Strength and Honour

Tuesday night was date night. And this wasn't any run of the mill date night. No siree! This was a rather special date night, at the Royal Albert Hall nonetheless, and one that I had been desperately looking forward to for over six months! To make things even better, I had the pleasure of a double date - serious bonus! - date night wasn't just with my very own special someone...but Russell Crowe was there too, in all his muscly glory. Total win!

I wasn't the only person excited about this! The film's director Ridley Scott was excited for this event too! (He's a clever man that Ridley Scott!) He said: 

“We often forget that before sound and film were married on celluloid, we all watched movies with a live music soundtrack. To have the immediacy of a real orchestra as accomplished as the Philharmonia in the room offers an unparalleled dimension to the experience of watching Gladiator. As with all the composers I've worked with, Hans’ music has played a very important role in my films and it’s a pleasure to see this element of the filmmaking process celebrated in this way.”

So, on Tuesday's very wet evening, we made our way into the colossal building that is the Royal Albert Hall, nestled in-between the glorious old red brick buildings of South Kensington and the lush greenery of Hyde Park. We rushed in (we were almost late!) and quickly found our seats in the Circle. And there we sat, full of anticipation for a night of beautiful storytelling and music. 

There couldn't have been a more fitting venue for the showing of such an iconic film; with the structure of the Royal Albert Hall having been modelled on the ancient Roman Amphitheatres and the Coliseum itself, I felt as though I was sitting in Rome itself watching the gladiators battle right in front of my very eyes! 

And just to emphasise how epic this film was (and still is) when it was first released back in 2000 let me just remind you how it, oh so casually, won FIVE Academy Awards. And the score itself won the Golden Globe for Best Original Score in 2000. Not to mention it was also nominated in the same category for both the Academy Awards and BAFTAs. Talk about a powerhouse movie!

On the stage of the Royal Albert Hall, the Philharmonia Orchestra and Chorus came together and performed the absolutely stunning film's score, as composed by Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard, to the backdrop of a story absolutely brimming with every possible emotion. These phenomenal musicians were headed by the conducting maestro that is Justin Freer. Together they were so incredible, that at times I forgot that the music was being played live and wasn't just the movie recording!

The atmosphere was unbelievable in the round theatre. The audience laughed together, cried together and beamed with pride together as Maximus played out his victories, losses and vengeance on the big screen in front of us. All the while, in complete awe of the ferocious movements of the violinists' bows, the forceful blowing of the trumpets and the sheer concentration and ability of all the musicians playing together for all us mere mortals just sat there watching them. Not only did the musicians simply blow me away, but the choir were equally beautiful, and Lisa Gerrard herself gave us the honour of singing for us. 

This was a night I will never forget. It was an unbelievable way to watch one of my favourite movies, and even though I've seen it at least 30 times already, I think I have even more admiration for it now. 

Watching a movie will never quite live up to Tuesday night's experience now, so I will definitely be heading back to the Royal Albert Hall when they do this again! Star Trek and West Side Story are coming up - so I'll see you all there!

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Healthy Living vs Guilty Pleasures

So those of you that know me or are getting to know me, will have cottoned on to the fact that I have a rather sweet tooth (or probably rather sweet teeth - all of them in fact), and I like to try making deserts too. This is a total disaster, or is at least an impending disaster (for my waistline).

So I decided I need to try and balance all the totally sticky, gooey, yummy, calorific goodness of all the deserts I seem to consume with a bit more of the good stuff. So I switched my daily bowl of sugar-laden cereals for a healthier option.

Meet THE SMOOTHIE:

Now several versions of these exist in my kitchen; a detox one, a green juice, a breakfast smoothie...the list goes on...

Today I'll introduce you to the breakfast smoothie. 

Toss some blueberries, raspberries and strawberries in a blender (these are for all the skin boosting anti-oxidants that you want for lovely blemish-free skin). Add some spinach (to get your iron and some fibre). Plop in some grapes (their high water content will thin down the liquid for you). Then a banana (for extra energy, calcium and potassium). Add a dollop of coconut milk or oil (good fats, perfect for strong hair and moisturised skin from within). And finally a sprinkle of flax and chia seeds (all the protein and fibre you need).

