For her new collection, called “Mankind” Kali Arulpragasam proclaims that “If man is the root of all problems, man’s kindness is the solution.”  The latest collections features statement piece used in congregation as ornaments suggesting a better way of life. Fragile sculptural human figures of painted plaster helping, climbing, and lifting each other in constellations across the wearer’s body. Each figure is unique in color, shape and size.  Collective motion is captured by broaches, necklaces, bracelets, and other unusual accessories. Each piece required hours of shaping, molding, sanding, layering, and laboring for which Arulpragasam jokes she could have used a little more “people power.”  Kali is based in London so you can’t help but think that this collection was somehow influenced by her surroundings.  Here are her top 5 favorite things in London:

1. What is your favorite city/region/town/village?
London. London is a great place if you know how to work it. I hang out in Soho, or Edgware Road, Bricklane, Notting Hill markets. But I have been spending lots of time in Edgware Road. It’s half way from my home and my Boyfriends. He’s an Arab, so I find it all new and exciting to be introduced to his culture. My walk starts from Soho through Regents street, Bond street to Hyde park then finish on Edgeware road. I also love Knightsbridge. So Edgware road is a good place to be, a 5 Min cab/bus ride will take me to Knightsbridge, Soho, Notting Hill. In 3 separate directions.

2. What is your favorite restaurant or cafe within that city?
Right now I’m so into the sandwiches and kebab rolls on Edgware Road. The Lebanese restaurants, Afghan restaurants…There is one restaurant off the main road that serves the biggest Bread with my baby chicken pieces. You can feed a family with just one plate. In the summer I like picnics in the parks. But in the winter I eat anywhere that is warm and tasty. When I lived in Dalston, I used to eat from these Pakistani take out within the Dalston Market. Their Buriyani’s are amazing! For just £5! For posh dinners I think The Wolseley, Is great.

3. Where do you like to go for creative inspiration within that city?
I go to all the museums and galleries, my favourite is The Royal Academy of Arts. And Victoria and Albert, The White Cube and small galleries I discover off the beaten path in East London. But I do mix it up with posh places…treat myself to Antique fairs, flower shows, kew garden, markets in east London or West London. It’s important that I indulge in all aspects of Britishness. I suppose I don’t understand the attitude of people segregating and Isolating and limiting themselves.

4. What’s your favorite shop within that city?
Liberty’s, Harrod’s, Selfridge’s. I just love it. I grew up touching their stuff. Even if I have only £10 in my pocket, I give all my money to them. I can always find something to buy in these huge shops. For small shops I like The Convenience Store, its not stuck up like other boutiques.

5. What’s your favorite bar within that city?
In Soho, I like British pubs. Bars in Parks like the Serpentine Bar in Hyde park. The Bars in Museums and Galleries, National Film theatre. I like V&A café/bar in the centre open garden or the ICA Bar. Aqua bar’s balcony on oxford street…you can see the whole of London in the evening, also, there’s a wooden hut type bar in Regents park on the ICA side or the Serpentine bar in Hyde Park. I have to be constantly stimulated and discovering new things…so, I change this up quite allot. I do tend to meet up with friends, in bars, because that is the culture in UK. Come rain or shine if you want to find people, they are at the pub/bar sipping a pint then we head to Bungalow 8.

Currently running two stores in London and the latest store located in NYC Other Criteria originally began as a publishing company created by Damien Hirst, Hugh Allan, Frank Dunphy with creative directorship from Jason Beard. The company evolved into an established art store destination with offbeat gifts, art, books, jewerly, tees, home decoration and knick-knacks, some mass-produced, others exclusive, and limited artist-made creations. You can check out works by Jeff Koons, Gary Hume, Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin, Banksy, Raymond Pettibon and Cindy Sherman among others. The company prides itself on partnerships with the world’s leading fabricators and printers.

The NYC located Other Criteria store has taken over the lower half of the Gagosian Store. The new space features distinctive pieces from the collection, including limited edition prints previously unseen in the US, alongside the ‘Hallucinatory Head’ and ‘Transcendent Head’, the iconic skulls created as the unpredictable result of the now famous and highly sought after ‘Spin’ painting technique developed by Hirst.

