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RSSSaturday, July 3, 2010
The 1st Shop of Coffee "Princess"
Feels good finally getting back on the "Bila Orang Tak Selalu Blog, Blog"-osphere after the most gruelling 2-3 months of exam preparations. Unfortunately (or not, for me) the 1 month break was long enough for me to actually start getting bored and back on the blogging mode. Haha.
Albeit this time, the title may seem pretty unapt, what with the absence of coffee or the fact that Seoul Bakery is hardly a coffee shop at all.
Being inside this half-food stall, half-hairdresser downtown (off New Oxford Street, Underground: Tottenham Court Road), I somehow got the expression it call itself Hoho Cafe, yet the sign outside says "Seoul Bakery."
In any case, I'm sure you know what I'll be talking about already, although for Korean Drama fans out there, the title of this post should already have given it away.
The FIRST time I was at Seoul Bakery, I had Sondoboo Chige. I was already crazy about anything Korean so finally being able to hold that long-ish round spoon and steel chopsticks I was euphoric, but secretly acted cool. Though I couldn't help mouthing every single Korean tune I recognized on the speakers- trying to make it obvious. It was so lame almost like a teenage crush. Except this time, on no particular guy.
Everything they serve here, after graduating from a few more Korean series, are mainly really basic, hawker-stall-like food. Bulgogis for example, is NOT on the menu. Although the Bulgogi and Hotpot craze has been going on wayyyy before I came to London back in KL, I REALLY cannot find a reason why I never had the opportunity to go even once, now that I think about it!
Seoul Bakery was more like, Bibimbap (Mixed Rice), Kimchi Chige (Kimchi Soup) and Ramyun (Ramen) type eateries. Which you can guess from the simple interior it shares with a Korean Hairdresser (I found that hillarious). But I guess it was a very Korean area- a few other eateries, (and my guess is dance/ cultural classes) that go on on the same block/ row of shops. Also, I can guess UCL-ians tend to find themselves there for a quick lunch. The 2 hijabbis we saw eating inside before we went in, also gave me a shot of confidence.
So sondooboo Chige, was this spicy clear but red broth soup, of Prawns, Tofu and egg. We loved it since it was rather distinct from the tasty, flavourful, spicy and sweet and sour and savoury and every other flavours that existed in the soups we usually have down in South East Asian region namely; Malaysian and Thai food. It was spicy yet clean and simple tasting soup, encouraging diners to concentrate on the ONE or TWO flavours that the dish wants to bring out.
They serve it with rice and a choice of Kimchi OR Seasoned (with sesame oil) Bean Sprouts. Which explains a scene in Cinderella Unni (Sister) where the stepmother asked her stepdaugther to "season" and "prepare" the vegetables for lunch, which before SB, I couldn't imagine how and what she meant. We will see in my 2nd post that they steam/ boil their veges, (rather than cook them like Chinese/ Malaysian) and seasoning them with, well.. seasonings; one of which is sesame oil. My favourite ever god's creation on the face of the earth.
To top it, we ordered seafood pancake, which I can't remember what its Korean name was. It was really to my liking since the egg changed texture to become rather creamy and well, a soggy but not-BAD-type of soggy. The squid and prawns just accustomed themselves so well amongst the insides of the omelette, and contrasting flavour of the green salad onions.
Overall I loved the whole idea, of good food and Korea. 2 of my favourite things in life. Was rather bummed that I didn't know about this place earlier or else my goal of being best friends and recognised weird customer would have been a more plausible reality.
More in my next few visits!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
To Nadia, Bankside House, and 2007
Assalamualaikum and hello!
Now that my 2010 and London is coming to an end, I get nostalgic thinking about;
But this, Leon, Allegra, their amazingly refreshing "bird food" salad (I mean bird food in a nutty, bean-y, good way), is a taste I remember well.
THE MENU
We love how the menu changes with the season. It's like making healthy food high street fashion in catalogues. And the catchy sometimes lame names. Nice paper and art. The website might give some indication.