Remember you can really add anything you want, so be creative. Sometimes I add cucumber instead of grapes, kale instead of spinach, or even make a tropical smoothie with mango, melon and pineapple! Trust me these are so delicious and you will really start to notice the difference in your energy levels and your skin, I know I did.

Flip the switch and whizz it all together.

And hey presto, in a few minutes you have a healthy, nutritious and did I mention delicious?! breakfast in a glass.

Happy blending!

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Monday Night in Tokyo

A few days ago, my other half and I thought we ought to branch out from our usual sushi haven (Tokyo Diner, Newport Place) and try somewhere new.  

We often drive through Golders Green on our way to Hampstead, and in the most unlikely of places we keep seeing a queue out the door of "Eat Tokyo", on our journey. Now, opposite Golders Green rail station is not exactly my first thought when I think great sushi. I'm sure it's not yours either, but hang in there with me! I mean a queue down the street to get in, on more than one occasion, definitely says something...no?

So we braved it...we queued...

When we finally made it through the golden gates (this place was packed and it was a Monday!), we were hurried in to a little table for two and given a rather HUGE menu! We flicked through page after page of maki rolls, bento boxes, katsu and noodles, licking our lips and getting a little excited. We did eventually make our choices (after peering over at the other tables to see what everyone else was tucking into!).

Unfortunately the service here was a tad slow, and we were waiting quite a while for our food. Luckily, when it did get to us, it was completely worth the wait! 

The maki rolls were tangy, salty and sweet all at once. Pickled radish is my favourite hands down!

Then the bento box was really rather sensational. It was enormous and full to the brim with delicious goodies from tempura to sashimi to rice.

Finally, came my 'go to' order; udon noodle soup. I don't know what it is about this most simple dish, but I just love this tasty broth and chunky noodles!

After slurping my way through my noodle soup (before I saw this photo, I didn't realise just how much I was absolutely stuffing my face!), I was re-charged and full of energy! So we thought a bit of exercise would be a good idea seeing as we'd eaten far too much.

And boy did I love smacking those balls! (Tee hee ... get it?!) Sorry, that was terrible...hanging my head in shame right now!

Anyway so I did give it a good go and even though I'm not very good and they didn't always go in a straight line, it was so much fun, very therapeutic, and I felt the burn in some of my shoulder muscles the next day! Huge bonus! I also didn't realise just how much I loved my top that day, it had so much movement and the blurred colours looked so beautiful as I swung. 

All in all, Eat Tokyo kick-started a lovely evening (despite the rain that totally spoilt my efforts in fixing my hair after a busy day!). The food was tasty, the portions were generous and it was great value for money. The only little setback was the slow service. But, it was so yummy (I'm getting hungry whilst writing this!), that I know I'll go back!...Definitely a hole-in-one!

OUTFIT:

Cardigan:  Zara metallic cardigan (as worn here)

Top: Zara (here)

Jeans: Zara (here)

Shoes: Topshop (here)

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Classic Cakes: Decadent chocolate cake

I was feeling in the need for a pick me up on the weekend and this is what happened!

Now if that wasn't enough chocolate to perk me up for the day, apparently I thought this would be a good idea too...

Not like I hadn't had enough chocolate at Choccywoccydoodah on Monday!

But anyway, here is how you can make yourself a bittersweet rich slice of chocolate goodness:

1. Prep: Line and grease your baking tin and pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees.

2. Kick start the chocolate: melt 150g chocolate over a bain-marie, allow to cool for a few minutes and then mix in 5 egg yolks.

.

3. Beat 200g butter and 100g sugar until a pale yellow and creamy texture, then mix in the egg/chocolate.

4. Whisk the 5 egg whites to form stiff peaks, then add in 120g sugar in parts, whisking as you go along.

5. Beat 1/3 of your egg white/sugar meringue mix into the chocolate mix.

6. Fold in alternate spoonfuls of your egg white/sugar meringue and flour (total 90g).

7. Pour into your cake tin, level and bake for 45 minutes

8. Don't forget to lick the bowl (and the spoon) while you wait for the cake to come out the oven! (This was always my favourite bit!)

