food & drink – Lily Pebbles

DISHOOM, LONDON

lily — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 10:01:17 +0000

Sundays for most people is a day of rest, time to clean the flat, slob out on the sofa watching old Friends episodes… maybe going out for a Sunday roast if you have the energy but for Rich and I, we like to explore London. After a very brief dinner at Dishoom about a month ago I was intrigued to go back and do it properly and Rich had never been so one Sunday we went along to the King’s Cross branch to check it out.

It’s not that new but I was put off from visiting for a while due to it’s long queue reputation. London restaurants have a bad habit of making people queue just to make them look busier. There are four branches around London now but the one in King’s Cross is huge so I can’t imagine waiting time could ever really be that long, unless they close one of the floors, just because they can. The good thing is if you do have to wait in line they often hand out hot chai or fresh mint tea so it’s not too bad.

I feel like us Brits sort of ruined Indian food with our takeaway habits and it’s hard to find a great indian restaurant that doesn’t leave you feeling bloated and a bit greasy. I think Dishoom is the first restaurant I’ve tried in London that has reinvented Indian food in a whole new way and I love it. It’s a really interesting way of doing Indian food that I’ve never experienced and it’s based on “The Old Irani Cafes of Bombay” that attracted all different kinds of diners, from business men to labourers, couples and students.

They very much encourage sharing which is a great way to do it so that you get to try all different dishes. I’d recommend asking your waiter for advice and letting them know what kinds of things you like and dislike. They recommenced 2/3 dishes each and let me warn you, a lot of the dishes are really spicy! You can check out the menu here.

The decor is industrial and modern but also incorporates old family portraits and traditional signage which makes it feel authentic and personal. I haven’t been for breakfast yet but I’ve heard it’s amazing so I’ll be doing that asap.

Have you been to Dishoom yet? Let me know what you think and if there are any dishes you recommend. Can’t wait to go back!

CEREAL KILLER CAFE

lily — Thu, 26 Mar 2015 07:00:22 +0000

Last Saturday I spent the day in East London celebrating my friend’s birthday and at his request we started the day at Cereal Killer Cafe. I’d never actually heard of it before but you know me, I’m always up for trying something new and a cereal cafe sounds both ridiculous and brilliant. The cafe was set up by two very trendy twins, Alan and Gary who apparently both dreamt up the cereal cafe idea and it really is as bonkers as you’d imagine.

The entire cafe is packed full of cereal and both 80s and 90s memorabilia. Old TVs playing Clarissa Explains It All and posters of Eternal, Backstreet Boys and All Saints. It basically looks like a throwback of my teenage bedroom. They have a ridiculous amount of cereal options, both UK and International so there are your standard Cheerios, Frosties and Crunchy Nut but there’s also a huge list of cereals that I’d never heard of. You can have your cereal in small, medium or large and can pick from ten different types of milks to have with it. There are syrups you can add in and a huge range of incredible toppings to sprinkle on top. As well as cereal you can order pop tarts, cold and hot drinks and their famous cereal cocktails. So there’s a lot going on…

You order, pay and then there’s a small section of seating downstairs. It’s fun, it’s different and I’m glad we went but I’m not sure it’s somewhere I’d go back to. Personally I’m not a huge cereal lover anyway and I think Cereal Killer Cafe is for the serious cereal fans that want to discover new types or old favourites that are hard to find. It’s fun but the queue is seriously long so don’t even think about going on a weekend at prime time. It’s quite gimmicky, but of course it is, it’s a cereal cafe! I think if you know what you’re getting, you’re prepared to queue and won’t get annoyed paying over the odds for a bowl of cereal, then it’s worth heading over with some friends and enjoying a good bowl of cereal.

Oh London, you do come up with some funny concepts. So what do you guys think?

LE CHALET ON THE ROOF OF SELFRIDGES

lily — Tue, 03 Mar 2015 07:00:39 +0000

I vaguely remember there being a mini golf course on the roof of Selfridges once but it wasn’t until I watched Mr Selfridge did I remember about the roof that I’d never visited! I had no idea what was up there until I found the secret lift (by the Chanel perfume counter) that takes you directly to the 5th floor.