“We’re all about working with artists to make things that they want to create and other people want to buy. It’s as simple as walking in to the shop, or clicking through the website, and buying it there and then. It shouldn’t intimidate anyone”, Damien Hirst.

All merchandise is currently available through the company website as well as the the three shops: www.othercriteria.com

Other Criteria, New Bond Street
36 New Bond Street, London
+44 20 7629 5800

Other Criteria, Hinde Street
14 Hinde Street, London
+44 20 7935 5550

Other Criteria, NYC @ Gagosian Gallery
988 Madison Avenue.
New York, NY 10075
212 744 9200

British train travel isn’t as glorious as its continental European counterparts, but a trip on a Virgin Trains is as rock and roll as it gets on the island.
Services in Britain were privatized 15 years ago to mixed reviews: Higher fares resulted, as did safer services, longer repair times began, though customer service was also improved. Virgin has been equally criticised along with the competition. What sets them apart is that Virgin gets right so many things that other services get so wrong. As the red and silver-striped front of a Virgin train pulls into the station, it is clear that if train travel were a popularity contest, Richard Branson’s Virgin Trains are definitely ‘the cool kids’ on the block.
The staff is much more open and friendly than other train services; the announcers even show a sense of humor when and where appropriate. I have actually laughed out loud during many a trip.
Virgin trains also run frequently and reliably. All trains leave from London Euston station with Pendolino trains heading north to Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow, and their Super Voyager trains which run northwest to Chester, North Wales, the West Midlands and Scotland. Trains to Manchester leave three times an hour, or every 20 minutes, which means that seats are rarely over-sold and there is plenty of space.
Fares are reasonable, seats are easy to book online, and if date of travel is known far enough in advance (3 months or so), seats to Manchester can sell for as little as £14 ($22) round-trip, though these tend to be windowless seats with no view.
Lucky enough to travel first class? The first class service offered by Virgin is rivalled only by that offered by Eurostar, a much more exclusive and expensive service between London and Paris/Brussels. Bottomless coffee, tea, soft drinks and wine (evenings only), genuinely delicious meals, spacious seating with all necessary plugs and free wi-fi services are all included, and on weekends anyone can bump their ticket up to first class for only £15.
During a trip from Manchester to London last December, the apologetic train manager announced that our train would only be serving a snack service as it was considered an afternoon trip, and that any first class travellers who wished for a full meal should change at the next stop and board the following train, where the staff would graciously serve hot meals.
The snack was still delicious and I arrived on time, early even. As the trendy Virgin train arrived at Euston station, I couldn’t help but feel a bit smug that I chose to travel with Virgin to Manchester. Hanging with ‘the cool kids’ made my travel in dead of winter an absolute breeze.
www.virgintrains.co.uk

Old world charm meets new world decadence at the Langham hotel in London. Langham London is an icon among London hotels, and rightly so.  The legend of this hotel is true: impeccable service, restaurants, swimming pool and a full fitness center you won’t be disappointed. A walk through the lobby and halls will transform you back to the Victorian era with its elegant décor and poise. The hotel has undergone a complete refurbishment to the main areas and its 380 rooms, thus preserving the original details of the late 1800’s.  The Langham also boast many modern day amenities to keep the tech savvy traveler comfortable as well, such as WI-FI internet, large flat screen televisions, spacious working areas, and satellite television just to name a few.  In the heart of London’s West End, you will be close to many of London’s main attractions.

After a long day of shopping, stop by the famed Palm Court (right off the lobby) for afternoon tea. The Langham’s Palm court is said to be where the tradition of afternoon tea was started.  The tea sommelier will recommend the perfect tea to go with your delicate finger sandwich and homemade scones.  This is an exquisite experience not to be missed while staying at the Langham. Allow the staff at The Langham London to treat you to a weekend of taste and service -you will not be sorry. The Langham is British as British can be!

