken & Shrimp Wok-fried Rice Noodles “Pansit Guisado’’ Thin rice noodles, stir fried with prawns, chicken, assorted vegetables Truffled Chicken Adobo “Romulo Style” A Filipino classic, Norfolk chicken cooked in soy sauce, garlic and cane vinegar scented with black truffle, served with bok choy and sweet potato Char Grilled Stuffed Squid (Rellenong Pusit) Squid stuffed with tomato, cheese and onion flavoured with garlic and annatto oil served on a bed of squid ink with aioli sauce  GOOD TIMES: Lovely food, with great flavours and spices
WATCH OUT: The coffee machine wasn't working and they didn't have any Filippino beers :( OMG: The Sisig was my fave on the day and a dish I need to try an dmake myself
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Special occasions call for a certain ambiance, atmosphere, vibe, or mood. Whatever you want to call it, you just want things to be right, For my 5th wedding anniversary, this meant, asking the wife what she wants and trying to find it. The quest to match requirements led me to The Black Rabbit in Arundel. As you will read below, this pub on the banks of the river fulfilled the criteria of a nice lunch, with great views of a river, woodlands, and the countryside. Situated on the banks of the River Arun and only a few minutes’ drive from the A27, with stunning views over the wet lands to Arundel Castle, the Black Rabbit is a perfect example of the quintessential traditional country pub. In 2016 Hall & Woodhouse spent £700k to preserve the riverbank and keep the jetties usable by pleasure boats and with plenty of outside seating areas directly overlooking the water, the pub is a hive of activity on a perfect summer’s day. And when winter finally sets in our cosy pub, with its roaring log fires, oak beams and even the boat from the Harry Potter film The Philosophers Stone, provides the perfect place to relax and unwind.   This anniversary was slightly different as there were three people in attendance. My wife, myself, and ... my son. My 5-month-old son was joining us. Not ideal, but needs must. We weren't expecting the most romantic occasion or even time to talk, but just a chance to enjoy the moment and soak in the atmosphere. With the good weather and tables outside, we were able to have fleeting moments of bliss and happiness, initially, we were very well looked after by the hostess. However, once our table was moved (due to tree surgeons working on the day), we lost our hostess and it seemed the pub stopped caring so much.  Tasty food, quite well done and well presented. The only problem we had was that once the food arrived, our son decided to wake up and want attention. Tasting food and enjoying food whilst a baby is crying, doesn't work so well.
GOOD TIMES: A pub for all occasions and all flavours OMG: The location and settings are amazing, Insta worthy for sure WATCH OUT: As a busy pub, we did feel a bit neglected at times A birthday treat and tradition ( i missed last year, because... well you know). But a trip to the seaside is my new birthday tradition. And when by the coast, fish & chips is a must. After a few tantrums and the threat of rain, we stood our ground as parents and ordered our new family combo at Peter's Fish Factory. This new combo is a large cod/haddock, a portion of scampi, a sausage, and a large portion of chips. Perfect meal for two adults and a child; be warned, you must be willing to share to do this. Good food, great location and a lovely birthday tradition.  GOOD TIMES: Tasty seafood and a healthy portion of chips
OMG: Lovely location by the harbour and a huggggge wetherspoons WATCH OUT: Wobbly benches, you have been warned. Waffles in North London, but I did not get any. Breakfast in North London and i went for the full works. Chi Chi's in Winchmore Hill is a "modern North London eatery with a strong ethos of sourcing locally and caring for our community. As a team, we pride ourselves on delivering high quality, creative food & drink and the highest levels of hospitality with a fun attitude to service. The team love looking after our customers, serving families, couples, groups of friends and anyone who is looking for a great experience in a lush, modern “Brooklyn meets Shoreditch” kinda place." For an early birthday treat, I went here for a recommended breakfast. Chi Chi's is known for it's waffles, however, on this ageing day it wasn't what I was craving. With an impressive menu, I decided to take a step back and go for their Chi Chi breakfast. Although, I kept on glancing at the other options and wondering whether I made the correct decision.   After quickly eating our breakfast (it was cold and we had a crying baby), I can fully endorse Chi Chi's and thank my friend for their recommendation. A big fan of their homemade beans. The next obvious step is to try out their waffles and their wider menu too. See you soon team. GOOD TIMES: Hearty and filling food. The menu outside traditional breakfasts is great.
WATCH OUT: Timing of the menu, plan in advance for their weekend specials. OMG: You and I will have to trust word of mouth, but their waffles are supposed to be great.  The Original Sourdough bread Lockdown joy has to be had and it can be found in many ways. Snow Days to banana bread, meal kits and not having to commute. As always I jumped at a chance todo something different and try a trend. This is an old one, however, became a bit more popular over lockdown - SOURDOUGH. They key for Sourdough is TIME. Make your starter, nurture it, NAME IT and then make what you wish. This can go from a loaf of bread, Pizza base, Naan, Pitta, Croissants and more. You are in control. One part i struggle with is naming it. What do you call a lump or paste of flour and water? Doreen? Well, exactly. However, despite the stress of naming starter, Sourdough is the gift that keeps on giving. As you feed, your role is to decide what to make and eat. Planning is needed depending on recipes, but if you are doing a Sourdough, then planning should come naturally.  Sourdough Scones Any tips from me when doing sourdough:
Have fun, bake and feast. |
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