Afternoon tea at The Grand Cafe, Oxford

Escapted to Oxford for the weekend. Arrived just for the right time for afternoon tea. Lisa brought me to this cafe - The Grand Cafe.

It's looks lovely outsite and the decor inside is also quite lovely.

According to the print around the tea cup, this cafe was the side of the first coffee house in England!
We ordered cream tea which came with 2 rather big scons (still warm) - yammy!

We also ordered our favourite cake - carrots cakes. The icing on the top is sensational!!!

All together (plus another extra tea) it was only around 16 pounds! Rather cheap considering the quality of the food, the place and the service. Oh ya...the service was really good. The same waiter who first received us at the door also followed us to the door in the end and said goodbye to us.

Will definely re-visit this place again.

Add: 84 Hight Street Oxford, OX1 4BG

Telephone: 01865204463

Afternoon tea AT Castle Hotel Windsor

My flatmate's birthday, arranged to visit Windsor Castle for and then afternoon - a rather classy day trip. We were super lucky that weather was sunny after a very wet week. The castle is beautiful and rather big. We spent a decent 2 hsr wondering around the castle.

Booked this hotel for afternoon tea simply it is recommended on the website which sales package tours.

It's oook. Not v impressed. I think I'm spoiled by the afternoon tea at the Doncester Hotel.




Price: 12 pounds per person (min 2 person)

Castel Hotel Windsor: 18 High Street http://www.mercure.com/mercure/fichehotel/gb/mer/6618/fiche_hotel.shtml

Afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason

Have never actually dine at Fortnum & Mason. Had a afternoon free and proposed to a friend that we can pop in to F&M and have afteroon tea. How classy is that!

We choose the ground floor restaurant. The service is rather nice. The tea is ok.

The scones are rather nice but rather small. The cream and jam are v nice!

Tea is 4 pounds I think.

Scones are 5 something I think.

Ayoush, London

Met girls for dinner since only - a small reunion for us. Booked this restuarant.

To be honest I really don't keen on Morrocan, Turkish, Greek etc. food. Not a big fan of their style. Got there, the music is sooo loud that you can't talk properly.

And then we were told that they only have x'mas manu for now...er....rather expansive. Worst, champagne was horrible!!! probably some cheap stuff. Excuse me, if your restaurant is located in prime location in London, please at least serve some okish chmpagne!!! Didn't touch that glass fo chanpagne at all.

The food is soso. One of the water can't understand English...er......

Sigh....anyway, will never visit this restaurant AGAIN! They really have to sort their small and 'ill' toilet out soon as well! OMG!


Address 58 James Street London WAU 1HG

Addies Thai, London

Ish's 23 birthday!!! She didn't plan much since she only just started her new job. So I suggested to meet up at my local Thai restaurant for dinner.

According to my Thai friends, this Thai restaurant is the best in London. Only visited this restaurant after living in the area for almost an year, and since then I have been converted into a regular! love it! the food, the price, the atmosphere and the service.

We ordered the green papaya spicy salad for starter. I love it but it's a bit tooo spicy this time!

Then we ordered...the 'must have' pad thai. It's the BEST pad thai!!! love it!

Then pomfret fish with gralic source. This fish is so typical at home, but rare here. Haven't had it for AGES....missed it badly!

Ramdon 2 people see next us and ordered something that looks very good. After they left, we were having trouble to decide which dish we wanted, I called the waiter over the asked what the dish was next table. Was told the dish was buttered chicken....so we said we would have it as well!! (it's really not the best represented picture! I was too hungry!)

They are all very good...love this place!

Addies Thai

www.addiesthai.co.uk

Tel 02072592629

Add 121 Earl's Court Road. SW5 9RL

Nadia's Patisserie, Cambridge

Went to Cambridge for a day to get away from London for a bit.

The weather was amzingly hot and nice. We went on the punt with a glass of pimms. Nice and chill. There are several different companies operate on the river Cam. One hires topless guys. ohoh! Will definitely buy tickets from that company next time!



