Just about to depart for two weeks in Costa Rica. I've booked flights, my first nights accommodation and nothing else. Hoping for a trip to the cloud forest, beaches, some white water rafting and lots of other adventures. I'll figure it out while I'm there!
Not sure how much internet access I will have, but I'll update the blog as best I can.
Enjoy!
For friends, musings, restaurant reviews and travel news.
Friday, 31 October 2008
Monday, 27 October 2008
Anti-malarial pills
I'm lucky enough to be off to Costa Rica on Saturday. Over the weekend the guide book got me scared enough to decide to buy some anti-malarial tablets.
As the first does needs to be taken a week before departure I popped them straight away. I've heard a few horror stories about the side effects of anti-malarials. One of the side effects of the brand I have bought include blindness (!). I'm currently suffering from extreme paranoia and every time I blink I think there is something wrong with my eyesight.
Silly I know.......
As the first does needs to be taken a week before departure I popped them straight away. I've heard a few horror stories about the side effects of anti-malarials. One of the side effects of the brand I have bought include blindness (!). I'm currently suffering from extreme paranoia and every time I blink I think there is something wrong with my eyesight.
Silly I know.......
Sunday, 26 October 2008
Lewisham Way gets another hairdressers
When the Tescos opened in the old Italian Furniture store on Lewisham Way they didn't take up the whole site. The old shop was sub-divided and they left a small unit still to be let. I don't understand why Tesco didn't rent the whole plot, it seems so odd not to take up such a small amount of additional square footage, but I digress......
On my way home last night it looked like the empty shop was being turned into an Afro-Caribbean hairdressers. Positives: good to see some local enterprise as the economy takes a turn for the worse and it is one less empty shop on Lewisham Way. Negatives: not the Turkish Patisserie the gentrification crowd were hoping for and do we really need another hairdressers?
On my way home last night it looked like the empty shop was being turned into an Afro-Caribbean hairdressers. Positives: good to see some local enterprise as the economy takes a turn for the worse and it is one less empty shop on Lewisham Way. Negatives: not the Turkish Patisserie the gentrification crowd were hoping for and do we really need another hairdressers?
Saturday, 25 October 2008
Restaurant Review: Nobu, Berkeley Street
I've been having a bit of banter with my friend, Publawyer, about going for dinner at Nobu. He threw me off the scent by saying that it was too expensive and then goes with his wife behind my back!!
I therefore jumped at the opportunity to go to Berkeley St Nobu when invited by my friend Mike on Tuesday night this week.
The restaurant is very stylish with a bar on the ground floor and the dining room upstairs. It feels a bit more like a nightclub when you arrive, as you have to step past two bouncers and through a little red rope. Inside there are a lot of staff and the service is attentive without being overbearing.
I have to admit that I still find Japanese menus confusing and worry about choosing the right balance of dishes. I was happy to leave all of the ordering to Mike who did us proud.
The dishes came rolling out throughout the evening. We started with yellow tail jalapeno sashimi that melted in your mouth and had a lovely bite from the chili without over powering the taste of the fish.
Next we had three tempura plates. Succulent and juicy large prawns, pumpkin tempura and small and crunchy rock shrimp tempura that came with three different dipping sauces. To balance all of the fried tempura we had some miso asparagus as an accompaniment.
My favourite two main course dishes were the soft shell crab sushi roll which was delightful dipped in a bit of soy sauce. The chicken skewers were the highlight of the evening for me, which were so moist it was almost difficult to believe they had been cooked through (which of course they had).
For desert I had the chocolate tart, which came served as a sphere of chocolate nestling on a bed of crushed biscuits. The waiter poured hot chocolate sauce over my tart at the table which melted the top of the sphere, revealing vanilla ice cream hidden inside. My only slight complaint would be the crushed salted peanuts that were mixed in with the crumbled biscuits. I found saltiness a bit too much.
My comedy observation of the evening was that when the door to the men's bathrooms was open there is a clear line of sight to the urinals. Any lady going to the womens bathrooms at the same time would get a full view. Not a sight I am sure many people want to see. In a place were almost every detail had been thought of, it seemed an odd one to miss!
Overall an excellent evening and definitely a place I would like to go back to.
