REVIEW: Namaste Kitchen, Camden

Today's review is extremely late! I visited the lovely Namaste Kitchen over in Camden Town way back in April. I was celebrating my friend's new job, hence the cheeky glasses of Prosseco, and the amazing food at Namaste Kitchen was perfect for a happy evening. Luckily for me Namaste Kitchen were also celebrating the stunning cuisine of the Gujarat region of India. As a predominantly vegetarian area of the country, the dishes on offer featured plenty of lovely veggies, paneer and comforting curries.


Where
Namaste kitchen, Camden 
When

Friday evening, 8pm
What we ate:

Poppadoms with chutneys, scallops three ways, soft shell crab with date chutney, tandoori paneer, lamb biriyani, garlic naan, Dahl
What we drank:

Prosseco, tap water

Highlights:

As with my experience at Salaam Namaste last year the staff at Namaste Kitchen were really kind, inviting and polite

I enjoyed reading the special Gujurati menu which showed the chefs expansive talent

I found our starters of seared scallops really delicious. The flesh was sweet and soft with a gently caramelise exterior. 

The soft shell crab had a lovely crisp exterior but it was quite hard to find the crab meat! The date chutney which came with this  dish was amazing. 

My main course of tandoori paneer had a great texture and it was great to have tandoori veggies too. 

Lowlights:

I requested that the scallops starter was brought without the coconut option, due to my allergy. This was unfortunately ignored and I was not told when the dish was brought over. Luckily it was quite obvious which one it was so I didn't eat it but this was a let down.

I'm torn whether to call this a lowlight, as it depends on what you want from a meal. I found the portion sizes overwhelmingly big! Indian food is big bold and flavourful so I would have preferred smaller portions. 


Overall
Once again I really enjoyed my time at Namaste Kitchen. The staff were really polite and friendly, appearing to take extra effort to not interrupt our chats. I am glad I opted for a vegetarian main course and really loved the soft texture of the paneer, while the scallops and Prosecco gave our meal a luxurious feel.

Disclaimer: This meal was kindly arranged and paid for by the team at Namaste Kitchen. I have been in no way influenced to speak positively or negatively about Namaste Kitchen. All opinions are my own. 
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FITNESS: TruBe at home Personal Training

Ok so excuses for not posting last week are as follows: I was drunk/hungover both weekends and Fridays; I have a Game of Thrones addiction: and lastly, well not much has been going on. I managed to not go to the gym for EIGHT DAYS, the shame, and instead had McDonald's, Burger King, chips, Oreos and so many other horrific foods. To say I let myself go for a week is completely true. But to kick start this week on a healthy note I wanted to share my experience with TruBe- an app that allows you to book personal trainers. 

Now I don't know about you but being in the gym 'situation' can be a bit stress inducing. One assumes that everyone looks better, knows what they're doing and are seriously fit. The truth is we are all thinking the same things, you never know who is looking at you and feeling inspired. The beauty of TruBe, however, is that you can set your personal training location to pretty much anyway. Your tiny flat in Brixton, the expanse of Regent's Park or even your suite at the Dorchester hotel. Trainers arrive fully prepared with equipment and a clear training routine to match what you want from each session.

TruBe offers a range of personal training 'classes', from barre and yoga to strength training and cardio. It's totally up to you which training style you choose. Once you've set the date and time your personal trainer will be assigned. Each trainer is fully qualified and specialist in their area of teaching, meaning you're getting a personal work out from an expert. 

I gave TruBe a spin for myself last Saturday and tried the barre class with Matt. I have to say initially it's a bit weird having a total stranger in your flat but Matt was really polite and professional which made me feel comfortable. The other plus side to training at home is that you can run to get a glass of water at any time, or turn your heating off. I can get really overheated when working out so this was a great plus for me. 

Matt arrived with a yoga mat and resistance bands, plus a step by step training routine. We went through classic ballet moves including balancing and pliés, then moved on to resistance training to create long lean muscles. Matt always corrected me if my form was wrong, obviously helping me avoid injury and get the best workout. I've never been a huge fan of personal training as after my first and last session I was off work for 3 days unable to move! However, the joy of being in a home environment allows the space for honesty and good communication between the trainer and client.