My friend's friend who went to Cambridge uni recommended us this place and said the carrot cake is the best in the miles. Ya....it's really quite good, esp. the icing on top...yum.

Love Cambridge and will definitely go back and visit it soon.

Add: 16 Silver Street

Candy Cakes - Best muffin place in London!

Have walked past by this place couple times. Always attracted by the window display - mountain of muffine with colourful icing on the top.


Finally made my way to it. I think I arrived there around 6ish and probably it is because they were about to close, so the guy in the counter told me if I buy 2, I will get 1 for FREE! Great news for my ever increasing weight! But of course I couldn't resist the temptation!!


The muffins are the best so far I have ever had! the size is huge, very filling and quite spongy! LOVE LOVE IT!!!

I think I will become one of their regular!


A must go place!

Add: 36 Monmouth Street Covent Garden WC2H 9HB
Tel: 0207 497 8979

www.candycakes.eu

Belgo, Covent Garden London

One of my favourit restaurants in London.

Unpretentious, great food, unexpensive price with lovely flavour beers range from chocolate, mango, honey etc. etc.(mango is the best!) and what they famous for - mussel!!!

The best mussel ever - Green Thai mussel comes with great chips if you order 1 kilogram pot. The best part is to deep the chips to the green Thai source..hmmm...yum....

They don't accept booking but they do have a small bar that you can have couple beers while waiting.

ps. the main courses are rather nice as well! Have never tried their dessert - have never mad my way to that far!

http://www.belgo-restaurants.co.uk/

Churchill Arms, London

A friend of mine kept mentioning about pub which has great and cheap Thai food on Kensington Church Street. Finally got chance to visit it.

It's rather unique, the restaurant is part of a very traditional English pub but located behind it. The pub itself is rather small but cosy. The decor od the restaurant is quite cute with green leaves drop from the ceiling.

I ordered number 7 (red curry with duck) which comes with rice. It's ONLY 6 POUNDS!!! Actually everything on the menu is 6 pounds including VAT and service charge!!! UBELIEVABLE price for west London.

Althought the price is cheap the food still test nice. I wouldn't say it's the best Thai food I have never had, but for the price, location and the service. I don't think I have anything to complain about it.

Love love it and will definetly go back again SOON!

Add: 119 Kensington Church Street W8 7LN

Tel: 02077274242

ps. booking is essential even for the week days and punctuality is also required!!

my souvenirs from France

This is all I bought from France.

Pate au Foir de canard (20% foire cras de canard) 6.95 euros, Terrine de canard aux oranges 4.40 euros, the lobster soup and Viviane bow with the typical Britanny drawing and s pack of Craqelines!

Don't really like the soup!

Creperie du Marche, France Saint Malo

Can't say goodbye to France without having crepe!

Last day, I was taken to Saint Malo, a very nice and charming seaside. The weather was so lovely so we found a creperie and sat outsite. There were free live jazz peformance.

Life is sooo wonderful like this!

Had ham and cheese crepe and it's only 4.5 euro!

Anne's Wedding, France

For the wedding reception, we had so many different kinds of canape. This is the most impressive one

Starter...white fish (Le filet de lieu jaune au arc de raisin). Not my favourit one!

Main- lamb steak (La meisette d'agneau en croute d'herbes franiches et ses legumes de saison). Cooked just right - perfect!


My favourite dish of the night! Brie and blue cheeses half melted on top of Craqelines! Really really nice. I am not a big fan of neither of the cheese...but I love this dish!

Had a dessert buffet again! and everything was soooo good!!

The french wedding is extremely long. The dinner itself was long as well. Started at 8pm and finished around 1 in the morning! and the party finished around 4 am!

L'escale, France St. Lo

The 2nd day in France. Dinned out in the local restaurant with friends who I stay with.

Had the typical french cusine confit canard - not too bad!

Had dessert buffet...okish!

However, the dinning out it's much cheaper than London. Main plus dessert plus wine came for only 18.50 euros.

Golden Kiwi!!!

Have been searching 'Golden Kiwi' since got addicted to it one summer when I return back home. Couldn't find in at Tesco, M&S and local market until the best food shop open in London - Whole Food Store.