Langham Hotel London
1c Portland Place
London W1B 1JA, United Kingdom
020 7636 1000

A Robb Wirt Experience

As my London escapades come to an end, I relocate over to the Paddington area to check out Hotel Indigo, a 4 star branded boutique hotel. No! I didn’t get kicked out of my last hotel. You’re so silly. First thing I noticed was how close the hotel is to the tube. It’s literally a 3 minute walk with four suitcases. I told you before, I don’t travel light. One suitcase was just for my shoes. So anyway, we’re walking towards the hotel noticing that it’s situated between cafes and a 24 hour mini-mart, with Hyde Park on the other side of the street. Hanging above the entrance is a ginormous basket of flowers. Come to find out, it’s the world’s largest hanging basket. The 20×10 foot structure weighs over a quarter of a ton and it took a team of designers, engineers, and gardeners 3 weeks to construct and includes over 100 different varieties of seasonal plants and flowers. So puuurty. We check in and go to our room. Now, I don’t spend a lot of time in hotels because that would really defeat the purpose of traveling, wouldn’t it? But you want to know about the newly renovated room, don’t you? Here’s the lowdown. Our room was reasonably sized with a standard double bed. The hotel also has rooms with a king and rooms with 2 twin beds.

Unfortunately all of the rooms with 2 beds are on the basement level. I guess I’m kind of spoiled in the U.S. where I seem to always have 2 queen beds. What can I say; it’s fun to jump back and forth. Anyway, the bed and comforter were super plush and comfy and aided in the nightly recovery. One night we saw Aqua in concert. Yes, they’re still around, and yes, they have more than the one song you know, “Barbie Girl.” So as I was saying, the bed indulged my senses and aided in the recovery process. Yes, at my age it’s a process. The trendy room also had a couch and a desk for my laptop to rest. My laptop bathed in the free internet and loved it! Each room also has an iPod docking station which totally came in handy because you know how often the iPhone needs recharging. And I really can’t imagine a moment unable to update my Facebook status. I would probably just die. It’s important to keep the phone charged no matter where I am. Thanks for thinking of the little things Indigo! The bedrooms feature stunning photomurals that just add to the trendiness of the ambiance. Next stop, the bathroom. Oh my! Ren products! Sweet! The only thing missing was a shower cap. I didn’t need one, but maybe you would? The spa-like shower experience made me want to stay wet for a little bit longer… This sassy hotel also offers a 24-hour gym with all the standard machines and free weights. But you’re on vacation and walking all over the place, so really, is it necessary to work out too? What? Are you trying to make us all look bad with your svelte body? I’m not having it! Have some bacon at the casual, gourmet restaurant which offers locally-sourced, British dishes with a twist. They also offer room service. I had a delicious breakfast. I was glad it was included in the room price though, otherwise it would have been out of my budget. Loved the hotel and location, but with the paparazzi close to finding me, it was time to head home. I escaped to the Heathrow airport via the Heathrow Express, just steps away at the Paddington Station. 15 minutes later I was at the airport and on my way home. But now that I’m home, I want to go back…

Hotel Indigo London-Paddington
16 London Street, Paddington,
London, W2 1HL England, United Kingdom
Phone: 44-207-7064444