To learn more about TruBe check out their website here.

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REVIEW: Arancina, Westbourne Park

Who doesn't love a great Italian eatery? It's Britain's favourite foreign food and sadly so often done badly! However, Arancina in Westbourne Grove is a true hot spot for homely Italian food. You can hardly complain when there's 20 Italian school children, several Italian couples and Italian families tucking in around you. It's vibrant exterior and stunning food counter entice you into the foodie delights that Arancina has to offer; and trust me there's plenty.

Where
Arancina, Westbourne Grove

When
Thursday night, 6:30-8:30pm

What we ate
Beef ragu arancine, beef and mozzarella arancine, Nduja and buffalo mozzarella pizza, Carnivora pizza, mixed roasted vegetables, caprese salad, avocado salad

What we drank
Aperol spritz with fresh orange

Highlights:

• The arancine were delicious! Super crisp exteriors give way to soft sticky rice and a hearty filling. I preferred the beef ragu version which was speckled with peas for added colour and green goodness. I found the beef and mozzarella version a touch heavy, but it was nonetheless very yummy.
• The pizzas were really tasty too and freshly made. I liked the rectangle shape which allowed us to have two types of pizza in one pizza - tongue twister much?! I favoured the Nduja (a spicy Calabrian sausage similar to chorizo) pizza with its soft buffalo mozzarella. This has a smokey sweet flavour that was just delicious. That said, the meat-fast style pizza topping was also really tasty. I would have like to try more veggie options.
• Our mixed salad was also a great way to indulge in added veggies alongside the pizza. We went for mixed roasted veggies, a delicious fresh tomato and avocado mix, plus a yummy caprese salad of mozzarella and tomatoes. 

Lowlights:

• The leaves with the caprese salad where quite limp and not really needed 

Overall
Yes I would thoroughly thoroughly recommend visiting Arancina. If you're a West Londoner then it's a great Italian pit-stop for you, however I would say its worth travelling to if you're in central. The rectangle pizzas are really fun and make for much easier slicing, plus the variety of flavour combinations is really great.  My favourite thing at Arancina is definitely the beef ragu arancine so if you get a chance to try it let me know!
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EVENT: #ZomatoMeetUp at Hotel Xenia, South Kensington

A couple of weeks ago I was invited to a fabulous #ZomatoMeetUp at Hotel Xenia to celebrate the stunning regional cuisine from the Lucian region in Italy and chef Mario Demuro's work. Aside from the delicious food we were treated to hands on classes from the chef (despite the Italian/English language barrier), front row seats at the bar and some serious blogger chat with my fellow writers.

Image from Posh Broke Bored

We sat in the glass conservatory which featured an open bar space for the lovely Chef to teach us how to make his exquisite dishes. I sat with Vivian , Jasminne from Posh Broke and Bored, and Tasmin from A Certain Adventure. We chatted all things food and blogging whichever as an utter joy to do. It can be a little tough when you're out blogging on your own, so meeting other foodie bloggers was really fun.

We dined on a range of beautifully designed dishes from the Lucian region, starting with a interesting take on beans and pasta. Served in a glass to show off the layers, the dish featured a soft bean cream matched with gently cooked pasta and topped with a rich foam. Next up a truly intriguing dish of potato with mushrooms and Parmesan. The chef created a shell of cooked potato which was filled with a mushroom cream, soft wild mushrooms and topped with a Parmesan crisp and a breaded poached egg yolk. The egg yolk was a really nice touch and a great surprise when cut into. 

Our main course was a dish of roasted lamb wrapped in salty ham with spring vegetables, a unique macedonia vegetable collection, a timballo spinach and a bitter sweet fruit chutney. I found this quite rich but the freshness of the salsa helped to balance the lamb well.

We finished our evening with a fantastic dish of chocolate soil, strawberry sorbet, lemon and meringue pieces. This dish was a fruity sweet mix without being overly chocolatey, and featured plenty of texture thanks to the meringue pieces. 