Golden Kiwi test much much better than the normal 'green kiwi'. It's sweeter but still keeps it sourness. It's just so good and you can't know how good it is until you try it!

Ya...they are a bit expensive...0.59 pounds per golden kiwi, but it's definitely worth the price!

Goldmine, London

This restaurant has become one of my favourit restaurants recently.

The duck is amazingly good. I brought some of my former colleagues for dinner all of them amazed by the duck!!! 6 of us had a whole duck and it disappeared within less than 10 mins!!!!

Also, this dish - morning glory, has always been my favourit vag. However, it's so hard to get here, even in most of the chinese restaurants.

6 of us had 5 dishes and bill came for 58 pounds - fairly cheap.

Location: 102 Queensway Bayswater W2 SRR

Bayswater/Quess' way Tub station (exit Bayswater station, cross the road and turn left, walk about less than 3 mins)

Tel: 020 7792 8331

du Parc des Eaux-Vives, Geneva Switzerland

This restaurant is very very very nice. The food, the serive, the atmosphere are amazing. The best, the view is amazin - overlooking the lake.

Was taken to there for a business dinner, could not take any pictures of the food. But it's definitely worth to visit and I'll definitely return to the restaurant if I have chance to visit Geneva again.

Apparently it's very popular, went there on a Tues nite and it was fully booked.

Add: 82, quai Gustave-Ador CH-1211

Web: www.parcdeseauxvives.ch

Hotel Les Armures, Geneva, Switzerland

Was taken to this place which President Clinton visited with his familly and we were taken to the seat where he sat (not the one in the pic cos unfortunately it was a business dinner and it would be improper for me to take pic).

Had salad for breakfast. The salad is quite special, which topped with peach and mozzarella cheese (the strongest mozzarella cheese I have never had). I didn't actaully like that much.

Have to have cheese fondue since it was my last dinner in Geneva. It's ok.

The bill was paid but I don't think the restaurant is expensive. Compaire to the price in the UK. It's nothing. Everything is roughly half of the British price and the food is much much better....of course!!

Add: 1, Rue de Puits St. Pierre 1204 Geneva

Web: www.hotel-les-armures.ch

Moevenpic Hotel, Lausanne Switzerland

Didn't know that Moevenpic has it's own hotel and the restaurant serves so many different kinds of ice cream. Love it!!

The weather is bloody hot so I decided to order summer special - yogurt delighted (2 scopes of yogurt ice cream with berries sauce). It's soooo nice and it's only 8 CHF (4 pounds!!!)

Add: La Terrasse

St. Pierre Creperie, Geneva Switzerland

Randomly noticed this place and decided to have a try.

It's amazing nice. A very little and charming restaurant and the price is quite reasonable.

Went back again at my last day in Geneva and brough Fang-Yi with me. We first had salad for starter and we each ordered one crepe and shared them. They are all amazing nice.

Add: 6, Place de la Taconnerie (in the corner of the St. Pierre Cathedral)

The Gore, London

Randomly walked pass by this restaurant and thought it would be a perfect venue for a girlfriend's bithday dinner.

The restaurant is inside a rather characteristic hotel.

The menu looks a bit pricy, but the a la carte is quite reasonable 19.95 for 2 course and 29.95 for 3 courses.

I ordered salmon with rocket salad for starter.

For main, I chose pork chop with mashed potato. The pork is sooo tender, v well cooked!

Have you ever heard of risotto cake??? here you are! it's quite unique and rather nice!

Didn't need to order pudding cos the restaurant kindly offered the birthday cake for FREE!!!(ha..the manager even offered a free drink if I visit their bar next door!?!) And it's not a crapy cake but a v nice yummy chocolate cake.

Had the most perfect cappuccino ever!!! LOVE IT!!!

The bill came in the end 31 pounds each (we had a bottle of white plus 12.5 % service charge) v reasonable price!! And the service is LOVELY! If my bag hadn't got stolen, I'd tip 20 pounds!

Menu: http://gorehotel.co.uk/bistrot/index.cfm?section=1&pageid=2