FOODIE POST: IMLI STREET + ST MORITZ

Before anyone makes any assumptions, the answer is No, I didn't eat at both places in the same day...

Though with my love for food and insatiable appetite, I think I could easily manage it if I wanted to...

So let's start off with Imli Street, recently reopened following a full redesign and refurbishment, bringing the taste of Indian street food in a modern environment.

Coastal Mix - squid, fish and prawns

The Coastal Mix had a nice little variety of seafood to sample. The prawns were really fresh and springy, probably the best out of the platter, followed by the fish and the squid rings. 

Boti Kabab - tandoori lamb chunks

I did like the flavour of the Boti Kabab, but would have enjoyed it more if the texture wasn't quite as tough...

Veg Khorma - mixed vegetables

Can't say I was a fan of the Veg Khorma - pretty blend and rather ordinary...

Puri Bhaji - puffed bread and potato curry

I was quite intrigued by the Puri Bhaji, something that I've never tried before. Having said that, it was a bit tricky filling the puffed bread with the curry as it was really thin and flimsy, and the curry quite watery...
Be prepared to get your hands dirty...and a bib ready to catch any dribbles...

Chocolate Pataka - lonavala chikki, sizzling walbut brownie, dark chocolate sauce

Aam Ras - mango soup, coconut ice cream, basil sago

The desserts were probably my favourite dishes - I picked the two that were recommended by the waitress, and was not disappointed!
The brownie was very rich and moist with little crunchy bits - the chikki I presume. For those who don't know what chikki is, it's a traditional ready-to-eat Indian and Pakistani sweet made from groundnuts and jaggery. And yes, I had to google this... - good 'ol Wikipedia!

The Aam Ras, in contrast, was very sweet and refreshing, and went really well with the creamy coconut ice cream. Though I still have rather mixed feelings about the basil sago...



Overall service was quite prompt, and the waitress was really friendly and polite in helping to recommend dishes to us. Food was served to us pretty fast as well, but would have been better if they were served a bit warmer.

Now moving down the block to St Moritz...London's oldest Swiss restaurant.

 Lili and I have been eying this place for a while...
It was a Saturday evening and we didn't have a reservation, but thankfully there was a table available for a couple of hours before 8.30pm. Good thing we arrived a few minutes earlier before other people walked in and were turned away because they were fully booked.





For the starter, we ordered Ragout de champignons sauvages - a selection of wild mushrooms sauteed with shallots. The sauce was so good, that we kept it aside to dip with the bread later on!








We ordered the Fondue moitie-moitie (half-half), which consisted of melted Gruyere and Vacherin Fribourgeois cheese from Switzerland served with new potatoes and bread.
We could taste the white wine and garlic in it as well, which was absolutely delicious...
So highly calorific, yet so good...




The cheese was really filling, but it was so hard to resist the gooey bubbling pot of sinful yumminess...we finished about 3/4 of it!
A fat and carb-filled evening...hard work this week!



 Service on the whole prompt and efficient, and we were even given some recipe menus before we left. Not that I'm thinking of attempting to make cheese fondue at home anytime soon, but then again who knows...

Off for dance class now!

 
For some, haha.

Happy Monday people x

FOODIE POST: HONEST BURGER

Honest Burger - another burger joint that's been on my to-do list for quite a while...

We arrived bright and early to beat the queue just before they opened at 12 noon - the logical thing to do for most no-reservation restaurants.

 

 

 

Having not had any breakfast in the morning, we hurriedly placed our orders with the waiter before the place filled up. Both of us ordered the Special Louisiana Burger - Cajun blackened patty, fried onions, Bloody Mary ketchup, beef tomato, and red leaf.

However, considering how promptly we made our orders, it was still a half an hour wait before our food actually arrived...

 

The patty was cooked medium rare, just the way I like it - juicy and pink in the middle mmm...

The bun was nicely glazed, and the house chips were crispy and well-seasoned with rosemary salt.

Overall, a reasonably priced, good hearty burger. 

But personally, still doesn't top my experience at Patty & Bun, which unsurprisingly still tops the list of my burger adventures so far.

Which reminds me, I really must go back and indulge there again soon...

Another foodie post coming up soon!

 

SECRET CINEMA 020

My first Secret Cinema experience!
After having my initial date on opening weekend cancelled, we were allocated new dates, hence began my 'first day of work' as a G.O.O.D. employee on Sunday 2nd June.

My dress code had changed from my previous notice of transfer - I didn't quite follow the exact specifications, but I guess everyone else did the same! It's not very often that I dress up in office wear...