A Robb Wirt Experience

There’s a café, restaurant, and deli in Clerkenwell just waiting for you. Head on over to the Modern Pantry located in St John’s Square in EC1. The ground floor café is an energetic bright space, clean and fresh, making it ideal for breakfast or lunch. There’s also a more sophisticated dining room upstairs for dinner. The first thing to grab my attention upon entering the restaurant was the communal table that stretched through the middle of the restaurant. I don’t know about you, but communal tables always make my heart race at first. I’m like, I don’t know you. Why would I want to sit with you? But after a couple of xanax and a glass of wine, I come to enjoy the company of others, and find that they often offer stimulating conversation. Sometimes. But anyway, lets talk about the food, shall we?
The Modern Pantry offers a genre-bending eclectic fusion of ingredients and cooking styles from around the world, with no affiliation to any region. Some might even call it Modern. I began my journey with a signature dish. A sugar-cured shrimp omelette with chili, scallions, and cilantro. It was savory to say the least. It was the best omelette I’ve ever had. Other innovative dishes on the menu include onglet steak marinated with miso and tamarind, krupuk quail eggs with chili and lime dipping sauce, and cod and saffron pate with hijiki toast. My dining partner had the king fish with avocado. Apparently the blood line was an important part of the dining experience, as was under cooking it, because when we casually brought it up, the chef didn’t see a problem with it, and therefore, there wasn’t a problem. Our waiter confusedly said, “The chef stands by her dish.” And well, that was that. End of conversation. My bad. Luckily the avocado was filling. Actually, don’t get it twisted. Everything else was ravishingly delicious, including the vegetarian dumplings and sticky black coconut rice with fresh pineapple and warm banana cake with fig and rum ice cream. And well, you all know that I’m a connoisseur of espresso martini’s so it’s most pertinent that I point out that the Modern Pantry’s take on my favorite cocktail was oddly delicious. You know, it had the usual ingredients like vodka, espresso, and kahlua. But then there’s also maple syrup, all together muddled and shaken with fresh red chili. WTF? Red chili? You have got to be kidding me right? What can I say? It just works. So skip your routine after lunch coffee and walk the edge of wild with a chili espresso martini. Mmmm!

The Modern Pantry
47-48 St John’s Square
Clerkenwell, London EC1V 4JJ
020 7553 9210

Located within the Royal Festival Hall, Skylon offers impressive panoramic views of London’s skyline with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the River Thames. The good times don’t end there -the food at Skylon is an excellent take on Modern European food with British influence with delectable dishes including a fantastic tasting menu with items that look simple such as “onion” or “cod” but are actually much more complex than what their names suggest. For instance the “pork” is actually a dish of the softest Iberian pork belly with a crispy top and creamy cider sauce on the side. Skylon took its name from the original structure of the Festival of Britain and has been designed to echo the style while still keeping in step with modern décor. Skylon’s Executive Chef Helena Puolakka based the Skylon menu around the absolute best seasonal ingredients with her signature dishes from the market menu that include steamed duck egg, bayonne ham, taleggio,
parmesan veloute, shaved autumn truffle or the grilled haddock, tomato crust, coco beans with herb broth. A carefully selected wine list spans the globe and includes some amazing British bottles, as well as a few 1950s reserve wines, inspired by Southbank Centre’s postwar origins. So come in and rediscover the South Bank, take in the views and enjoy the amazing menu at Skylon.

Royal Festival Hall
The South Bank Centre, Belvedere Rd,
London, SE1 8XX, United Kingdom
020 7654 7800
www.skylonrestaurant.co.uk

I recently paid a visit to Dolada, the Italian restaurant located in a basement space in Mayfair. We walked in to warm, smiling faces who greeted us and created a positive feeling from the moment we stepped in the door. Dolada is not like your average Italian fare restaurants that offer heaping helpings of Spaghatti and Meatballs or all the other usual suspects, Dolada offers unique concepts in Italian food.  You might be taken aback by the style of the dishes brought out on the same token each dish makes for great conversation.  Like many high end restaurants, Dolada has a menu that changes completely according to seasonal and territorial ingredients but unlike other restauarnts Dolada presents each dish in a unique and almost abstract fashion without compromising flavor. The original restaurant Dolada is located in Italy in a village known as its namesake and has been open since 1923. The dishes that were brought out to us were consistently delicious and well-executed. Chef Riccardo De Pra adds that artful twist on traditional Italian dishes. Marsala-steamed lobster with French truffle, marinated sardines, lasagna with prawn and squid and most clever of all the Venetian mixed fry. The mixed fry consists of a glass vase contraption which is placed in front of you. At first you will wonder what it is and what you’re supposed to do with it until your waiter comes over and explains that you are supposed to drink it all at once. I sipped on it slowly so that I could comprehend all the flavors going on at once. I must say this was a clever dish that not everyone can handle. My dining partner was a little bit scared of “gulping her appetizer” but even if you don’t like the idea of “drinking your dinner”, it’s still an experience to be had. The dessert, like the rest of the dishes at Dolada are creative. The Tirama-glu is scrumptious and not like your typical tiramisu with its gooey insides. The grande finale consists of a plate of various chocolates: coconut, peanut butter, milky, dark and milk. Dolada offers excellent, warm service and deliciously unique food and you can’t go wrong here.

