ROSS & VIVIENNE'S WEDDING

21st December 2013

My dear cousin Vivienne has finally tied the knot!

And this special day was celebrated at the grand Signet Library in Edinburgh.

We started off at the drinks reception on the ground floor hall.

 

 

 

The father of the bride...

 

 

And then we proceeded up the stairs to the dining room...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The awaited arrival of the bride and groom...

 

| Shetland smoked salmon |
with Persian limes, pickle berries and milled black pepper

 

| Marinated rump of Lanarkshire lamb |
with rosemary and barley casserole, spiced beets, spaghetti of leek and roasting gravy

| Poached pineapple |
scented with lemongrass and chillies, coconut ice, chocolate marquise and salt peanut toffee popcorn quinoa

 

After dinner, coffee & tea were served downstairs, before the cutting of the wedding cake.

 

 

 

 

The happy couple cutting the cake...

 

Congratulations again to Ross & Vivienne - may you both live happily ever after x

And an obligatory final photo with the big brother and sister-in-law in the bedroom...

 

Merry Christmas everyone!

The Cheekster, signing off x

MONTEITHS, EDINBURGH

Monteiths - a contemporary Scottish bar and restaurant where we went to have dinner with the family, the evening before my cousin's wedding day.

A lovely little gem, located just off the Royal Mile, down a narrow fairy-lit pathway. 

We were provided with a three course set menu to choose from beforehand.

 

Knowing me and my love for cocktails, I started off with a Merry Metropolitan...

Here's our different choices of starters...

| Cock A' Leekie Soup |

A light soup served with warm bread.

| Seared Salmon |

Kedgeree bon bon, carrot & star anice puree.

 

| Game Terrine |

Spiced pear chutney & toasted sourdough.

Followed by the mains...

| Ballotine of Turkey |

Confit turkey leg, cranberry & sage stuffing crispy smoked bacon & gravy.

 

| Hake Fillet |

Crispy kale, parsnip mash & lobster broth.

| Duck Confit |

Braised red cabbage,  salt baked celeriac & roast chestnuts.

And finishing off with dessert...

| Christmas Pudding |

Soaked in monkey shoulder & whisky cream.

 

| Sticky Toffee Pudding |

Stem ginger ice cream.

| Chocolate Delice |

Iced cranachan souffle & clementine compote.

 

 

Apologies for some of the poor quality photos, the room was very dimly lit...

I also haven't quite 'mastered' all the functions on my new camera...oops.

Overall, a satisfying meal in the company of family - great food and company, what more is there to ask for.

The Cheekster, signing out x

 

HOUSE OF HO, 57-59 OLD COMPTON STREET

A bit of a late post - been busy with the parents who have arrived from Malaysia!

I made an early dinner booking last Wednesday at the recently opened House of Ho - a modern Vietnamese restaurant in the heart of Soho, from New Zealand-born chef and TV personality Bobby Chinn.

We ordered a selection of small dishes to share, as well as some bowls of rice - because I know how much dad loves his rice...

 

| Lemongrass Monkfish with a Fish Caramel Sauce |

 Delicate pieces of meaty white fish enhanced by the lovely sweetness of the sauce.

| Apple-Smoked Pork Belly, Braised Cabbage, Egg |

Pork belly is one of my favourite must-have dishes - the meat was juicy and tender. 

I only wished that the portion size was larger...

 

| Smokey Aubergine, Warm Scallion Vinaigrette |

  

  

| Salmon Tartare with Asian Vinaigrette and Light Soy |

Another one of my favourite dishes - TARTARE.

Nicely marinated and overall a tasty dish.

| Grilled Chicken Wings,  Chilli and Oyster Sauce Glaze |

The wings were really succulent, with a tiny hint of spiciness.

 

| Sweet & Sour Vietnamese Bouillabaisse, Tamarind, Pineapple |

A light and warming seafood stew. There was also okra and starfruit in it - some of my favourite foods that I seldom find in restaurants.

| Stuffed Tofu with Mushroom, Herbs and Spices | 

 

| Duck 'a la Banana' Blossom Salad |

A colourful and appetizing salad - my favourite dish of the evening.

 

Unfortunately we didn't have time to order dessert as we had to rush off to the theatre to watch Les Miserables!

Although from other people's photos, the chocolate fondant seems to be a favourite - something for my to-eat list on my next visit! 

Mum was struggling to put on her coat on the way out, and Chef Bobby Chinn kindly assisted her...