Now once it's out the oven, the hard work doesn't stop. This is the real challenge...you have to exert some self control to not dive straight into it and instead watch while it cools. Good things come to those that wait and all, right? ... Definitely.

9. Once it's cool, slice in half and slather that bottom slice with a blend of double cream, crème fraiche and lemon zest (I did say this was decadent). Be generous! Then sandwich the second layer on top. 

10. Then comes the really ridiculous bit: melt some more dark chocolate and double cream on the lowest heat on your stove until it's runny and glossy. Let it cool for a few minutes and literally pour it over the cake. Any bits that drip off the sides, scoop up and pour back on top. Keep going until your cake is coated with a lovely shiny chocolate topping. Allow to cool or just eat straight away like I did!

I topped mine off with some crunchy and sweet pecans, but I think anything goes with chocolate so you could try chocolate buttons/marshmallows/strawberries ... the options are endless.

Happy baking!

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We all like to be beside the seaside

Having a rare bank holiday off work, my friends and I decided we'd escape the hectic bustle of London and run away to the seaside for the day.

And escape we did! We jumped on the train at Kings Cross and raced through the British countryside on a sleepy Monday morning all the way to the south coast. And in not too much more than an hour (cannot believe we haven't done this before!) we reached Brighton, with its salty breeze and sparkling sea.

We jumped off the train with so much childish excitement I think we surprised some of the other passengers, and literally squealed with delight that it was so sunny and warm! The unpredictable British weather had thankfully been kind to us!

We ran down the street towards the beach and we could see the sea glistening in the horizon as we approached - just beckoning us to hurry up. 

We passed some boats on the way!

When we reached the lovely pebble beach we found a spot and camped down for the afternoon to enjoy the sun and simply relax as the waves crashed near our feet.

After a bit of snoozing and then some splashing around in the (rather icy) water, we decided that food was probably a good idea. So we set off in search of something suitably seaside-ish. 

Harry Ramsden's was the obvious answer with it's world famous fish and chips. We toasted to our successful escape and sampled as much as we could from their menu. 

It was all absolutely delicious and it seemed that once we'd started eating we couldn't stop!

Our next stop was Brighton Pier where we proceeded to stuff ourselves with candy floss and toffee apples. We were simply kidding ourselves when we thought that 'dance off' in the arcade might help us burn some of it off!

As if that wasn't enough calories for the day, the chocoholic among our group (not me for once) took us to to Choccywoccydoodah. Essentially heaven for chocolate lovers. Everything here is made of chocolate. There is even a chocolate boudoir! 

When we sat down in their exclusive café, I was so spoilt for choice from hot chocolate to chocolate popcorn to cake to brownies, I felt like my head was spinning in chocolate soup!

We eventually settled on their dipping pots, which come with a little bit of everything you would want to dip into molten chocolate! And we dipped, dunked and scooped our way through two of those bad boys!

For future reference- this is not a good idea immediately prior to running up a hill to catch your train home!

Somehow we managed to drag our (considerably heavier)-selves up the hill and just made our train rather (un)fortunately! It was a shame that our adventures had to come to an end and that we couldn't stay to enjoy more of this picturesque seaside town, but now that I know how easy it is to get here I'm sure I'll be escaping here again pretty soon!

OUTFIT:

Top: Zara peplum metallic sweater

Bottom: Zara coated trousers

Shoes: Kurt Geiger sequin sneakers (similar items here, here, and here)

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The Emerald Isle

Not long ago I followed a rainbow across the Irish Sea on my very own search for a pot of gold!

My travels took me to Dublin, a place I'd never been before. And boy did this exceed my expectations! They don't call this place the Emerald Isle for no reason; it is gorgeous and full of all sorts of gems that I'll share with you now.

On our first day we had a little business to attend to, but after all that boring stuff was out of the way we started to explore. Our first port of call was Dublin Castle of course, with it's beautiful old stone architecture and impressive silhouette right in the city centre.

After exploring a bit more of the city and rushing through the bustling town centre we found a little oasis to relax in, St Stephen's Green.

Now all this exploring makes for hungry travellers! So dinner was our next stop. We went to Skinflint for pizza (not very Irish I know) but this place was great- they delivered huge pizzas with lovely crispy thin bases all whilst we hummed and danced along to some of the best old skool hip hop, r 'n' b and pop that I've heard in ages!

