BATTLE OF THE BAO - ROUND 2 BAO

Now for Bao, the second contender in the battle of the bao, which you can find in the centre of Soho. You will probably see a long queue of people before you actually spot the restaurant, which does not take reservations. Before you join the long queue in the cold winter, here's a quick review.

Afternoon Tea on the Bluebell Railway

My parents live in Sussex, and we have often passed the turning to the Bluebell Railway and commented that we really should go and have a look one day! So we decided to do just that on my Dad's birthday this year.

The Bluebell Railway runs a number of steam trains between East and West Sussex. Just look at how majestic these things are. A far cry from the trains we frequently use nowadays.

My dad and I stood there and admired the engines for a while, asking questions about how it works (coal is burnt, which heats water, which turns into steam, which turns a motor - FYI), and watching the conductor and engineers at work. It's really heavy and very dirty work, and watching them frankly made me quite exhausted and very hungry.

Which was just as well, because we had booked Afternoon Tea on the Wealdon Rambler - an old fashioned dining car, which looks like this:

It had an old world charm, which I soaked up whilst perusing the menu.

Afternoon tea was served as we whizzed through the beautiful Sussex countryside, choo-choo-ing (and chewing!) away happily.

Lots of sandwiches...

Lots of cakes...

And more cakes! In honesty, it wasn't the best afternoon tea I've had. The sandwiches were nice enough, but the fillings were pretty unimaginative, and the cakes were definitely not homemade. I guess this is all you can expect on a train like this, but worth bearing in mind...

Overall though, it was a really good experience, and a lovely family day out. We gobbled and chattered away for a couple of hours, looking out at the fields and watching smoke of the engine shoot out. An absolute must if you have a train or engineering fan that you're looking to treat.

www.bluebell-railway.com/event/lounge-car

Brunching in Bali - Part 1: Monsieur Spoon

I holidayed in Bali over the weekend.  It was as idyllic as it sounds - I attended a friend's beautiful wedding on Saturday and the rest of the time was spent on the beach, in the spa and of course working our way through the wonderful restaurants & cafes Bali has to offer.

Monsieur Spoon stands out as probably the best brunch we had during our time there.  It's run by two Parisian cousins, and you can tell: the dishes on offer are simple but made with such skill and finesse.

Yes, that was for 2 people - don't judge!

Battle of the Bao - Round 1 Mr Bao

The best baos are deliciously filled clouds of joy, bad baos are pretty awful. My next few posts will review a number of London's most popular restaurants, serving steamed buns. Mr Bao, in Dalston, is a small Taiwanese restaurant which sells small sharing plates and specialises in steamed buns.

UoVo

A couple of weeks ago I headed over to UoVo in Damansara Kim for dinner.  It has two sister restaurants located on the same street.

I must start with saying that UoVo's pizzas are absolutely DIVINE.

Pomodoro

King oyster mushroom

Primrose Bakery Cupcake Decorating Class

A few weekends ago I went along to a Primrose Bakery Cupcake Decorating Masterclass. My boyfriend bought me a voucher for the class as part of my birthday present - he knows how much I love baking!

So one Sunday afternoon I pottered along to the Primrose Bakery store in Covent Garden. As you can see above, everything is pretty and pastel, and let's be honest, really easy to photograph!

During the class, the Head Chef teaches you how to make really good icing that is exactly the right consistency (the key is in beating the butter and sugar for a good 10-15 minutes - don't give up before then, which is what I usually do), how to do the Primrose signature swirl design, how to decorate cupcakes, and also how to ice a big layer cake.

When you go in, to start with you'll be given two big and two mini vanilla cupcakes, a selection of coloured vanilla icing and an array of colourful toppings. After the Head Chef has shown you how to do the signature swirl (it's much tricker that it sounds!) you'll then practice this on your own. You're given as many hot drinks as you want during the class, and encouraged to ask whatever questions you have about baking.

Once you've mastered the swirl, you'll then be taught about the flat top design, which is best when you want to then ice with a name and put sprinkles around the edge.

And here are the finished products!

(Just look at that swirl!)

I think they came out pretty well - and you get to take them home with you afterwards. Needless to say, they didn't last long in my house. 

All in all, I thought it was a really nice thing to do, and an especially good present idea for people that love baking. It's relaxing, really satisfying, obviously delicious, and I learnt some new skills and met some really nice people too!

www.primrose-bakery.co.uk/shop/standard-classes

Breakfast Thieves

I've been to Breakfast Thieves twice in the past week - once at 9am on Sunday, and once in the early afternoon on a weekday.  The fact that it was jam packed with excited customers on both occasions is a testament to its status as one of the hottest new brunch places in town.

Accordingly, I had high expectations going in.  

On my first visit, we shared three dishes between us: My French Lady, The Breakfast Chain and simple eggs on toast.

My French Lady