Definitely my cup of tea

For those tea lovers, I recommend a place called Amanzi Tea.

Situated on New Cavendish Street, W1G 8TG, behind the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street, this place is a real gem in Central London.  It's got everything from hot tea, cold tea, tea based mocktails, coffees, frappes, bubble tea, tea bags, tea leaves, teapots, nibbles and a cosy lounge area downstairs (although you can't purchase the furniture).  The extensive menu gives you a variety of choice and all at extraordinary good prices.

Amanzi Tea launched in February 2013 and is its first international tea bar and retail space in London, having found success over in America.  It is definitely a high quality drink with great, new and a lorry-load of choices.

Menu

As you walk in, you will notice the 40 different teas attached to the wall covering ceiling to floor, with choices of tea leaves, tea bags, or just a smell of what Lychee and Pomegranate could be like.  The shop itself spans over two floors, the ground floor offers the bar, retail shop and quirky Victorian tile flooring.  The basement features a cosy lounge area perfect for a bit of 'quiet time'.

The downstairs lounge

For those who want to escape the chaos of Oxford Street for a while and want to have some proper tea that is value for money - I totally recommend Amanzi Tea.  Spread the word.

The tea wall

A fact for you: did you know, amanzi means 'water' in the Southern African dialect of Zulu?

Amanzi Tea will be open Monday to Friday from 8am to 7pm and Saturday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm.

Competition closed. A trip to Foodies Festival, Hampton Court Palace.

The Little Kitch have a pair of tickets to give away to the Foodie Festival that takes place this May.  And if you don't get these tickets then we have a promo offer for those who are booking online.

Save the date:

Hampton Court Palace – Saturday 25, Sunday 26 and Monday 27 May 2013

Foodies Festival is delighted to return to Hampton Court Palace this May.  The UK’s largest celebration of food and drink will see visitors flock from the surrounding areas to feast on the vast array of culinary activities for the fifth consecutive year at Hampton Court Palace.  Foodies Festivals also take place at Brighton, Tatton Park in Cheshire, Clapham Common London, Bristol, Edinburgh, Battersea Park London and Oxford.

Top chefs, including Ed Baines of Randall & Aubin, TV’s Gennaro Contaldo of Two Greedy Italians, Martin Blunos of Iron Chef fame, Michelin-starred Steve Drake of Drakes, Gary Lee of The Ivy as well as Katie and Giancarlo Caldesi of Caldesi restaurants and cook school will cook their signature dishes live in the Chefs’ Theatre and explain how amateur cooks can prepare the same dishes at home.   The theatre will be compered by Shelina Permalloo, winner of Masterchef 2012.

Ed Baines commented:  “I’m really looking forward to Hampton Court Foodies this year. Not only will I be sharing my favourite recipes in the chefs’ theatre, I’m bringing my restaurant to the festival to give all Foodies ticket-holders a taste of what we do. If you love good food this is the place to be!”

Now in its eighth year, Foodies Festival has introduced new elements to all events in 2013.  These include a spectacular Bake and Cake Theatre in association with Electrolux incorporating a ‘bake-along’ with members of the audience invited to participate.  Doyenne of British sugarcraft, Lindy Smith, will demonstrate her unique, cutting-edge cake designs. 

2013 also sees the introduction of a dedicated Chocolate Theatre to showcase the world of chocolate and confectionary with daily demonstrations from David Greenwood-Haigh of Divine Chocolate.

Last year saw the successful introduction of Street Food Avenue to all Foodies events.  In 2013 the Hampton Court crowds can again enjoy the huge selection of ready-to-eat hot and cold food from around the world including hog roasts, exotic meats, tapas, churros, burritos, Moroccan tagines, South American prime beef, sausages, pizza, Jamaican and Thai street food.

This year’s Children’s Cookery Theatre will be operated by local cook school Kiddy Cook who will run a series of workshops incorporating gastronomic experiments.  Kiddy Cook director Nikki Geddes said:  “We’ll get the children making carbon dioxide rockets and bread bubble bombs to show them the chemical reaction that makes bread rise. They’ll learn the difference between taste and flavour and think about the effect sound has on their ability to eat.”

For more ticket information go to:

www.foodiesfestival.com or by calling 0844 995 1111.

Opening times: 10am until 8pm. 

Terms and Conditions: One entry per household. One pair of tickets will be given away to one winner.  The prize will be sent to the winner within 2 weeks of the closing date.  

And for those who want to take advantage of the early bird promotion just type in this code:

Ready to Wok & roll?

 

Kate & Hayley's visit to School of Wok (brilliant name), cookery school in Central London. 

The following post may include parts which may be unsuitable for people with a nervous disposition...or vegetarians.

Unsuspecting right in the heart of London is this place.  From the outside it looks like some sort of homeware store, very neat and clean, except for the group of adults all sat round a big square wooden table on wheels, making chinese lanterns. 

Hayley the Spice Kitchen...

We were lucky enough to be invited to go to one of the Chinese New Year workshops put on at the School of Wok.  We arrived just in time to see the lanterns being made - ready for the next part of the workshop - cooking.

On the menu today:
Crispy Gold Bucket Wontons
'Longlife' Lobster Noodles with ginger and spring onion
Braised Fortune Mushrooms with pak choi
Chilli and garlic 'Wealthy Clams'

The prep involved all standing round with cleavers and vegetables - simples.  Jeremy Pang, Head Chef and Founder gave us all some handy tips on using knives and small chef skills to improve everyday cooking.   Did you know, for example, it is less wasteful to peel ginger with a spoon?  It's surprisingly easy, and garlic literally pops out of its skin by dipping it in just a bit of water.  Easy peasy.