13 Albemarle Street
Mayfair, London, W1S 4HJ, United Kingdom
020 7409 1011
http://dolada.it

A Robb Wirt Experience

“A one in a million chance, you know the moment that you crossed over the line, a casual glance, no one has to read between the lines, in the south of France it was Spring time, special feelings come alive!” OK, so it’s actually London in the Fall, but whatevs. I’m sitting down to what is about to be one of the most incredible dining experiences ever. Close your eyes and follow me, I’ll show you a world you’ve never been to because I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking the food in London sucks. Work with me here, because you’re so wrong. Take a ride in my dining machine, what I got is what you need. Let me take you there. Let me take you there tonight… After a long day of being chased by paparazzi, I just want to relax and have a sexy dinner to refuel for the evening antics of the city. A place not laden with obvious tourists and flashing cameras is an added plus. With its killer location overlooking the Tower Bridge, I pop into the posh Le Pont de La Tour in the Butlers Wharf Building, which offers Modern European cuisine with French and Mediterranean influences.

From the moment I entered I knew this was going to be a celebration of delight. A dining affair was about to be unleashed and to the previous restaurants that I have been so faithful too, I bid farewell, as I’ve found somewhere new. I said farewell! The host took my dinner jacket to the jacket-sitter so I could sit in comfort in the elegant dining room. Sophistication was in the air and I was finally in my element. The waiter and sommalier then greeted us with enthusiasm and charm. They were simply infectious. I was on the edge of my seat in anticipation of the forthcoming meal. We began our adventure with a Native Lobster Bisque. Its luscious taste exceeded all expectations.

Followed by a Duck and Pistachio Ravioli that was sinfully delightful. A simple display won my affection but the flavor kept me on for round two. We had Seared Sea Scallops enhanced with pumpkin, sage, and pine nut butter sauce. To die for! As I’m writing this article, I am longing for more. But wait, there was more! A roast English rose veal chop with leaf spinach and a choron sauce. Tender love you’re so succulent and juicy! For dessert we had Guanaja cake, ginger mousse, and a Jivara Milkshake all Assiette of Valrhona Chocolate. Each course was properly served with a complementing wine, which I left up to the discretion of our Sommelier. His intense wine education shined through with each selection. He awakened my senses! No wonder Nicolas Clerc is an award winning expert (UK Sommelier of the year 2007)! Bravo! The wine list at Le Pont de la Tour is considered to be among the best in London so you’re sure to be pleased. And relax, your sommelier will comfort you if you begin to feel overwhelmed with the many choices. Before closing out we enjoyed a cappuccino and the breath-taking view of the Tower Bridge and Thames River.

Le Pont de La Tour
The Butlers Wharf Building
36d Shad Thames, London, SE1 2YE
Phone: 020 7403 8403
LE PONT DE LA TOUR

When it comes to the effects needed for a cozy stay away from home, Phoenix House by Cheval Group located in the posh Kensington area of London has all the necessary boxes ticked: Café’s, bars and shopping on Sloane Square right at your fingertips? Check. Five minute walk to Harvey Nichols, Harrod’s and other shopping destinations? Check. Spacious guest rooms with WIFI, satellite TV and all the techie goodies you need in each mini-apartment? Check. 24 hour front-desk and concierge on call? Check. A restaurant on site called Le Cercle which offers delicious gourmet dishes and can deliver right up to your room? Check. A full size fridge, stove and cooking utensils in the kitchen in case you want to stay in and cook your own little gourmet dinner? Check! Check!

