Dear London Town

I was invited to try Mooli’s today by the Qype team and on my way I tweeted that I was excited to go. My replies came back with lots of favorable (and jealous!) responses. So, I was definitely looking forward to giving it a shot.

I had no expectations, but I think I was still somewhat surprised that it was a ‘fast food’-type place by the look of it. But after meeting the guys and being offered a nice, thick mango lassi, I relaxed at a table and enjoyed watching Qype members challenge Sam to win a week’s worth of Moolis!

Then, the chutney came out: mint/apple, tamarind, roasted cumin raita, tomato (my absolute favorite), and spicy green chilli. Served alongside toasted poppadoms, I was in munching heaven. Each chutney was tasty and vibrant. I wanted to take them all home with me! After being told that they are made fresh daily that I would have to consume them the same day, my thoughts of a week of munching were dashed.

Getting thirsty again, I asked for a lemonade with mint (they also offer one with Indian rock salt?!) before heading into the kitchen to learn about R2D2 and Moolita. These two machines are responsible for helping churn out hundreds of roti daily. After seeing a demonstration, learning about the ingredients and history, we were able to taste one directly off the grill. Yum.

We also were treated to the recipe and demonstration of the mint and apple chutney. I will be making this at home for sure!
Ingredients:
1 bunch of mint – chopped
1 bunch of cilantro – chopped
1 green apple – chopped
1 green chilli – whole
10g fresh ginger or ginger puree
1 lemon – juiced
salt and water for taste/consistency

Directions:
Add the lemon juice to the blender first to prevent discoloration of the bright green. Then, slowly add the ingredients to the blender by the fistful. Add cold water to aid the rotation if it becomes to thick.
Serve with poppadoms, roti or your prefered dipping food.

Finally, we were able to taste a Mooli for ourselves. I chose a beef mooli, which is kerala beef with crunchy coconut, raita and salsa. It was delish. I considered trying the goat with punjabi potatoes, but I admit that I was not feeling adventurous. I did hear rave reviews that it was really tasty, though.

I will definitely return to Mooli’s. It has a convenient location in Soho, the prices (less than a fiver!!) work for my budget, the ingredients are super fresh and the staff is charming and hospitable. What more could you ask for?

Check out my review of Mooli’s – I am katmabufay – on Qype

I came across this video some time ago. I have some friends who will be coming to London and while I’ll give them my usual 1-day in London tour suggestions, sometimes it’s fun to throw in something new and different. I think I’ll have to take myself out to see a few of these places:

Stop 1: New London Architecture on Store Street
Stop 2: Dog Cemetery inside Hyde Park (closed to the public)
Stop 3: Shunt near London Bridge Station (check website for opening times and tickets)
Stop 4: Traffic Light Tree in Canary Wharf
Stop 5: Marker by which distance to London is measured is found near Trafalgar Square
Stop 6: Miniature St. Paul’s Cathedral/Ladies Statues on Vauxhall Bridge
Stop 7: Wellcome Trust
Stop 8: Soviet T34 tank off Old Kent Road, Bermondsey
Stop 9: OXO Tower, Southbank
Stop10: Windsor, Pembroke, Dublin, Edinboro Castle pubs, Camden Town

For more unusual sights, check out GoUnusual.

Yesterday was my day. Seriously.

I just happened to log on right 5 seconds after @Vogue_London tweeted this:

So I hit the retweet button and then checked the search for the hashtag.

Looky there! I was first. I waited a few minutes and then saw this pop up:

HURRAH! So I’m going to Cirque du Soleil tonight to see Varekai. I’m super excited. I’ve never had the opportunity to see a Cirque performance before. They are showing at Royal Albert Hall, which is a magnificent venue.

BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE!!

About twenty minutes later, I saw a tweet from @LOVEFiLM about a special screening.

I didn’t read about the movie or see if there were extra details. I just figured I’d reply with Angelina Jolie:

Since Twitter limits the message to 140 characters (and this screenshot became blurry in the resizing), the full version would read:
Angelina Jolie: She wore a vial of former husband Jonny Lee Miller’s blood around her neck; She married Billy Bob Thornton and had his name tattooed on her shoulder (before having it covered up); shared a very controversial kiss with her brother at the Golden Globes when she won for Girl, Interrupted; and appears to be making her own mini UN through adoption.

Apparently, my answer won over the jugdes:

Now I am on the guest list for a special multimedia screening of The Crazies, which looks scary despite the slightly unoriginal sounding plot. I have a conflict currently, so I’m seeing if I can switch things around so I can attend, assuming I can talk someone into going with me. I need someone who doesnt mind that I cover my eyes, plug my ears or dig my nails into their arm. Any takers?

When people ask me why I use Twitter, I give them a ton of reasons. Yesterday is a good example of why. Who doesn’t love winning a free night out? On the business side of it, Vogue and LOVEFiLM both received some extra tweets from me yesterday, along with the responses and RTs of many others during the competitions. Just as I won something from them yesterday, I hope they win something from me: followers from my list. I’ll be sure to tweet the love today and Monday to show my appreciation.

