Teapigs

Tea is quite possibly the answer to every mind-boggler, good or bad. Graduated from uni? Great! Stick the kettle on. Someone died? Oh dear...I'll make us a brew. It's one of the simple pleasures we have all come to rely on. 

Over the past few years, the clever people at Teapigs have been working on creating more and more tea blends. Some traditional - earl grey, everyday brew; some a little more unusual - chocolate and mint, rhubarb and ginger. The range is so extensive there's bound to be one that even the non-tea drinker (do they exist?) would like. Not only have Teapigs got creative with their blends, they've also been coming up with different ways to serve them. Iced teas, teashakes and cocktail teas(!!!) are all easy to make either by using the ideas suggested on the Teapigs website (see here), or by coming up with your own.

I tried out a few of their tea blends and had a little experiment with a couple of them for myself.

The biggest difference I've noticed with Teapigs compared to other brands, is the intensity of the flavours. I don't usually like fruit teas because I always think they taste pretty wishy-washy, but the Super Fruit Teapigs tea is completely different. It actually tastes like fruit as opposed to sawdust. Kind of like a hot Ribena (without all the sugar!).

Likewise with the Lemon & Ginger and Mao Feng Green Tea. You get a much more authetic flavour without any of that gritty, metallic taste you often get with other brands. I tend to leave the tea bag in just to get some sort of flavour but that really isn't necessary with Teapigs. A couple of minutes brewing is all you need for a full-on flavour.

Now it gets fun. I decided to use the Darjeeling Earl Grey blend and the Rooibos Creme Caramel to come up with a few variations. As you can see, the results were pretty good. 

This ones for the kids (or big kids). All you need to do is pour 200ml boiling water onto the teabag and allow to steep for about 10 minutes. Pour into a blender along with 3 scoops of good quality vanilla ice cream and blitz. That's it! I topped mine with some caramel sauce and little fudge pieces. Not exactly a skinny dessert but we all need a treat now and again don't we?

This ones for the adults. Pour about 500ml onto two teabags and leave to steep for 4 minutes before topping with cold water and ice. Once ice cold, add a shot of gin (vodka would work too), add honey to taste and a slice of lemon. What you're left with the is a perfect, refreshing cocktail tea.






These a just a couple of examples of ways to jazz up your teabag. Both the ice cream and the cocktail teas could be used with almost any Teapig offering; just experiment with flavours and toppings!

Boiling the kettle just got interesting...

Nic
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Kettner's

If you're looking for something with a touch of class and romanticism, but still affordable, then look no further than Kettner's. I'm due to make my fourth visit here next week and I have no doubt that it'll be as amazing as the previous three; both in style, delicious food and just for it's overall atmosphere.

Kettner's prides itself on its history. Originally opened in 1867, it has survived two world wars and has had such historical figures as Oscar Wilde, Agatha Christie and Bing Crosby walk through the doors, as well a fair few royal faces! What I love so much about Kettner's is you can make it what you want. You could dress up to your hearts content for a super swanky evening, or simply put on your comfy hangover clothes and no one would bat an eyelid. It's impossible to get bored here too as they cover all areas. They have a range of afternoon teas on offer (including a free-flowing prosecco one...eeeer HELLO!), brunches, pre/post-theatre and, best of all, a Gin, Fizz & Jazz night every Tuesday featuring live blues singers and £6 gin cocktails. If I can't have free gin then £6 gin cocktails is surely the next best thing?! 

Anyway, this particular visit was on a Wednesday so I'll focus more on the food than the gin (booo). But even so, it's not disappointing! When you're having a midweek dinner accompanied by a man on a grand piano, there's not too much to complain about really is there...

So onto the food. With a regularly changing menu, it's always easy to try something different. Knowing that this was going to be a 3-course affair, I went for the lighter option of fresh buffalo mozzarella with red peppers and an black olive tapenade. The tapenade is what sold this to me, and it didn't disappoint. Mozzarella can quite often be bland in flavour but the saltiness from the olive emphasised everything else.










Also on offer was chicken liver parfait with homemade piccalilli and crispy sourdough. The presentation of this made the, lets face it, "pate and toast" really stand out. 
               













