Restaurant review: Yuu Kitchen, Whitechapel, east London

As soon as I looked online at the menu at Yuu Kitchen I knew I was going to take up their invitation to try their new dishes. It looked delicious! Located on Commercial Road in the East End, the Pacific Rim inspired restaurant specialises in sharing plates. The best kind of restaurant in my opinion because who doesn't like to try and sample everything on the menu?

To help stop our rumbling bellies as we pursued the menu, my BFF and I decided to order some addictive salted edamame beans and crunchy pork chicharron (pork scratchings) to wet our appetite. They were the perfect introduction to the menu and left us craving more. Our stand out items included the moreish sweet & sticky aubergine which left us desperately needing more as soon as it was finished, tender salt and pepper calamari, twice cooked pork belly bao with the perfect accompaniment of BBQ sauce and cucumber pickles and baby back ribs with a decent amount of heat, they just fell off the bone. A deep fried bao filled with creamy pistachio ice cream was such a game changer. It was probably one of the best things I have eaten in a long time. A revelation!

The menu was fun and inventive. It fully deserves its place in the London restaurant scene. We got to sit at the bar which I highly recommend. It was great fun watching the busy chefs work their magic and they were so helpful, answering any questions we had about the food. In fact all the staff couldn't be any more helpful. A Friday night very well spent - thanks so much for having us Yuu Kitchen. We had a blast!

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Recipe: summer fruit drizzle cake

It feels like it's been an age since I've had time to do some baking so I took advantage of some free time on Bank Holiday Monday. It's made me realise how much I've missed locking myself away in the kitchen and just concentrating on the task at hand. I wanted something simple with ingredients I didn't need to do a big shop for. The end result was this delicious summer fruits drizzle cake from Good Food. It came together wonderfully and couldn't be easier to make.

Ingredients
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
175g of strawberries, halved and blueberries
140g granulated sugar
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
175g of Stork baking margarine
175g caster sugar
250g self-raising flour

Method
1. Heat the oven to 180 degrees / 160 degrees fan oven / gas mark 4. Line a loaf tin with parchment paper and grease liberally with butter.

2. Put the butter, caster sugar, flour, vanilla extract and eggs into a large bowl or stand mixer. Beat until pale and creamy. Keep in mind the mixture will be quite thick so don't worry!

3. Scatter 1/3 of the cake mix into the tin then scatter a small handful of fruit evenly. Then pour over another 1/3 of the mixture and repeat the fruit process. Finally pour over the remaining mixture before popping in the oven.

4. Cook for around an hour - pop some tin foil over the top if it starts to go too brown too early.

5. Once cooked, leave it in the tin on the side while you make the drizzle mixture.

6. Put the remaining fruit in a bowl with the lemon juice and sugar. Give it a good stir, slightly mashing up the fruit as you go. It should turn into a pink paste.

7. Pour over the top of the cake and leave it to set in the tin and fully cool down.

8. Once it's all cooled down, cut yourself a slice and tuck in!

I'd really love to know if you attempt this at home so please do drop me a tweet. Happy baking!

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Three of my favourite candles at the moment

Since buying my own house I've become obsessed with candles. I feel they really help to create a warm, welcoming home and find them so relaxing flickering away after a long day at work. Here are three of favourite candles at the moment...

1. Roam by 42 Pressed*
Named after my favourite city in the world, this 100% natural soy wax candle was made for me! Boasting spicy black pepper, floral lavindin, woody oak moss and musky labdanum, it has a really rich and warming aroma. It's powerful yet not too over bearing.

2. Alchemy and Thistle*
The amber vintage-style glass immediately caught my eye and then I smelt it and fell hook, line and sinker. Made from eco-friendly soya wax, the rich aroma of zesty bergamot and warming frankincense circles the room. It helps to create such a cosy atmosphere and really evokes feelings of autumn. Despite being in spring, it's still a little chilly so the candle is still burning bright.

3. Scandinavisk
Keen to embrace all aspects of Scandinavian culture, I had to add one of these candles to my collection. - how pretty is that glass jar? I opted for Island Solitude which promised to evoke images of Scandinavian islands with subtle notes of driftwood, hardy rose, white flowers and green leaves. It smells beautifully light and fresh, making it perfect for the warmer months.