We got the direct train from London Bridge to West Croydon. 

G.O.O.D. employees checking train times at London Bridge!

We arrived earlier before anyone else - punctuality is after all a trait of a G.O.O.D. employee! 

As the time got closer to 6.30pm, other G.O.O.D. employees started turning up at the entrances - rather hard to miss considering we were all in suits and blazers on a Sunday! 

Lining up for inspection at the entrance before entering G.O.O.D. H.Q.

Prior to entering the vicinity, the security guards carried out individual searches on us.
Me and Lili were split up as we had been given different instructions.

View from the 4th floor - waiting for the arrival of the other employees

As part of the Committee for Credit Creation, I was given instructions to report to Mr Spencer-Brook Clark on the 4th floor.
Some of the other 'committee members' were running a bit late so I grabbed a (plastic) glass of red wine (from a plastic bottle) and started chatting with a fellow employee. Alcoholic drinks on the first day of work - could this dream job get any better?
Thinking that I would have to search for Lili after my 'meeting', she then surprisingly turned up, having been told that she could find a job in any department she desired - we were together again!
We soon entered the boardroom, with Mr Spencer himself sat at the head of the table. Due to the 'financial crisis', they had to cut back on chairs, hence encouraging the sharing of chairs - I obviously shared mine with Lili!
We started off by introducing ourselves and our 'previous employment history' prior to becoming a G.O.O.D. employee - physicians, lawyers, pharmacists (moi!), bankers...a diverse background indeed! After telling about what skills we could bring to the company, we then held hands and did some chants whilst closing our eyes...
Each of us was instructed to contribute a proposed solution to the financial crisis, for which the one with the majority of votes would be the solution to go with. And the winning solution was...MORE HOLIDAYS! Haha, if only that was possible in reality. 
Oh well, one can only dream. 

When the meeting ended, we spent a brief moment at the computer section, before going for the Health & Wellbeing session, having heard it on the loud speakers.
For those of you unaware, the health and wellbeing of G.O.O.D. employees are of great importance. They started playing some strange music as we followed our instructors, dancing away like zombies high on drugs (if there was such of way of explaining it!). Guess that sorts out my exercise routine for the day! But, shhh don't tell my 'employers' that!

Not quite knowing what we were supposed to do next, we just started exploring the different levels and departments...

Claims Reception Desk - where employees can fill out complaint forms!

Employees getting manicures

A massage for 10 pounds anyone?

Level 2 - the Fashion Department...

We popped our curious heads into one of the rooms, where they were preparing topics for the news broadcast, so we decided to sit in. Some of the participants were really loud (and personally rather annoying), one of those situations where I would rather be an observer. Politics, controversial statements, random ideas...
 Definitely not my cup of tea, but I tagged along to the newsroom to watch anyway, where the 'face of G.O.O.D.', Mr Tibbs was present.

There was a party on the 7th floor which we decided to check out...

And a cocktail bar on the 13th floor - we were already aware of the high prices of alcohol here, so what better things to do than...take more pictures!

Like a boss!

We also attended the dance class - the waltz. I was clearly the most graceful amongst fellow employees...well, at least I'm good at something!

Then back down to Level 2 for speed-dating! We probably arrived a bit too late and all the seats were filled (drats!). But we were allowed to make an extended line at the back where we stood and paired up. There were more females and males participating - G.O.O.D. does after all encourage same-sex relationships! Haha.
 At the end, a couple was chosen - two males! And we attended their wedding ceremony...

A match made in heaven!

The finale performance was pretty spectacular - everyone started looking out the windows as an angel glided down from the sky.
Fancy stuff!

As it was getting quite late, we started making our way back to the station, receiving some sort of wage slip on the way out - another hours long journey home...tired with aching feet. 
On the whole I would say that it was a really enjoyable experience. However, you can tell that we didn't really organize our exploration routes very well - hopping around from one floor to another! I hadn't watched the movie before (I won't reveal the title just in case some of you are due to go for it!), nor did I watch it during the entire evening. Guess that's something on my to-do list.
 On a random note...I'm pretty sure I recognised one of the actors (who whizzed by super fast) from my previous Spanish class...

 There's been a lot of mixed opinions about this current production. But I'm sure that Secret Cinema have put in a lot of hard work and should be praised for their efforts nonetheless.
And as a new follower of Secret Cinema, things can only get better from here. 
Next on the agenda...Secret Cinema presents Laura Marling - hope it's good!

Til then, keep following your dreams...




G.O.O.D. employee, KYDnH, signing off x