Discovering Tapas Revolution

I have always been a fan of tapas dishes. The main reason being because I can often be very indecisive when it comes to making food choices and am guaranteed to get food envy if I have picked the wrong thing. Tapas on the other hand is just perfect because you don’t have to choose one thing. It’s traditionally a mix and match of different mini dishes/appetizers served both hot and cold. 

I used to have a very tempting Tapas Bar and Grill on my doorstep called Tendido Cuatro.

http://www.cambiodetercio.co.uk/cambio-de-tercio/tendido-cuatro-restaurant.html

There was no denying it served delicious tapas and also fantastic paella dishes but it came at a price. Until I discovered Tapas Revolution I thought this was the general trend with tapas restaurants around London.

A few weeks back I went to the Real Food Festival at Southbank. On arrival the heavens opened so we took shelter in the cookery theatre which was about to begin the next show. It could not have been better timing for the next 30 minutes we watched Omar Allibhoy, founder of Tapas Revolution, demonstrate the ease of tapas cooking. 

We also has an opportunity to taste the food and that was it - we were sold. Not only were we 100% going to attempt to recreate the dishes but we were definitely going to pay Tapas Revolution a visit. 

Here is a little picture of our Tortilla de Pataatas. It’s a Spanish Tortilla made with potatoe and onion. It’s dead easy and Omar even suggested using ready salted crisps to speed up the cooking time - it works brilliantly. 

Last Saturday was one of those days when we didn’t really have any plans until cinema and Tapas Revolution was suggested, resulting in the perfect Saturday evening. Tapas Revolution is located near the food court at Westfield London. Before seeing Omar in action I would usually eat just outside the main shopping centre at somewhere like Jamie’s Italian or Cappuccino (a cute little cafe). But this time it was straight to the tapas! 

It’s not your normal restaurant set up but more of a relaxed bar eating experience. The great thing is it’s actually affordable. They have set menus which keeps costs down and also makes choosing a lot easier. 

I would definitely recommend a trip to Tapas Revolution (http://www.tapasrevolution.com). Combined with a bit of shopping, and a trip to the cinema, you’ve got the perfect Saturday afternoon.

HSBC "The Legendary Journey"

I just saw the following ad and definitely thought it was worth sharing. The ad includes members of the Lions squad dressed up as 19^th Century sailors en route to Australia.

The campaign was created to promote HSBC’s sponsorship of the tour and to celebrate the 125 years since the British & Irish Lions first set sail to Australia. 

The Light Show

I'll be the first one to admit I am not much of a fine art lover. I struggle to really engage with it and lack interest. On the other hand modern art and photography I love. I have become a huge fan of the Veolia Environment Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition at the Natural History Museum and always make an effort to go.

Last week my friend suggested we visited the Light Show at the Hayward Gallery. She is an interior designer and already knew a fair bit about the show and the installations. I on the other hand didn’t! Having seen this video online I could tell it was worth a trip.

It was fascinating to see how light could create such stunning pieces but furthermore the vast number of different illusions and shapes. Here are a couple pictures I managed to take whilst walking around the exhibition. 

M&C Saatchi “The best client we ever had”

I was really taken with the simplicity of this advert.

It definitely goes beyond normal advertising because it’s primarily a tribute to Margaret Thatcher. Unlike traditional advertising this wouldn’t have been client paid for.

M&C Saatchi are clearly making a statement and saying ‘look what we did for her – we could do this for you’. I think it’s an extremely clever piece, which is effectively selling an icon. 

Kit Kat “Take a Break”

As you can see it doesn’t have the CGI or motion graphics that we see in a lot of today’s stuff but I really quite enjoyed the old school style and simplicity of this Kit Kat commercial. I may have also found it mildly entertaining.

Bastille Concert

I have been following the band Bastille for a while now and was lucky enough to go to their gig a couple weeks back. For those of you who don’t have their current album it’s 100% worth a purchase.

I was introduced to Bastille last year, at which stage I could only really listen to them on YouTube. They have a series of songs called “Other People’s Heartache” which include some of the best covers I have heard. 

Here is a little video from the concert of Bastille performing “The Rhythm of the Night”. 

Burgers!!!

London restaurants have recently seen a bit of a trend in offering specific food rather than the normal variety to suit all customers. This trend started with BURGERS and some of the most popular places are:

Patty and Bun - http://www.pattyandbun.co.uk/

Honest Burgers - http://www.honestburgers.co.uk/

Dirty Burger - http://www.eatdirtyburger.com/

And then Meat Liquor - http://www.meatliquor.com/ 

The Meat Liquor Menu!!

Meat Liquor is without doubt the one everyone seems to talk about the most.  As a result I recently went with a group of girlfriends and it really was an experience. I must admit it’s not our usual choice of venue for a girlie catch up but it was certainly good fun.