For those of you who have come to visit me, you know that I pass the Alexander McQueen office on my way to town. I always point it out to visitors or friends coming to the area for the first time. I think it is so exciting to be in a city where world-renowned fashion designers live.

Today, I learned that Alexander McQueen is dead, possibly of a suicide. The news makes me sad. While I do not know him or anyone who works with him, I feel like the next time I pass his office will feel different. I feel connected by proximity. It is a tragic loss for the fashion world. He put together stunning shows filled with innovation.

London – Eating & Drinking – Pubs & Bars – Pubs

After a cold weather walk in Hyde Park, this pub is a good place to warm up. Stopping in for ale and hot food is just what I needed.

This is the kind of pub that attracts groups of friends with board games available, as well as the lone paper reader in the corner booth. With lots of comfy seating, The Champion invites you to stay in for the duration.

Check out my review of The Champion – I am katmabufay – on Qype

Another Qype event brought me to Salt Bar, a whisky bar on Edgware Road. I’m slowly trying to learn to like whisky. Usually I have to have mine mixed with gingerale. Yet, a pairing of whiskies with traditional Scottish foods sounded intriguing. Talisker Whisky from the Isle of Skye was our host and we sampled three of their whiskies along with salmon blinis, haggis and tatties, and a chocolate mousse. Yes, folks, I tried my first haggis, which was first addressed by a Robert Burns poem:

Address to a Haggis.

Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o the puddin’-race!
Aboon them a’ ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy of a grace
As lang’s my arm.

The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o need,
While thro your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.

His knife see rustic Labour dight,
An cut you up wi ready slight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like onie ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reekin, rich!

Then, horn for horn, they stretch an strive:
Deil tak the hindmost, on they drive,
Till a’ their weel-swall’d kytes belyve
Are bent like drums;
The auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
‘Bethankit’ hums.

Is there that owre his French ragout,
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi perfect sconner,
Looks down wi sneering, scornfu view
On sic a dinner?

Poor devil! see him owre his trash,
As feckless as a wither’d rash,
His spindle shank a guid whip-lash,
His nieve a nit:
Thro bloody flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!

But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread,
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He’ll make it whissle;
An legs an arms, an heads will sned,
Like taps o thrissle.

Ye Pow’rs, wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies:
But, if ye wish her gratefu prayer,
Gie her a Haggis!

What a great little gem! I had no idea this pub was lurking just a street over from my bus route. This is why Qype events are so great–they call attention to places that should be on your radar.

From the time I stepped in for a pint and ordered some chips (with some yummy garlic aioli) to the time I met Henry, the world’s cutest chef, I was smitten.

The atmosphere is intoxicating (yeah yeah, har har) and the food on the plates that passed me looked delish. And while I cant speak for the things I saw (including some rarely seen cuts of meat, hello HEART?!!), I can say the Scotch eggs are worth a nibble. I’d also pull up a chair to the bar and order one of the charcuterie platters, filled with delicate slices of meats and amazing fresh breads.

Yum-o!!

Check out my review of The Coach and Horses – I am katmabufay – on Qype

My dear friend Steffi came to visit me in Amsterdam from her home near Rotterdam. Our day was spent meandering through shops, cafes, a park and almost a museum. During our time, I totally fell in love with Amsterdam. It is charming, easy to get around and English is spoken by nearly everyone. I took a lot of photos on the trip. To see the full set, visit my Amsterdam set on Flickr.

Day one included a hop on-hop off canal boat/bus tour. We started with the amazing Anne Frank house. After winding our ways through the canals a bit, we found ourselves at Albert Cuyp markt in order to find food. Once our bellies were filled, we headed to the Heineken Experience where many Heinekens were sampled. We enjoyed cheering on the boys attempting a perfect pour. After some lessons, Jack got up and did it on his first go!

The folks were headed to Europe on their way to Africa and decided to take a long layover in Amsterdam, which was convenient for me! After two failed attempts to see Amsterdam (due to flights and illness), I had high hopes for this visit.

I arrived at the hotel twenty minutes before they were to leave to find the excursion office for the Red Light District tour they had booked. While I was a bit unsure I really wanted to see the RLD with my parents, once there and we found it was no problem to book me in, I joined. I am *so* glad I did!

There is so much to learn about and see in the RLD. Our tour guide was fantastic. She was funny and smart and has been leading tours for something like ten years, I believe. She many times has to do it in both English and Spanish, but our group that evening all spoke English.

There was a lot of information to take in. Our first stop gave us some intimate details from Mariska, a former prostitute/sex worker who now runs the Amsterdam Prostitution Information Center. She told us about everything from prices, negotiations and how to rent a room/work a shift, to safe sex practices, tax regulations and why they use a red light (leaner, tanner, younger looking and less cellulite — hello I’m buying one now!). It was impressive. I was also surprised to learn that the age span starts at 18 and the oldest is/was 88!

The ladies as we walked through the streets were sometimes playful and sometimes indifferent. When I looked through the windows at some of the younger looking girls, I felt as though they looked back at me like I was judging them. If anything, I was just curious.

My father, somewhat jokingly, asked our guide during the tour: Is this where the term window shopping comes from?

She laughed and said she wasn’t sure. I cannot find anything yet about the origin, but it sure makes sense!