Author: Sarah Kemp

Asia de Cuba Dim Sum Brunch

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I’m no stranger to brunch. I might even go as far as to say that it is my favourite meal of the day. And it’s even better if someone else makes it for you. My favoutites are eggs baked in chorizo, banana bread and pancakes with blueberry compote to name a few. I have a sweet tooth so anything sweet and cakey usually does the trick. A few of my university friends used to go to Chinatown for a Dim Sum brunch on a Sunday but I never joined them and until last weekend I never thought it was a good option. I popped to Asia de Cuba at St Martin’s Lane hotel on Sunday at midday to enjoy a range of dim sum dishes and cocktails while listening to a live Cuban band. We opted for a sashimi selection to start, which consisted of grouper with seville orange and aji amarillo, prawn, snapper and ‘confit’ watermelon, Scottish salmon and salted avocado helado and curried kingfish and passion fruit. We enjoyed all four dishes but …

Salaam Namaste

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I love exploring new areas of London. Just when I think I know it all, another beautiful neighbourhood etches a glorious image in my head forever. I was due to visit Salaam Namaste on Friday evening and caught the bus from work before walking through the back streets lined with tall trees, Georgian townhouses and pretty pubs full to the brim with local workers, I guessed lawyers working nearby. Friday evening is one of my favourite evenings to enjoy a meal out. It signals the end to a busy week and gives me the opportunity to wind down and look forward to the weekend whilst enjoying some delicious grub. I had heard good things about Salaam Namaste. The Guardian gave it 9 out of 10 in a review and it came highly rated from a friend. The restaurant provides guests with a menu from all regions of India and I was intrigued as it was unlike any other Indian restaurant menu I had seen before. The Khasta Murgh – spicy chicken tikka pie with wild …

YO! Sushi Camden Celebrates 1st Birthday

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I remember the first time I ever visited YO! Sushi. My dad had promised my brother and I a culinary treat on one of our many escapades to London and as we made our way up to the Fifth Floor at Harvey Nichols, I was full of excitement. The fact that we could pick dishes at our own leisure from a moving conveyor belt provided much entertainment and I distinctly remembering our hands wavering over many a dish, scared that we were going to pick the wrong one and not be able to put it back. Fast forward a good few years, I can’t remember now many exactly but I would bet that it’s around 12, and I’m at YO! Sushi in Camden celebrating the restaurant’s first birthday. YO! Sushi hasn’t changed much in the last 12 years – the same conveyor belt carries freshly made sushi and hot dishes around the room and guests can still choose at their own leisure. And they do in their droves – the popularity sure hasn’t waned over …

Pimps and Pinups, Shoreditch

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I thoroughly enjoyed my bank holiday weekend. Four days and five nights of relaxation, drinks with friends and lots of indulging. The first day back at work after any kind of holiday is not the easiest, unless you have an incentive to get to the end of the day. Mine just happened to be heading for a cut and colour before popping down to see a new band at The Borderline. I have visited a few salons over the last year and each has been different and unique in its own right and Pimps and Pinups, my hairdressers on Tuesday, was no exception. I remember walking past this salon years ago when I first moved to London and it almost embarrasses me to tell you that the thought of entering used to scare me. You see, the people inside just looked way too cool for my 18 year old self. Fast forward a good few years and as I walk up to the door I realise that all fear has diminished. I also realised as …

Tune Hotels – King’s Cross

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I don’t know if I’m just getting boring in my old age but going out just isn’t what it used to be. Over the last five or so years I have swapped the nightclub for the cafe and probably piled on a few pounds in the process. But even though I tend not to go ‘clubbing’ much anymore, I still enjoy a few drinks down the pub with friends. The biggest problem for me though is the journey home. I’d rather not spend two hours on London’s unpredictable and unsavoury night busses, thank you. Enter Tune Hotels. You may have read the review of our stay at the Liverpool Street branch and we liked it so much that we headed back to the King’s Cross branch. It was the night of our friends 30th and after one too many mixed beverages and definitely too many shots of tequila we stumbled back to the hotel for a few hours kip before check out at 10am. Tune Hotel King’s Cross is a short 5 minute walk from …