After over 8 years since leaving the UK, Shuey (Shu Hui) is finally back on British soil, which meant that it was time for a much needed reunion!
Moving to live in Birmingham after four years in bustling Sydney was probably not the most exciting move for Shu, so it did not take much for me to tempt her to come visit me in London for the weekend.
Having been starved on the train journey down from Birmingham, we stopped by Shoryu in Kingly Court for a little snack. I had the onigiri with pickles, whilst Shu had a couple of buns - enough to keep her going before our late reservation at Sticks 'n' Sushi.
I was only able to book a couple of seats at the Yakitori bar on their website, but when we arrived at Sticks 'n' Sushi, the waitress kindly offered to seat us at a proper table upstairs, which was nice.
We ordered a bowl of edamame beans with spicy miso and grilled corn on the cob just to nibble on before dessert. I have been wanting to try their Sweets selection for quite a while, and I finally decided that I could not put it off for much longer...
There were nine petite desserts, and amongst them, my favourites were the dark fondant (with chocolate caramel and peppermint heart, topped with crunchy hazelnut brittle) and the black sesame ice cream with nougatine.
I always love the concept of having small sample-size portions so that I can try a bit of everything.
The only thing I would pick on was probably be the presentation for it as it came in a round wooden serving dish (like for serving sushi), instead of the wooden box as pictured in the menu - it just would have looked much better in the photo...
Other than that we had a really relaxing and enjoyable evening, and we were pleased with our waitress who was very attentive and efficient.
After a bit of a late night, we had an early-ish start the following morning, starting at Maltby Street Market in Bermondsey.
We stepped into Comptoir Gourmand, a French patisserie company that offers a delicious range of desserts and savoury treats.
We then grabbed ourselves a brownie each from Bad Brownie - I had the blueberry cheesecake whilst Shuey had the salted caramel. I intended to save mine for breakfast the next morning but ended up eating half of it before bed...
Shuey had a sudden craving for eggs, so I brought her to one of my favourite cafes in London - Damson & Co. in Soho.
Shuey ordered a single Eggs Benedict, and I had the tasty Breakfast Muffin with a glass of healthy matcha latte with hazelnut milk.
I have recently been quite addicted to the cupcakes at Crumbs & Doilies at Kingly Court. The flavours seem to change daily and I usually get about 2-3 mini ones, so that I can try more flavours at one time...
After all, that's only equivalent to one normal sized cupcake, right? Just you know, being calorie-smart...
It was quite late by the time we got to Portobello Market, and most of the stalls were closed by then, so we went to seek shelter at Parlour. I have been eying those sweet chestnut macarons that Jesse posted earlier on in the week, and I made it in time to try it whilst it was still on the menu...
I had booked a table for us that evening at Kushi's at Kitchenette - an incubator restaurant that helps start-up food entrepreneurs.
A relaxing evening catching up with good food and dining by the canal - a nice way to wind down after a long day.
Click here for the full post on our meal at Kushi's.
The next day, we had a lazy morning in before heading out to town for our Traditional Afternoon Tea at Brown's Hotel in Mayfair.
Part of my 'grand scheme of things' to get Shuey to adapt back to British life!
And what better place to have afternoon tea than at The English Tea Room at London's first ever hotel that opened in 1837. The interior was stylish and sophisticated, with a blend of traditional and contemporary decor.
There was some delightful music being played on the Baby Grand Piano as we sipped on our teas and nibbled on the freshly cut sandwiches. We hadn't had breakfast in the morning, so we hastily wolfed down the first plate of sandwiches before another serving was brought to us.
Not long after, a plate of warm buttery scones was brought to our table - freshly baked fruit and plain scones with clotted cream and strawberry preserve.
Everyday should be a scone day...
And finally we started digging into the plate of assorted cakes and pastries - my favourite was clearly the macaron, which is no surprise, knowing how much I just LOVE macarons...
We also did not miss out on the cakes from the trolley - victoria sponge and treacle tart, both of which were really tasty and indulgent.
Apart from having to endure being seated next to a rather loud table, it was a fine afternoon indeed at Brown's Hotel...
It has been a fun and enjoyable weekend spending time with you Shuey - you're always welcome to 'crash' into my life anytime! After all, that's what friends are for.
The Cheekster, signing out x