Phoenix House is much more than just a hotel, it is a serviced apartment complex. This means that you get the kind of spaciousness, cleanliness and intimacy of a private apartment that some if not most hotels do not offer but yet you also get the conveniences that a hotel affords such as concierge service and room service (through Le Cercle). Prices are also very reasonable considering what you get. The starting rate for a flat at the Phoenix House starts at around 1239 Pounds per week plus vat. With the average luxury hotel running at least 200 to 300 Pounds per night, a weekly rate at the Phoenix House is a steal.

For added fun-times during your stay, Phoenix House also offers revolving specials such as “License to Shop” and “VIP Taster Package”. The License to Shop deal offered by London based Babet Style Consultancy is fitting seeing that the Phoenix House is a hugely popular choice of accommodation with the fashion industry set. Babet is perfect for out-of-towners who want to check out all the best places to shop, the best discount shops and also get a little boost in improving their personal style. The service is headed by Babet founder Lizzie Edwards, a fashion stylist and former top model who knows the fashion Mecca that is London –inside and out. It would be well advised that you come to the Phoenix House with an empty suitcase so that you can take back all the goodies that Lizzie will help you scoop up! Check out www.babetstyle.co.uk for more information or ask the concierge when you check in.

Okay so visiting fashion lovers staying at the Phoenix House will have their every style whim met through Babet, so what about the foodies? The VIP Taster package is every wine and food connoisseurs dream come true. An exclusive evening that only happens once every third Tuesday of the month which includes a 5-course wine and food tasting by Le Cercle. Eat, drink and be merry with fellow Phoenix House guests. If that isn’t enough, the special also includes a special “Welcome Breakfast Hamper” filled with morning edible delights. Note that the VIP Taster package goes on until April 2010 -excluding December 09.

For More Information about Phoenix House visit: www.chevalgroup.com/phoenixhouse
Reservations: +44 (0)20 7259 8222

Le Cercle Restaurant: www.lecercle.co.uk

By Robb Wirt

After an afternoon of high-power shopping at the iconic Royal Exchange Bank building, the historical home to some of London’s most luxurious boutiques (like Paul Smith, Bulgari, and Cartier), you’re bound to be hungry for an equally satisfying lunch, right? I know I was. The 30 some steps up to Restaurant Sauterelle on the mezzanine level will make your afternoon complete. Sauterelle is sophisticated French dining at its best. So wear a jacket so you don’t look like a schmuck. Got it? Complementing the Grand Café and Bar, the fine dining room offers contemporary, expertly prepared, French cooking with clean incisive flavors that are fresh and light. That’s what I was told anyway. Lets find out, shall we. You’ll see! Our table commanded views of the courtyard below, which was originally open to the sky; the clear roof was added in 1880. I knew you’d be curious about that… So anyway, our waiter was most charming and affable, serving our every need, including water.

Everything on the menu looked so inviting, that I just couldn’t decide. I’m not so picky (but I am selective) and I’m always up for a little adventure, so I asked the chef to bring us his favourites. It’s way more fun than blindly choosing yourself, and seriously, because you’re SO picky you would spend way too much time selecting when you could be enjoying! So seriously do it my way and you’ll be oh so impressed. With simplistic presentations we started with an amuse-bouche, a little flavorful bite to amuse my palate. OH, and did it ever! A beetroot gazpacho with apple, salted yogurt, and mint accompanied with a special brandy sniffer. Next came crab, caviar, and spinach raviolo (Cornish crab raviolo) and then there was smoked foie gras (poached fruits, bacon, hazelnut, and watercress). It truly was the most wonderful combination of flavors. The foie gras just melted in my mouth. I wanted more, but alas, the next course was enroute. Something worth noting is that nothing arrived before the previous course was completed to satisfaction. Seamless transactions. The main course consisted of red leg partridge (haricots blanc, beetroot, wild mushroom, seared foi gras) – YES! More foie gras! Mmmm! I put my faith in the chef to pair each course with a wine that would complement each bite to perfection. Well done! If you prefer to select your own wine, the French-led wine list isn’t too long, but there’s plenty to interest. Normally after such decadence I skip dessert, but really? How could I resist a unique carrot cake offering? Polenta, orange, almond, topped with ricotta ice cream. Judging by my newly expanded waist, I couldn’t. All in all, you should KNOW that the accomplished cooking reflects the seasons, and the results have an appealing vitality. You will thank me for sending you to Restaurant Sauterelle.

