Author: Sarah Kemp

Foodie Milan for The House of Peroni

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A few weeks ago I was approached by The House of Peroni. They wanted to know if I was up for being sent to Milan to review a couple of restaurants for the magazine. What do you think my answer was? You guessed it, YES! So a couple of weeks ago, I packed a rucksack and headed on my merry way to one of the world’s most fashionable cities for a couple of nights. I was in Milan to try U Barba for lunch and Cascina Cuccagna for dinner. But I knew my trip would not be complete without sampling the incredible aperitivo on offer, so I arranged to meet a friend of a friend on the Friday evening and trundled alongside the disused canal on Ripa di Porta to meet her at Rebelot for aperitivo, a gin based cocktail and to sample three dishes from the sharing menu. The cosy and atmospheric restaurant, which shares a kitchen with Al Pont De Ferr, a Michelin starred restaurant a couple of doors down, was the perfect …

Five Guys, Covent Garden

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Us Brits love a queue. It’s just as well, as every good no bookings cheap eat restaurant seems to have one. I am not a massive fan, though. I would rather not spend an hour of my life salivating and unable to concentrate on anything else other than getting inside and sliding my order in quick, sharp. Whenever I see a queue, I’ll recoil and either visit another day, or go back outside of peak hours. I visited Five Guys a couple of weeks ago. I had seen the queue many times as I walked past but never plucked up the courage to join it. But I did and was prepared to let misery take control. I was pleasantly surprised, however, when after just five minutes, we were in. What I didn’t realise was there there is a huge seating area downstairs and it’s not exactly the kind of place you will sit and lounge around for hours, so I imagine the turnover is quite high. The concept is simple – choose your burger (hamburger, …

Review: Microsoft Surface 2

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I was about to embark on a trip to Melbourne when I got the memo that I was invited to join the Microsoft Loop membership program. As a bit of a tech lover (and, let’s face it, geek), I couldn’t take my mind off it all holiday. When I got to Melbourne, I saw my brother had the Surface 1 and asked him how he was getting on with it. He said he hated it. Not a good start. I had a little play and I couldn’t really see why. My brother (no offense, Matty boy) isn’t really the most tech savvy human being, though. He was, and still is, more into cars than the latest gadget. I, however, was in awe of technology from a young age. I blame my dad and his exciting stories. I’ll never forget being on a family holiday as a child and my dad predicting that one day I would be able to have a video call with my best friend. I was fascinated. Fast forward a good few …

Platterform’s Sea Adventure Series – Maiden Voyage

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The tail end of last week was very manic indeed. I spent Thursday night trying out the newest nightspot in Hackney, Oslo, which was just named as a top London nightspot by Evening Standard. Friday night was spent trying to dance, but failing miserably because of the lack of melody, at Queen of Hoxton; and Saturday was spent eating and drinking bright cocktails at Platterform. You may remember my review of Skylodge at Platterform, a Lumberjack themed bar/restaurant, which catered for Hackneyites in the colder winter months. This time, the same team is back, but with a new concept. Platterform’s Sea Adventures will run or 15 weeks with guest chefs taking up residency every 2-3 weeks. We were there to try Chapter 1, Maiden Voyage, which was a fun filled adventure, playing on the similarities between the British, Dutch and Scandinavian palate when it comes to enjoying seafood. We shared the four course menu, which featured ‘CUPPA SEA & BISCUITS’ – smoked haddock chowder in a mug served with dunkin’ ship’s biscuits, ‘THE PLANK’ – honey pickled …

Coal Vaults, Soho

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I really miss Soho, like, REALLY miss it. Since I started working and living in East London, I have noticed that I am turning into one of the people that used to irritate me. The kind that stays around their neighbourhood day and night and rarely ventures out of their little bubble. Soho is an area that used to be my second home. I worked there, played there and was desperate to live there at one point. Now I probably only visit my old friend one a month, if I’m lucky. Since I ‘moved out’ a year ago, there have been a plethora of new openings, including a new basement bar/restaurant, Coal Vaults, which I headed down to check out last Thursday. Founded by young entrepreneur, Simo (Martyn Simpson) and Andy Kanter, Coal Vaults plays to the strengths of the exciting team behind it. Magnus Read (The Rooftop Café) has consulted on the menu, James KnoxBoothman heads up the kitchen and Jerome Slesinski works the bar. The menu features a range of small plates and everything that can be is made in house – the bread, preserves …