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Restaurant review: Firezza, Soho, central London

It seems like I've been eating a lot of pizza lately. Heaven eh? Last week I was invited along to the launch of a new pizza joint in Soho. Firezza decided to open their first sit-down restaurant and throw an insane pizza party to celebrate. Based in Dean Street, the location couldn't be more perfect - right in the heart of London.

They helped to wet our appetites with a selection of delicious bruschetta and endless glasses of prosecco. After we sampled everything on offer we took a seat and waited for the main event.

Served by the metre, the pizza is ideal for sharing. That's if you can bring yourself too - you might not want to after you have your first bite. Starting from £6, there are a variety of different topping on offer. My favourite featured generous lashings of creamy chunks of mozzarella, spicy pepperoni and torn flavoursome basil. Quite often the base can let a pizza down but the thin, chewy base blistered perfectly at the chunky crust. Make sure you try their signature potato and rosemary pizza too. It sounds strange but it works oh so well!

Filled with oozing cream, sprinkled with sweet icing sugar and dipped in chocolate chips, I fell in love with cannoli. It was my first time trying this Sicilian pastry but it won't be the last. They are unbelievably addictive and one of the must-try items on the menu.

Firezza has a lot of competition in London but it certainly lives up there with the best of the pizza joints on offer. It offers great value for money which is something often hard to find in the capital. It's a great place to get a group of friends together over the weekend for a catch up without breaking the bank. Enjoy the good food, craft beer and delicious desserts. Thanks so much for letting me come along - I'll certainly be back guys!

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Exploring Europe: Mussenden Temple, Castlerock, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland

Another site on our Game of Thrones Northern Ireland wishlist back in January was Downhill Demesne and Mussenden Temple. The weather didn't play ball but it was a cracking visit nonetheless. Owned my National Trust, the vast 18th century estate was built around 1772 by the Earl Bishop Frederick Hervey. The stunning temple itself, perched on a cliff edge was actually a library. The whole site is open from dawn until dusk and is free to visit.

Now I bet you're wondering about the Game of Thrones reference? Well, the beach the temple overlooks is where Melisandra burned the old gods on Dragonstone.

But even if GoT isn't your jam, it's still worth popping it into your itinerary. We went on a gloomy weekday in the late afternoon -as you can tell from the photos above - and it was practically deserted. Just the three of us chattering, the sheep grazing and the wind howling. It was so tranquil and peaceful, just the ticket to soak up the beauty of the Emerald Isle. I'm in such a hurry to back across the sea and see more of the country I've fallen head over heels in love with....

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Restaurant review: Franco Manca, Belsize Park, north London

Pizza is my favourite and Franco Manca is my favourite pizza joint in London. Nothing else comes close for me and I love the fact they now seem to be springing up all over the place. After the first branch opened in Brixton Market in 2008, the brand has gone from strength to strength. I introduced Gem to their delights of the pizza when she popped down to visit London for the day.

So what did I go for? Always the number 4. Salty home-cured Gloucester Old Spot Ham, creamy mozzarella, buffalo ricotta, soft wild mushrooms and juicy tomatoes on a chewy, sourdough base. Crisp on the outside yet soft in the middle, the base is the star attraction of the show. Especially when dipped in the gorgeous chilli oil on offer. Paired with their own brand cider, it was the ideal lunchtime treat.

Franco Manca is always so reasonably priced, always so delicious and the staff are always so attentive. For a cheap eat but without any compromising on taste, it always gets a gold star. Those who say London is an expensive place to eat clearly don't know where to look.

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The £13 Primark embroidery shirt everyone needs

Outfit:
Khaki floral embroidery shirt: Primark (similar)
Ripped hem skinny jeans: New Look (similar)
Grey tailored coat: New Look (similar)
Croc print black skater shoes: Vans via TK Maxx (similar)
Red canvas backpack: Fjallraven Kanken via Asos

Back to my weekend uniform! I can't quite believe it but the last few weeks I've swapped my handbag for this backpack that I usually just keep for when I travel. I've been suffering with sore shoulders and back so thought I'd try and distribute the weight a bit by using a backpack. Turns out I'm getting sensible in my old age! I'm now a convert, my shoulders feel so much better and I can carry so much more stuff. As I'm no longer having to carry a handbag and tote bag to work, I look less like a cart horse... It doesn't seem like much of a hardship when the backpack looks like this to be honest. One step closer to achieving the Scandi coolness...