Next up, the mains. As you probably have guessed by now, I'm an absolute lover of all things from the sea. So I was more than happy with this pan-fried pollock with Jerusalem artichoke puree and sauteed wild mushroom. Although it was a nice dish overall, the pollock was slightly overcooked due to how big the fillet was. I'd preferred to have had a smaller amount that didn't need to be cooked for as long.









My regular partner in crime also went for a fish based dish: pan-fried fillet of stone bass with squid ink tagliolini, prawns and mussels. I have to admit, I had major food envy over this. I definitely lost out!







Finally, dessert. As per, it was a pointless case of overindulgence here but these things have to be done! I was having a bit of a rough week at this point (get the violins out) and there was only one think that could make it better....sticky toffee pudding. Simple! The addition of peanut ice cream gave a slight twist to a British classic. Absolute blood perfection.

So overall, another successful visit to Kettner's! This is such an easy place to enjoy, no matter what the occasion. I'll be back... (booking already in for next Tuesday. Keen).

Nic

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Harrison's

So it was time for another (girl) date night and, after a few ridonkulous weeks at work, I was seriously lagging. The thought of a late night train back from central London was not appealing so we had to get our thinking caps on. Where can we go that was local that wouldn't make us feel like we'd forfeited a good night out of sheer laziness. I'll tell you where....HARRISON'S! Being a Balham dweller, this is literally on my doorstep therefore perfect for a nice midweek dinner out before rolling back home straight into bed in 5 minutes flat. I'd heard a lot about Harrison's so it seemed a good a time as any to give it a try. 

Located on Bedford Hill, Harrison's almost completely glass exterior makes it easy to spot, especially at night when it's all lit up. The inside was spacious and modern, albeit almost in a clinical way. However, this was quickly overlooked when we realised they had a huuuuuge list of cocktails, all of which were £5 all evening Sunday through to Wednesday. I've lived in London long enough now to know when I've come across a bargain! The cocktails seemed like a good place to start along with some nibbles.

We opted for the Raspassion Martini and the Vanilla Apple Martini, along with some mini chorizo and padron peppers (both firm favourites!). Probably not the greatest combination in the world but someones gotta do it...

The chorizo had an amazing kick to it and, unlike most chorizo, wasn't overly fatty which I personally prefer. The padron peppers were equally as good and were chargrilled enough to give it an extra element of flavour without just giving you the feeling of eating a lump of coal. For saying Harrison's is a typically British menu, their tapas was definitely something worth trying!











Starters were up next. After bickering over who would have what, we decided to go dutch and have the best of both worlds. The calamari was pretty good although I can't say it was the best I've ever had. It could have done with a lot more seasoning and perhaps less oil as it quickly became quite soggy.










This little baby on the other hand, was amazing! Meet Cornish Crab on Toast with Samphire and Brown Crab Mayonnaise. Pretty pricey for a starter (£13.50) but was worth every penny. When the rest of the Harrison's menu is so reasonable priced, I figured there must be a reason why this one was higher. It was so flavoursome and was plenty to share between the two of us. Would 100% recommend!

There was one main course which stood out to both of us. Pan Fried Sea Bream, Roast Courgettes & Chilli with Harrisa Aioli. It doesn't matter if you have no idea what half that means. Just give it a go and you'll be so glad you did. The sea bream was cooked absolutely perfectly with a crispy skin which wasn't oily. Because of the courgette base as opposed to the standard carby base, it was relatively light as well. Harrisa tends to be quite spicy, and this was no exception. However, it wasn't blended in to anything so you could easily push it to one side if it wasn't your cup of tea. I LOVED this.

Once again, our eyes had been bigger than our stomachs and we were struggling by now. Neither of us fancied sharing a desert, let alone having a whole one to ourselves. However, for a sweet fix, Harrison's do these great little "Brookies". They're basically almost like mini chocolate chip muffins but really gooey at the same time. These would be perfect with coffee but, not thinking about the hangover, we decided to get ours with another (large) glass of red. Were the Brookies needed? Absolutely not. But just as a small sweet fix, they were perfect. 

If you're ever in the area, I would honestly say that Harrison's is worth giving a go. The food was lovely and the atmosphere is good no matter what the occasions. However, next time I may order less food and just work my way through the £5 cocktail menu... has to be done. 

Nic

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