I therefore jumped at the opportunity to go to Berkeley St Nobu when invited by my friend Mike on Tuesday night this week.
The restaurant is very stylish with a bar on the ground floor and the dining room upstairs. It feels a bit more like a nightclub when you arrive, as you have to step past two bouncers and through a little red rope. Inside there are a lot of staff and the service is attentive without being overbearing.
I have to admit that I still find Japanese menus confusing and worry about choosing the right balance of dishes. I was happy to leave all of the ordering to Mike who did us proud.
The dishes came rolling out throughout the evening. We started with yellow tail jalapeno sashimi that melted in your mouth and had a lovely bite from the chili without over powering the taste of the fish.
Next we had three tempura plates. Succulent and juicy large prawns, pumpkin tempura and small and crunchy rock shrimp tempura that came with three different dipping sauces. To balance all of the fried tempura we had some miso asparagus as an accompaniment.
My favourite two main course dishes were the soft shell crab sushi roll which was delightful dipped in a bit of soy sauce. The chicken skewers were the highlight of the evening for me, which were so moist it was almost difficult to believe they had been cooked through (which of course they had).
For desert I had the chocolate tart, which came served as a sphere of chocolate nestling on a bed of crushed biscuits. The waiter poured hot chocolate sauce over my tart at the table which melted the top of the sphere, revealing vanilla ice cream hidden inside. My only slight complaint would be the crushed salted peanuts that were mixed in with the crumbled biscuits. I found saltiness a bit too much.
My comedy observation of the evening was that when the door to the men's bathrooms was open there is a clear line of sight to the urinals. Any lady going to the womens bathrooms at the same time would get a full view. Not a sight I am sure many people want to see. In a place were almost every detail had been thought of, it seemed an odd one to miss!
Overall an excellent evening and definitely a place I would like to go back to.
Tuesday, 21 October 2008
New addition to the blog roll: Capitalists@Work
For quite a while I have been reading the Capitalists@Work blog for its insightful and witty economic analysis.
In the past I have clicked through from my friend Blue Eyes, but having just noticed that they are linking to me (very honoured!) I thought I should reciprocate. I can now click through from my own site. Your referal stats are just about to take a dent Blue Eyes.......
In the past I have clicked through from my friend Blue Eyes, but having just noticed that they are linking to me (very honoured!) I thought I should reciprocate. I can now click through from my own site. Your referal stats are just about to take a dent Blue Eyes.......
Monday, 20 October 2008
Restaurant Review: Caminata, Balham
My weekend of Italian food continued with a visit to Caminata, in Balham, for a Sunday dinner with a group of ex-Uni friends.
Caminata is a small cafe / restaurant that opened six months ago. The menu was broad, but in true Gordon Ramsey style stuck to a simple(ish) formula. Starters were twists on bruscheta and for the main courses there were a number of pastas and an extensive pizza menu.
Having gorged the previous night I didn't have a starter. But there were cries of "excellent" from around the table as people ate their bruscheta and they looked pretty good too. For the main course I had a pizza which was reassuringly rustic and square looking - just like the ones I make at home! The slightly odd thing was that they put the salami on my pizza after it had been cooked, the same with Claire's goats cheese. No harm in eating them cold, but it is usual to cook the pizza toppings! The pasta with ragu looked good and got rave reviews.
The chefs special was a double decker pizza. One to try for a day with a bigger appetite!
Caminata is a small cafe / restaurant that opened six months ago. The menu was broad, but in true Gordon Ramsey style stuck to a simple(ish) formula. Starters were twists on bruscheta and for the main courses there were a number of pastas and an extensive pizza menu.
Having gorged the previous night I didn't have a starter. But there were cries of "excellent" from around the table as people ate their bruscheta and they looked pretty good too. For the main course I had a pizza which was reassuringly rustic and square looking - just like the ones I make at home! The slightly odd thing was that they put the salami on my pizza after it had been cooked, the same with Claire's goats cheese. No harm in eating them cold, but it is usual to cook the pizza toppings! The pasta with ragu looked good and got rave reviews.
The chefs special was a double decker pizza. One to try for a day with a bigger appetite!