Arguably, the most exciting part of the day was when the lobsters were brought out.  I was surprised to be honest that we were to be allowed to effectively (and kindly) kill and cook, not one but two, lobsters.  I mean, they're high end stuff, I only ever have lobster at special occasions.
  

The quickest and least painful way to effectively prep the lobster.

Next came the cooking in the 'spice kitchen' on the snazzy hobs (much more modern than The Little Kitch's), and to round it off - the feast round the table with our fellow cooks.

Showing how it's done. Good luck everyone...

For those who really want to hone in on some Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese and Japanese foods, then the School of Wok is the place for you.  They have a whole kitchen full of different classes and even dim sum making ones.  Can't make up your mind?  No worries, they have demonstration classes - for free.  It's an authentic and genuine place, where you get to really be hands on with what you are doing.  The facilities are great, and you do come out of their feeling like you've just accomplished a great menu, and of course, feeling full.  I think it's well worth the time and price.

Kate cooking up a storm

Chef's turn

Feast time!

Clams and wontons

Taster wines introduced by A Grape Night In

Review: Yauatcha, Soho

To celebrate Chinese New Year recently, we took a little trip to a place called Yauatcha in Soho.  It describes itself as a "contemporary dim sum teahouse", and that is exactly what we got.  Yauatcha opened in London in 2004 (it also has a branch in India) and received a Michelin star within its first year.  


Dim Sum in Hong Kong is usually a breakfast thing, and so naturally we arrived in stirring Soho on a Saturday evening. 

This is what we had (rule of thumb when ordering dim sum is 3 dishes per person which everyone can pick and share):


蠔皇叉燒包 that's Char sui bun for those who can't read Chinese

叉燒滑腸粉 Char sui cheung fun

黑椒火鴨金瓜酥 Roasted duck pumpkin puff with pine nut

避風塘軟殼蟹 Spicy soft shell crab
皮蛋瘦肉粥 Pork and preserved egg congee
琵琶豆腐 Pipa tofu with shrimp and baby asparagus

From top, clockwise: congee, char sui bun, cheung fun

Dessert:
Matcha Dobos (matcha tea, lemon, lemon confit, almond)
Jasmine honey (milk chocolate, caramelized honey, almond)

To drink:

Iced tea - Lime and passion passion fruit, lime, apple juice and jasmine tea

Cocktail - Cha la lai (Belvedere vodka, black grapes, oolong tea, apple juice and Champagne)

Congee and Cha La Lai cocktail with the fish tank bar in the background

I'm (Hayley) a bit of a snob when it comes to chinese food - coming from home cooked, real chinese food and spending weeks at my Grandad's house in the middle of nowhere in Hong Kong every 4 years of my life; the main thing for me is that chinese food outside Hong Kong or my family's house has to be authentic enough.  And I mean that in every sense of the dining experience, from decor to the way a menu is set out, to the size and quality of the food.  

Yauatcha already stands out as it isn't trying to recreate the traditional dim sum experience, it's adding a modern twist to every meal, and of course the Michelin star automatically raises your standards before even stepping inside.  

The menu offered many dishes.  The selection is wide and it also includes bigger dishes such as noodle and rice for those who assume dim sum won't fill you up (believe me - it is enough).  The food generally was great, the portions were good, presentation was excellent - the simplicity meets upmarket suited Yauatcha's self-description perfectly.  The dish that stood out for me was the pipa tofu - the tofu was a sort of mashed up version and the sauce is incredible and moorish.

pipa tofu. Yum yum. 

Pickled cucumber comes with the tap water
(which is refilled endlessly by the way) 

Duck and pumpkin puff. 

Gluttony overtook us and we ordered desserts.  It's very rich, and like chinese desserts, it's not the size that matters - it is DEFINITELY enough.  My lemony dessert was divine, sour, sweet, fluffy.  A cute little touch on the desserts is that there is a small chocolate plaque placed with the logo on it.

Signed dessert

Booking is definitely recommended for this place - a busy, lively atmosphere, this is a place where you would spot model type/industry people...everyday.  The downstairs dining offers the cocktail bar made out of a fish tank - which is quite distracting but provides a sort of calm and serene feel amongst the music and chatter.  We were given good service, although it is sometimes difficult to hear over the music.  A new glass of tap water is replaced regularly so that you never quite finish a glass before you're given a new one.  I must admit I was a bit sceptical as many of the staff were not asian, but the kitchen staff are.  Prices are reasonable - they do edge towards the higher end of the scale, and for a Michelin starred restaurant in Central London, I guess it's pretty good.  There was a slight delay in collecting our coats from the cloakroom - you are given a swish tag with a number on it to collect them at the end.  Good idea but trying not to lose the tag is a feat, and when you are waiting for the staff who can't find your coat along a narrow corridor in the direction of the bathrooms, that's when you start to feel the stress radiating from the hard-working staff. 

Overall, it was a fun experience.  There's nothing bad about the food or service, but for me personally, that was just it, there wasn't anything special about it.  The little quirks and touches to the traditional dim sum dishes were good - but they were almost like a novelty because I knew I would be dining in here as a 'one-off'.  I would recommend this place to others however, just to see what they think of it - I just have exceptional high standards when it comes to chinese food.

When I left, I said I never wanted to eat again - which is what you want to be feeling when you leave a restaurant, so that's no bad thing.  Rating: 3.5 out of 5.