WEEKEND IN AVIGNON

It has been over three years since my last trip to France, so I was excited when Sarah asked me along on her little weekend away to Avignon, in the south of France.
The weather forecast wasn't looking great, with predicted thunderstorms throughout the weekend...but we kept our fingers crossed for sunny days.
After a night of frantic last minute packing, we were soon on our way to Avignon on the Eurostar, slightly wary about the weather predicted for the weekend, but excited nonetheless!
Six hours and about 100 iTunes songs later, we arrived at the station and was greeted by our cab driver in his rather smart-looking Porsche. 
I have never stayed in a French villa, but I was totally in love with the place which had a warm and rustic feel to it. I will let the photos do most of the talking about how stunning and welcoming it looked inside.

And if you thought the inside was beautiful, step outside into the backyard, which is equally as breathtaking, with the vast garden, a private pool and a quaint little water fountain.

After a bit of unpacking and freshening up, Sarah drove us to the nearby supermarket, or le supermarché as they call it, to buy some groceries to stock up for the weekend. I always get excited when shopping in a foreign place - everything looks so intriguing.
Just as we were about to leave with our trolley full of groceries, the much dreaded thunderstorm makes an unwelcomed arrival. Within minutes, part of the carpark was flooded, but thankfully the car was parked on slightly higher ground. 
Whilst waiting for the rain to die down, we nibbled away on our mini cakes and pastries - because food makes everything feel better.

Kudos to the lady who trudged in the knee-deep water with her massive trolley...

We eventually made it home, slightly soaked and ready for a relaxing evening. Stefanie laid out some nibbles, whilst Sarah started prepping for dinner. And as usual I went round snapping with my camera - carrying out my (un)official 'resident photographer' duties...

Whilst enjoying a simple and satisfying dinner of steak frites, we noticed that the sky had brightened outside, and popped our heads out to see a lovely rainbow. The thunderstorm was finally over...for now.

Waking up to a surprisingly non-rainy morning, we had a quick breakfast at home before driving to Aix en Provence. We walked along the Cours Mirabeau, decorated with pretty fountains and lined with lively cafes, and also had a look around the market stalls.

Religiously checking our weather forecast apps on our iPhones, we made a hasty departure from the charming little town of Aix en Provence just as the dark clouds started pulling in...
Returning back to clearer skies in Avignon, we had a light lunch before Sarah gave us a quick tour of the place.

Then it was time to head home again for another comforting home-cooked dinner by Sarah - bacon omelette with salad. Quick, easy and healthy!

Weekend markets always excite me, so Sarah brought us to the Sunday market at L'Isle Sur La Sorgue. Stefanie and I finally bought our cheese - we have been on a cheese and tapenade eating marathon since we arrived in France!

Ewok doggy!

Our last stop was the beautiful Gorde, a famous village in the Luberon, in Provence. Amazing views and perfect weather! I would definitely love to come back again.

Our journey home was split into two parts, the first involved taking the TGV from Avignon to Paris where we had to then find our way to Gare du Nord to catch the Eurostar back to London. I always worry about short transit times (being slightly OCD about punctuality)...and despite our hopes of a smooth-sailing journey, we arrived half an hour later than expected in Paris. Rushing along the platform to meet at the gates, we exited the station only arrive at the taxi stand with a queue full of people. Luckily Stefanie came out with a brilliant idea, and after pleading to the customers at the front of the queue, we managed to jump in the next taxi and we were off again! Our taxi driver seemed to know the drill as he sped us across Paris as we briefly took in the sights around us.
You'd be glad to know that we made it in time to board our train, and had more cheese, of course.

I had forgotten to fill out one of those arrival cards at the immigration desk (oh the 'joys' of having a foreign passport...). The Scottish officer at the desk waved a card at me as I put on my best innocent smile...thankfully he seemed to be a fan of Malaysia, and he let me go through!

A thoroughly enjoyable weekend away, it somehow felt like we were away for longer...
Many thanks to Sarah (and her Dad!) for this lovely experience.
Hopefully there will be many more weekends like this to come!

The Cheekster, signing out x

HAKKASAN HANWAY PLACE

After a day of pirouettes and grand jetés, we were definitely looking forward to our meal at Hakkasan. It has been a while since my first visit, which I remembered to be good, so I was excited to be back.
Tucked away in a quiet corner, Hakkasan Hanway Place is the original restaurant of Hakkasan that opened back in 2001, headed by Head Chef Tong Chee Hwee. 

This Michelin-starred gem may initially seem rather obscure, but as you enter and walk down the stairs you will soon realize that it does have a special kind of feel to it.
Designed by Christian Liaigre, the interior is dimly lit, each table illuminated by a single lightbulb. Wooden screens and lattices made from dark English oak give the place a bit of an exotic feel.
We were seated at our table, my back facing the impressive 16-metre bar stretched along the side, with a view of the open-plan kitchen at the other far end.

With the recent launch of Ling Ling this summer, a new experience from Hakkasan, we were able to get a taste of it with their limited edition menus and signature cocktail.

We both ordered the Taste of Hakkasan menu, where there were three options to choose from: Fish and seafood, Meat and seafood, or Vegetarian. We ordered one each of the fish and meat so that we had a nice selection to share between us. As part of the the offer, we were also served a Ling Ling Collins cocktail which contained Beefeater gin infused with Japanese and Chinese teas, mixed with cranberry, grapefruit, elderflower and lemon juice, and Chartreuse Green, served with a fresh shiso leaf. A fruity and summery cocktail which was really sweet and refreshing.

Ling Ling Collins cocktail

The starters soon arrived, and we each get a trio of dim sum delights: scallop shumai, har gau, and Chinese chive dumpling, with some chilli sauce and oil accompaniments on the side. I love dim sum, and all three of them really delicious with great textures and flavours. It was hard to choose a favourite, but I particularly enjoyed the scallop shumai topped with tobiko caviar.

The salad was light and fresh, with crispy aubergine tempura pieces, and a mix of shiitake, mixed cress and lily bulb. The jasmine tea smoke pork ribs were well-marinated and really tender - literally finger-licking good, as I watched Marcin dive in hungrily with his fingers. We were provided with a couple of finger bowls, so all was good.

Trio dim sum platter

Crispy aubergine and shiitake salad with mixed cress and lily bulb

Jasmine tea smoked organic pork ribs

We were further impressed by our mains. The prawns were succulent and juicy and served with a luscious creamy spicy curry-like paste. The mains were served with steamed Jamine rice which I spooned a generous amount of sauce over. The toasted almonds gave it a nice, crunchy texture.
The seabass was grilled to perfection, the flesh soft and smooth with a pleasant sweetness from the honey. The beautifully caramelized fish was topped with crispy deep fried mushrooms.

Spicy prawn with lily bulb and almond

Grilled Chilean seabass in honey

And to finish off, a colourful trio of macarons each - rose, pistachio and lemon, if I am not mistaken. Dainty little desserts which were so shiny and smooth - sheer joy in every mouthful. My favourite was the pistachio.

Selection of macaron

The meal was surprisingly more filling than we were expecting, beautifully presented and tasted just as delicious as they looked. Service was steady and efficient, and overall we had a relaxing and pleasurable dining experience.

For those of you tempted to visit Hakkasan for a similar experience, you will be pleased to know that this Bookatable Star Deal is available from 1st of June until 30th of August 2015 (Mon-Fri until 18:30 & from 22:30, Sun until 18:30 & from 22:00).  
Definitely one not to miss out on.

The Cheekster, signing out x