RESTAURANT SAUTERELLE
The Royal Exchange Bank,
London EC3V 3LR, England
Telephone 020 7618 2483
http://www.restaurantsauterelle.co.uk/

By Jessica Ainlay

The current foodie fashion of Fusion cuisine is rarely super successful, and I am a bit of a Latin American food snob, so I was concerned that the complicated name might reflect an identity crisis at The Providores and Tapa Room restaurant in Marylebone. Luckily, I was pleasantly surprised.

The two-story restaurant on Marylebone High Street has a difficult name, but in practice it’s a very simple two-pronged dining approach in one of London’s posher areas (Madonna and Gwyneth live nearby). Downstairs is a bustling lively tapas bar with Latin American inspired paintings and a massive bar bursting with bottles of everything. The festive music and delicious cocktails fuel the happy chatter from the diners who piled in on a Monday night to pack out simple wooden tables and booths at this no reservations tapas room. The Tapa Room also offers a breakfast and brunch menu, our server mentioned. She never tires of the food and brings friends in often for Brunch. A good sign, surely, when the staff dine here often.

Upstairs, The Providores is a sleek, all white dining room with gracious and professional staff, low music and a much more involved and delicious menu of Latin American ingredients with Asian and Middle Eastern spices. We ate lovely combinations of things like Sweetcorn and Chilli soup with umeboshi crème fraiche, and Plantain Coconut Fritters with babaganoush. Then there were the Grilled Scottish scallops on Stornoway black pudding and lime salsa with wasabi crème fraiche and the crispy Cajun roat pork belly on green pepper cornbread with tomatillo jalapeno chutney and pickled nectarine.

At dessert time, the table of six next to us was served practically the entire dessert menu, we literally pointed at what looked good and had them bring us two of the yummiest desserts I have had in a while: The Raspberry financier was a delicious warm cake with homemade vanilla ice cream on the side, and the Pistachio, apricot and dried sour cherry pastry was more like Lebanese sweets than a flaky European pastry. Both were scrumptious and had to be squeezed in!

While I can recommend The Providores and recommend its foods and its fine wine selection, as the cheery chatter from downstairs wafted in as doors opened and closed upstairs, we both would have rather been downstairs in the jovial Tapa room with the plain old posh folks from Marylebone!

The Providores
109 Marylebone High Street
London, W1U 4RX, United Kingdom
+44 20 7935 6175
www.theprovidores.co.uk

By Robb Wirt

Today is Friday, and I think my travel companion and I got lost. It’s so warm in the tube that we must have dozed off and once we realized we were off course, we just decided to explore our destiny. We got off the tube at Shepherds Bush central line and wandered about a seemingly older, less touristy, part of London. More like a rundown part if you ask me. Regardless of our first impression, we were hopeful about finding a quasi trendy place to have lunch. Well, low and behold, smack dab in the middle of this drab neighborhood was the K West Hotel and Spa. The intriguing modern structure caught our attention and pulled us in, as it was a little out of place given its mundane surroundings. We decided to give its restaurant, Kanteen, a go. Well, there was no one else dining, which made me a little uncomfortable at first, but then I just figured we were there off hours. I never seem to hit the restaurants during “normal” eating hours, even back home, so I got over the fact that we were the only diners and actually got a little excited because I was feeling a little needy today, and I thought if we were the only diners, we would for sure be waited on like royalty.