This week again looks set to be a busy week. I've got a few events I want to attend, a few drinks with friends and a dinner out. No doubt I'll be moaning by Wednesday just how tired I am but what's the point in working in London if you're not going to embrace it eh? God job this weekend was a lazy one...

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April 2017: a life update

So nearly at the end of yet another month. Gosh this year is just zooming past isn't it? I quite enjoyed the chatty update of my March post so thought I'd carry on. It feels a bit like how blogging used to be when I first fell in love with it.

It's been nearly a month since we got the keys to our house and it looks like a tornado has swirled though it. We discovered that everything looked a little make-do and nothing has really been completed of that a high standard so we had a lot more work to do than we originally though. So off we went ripping the house apart! We took down a stud wall, blocked and unblocked a couple of doors, ripped up the floors and stripped the wallpaper of the rooms. We're concentrating on the living and dining room at the minute to get it into shape and leaving the rest of the house to fend for itself! It's slowly getting there with a plumber and electrician coming today to do some bits before a plasterer in three weeks. I lol at that girl who thought back in October when her offer was accepted that she could give it a lick of paint and move straight in...

I'm also on countdown to my trip the French Rivera next month. Hannah, Sarah, Michelle and I are off to Elodie's neck of the woods for a weekend away. We'll be spending a day in Marseille before heading down to her coastal town for a couple of days of relaxing on a beach, drinking too much rose and going into a cheese coma. Who knew those strangers behind a computer screen could be so much fun?

Politics seems to have got itself all in a tizzy again following the announcement of a general election on June 8. The time when I start deleted people of Facebook because they don't agree with my views. This loony, raging leftie is only half-joking... Seriously though, this election is so incredibly important and perhaps the most important election I will have voted in. Please register to vote before May 22. Brexit is something that will change the history of our country and it needs to be approached in the right way with a level head. It will not only affect us but generations to come. We need a strong government to guide us through these rocky waters. I'm not here to tell you who to vote for as I believe everyone should do their research and vote for who they believe is the right person. But please do your research and really look into what each party represents. I know for me, one of the most things I'm most passionate about is safeguarding the NHS. My mum  and friends work for the NHS and I have family members who simply wouldn't be alive today if it wasn't for that health service. It's such a precious thing and we are so lucky to have it. It's not perfect by any means but it deserves to given the chance to grow and flourish. Another thing on my list is education. I'm a firm believer in the fact that everyone should be given the right to the same level of education regardless of their background. The wealthy shouldn't have more privilege simply because of circumstance. My best friend is a state school primary teacher and I hear about the daily struggles she goes through to help her children achieve their potential. It's so, so hard without the resources that she desperately needs. She really is an angel. Four million children live in poverty which is astonishing for a country such as the UK. This really isn't good enough.

So, make sure you tick a box on June 8!

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Exploring London: Keats House, Hampstead, north London

When Gem came down to London to visit over the Bank Holiday weekend, she suggested a day out to Keats House in Hampstead. This part of north London isn't a place I visit to often so I was game for exploring it a bit more. It turned out to be an insightful and fascinating afternoon!

Dedicated to the memory of the poet John Keats, we arrived just in time for a tour which I highly recommend. I'm not as much of a fan as Gem so I wasn't too up-to-date on the background of Keats. The tour guide was very enthusiastic and really knew her stuff. It's owned by the National Trust and costs £6.50 to visit - I think tours usually start at 3pm.

On a nice day it's a wonderful place to sit in the gardens - which are free - and think back to John Keats. His life was tragically cut short at 25 and he never fulfilled his potential. His work was only actually in publication four years before his death and he never really had an success until after he died. 

It still amazes me that decades after I first visited London as a child that there are things that I still haven't seen. Make sure you pop into Keats House next time you take a stroll in Hampstead!

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