Thank you so much to Zomato and Hotel Xenia for hosting us! The evening was a true indulgence and a joy to meet my fellow bloggers. You can find my Zomato reviews here.

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REVIEW: Whaam Bahn Mi, Soho

Nestled in the heart of bustling Soho sits a bright yellow space. This little space, which only serves take-out customers is Whaam Bahn Mi, London's latest Vietnamese offering. In case you don't know, bahn mi is a Vietnamese baguette. This national dish is a cross-cultural mix of flavours and textures, with the baguette coming from colonial France and the hot, sour and spicy vegetables come from Vietnam. If you've never eaten a bahn mi, then i seriously recommend it. Lunch or dinner, these lovely bahn mi beat a chicken mayo baguette any day. 

Where: 

Whaam Bahn Mi, Soho
When: 

Purchased at 8:45, Eaten 9:45, Friday night
What we ate: 

Shredded BBQ pork bahn mi, beef brisket bahn mi, prawn summer rolls
What we drank: 

Organic cold pressed orange juice, acai green tea

Highlights:

• Whaam Bahn Mi is super conveniently located in the heart of Soho. I normally travel to Bermondsey for my favourite bahn mi so Whaam Bahn Mi has cut my journey in half
• The service and staff in the takeaway location are simply lovely. My server was full of yoga and gym chat, while my maker was explaining all the variations you can chose from.
• Both the pork and beef brisket meats were delightfully soft, smoky and sweet which contrasted really well with the sharp and crunchy pickles.
• Both drinks were sweet and refreshing which worked well alongside the hot, sweet, sour and crunchy bahn mi
• The summer rolls were absolutely packed with veggies which kept things really fresh

Lowlights

• Unfortunately I wasn't a huge fan of the texture of the summer rolls. Though the veggies were crunchy and the prawns juicy soft I found the complete dish a touch chewy
• I was really sad that the Imperial style Bahn Mi with roast pork was not on the menu. This is my favourite bahn mi but oh well!
• Whaam Bahn Mi only serve take out! WHY???!!! I would to sit in and chat with the guys for longer

Overall: 

I cannot wait to head back to Whaam Bahn mi very soon. Conveniently located with a delicious offering, this tiny little place is a must-visit.  

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Around London in 50 Breakfasts: Parts & Labour, Whitechapel

In this weeks breakfasts review we head east to Aldgate/Whitechapel. I haven't much explored this area of London, so it was a lovely surprise to visit Parts and Labour at the Qbic Hotel last week. This unassuming little place is perfect for the hotels guests, however it is also open to the public providing yummy breakfasts from the open kitchen. From fresh juices to warming pastries, Parts and Labour is a great visit for East Londoners. 

Where
Parts and Labour at the Qbic hotel, Aldgate East

When
Saturday morning

What we ate
Smashed avocado bagel with poached eggs and smoked salmon, Bircher Muesli

What we drank
Fresh orange juice, cappuccinos

Highlights

• The front of house are really helpful, polite and welcoming 
• Orange juice is fresh and sweet 
• Menu is very good at making clear dietary notes
• The orange juice was fresh, fruity and really delicious. I like that it was served in a large glass container which you could extract your own juice from.
• The smashed avocado was really tasty, laced with lemon salt and chilli with perfectly poached eggs - no runny whites here! 
• Gosia's Bircher was really well priced, fruity and creamy with plenty of texture thanks to the additional seeds on the top

Lowlights 

• The avocado was a touch watery making the bread hard to cut towards the end of our meal
• The eggs did get a little cold but I was eating quite slowly!
• Our waiter did change a lot so we were approached asking the same question several times

Overall

I enjoyed my time at Parts & Labour. The space is quiet and relaxing without being overly chilled. The decor has touches of fun such as the Alright Treacle lights at the front and the pops of colour detailing. The food is nice and the menu varied enough to suit most diners. I was really pleased to see the extensive dietary notes on the menu, so a great job there. If you're in teh area then Parts & Labour is a lovely spot for a cheap and tasty breakfast.

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