BONNIE GULL SEAFOOD SHACK

I was just flicking through tripadvisor, and found this seafood restaurant was highly ranked. I was debating with Anthony which restaurant should we go for Friday lunch, and I'm happy we decided Bonnie Gull because we were not disappointed.

To start with, we ordered the clams to share. This is a bit salty compare to the one we had at Barrafina, which had a hint of sourness to increase your appetite. Also, the clams are in the small size, the meat are too thin.

For mains, I had the whole cornish crab and Anthony has the sea bass. The crab was HUGE, would recommend for sharing. It was plentiful and filling, also it was super fresh. Simply amazing. The sea bass didn't let us down either, it was so fresh and cooked beautifully. 

Okay, and the most amazing part of the meal was the OYSTERS. Me and Anthony were never oysters lovers. Since everyone was raving about it. Plus, countless times of listening to people saying how good oysters taste, we tried those at borough market like a year ago. And honestly, I really don't get it what's all the hype about. BUT I gave it another go at Bonnie Gull just because I trust their seafood LOL. AND I was so happy I did. 

The staff was very informative and patient in explaining different types of oysters on their menu. I went for the Loch Ryan. We only ordered one to try how it taste. I instantly fell in love with it seriously. 'I finally understand why people are crazy about oysters. You'll love it after trying this.', I told Anthony. He was tempted, and ordered 3 more. And he agreed with me. It's not salty. It's firm and chewing since the meat is quite plumped (you can see it from the picture below). OMG, I'm in love.

Yet, the best seafood restaurant I've been to and would definitely revisit. 

Rating: 10/10

PÉTRUS

I wasn't aware that the tube strike would affect London's transport this much. Roads were filled with cars, the traffic was really bad that it took me more than an hour to reach Pétrus by taxi (normally it took 15mins without traffic). I was late, very late. Anthony was there waiting for me already. 

First impression after stepping into the restaurant: a tiny and nicely decorated restaurant. The huge wine storage is built in the middle of the restaurant by glasses. Tables are surrounding this wine storage, and are not put too close that offers a bit of privacy. 

Staff are very attentive and nice. They always have their smiles on. Also, they even asked whether we are allergy to anything while we placed our order. And, while Anthony was waiting, they kindly provide him this snacks, with salty popcorn and cheese balls (I guess). 

Amuse bouche and starters: Anthony doesn't really like the amuse bouche but I like it! It contained beetroot, onion rings and cheese. For starter, Anthony has that slow poached duck egg, confit leg with truffle polenta and broth, while I went the salmon and crab cannelloni, mouli radish with lemongrass velouté. I LOVE MY STARTER, simply because I'm a crab lover. 

Moving on to the mains, we had the highland pheasant and braised ox cheek. Both were very well-cooked. The ox cheek is really soft and tasty, served together with baby turnips which balanced out the strong taste of ox cheek, kind of cleaning/refreshing your mouth after a few bites. And the mashed potatoes, I would say it wasn't the best we had but it was quite nice too. 

Here comes my favourite part of the meal: dessert. We both had the chocolate sphere. It was heavenly, especially if you're a huge fan of chocolate. Watching the staff serving it was like watching a show. When the waiter put the sphere on our table, I thought it's just that. The waiter then slowly poured the melted chocolate onto our sphere, the outer shell of the sphere cracked slowing, showing the vanilla ice-cream inside. The chocolate is super rich that I swear you won't be able to finish the whole thing without having it with the vanilla ice-cream. We were glad that each of us ordered our own sphere. 

Tea and chocolates after the meal was brilliant. Chocolates were made in 2 different places, also 1 is darker another is lighter. Needless to mention the taste of the chocolates, the chocolate box itself need some praises too. I was surprised when we were given this cute little vanilla ice pops, since I wasn't expecting there is more to come. It tasted so good. 

Although the food here might not be the best I've had but the experience is special and the atmosphere and ambience are just top notch. I would definitely go back again. 

Rating: 9/10

DINNER BY HESTON BLUMENTHAL

Anthony always wanted to try The Fat Duck but of course we are put off by the price, and want to save  to save it to a special occasion. So, we went to Dinner by Heston Blumenthal instead. (both restaurant are owned by Heston Blumenthal so it will be the same right?)

''A trip to Dinner by Heston Blumenthal won't be complete without trying the meat fruit." AND I TRULY THINK THAT'S RIGHT! With its appearance of a mandarin, it's filled with chicken liver and foie gras parfait, and grilled bread of the side. I wasn't a big fan of that, and expected it to be like those I tried before. But I was so wrong. The bread itself is so soft and crispy at the same time, topped with the meat fruit, it's simply heavenly, no jokes!

Another highlight of the meal is the liquid nitrogen ice-cream made right next to your table. It's not my first time to see the making of liquid nitrogen ice-cream but the whole experience is just magical, like it's dedicated to you! There are 4 different toppings, and we chose apple popping candy and dried cranberries. Also, the ice-cream cone taste so good, it's different from the normal cones trust me (though I forgot what's it made of :P sorry).

Maybe I should stop...it's making me hungry......xx

BARRAFINA

Ranked #14 on tripadvisor, Barrafina is definitely one of the best tapas bar in town; fresh ingredients cooked in the simplest way. The best tortilla I've ever had (yet). Highlight of the night, surprisingly it's the dessert recommended by one of the chef: conference pears in red wine sauce.

*Tip: Remember to arrive early to avoid the long queue*

Betty's Tea Room

 (Topshop sweater, Citizen of Humanity jean, Stylestalker jacket, Church's oxford shoe, balenciaga wallket) 

Every time I come back to the UK, visiting York is a must - because of Betty's Tea Room. Seriously, they serve the best scones on earth! The scone's texture is not dry, unlike those I tried elsewhere. The clotted cream is rich even though it is served cold. You can see from the picture above added a lot of clotted cream plus the strawberry jam on my scone. I know, calories........but I don't care! Also, their tea room blend is unbeatable, with a very reasonable price - £3.95 for a paper box contained of 80 tea bags! I ended up with 4 boxes to bring home.


每當我回到英國，到訪約克是一個必須的因為貝蒂茶室，他們有最好的烤餅！烤餅不會乾，不像我在其他地方試的。Clotted cream是豐富的，即使它是冷的。你可以從上面的圖片中看到我加了大量的奶油加草莓果醬塗在我的烤餅。我知道，好高熱量........但我不在乎！此外，他們的茶是無與倫比的，非常合理的價格 - 3.95英鎊一個盒中包含的80個茶葉袋！最後我買了4盒帶回家。