The one thing that surprised me was the extremely strict queuing system (reservations are a big NO), you are stamped in the queue and can only begin queuing once your full party has arrived. This proves slightly annoying when one of the girls is running late…not naming anyone!

When we finally got inside the thumping rock music and dark, graffitied interiors all added to the Meat Liquor vibe and I loved it.  I am not sure if I would necessarily name this “London’s Best Burger” but it’s definitely up there!

Here’s a little picture of our order and yes we did finish it all!

The Iron Lady

Yesterday the news of Margaret Thatcher’s death was shared with the world and it will undoubtedly be a day remembered by many. Margaret Thatcher was Conservative prime minister from 1979 to 1990 and throughout that period she was an iconic political figure and world leader.

I particularly enjoyed this quote from the BBC website "Any woman who understands the problems of running a home will be nearer to understanding the problems of running a country." (1979, the year she became prime minister)

Youngest Oscar Nomination.

At the age of 9 Quvenzhané Wallis is the youngest ever best actress nominee in history for her role in Beasts of the Southern Wild. As a result of this nomination I instantly feel this is a film to watch. The trailer below gives you a glimpse of extraordinary talent.

One Direction "Kiss Me" Video

So it's safe to save One Direction are doing phenomenally well.  They are certainly a guilty pleasure for a fair few girls and yes boys too. I could lie and say they don't phase me but lets be honest they are taking the world by storm and are just great.

I can't say I really watch that many music videos but after the release of One direction's latest video #KissYouOnVEVO went straight to the top worldwide trending topic on Twitter. This in itself is pretty impressive but furthermore the video has only been on YouTube for 7 days and already has more than 24 million views. 

For those of you who want a cheeky watch here's the video (the skiing outfits have got to be a personal fav):

Happy New Year

Happy New Year everyone. Apologies but I have really abandoned my blog lately. There are so many things I should have blogged about but I just failed to find the time. 

I hope you all had wonderful Christmas's and enjoyed copious amounts of food and drink. One of my highlights had to be going to Christmas Carols at the Royal Albert Hall. There is no denying it is a truly spectacular venue and it was the perfect way to get into the festive spirit. 

Here is one of the videos I took on the night:

It's safe to say 2012 was a pretty amazing year to be British. We had the fantastic Jubilee celebrations followed by the remarkable London 2012 Olympic Games. My family and I were fortunate enough to secure tickets for several events, culminating in the final evening of track and field when we witnessed a truly remarkable 5,000m race when 80,000 people carried Mo Farah to victory in a 12 lap Mexican wave.  Seeing a new world record in the 4x100m Final was an added bonus.  It was an unforgettable family and sporting occasion.  

For those of you who want reminding here is a video montage I found of the games. 

It's going to be hard to follow but fingers crossed we can make 2013 a good one.

Google Glasses team up with DVF.

I was surprised to see that DVF had teamed up with Google at New York Fashion Week. Several DVF models were seen walking down the catwalk wearing the Google glasses. 

I wouldn't personally describe them as the "latest fashion accessory" but am interested to see the documentary they are putting together as a result of the collaboration.

Orange to match the outfit! 

 

The glasses enable users to take photos, send and receive SMS, gives directions and much more. This promotional video below highlights some of the glasses key functions. Seems all a bit to futuristic for my liking but we'll see. 

Mo Farah strikes again.

So I don’t want to make you all jealous but I was indeed one of the 80,000 people who witnessed Mo Farah sprint his way to that second gold medal.  I have never experienced an atmosphere quite like it.

 The gun went and that was it, for the next 13 minutes 41.66 seconds the crowd really were going mad. There was the most amazing 12 year old kid behind me screaming so loudly his parents kept apologising. Mo Farah said afterwards how "It just got louder and louder.  It reminded me of when you go to a football match and somebody scores a goal - wow." I discussed in a post a while back how I found the passion from football fans quite overwhelming and I didn’t quite understand it but on this occasion there was a tremendous sense of anticipation and excitement which was shared by everyone in the crowd who were willing Mo to win.

If you looked around the stadium it was literally a 12 lap Mexican wave with GB flags going crazy every time Mo Farah approached. Initially Mo was at the back of the pack but then he made his move and kept on moving until he was at the front. 

Mo at the back of the pack!....

But not for long!

By the time he commenced his final lap the stadium was erupting and the screams were just getting louder and louder, as Mo went faster and faster - it was extraordinary.

Once my father had got over the emotion/excitement and exhaustion of Farah’s win he pointed out we will always be able to say we were there when Mo Farah won his second gold and I can safely say I will never forget that moment.

Well done Mo!

Hello Gold Medals.

London 2012 Olympics - picture time.

There is no denying that the London 2012 Olympic Games were a huge success. I’ve been to my fair share of sporting events but they all seem insignificant compared with the Olympics.