Not so fast cowboy! Our waiter was timid and nervous, thus I had to forgive my all about me attitude. Kanteen has an amazing menu concept called Saints & Sinners. This offers a choice of either indulgent or healthier options. Well, I am on vacation and I wanna be bad! I guess that made me a sinner! We started with Asian-style fried chicken dumplings with a rich teriyaki dipping sauce. I’ve had better from the frozen food aisle at Albertson’s. Next I had the K West triple decker club sandwich made with free range chicken breast, crispy smoked bacon, egg mayonnaise, avocado, beef tomato, and crisp lettuce held in toasted white bread with chunky chipped potatoes. It was a hearty portion and tasted as I suspected it should. Nothing special. John had the traditional fish & chips which was a battered catch of the day, chunky chipped potatoes, steamed peas, and tartar sauce. The malt vinegar was seemingly missing from the premises. Oh, and I almost forgot the wine. We had wine didn’t we? The small glass was nothing special either. Over all, the dining experience was adequate at best. The rooms at K West are fun and bright though. So if I’m ever in this area again on purpose, I’ll stay here. The spa looked so inviting I should have skipped lunch and just had a me day. Other points to consider is that K West is near the Westfield Shopping plaza. This is Europe’s largest inner-city shopping mall. No seriously, it is. There are recording studios and venues in the area as well, so you’re likely to run into people in the music industry, as many of them stay at the K West because of its cool vibe.

K West Hotel & Spa
Richmond Way, London W14 0AX
+44 (0) 20 8008 6600
http://www.k-west.co.uk/kanteen.htm

Review and Photos by The Cobrasnake

The Hempel is a really quiet hotel located in Paddington. It’s far away from everything. When you are inside it feels really relaxing. The reception is very quiet and clean -as is the rest of the hotel. The room was completely white. The bed was so big you could comfortably sleep 4 people.  Perfect for a last minute late night orgy. Its kinda hard to find things because everything is located behind hidden doors which are also white. Really clean and fresh. Amazing shower and bath tub. A Killer view of the park. Don’t expect anything amazing from the room service, we called at about 2:30 am and the only thing they would send up was a
cold cheese sandwich and it took thirty minutes. The breakfast was Amazing. Free internet, always a plus. A real nice place. Not for young people. Everyone I saw at breakfast – in the eleavator – was older and mature. A good hotel for a simple business man.
2.5 / 5 Cobrasnake Stars

The Gallery at Sketch. Where do I start when trying to explain this one-of-a-kind restaurant, bar, art gallery all in one? Is it a unique dining experience amongst anything else in London? Check. Eccentric? Check. Delicious food and great service? Check and check again! From the moment you walk in you’re transported into something of another world with so many different sections to get acquainted with including the Lecture Room, the Parlour, and of course the Gallery. The Gallery is a fascinatingly off-beat, psychadelic brasserie filled with enough design eye-candy to satisfy the most fashionable and artistic of crowds. Speaking of those crowds, the Gallery (and Sketch in general) is a magnet for people in media, art and fashion. You can just tell when you walk in that you’re in a special place unlike any typically faddy restaurant.

The Gallery is open to the public throughout the day as a video gallery room projecting new movies every six weeks; it is then transformed at night to service drinks and dinner. The walls are very high and towards the back you’ll find a circular futuristic styled bar known as The East Bar. The East Bar basically looks like the kind of bar that Spock and Captain Kirk would hang out in after putting long hours in outer space, doing whatever it is they do on Star Trek. Right above the bar is the bathroom. Now, I am aware that it would normally be considered very unusual if not a bit crass to mention the bathroom when trying to describe a restaurant but the loo here is unlike any other. It consists of a men’s side and a women’s side with long winding steps above and along the East Bar and you will find giant larger-than-life size egg rooms which you can step inside to …ahem do your business. This is artistic eccentricity mixed with cool design at its finest –so skip up to the loo my darling!

Back to the Gallery: the menu, created by famed chef Pierre Gagnaire whose restaurants in France have won accolades world-wide and are often considered some of the best restaurants in the world, features dishes with a big emphasis on seasonal and natural produce. The food at the Gallery is delicious with a capital D but the Lecture room boasts Michelin rated levels of electrifying food.

I am a new die-hard Sketch fan and my only request is that they bring us a version of Sketch to Los Angeles or even NYC.

Sketch
9 Conduit St
London, W1S 2XG, United Kingdom
+44 870 777 4488
www.sketch.co.uk