Sunday, 19 October 2008
Restaurant Review: Le Querce 2008
I visited Le Querce in Brockley Rise last night with my new flatmates Mike and Claire. This was my second visit almost a year after my first.
Mike and I started by sharing a board of charcuterie, olives and homemade bread. I thought the Parma ham was excellent, but the salami just won the day for Mike. An excellent way to start the meal. Claire had the polenta cake that I started with last year. Just like last time it came out ferociously hot and there is a little too much polenta as a starter for me.
For the main event I had homemade pasta with aubergines. The pasta was light and silky and the aubergine saucy was tasty. Claire ordered chicken served on a bed of peas which looked good although I didn't try the dish. Mike had linguine with whole prawns and a tomato and chili sauce. The prawns were a bit too hot to peel. You don't want cold food, but we had two dishes that could have burnt tongues / fingers respectively!
We were all too full for desert, although the array of ice creams and sorbets looked very tempting. The service was friendly and efficient from what felt like a family run team. A good, friendly local restaurant to have close by.
Mike and I started by sharing a board of charcuterie, olives and homemade bread. I thought the Parma ham was excellent, but the salami just won the day for Mike. An excellent way to start the meal. Claire had the polenta cake that I started with last year. Just like last time it came out ferociously hot and there is a little too much polenta as a starter for me.
For the main event I had homemade pasta with aubergines. The pasta was light and silky and the aubergine saucy was tasty. Claire ordered chicken served on a bed of peas which looked good although I didn't try the dish. Mike had linguine with whole prawns and a tomato and chili sauce. The prawns were a bit too hot to peel. You don't want cold food, but we had two dishes that could have burnt tongues / fingers respectively!
We were all too full for desert, although the array of ice creams and sorbets looked very tempting. The service was friendly and efficient from what felt like a family run team. A good, friendly local restaurant to have close by.
Tuesday, 14 October 2008
Fast Food
When I was in American I had some great fast food with my mate Clint. Burgers st Shake Shack, Hash at the Summit Diner or a Burrito from Chipotle.
Today over at Clint's fledgling blog, Shakespearmate, he has written a great article on the state of Sydney fast food. I'm looking forward to future reviews, so I know where to try on my next visit!
Today over at Clint's fledgling blog, Shakespearmate, he has written a great article on the state of Sydney fast food. I'm looking forward to future reviews, so I know where to try on my next visit!
Sunday, 12 October 2008
Ceilidh Club
On Friday night I went to the Ceilidh Club up in Camden with an eclectic mix of uni and work friends.
I last went to the Ceilidh Club about 5 years ago. The dances have a great atmosphere and remind me a bit more of a school disco or something from your local village hall. There is a cheap bar in the basement, a stall selling homemade cakes and sandwiches, and a tongue in cheek raffle with prizes of porridge oats, caramel bars, iron brew and a bottle of whiskey.
The main event is the dancing. There is a live band and a caller giving out instructions to all of the novices in the room. The crowd is definitely young, some of the girls were even brave enough to give the dancing a go in heels. With 300 people energetically reeling and spinning it gets pretty hot and sweaty. I'm sure not a good look for the newly started up singles nights, but when you are are all in the same boat does it matter.......
I last went to the Ceilidh Club about 5 years ago. The dances have a great atmosphere and remind me a bit more of a school disco or something from your local village hall. There is a cheap bar in the basement, a stall selling homemade cakes and sandwiches, and a tongue in cheek raffle with prizes of porridge oats, caramel bars, iron brew and a bottle of whiskey.
The main event is the dancing. There is a live band and a caller giving out instructions to all of the novices in the room. The crowd is definitely young, some of the girls were even brave enough to give the dancing a go in heels. With 300 people energetically reeling and spinning it gets pretty hot and sweaty. I'm sure not a good look for the newly started up singles nights, but when you are are all in the same boat does it matter.......
Tuesday, 7 October 2008
The Credit Crunch Bites
The credit crunch got a whole lot more personal today when my friend Blue Eyes forwarded me this link saying the Icesave has prevented customers taking money out of their accounts.
I'm confident I'll get my money back, but it is no doubt going to be a real hassle. NS&I and Northern Rock here I come........
I'm confident I'll get my money back, but it is no doubt going to be a real hassle. NS&I and Northern Rock here I come........
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