The first event we went to was the beach volleyball and we left feeling rather boring that we weren’t dressed up – everyone was well and truly getting into the GB spirit.

As a result my family and I decided to go all out and invest in some Team GB T-shirts.  I thought I’d share a few from the family album. 

Excited much?

Outside the Stadium.

One of the Olympic volunteers - he actually requested this photo with us! 

And of course the famous "Mobot" after Mo Farah's win!

Adidas Team GB Sing-a-long.

Love this Adidas video featuring Sir Chris Hoy, Victoria Pendleton and many more Team GB stars, singing “Don’t Stop Me Now”.

They really were a successful bunch collecting an impressive 65 medals – 29 of them gold, so why not celebrate with a Queen rendition.

Photoshop Magic

Seriously excited to announce I have finally learnt how to edit on photoshop. This is something I have genuinely wanted to know how to do for ages.

I managed to get Photoshop through work and that was that I got hooked.

Having just been to the Olympics my first edit had to be with the GB flag and the results are as follows……

With the family at the Olympic Park.

My brother and I ready and waiting for the Beach Volleyball.

On an Olympic note I have absolutely loved every single minute of it and can assure you some Olympic blog posts will follow. Tonight has been the first night without Olympic coverage and I’m lost – what did we all do before?

Met Gala 2012

For those of you who haven’t spent the past couple days’ admiring the stunning dresses worn at the 2012 Met Gala then here’s an opportunity for you to do so. 

I can genuinely look at these dresses time and time again - the good, the bad and the ugly, I love them all.

Here are a few of my personal favourites. Enjoy! 

Colour colour and more colour. I really love January Jones in this yellow number and of course the on trend peplum detail.

Quite often I find that black dresses never really stand out on the red carpet or in photos but of course Rosie Huntington-Whiteley will never fail to pull off a look. I love the combination of her sleek hairdo and high necked dress!

And of course where would we be without Beyonce's statement dress!

London Life

I know I mentioned in previous posts that I have moved to London but I can officially say that I love London living. For starters it’s just so nice not having to wake up then spend the next 1hr30 of my life rammed onto a train with commuters.

Secondly I have finally re-joined the gym – something which whilst commuting was seriously lacking in my life. Even more exciting is that David Gandy – yes the beautiful David Gandy goes to the same gym. I can safely say this has been one of my London’s highlights!

Definitely works out!!!

Aside from David Gandy in the gym there is of course the whole city at our disposal to explore. Even better is that exploring doesn’t have to involve spending lots of money.  My friends and I have ventured to both Spitalfields and Borough Markets. Both of which made me feel like I was on holiday surrounded by fellow tourists.

Some seriously impressive street entertainment!

The highlight of Spitalfields had to be wandering into what we thought was a kooky shop but turned out being a multi-storey car park which at the weekend transforms itself into a collection of stores selling an array of clothing/jewelling/household bits and so on.

We then stumbled across the food section at which point that was it – the healthy eating was out the window and it was Burrito time! Quite literally one of the largest Burrito’s you’ve ever seen. When seeing the Burrito you’d think we’d consider sharing but oh no, each one of us tucked in and quite literally demolished the entire thing.

Funnily enough Borough Markets was another scrap the healthy eating day. As a serious cheese lover it was extremely hard to me no to have one of these cheese sandwiches.

Cheese and I actually managed to resist!

I did of course have a fair few tasters throughout the day, along with a collection of delicious meats, dried fruit, olives and so on. All of which we accompanied with a lovely glass of Prosecco.

After we were sufficiently stuffed and if I’m honest painfully full we headed to the River walking past the Globe, The Tate and across Millennium Bridge to St Pauls Cathedral. 

Tourists in disguise....

The main reason we headed to St Paul’s was for a glass of champagne on the roof terrace of One New Change but we got distracted for a good hour in Topshop and never made it up there! Next time I guess!!!!

Buckingham Palace

A couple weeks ago I ventured to Buckingham Palace to see the "Face of Britain" projection and thought I’d whack some of my photos up.

The campaign is hoping to break a Guinness World Records for the ‘most artists working on the same art installation'. They have got a total of 200,000 self portraits created by children aged 11-18 projected onto Buckingham Palace for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Summer Garden Parties

With the sun beginning to shine on a more regular basis, I have begun to get excited at the prospect of cute little garden parties. 

Believe it or not my new house does in fact have a tiny little garden. We won’t be able to entertain the masses or hold any raves but I can definitely picture some nice summer BBQ’s.

In my last post I mentioned a shop called Anthropologie. It’s quite literally my favourite place at the moment.

Anthropologie's home section.

Last weekend my friends and I popped into one of their London stores and these just grabbed my attention.

The psychedelic patterns are just amazing and I immediately pictured them laid out on the garden table with the sun shining.

Personally I think it’s all about going as colourful and as fun as possible.  So why not add these steak knives and glasses into the mix.