When the lift doors opened I was greeted by wood logs, blankets, moose heads and a sign saying “Le Chalet On The Roof”.

We booked in for tea at 4pm so it was scones and tea for us but I couldn’t ignore the incredible smell of garlic that must have been the Tiger Prawns that I spotted on the lunch menu. The Cream Tea was perfect, expensive but worth it and they didn’t mind us sharing two between four of us.

The whole atmosphere of the restaurant is magical with twinkle lights everywhere and blankets on the back of your seats if you fancy getting snugly. The restaurant is indoors though with a small section at the back outdoors and with heaters for those willing to brave the cold. There is an incredible view the roof though so it’s worth going outside to check it out. The restaurant will shut for a few weeks in March to be prepped for Spring and I can imagine it being even better in the warmer months!

You can check out the menu here, I for one can’t wait to go back for lunch and dinner. I want to try it all!

BROADWAY MARKET, LONDON

lily — Thu, 26 Feb 2015 07:00:00 +0000

Having grown up in London it amazes me that I can still discover new parts I haven’t explored before. A couple of weekends ago, Anna and Mark took myself and Rich to Broadway Market which is East London just by the canal. It’s not huge but it has two parts to it and the whole market is very foodie, which is just my kind of thing!

There are a few flower stalls as well as accessories and baby clothes but the amount of food on offer was overwhelming, in a good way. After spotting an amazing hot dog, some intense brownies and fudge we walked around the corner to the smaller school yard part of the market where we settled on pulled pork served in a bun with homemade pickles. We also tried out some fresh juices, although Mark’s choice was so much better than ours – see this vlog.

I loved the whole atmosphere of the market and I would definitely go back… I need to try that hot dog! So if you’re ever stuck for ideas and you’re in East London on a weekend, head over to Broadway Market for something a bit different and delicious!

PANCAKE HEARTS

lily — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 07:00:00 +0000

This year Valentine’s Day falls on a Saturday so it’s the perfect excuse to pass on the over-priced presents and instead opt for heart shaped breakfast in bed. Since I discovered this pancake mix in M&S it’s changed my pancake making experience and made flipping so much easier. So I thought I’d experiment with shapes because apparently pancake art is actually a thing… seriously, google it.

I simply combined the pancake mixture and instead of ladling it into the pan I added the mixture into a squeezy bottle, like one you’d put ketchup into. This allows you to squeeze the mixture into any shape you like and if you want to get really creative, the mixture that’s applied first gets darker so you can create patterns using the different shading. Just make sure the pan is hot!

Hearts were pretty simple though and the end result is cute and yummy! Let me know if you give them a go, tweet me @lilypebbles

SMACK LOBSTER

lily — Fri, 28 Nov 2014 07:00:00 +0000

There’s a new lobster shack in town and I think this one will convert even the non-lobster-lovers like me…

Smack Lobster is the more relaxed, easy going younger sister of the popular Burger & Lobster restaurant. The central and easy to find location right opposite Selfridges makes it a great place to pop in for lunch.

When you walk in you’re greeted by a giant wall menu that is super simple and fuss free. There are four different lobster rolls to pick from, all served in the most perfect brioche blanket. The Mexican is the spicy one, Happy Ending is the quirky one, California is the most popular and Seven Samurai is Japanese themed and the one that I chose! On the side you can have Lobster Chowder or Courgette Fries and there are a range of soft drinks to choose and refill, there’s even an all natural cola option. If you’re not feeling the lobster rolls there is also the Chick Lobster, which is their way of serving lobster (cold with lemon mayo).

After ordering at the till, filling up our drinks and waiting for our food we took a seat downstairs at the bar-like tables. The setting inside is kind of strange, but I liked that it was different. The tables are the right height to stand at (if you wanted to) but there are plenty of seats to pull up. The whole atmosphere is very relaxing and calm.

At this sort of place I feel like it’s all about the food and luckily in this case it is top quality. I usually prefer crab over lobster, but there was no fishy lobster in sight here. The food was fresh, delicious and those courgette fries are perfection. I’d definitely recommend visiting even if you don’t usually like lobster and even if you weren’t a huge fan of Burger & Lobster (I wasn’t either!). Personally, I can’t wait to go back for another visit!