House of Ho is currently in soft opening with 50% off; officially open and offering a full price menu from 6th January 2014.

Definitely worth a visit.

The Cheekster, signing off x

AFTERNOON TEA AT THE ROYAL HORSEGUARDS HOTEL

After my lucky win a few months ago, I have finally experienced the afternoon tea at The Royal Horseguards Hotel - honoured with its second prestigious award 'Award of Excellence' in the Tea Guild's Top London Afternoon Tea Awards 2013.

It has been quite a while since I've had proper traditional afternoon tea, and what better time to go than with mum who had just arrived from Malaysia!

 

We were sat at the corner of the lounge on some really big and comfortable sofa chairs, with soothing music being played by the harpist in the background. 

Complimentary champagne was served - mum can't really tolerate alcohol, so I willingly offered to drink hers. Just being a good daughter carrying out my daughterly duties...

 

There was an extensive selection of teas to choose from - mum opted for the Persian Pomegranate, whilst I went for the 'Strawberries & Cream' from the Royal Horseguards Unique Blend. 

Our pots of teas even came with an accompanying timer to indicate waiting times for the teas to be ready for drinking.

 

  

We were served a lovely selection of finger sandwiches - coronation chicken, smoked salmon with cream cheese, cucumber, and beef. There was also one spread with tuna which I really liked, and a little chou pastry filled with egg mayo - tasty.

Mum really enjoyed the smoked salmon with cream cheese sandwich, which they so kindly served us an extra portion after.

 

The top tier was filled with an array of sweet delights - I could feel my sweet tooth tingling with excitement.

 

Lastly, we were served freshly baked fruit and cinnamon scones with homemade fruit preserve and Cornish clotted cream.
Warm and buttery - pure goodness.

The food and service was great, but more importantly was that mum had an enjoyable time - a great start to her first day in London.

The Cheekster, signing off x

THE NIBBLE TRAIL #4

The weekend is here again, which means one thing...time to start nibbling!

1. Parlour - 5 Regent Street, London NW10 5LG

Open all day and serving Great British food and drink, Parlour is a nice little hideaway for satisfyingly good comfort food. It's also conveniently located round the corner from my work place which is a bonus!

In a hurry in between running some errands, I popped and ordered the home-style hash brown with poached eggs, with a pot of green tea. 

Dad was always insisting on drinking green tea after having any greasy food...

For those wanting a more substantial meal, I'd recommend the Chicken Kyiv which is absolutely delicious - a lovely ball of goodness served on a hash brown and salad. 

They do great desserts as well.

 

2. Portuguese Gourmet (Silmar's Taste) - Willesden Green Market, Poplars Avenue, London

Walking along my usual route, I spotted their stall set up with an array of enticing pastries.

I went for the Portuguese Berliner (Bola de Berlim), which the lady recommended as one of the more traditional options. 

So good yet so naughty.

They trade at various markets, and currently have a stall set up at Willesden Green Market outside Sainsbury's every Friday and Saturday until Christmas.

 

3. TAP Coffee - 193 Wardour Street, London W1F 8ZF

Another one of my usual coffee places, with its chilled vibes and rustic feel - this branch on Wardour Street being the most accessible when I'm shopping around Oxford Street.

I ordered my regular flat white and a small orange cake.

 

4.Poppy & Sebastian - Maltby Street Market, Ropewalk, London

Made it just in time to grab this pretty little thing - it had a name, but I forgot...you know how good I am at pronouncing French words...
Three little chou pastry filled with luscious pistachio cream - so good.
One of my favourite dessert stalls. 
If you haven't visited, they also have a new home on Kingly Street which is easily accessible if you are around Central London.

5. Damson & Co - 21 Brewer Street, London W1F 0RL

Here I am, back again at good ol' Damson & Co. If there's one place to look for coffee and snacks in the late evening, this is it. 

One of my favourite places to chill when I'm out and about on my own - great for food, drinks and people watching!

I ordered a hot chocolate and we shared a plate of freshly baked madeleines which was served with chocolate sauce and lemon curd.

A lot of sweet things in today's #nibbletrail ! 
Although I did have a proper meal at Jose on Bermondsey Street with Stacey somewhere in between.

Off to enjoy the last half of the weekend!
The landlady has free tickets for Frozen - the perks of having someone that works for Disney.

Have a great day x

The Cheekster, signing out x