Obviously the party animals that we are, we went straight back to our hotel to make the most of the following carb-coma and woke up fresh for a whole day of yet more eating! We started off our day at a cosy little underground café called Hatch & Sons. This place is so beautiful and offers wholesome, modern Irish food that is just so tasty. We kick-started our day with Irish breakfasts in the sunshine, complete with homemade bread.

After filling our tums we thought we'd try and burn off some of those calories taking in some of the sights we'd missed the day before. Most notably, Trinity College. Now this is one impressive place. Not only for its academic prowess but also it's architectural beauty. 

But, all our walking around town made some of us (not mentioning any names!) rather tired, so we had to have a little nap before getting ready for our big fancy date night. (Not before a cheeky bathroom selfie of course!)

We went to a rather special restaurant called Dax. The restaurant was set up 10 years ago by its owner Olivier who comes from a small town in France called Dax, hence the name. They have built up their reputation so well that they've been nominated for Best Restaurant in Dublin and Ireland for the past 3 years by Food and Wine Magazine - a pretty great feat I say! And trust me, Dax lived up to its reputation. From ambience to hospitality and of course the food, this evening was a true fine dining experience. Each course was more delicious than the one that came before, and the staff were incredibly attentive. But I loved how personal the evening was, the staff knew our names from the reservation we'd made and Olivier himself made a point of working the room and speaking to each party individually. It's the small touches like these that made us feel incredibly special. 

I cannot recommend this restaurant enough, and can confidently say I will be returning just to allow my taste-buds the pleasure of eating here again!

OUTFIT:

Top: Cos

Dress: H&M

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Great food. Great drinks. Great friends.

To kick start the bank holiday weekend after a very very long 12 day stretch in the hospital, what could be better than a cosy night in? A tad tipsy night out of course!!

I raced down the A1 back from work and headed straight into Central London. So spontaneous was this last minute plan that I had no time to change or even put any make up on, that I (definitely) spent some of (most of) my drive singing along to some rather female empowering tunes and convincing myself that as the sun set nobody would notice the ever enlarging dark circles under my eyes!

After weaving through the crowds in Leicester Square I finally made it to our first stop of the night. A non-assuming, quiet little Japanese restaurant called Tokyo Diner on Newport Place. 

On first glance it doesn't look like much, and it's a tad ironic that it's in China Town, but trust me- this place is sensational!

Every inch of space in this little 3 floor restaurant is filled with wooden benches for you to rest your weary legs. The lovely waiters immediately bring you out some warm Genmai tea (or popcorn tea as is the Western name) whilst you peruse the menu. Well at least while my friends read the menu - I've been here so many times that I always order the same thing now!

This time was a little different though - 3 bottles of wine and 4 bottles of sake made their way to our table. And I am not responsible for the noisiness that followed!

Realising that it was probably a good idea to eat something, we ordered all our favourite dishes.

Nigiri Set

Udon Noodles

Age-dashi tofu

The chicken kara-agé and Katsu curry also made it to our table but I think I must have been absolutely ravenous at this point and/or slightly merry as the rest of the food photos are a tad wobbly!

Not only is the food so delicious here, that I find myself here at least once a fortnight, there also some other major brownie points for this restaurant.

1. It's really cheap.

2. You can have larger portions for free (what could be better than that)!

3. It's ethical and believes in sustainability. They get all their electricity from natural sources like wind and solar power, and also don't serve tuna so they're not a part of the terrible fishing practices that currently go on.

After slurping our way through bowls of noodles and slightly struggling with chopsticks in our merry states, we made our way through the bustling streets of Covent Garden to Dirty Martini.

Now I'm the kind of girl that usually leaves the alcohol for my friends, just because I really don't like the taste. But I'm always up for trying new things. And boy am I glad I did! 

Welcome to my world you beauty! This Chocolate Martini was life-changing. Creamy, sweet and delicious chocolatey goodness. I couldn't taste the vodka or liqueur, and instead got desert in a glass! Perfect.

A perfect end to a long stint at work and a perfect start to a long weekend. 

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