Now that my 2010 and London is coming to an end, I get nostalgic thinking about;
- The food experience I've had
- All the other experiences
Haha.
Of course, looking back at my collection of photos, I wondered when am I ever going to be able to share again the experiences I had at that moment in time. Sometimes, I felt that it was pointless, since the idea was about rekindling flavour, tastes and all the brohuahua bla bla ra ra lalas that were going on in my mouth at that time.
THE MENU
We love how the menu changes with the season. It's like making healthy food high street fashion in catalogues. And the catchy sometimes lame names. Nice paper and art. The website might give some indication.
THE COFFEE:
One of the first coffees I had in London other than Starbucks, Costa, chains and styrofoam 60p ones on campus. Although my it didn't exactly make it as my #1, it probably does come up as high. ig hearty eat-in cup, cappucino as Nadia always have hers, and me Latte. Actually, come to think of it, I never really can decide what type Nadia is. Everytime, it's always a different thing. But I am not exactly a coffee connoisseur, so I ain't gonna ramble on and pretend to analyse after-tastes and all that shenanigan.
THE WRAPS:
Having limited choice, the only halal-ly edible wraps were these sweet potato falafel ones.
It's a bit bizarre really since some bites are so good- a melange of fresh flavours, somewhat sour+acidic, and contrasted with the creamy, smooth sweet flavour of the sweet potato falafels. Yet, there is distinct dryness texture that the flat pita that I can't quite say I like. That and the courgettes. Can't understand why they'd want courgettes in the salad.
THE TART:
Oh the tart. This post is all about the tart. It's OUR Leon thing. I think it was Nadia who took the risk. For a place boasting warm porridges, nutty grain salads, and low carb wraps; dessert didn't exactly come in mind. Until we dipped our plastic transparent forks into this darkchocolate tart. Literally FATLESS GOODNESS. Great texture, light base, and powdery icing sugar I think. Or probably sugar subs.
NADIA'S SALAD
Here's one of the designed salads we had. I think this was back in the Spring 2008 Menu. Hearty mix of nuts, beans, courgette and thinly sliced rakes of the most bizarre combinations of veges.
Oh and I just realised while uploading these photos, that a new Malay Curry is on the new Summer10 menu!
Although I doubt anything truly Malay would make Leon's healthy food catalogue, but heck we're going more international than we realise.
That's my Leon for you.. Sigh. I'll miss you LEON. :(
Instead of the Gym
Salam and hello!
So I wouldn't really call this "the next level" by any means, nor is it "technically" student cooking. CONFESSION: I got them from the supermarket, but to those who has had the benefit of seeing and tasting the pancakes I made, themselves, they would agree they do come out just about the same!
I have been contemplating to go to the gym and work out my exam fat, but if anything I have only been putting more on! InsyaAllah I'll try work my lazy bum off of this chair right after this post!
Anyhow, Aiza had strawberries (fresh) from Morrisons yesterday and I couldn't hep but to steal 2 coz I just think they'd look (and they certainly did taste) better. And the syrup, though it's not exactly maple- I can't find any natural ones here, they're all maple-flavoured and I don't particularly like the SLIGHTLY greenish or greyish texture it adds to the golden color of the burnt sugar- did the job.
I love putting together things like this. Too bad the whipped cream came out liquid, for some reason.
Hearty fattening breakfast indeed. It's a good thing, that unlike Nigella- no offence, she's brilliant- my mind gets a bit paranoid about having fattening sweet stuff disporportionately. I swear my heart is now palpitating again, I am not even making it up!
So I wouldn't really call this "the next level" by any means, nor is it "technically" student cooking. CONFESSION: I got them from the supermarket, but to those who has had the benefit of seeing and tasting the pancakes I made, themselves, they would agree they do come out just about the same!
Anyhow, Aiza had strawberries (fresh) from Morrisons yesterday and I couldn't hep but to steal 2 coz I just think they'd look (and they certainly did taste) better. And the syrup, though it's not exactly maple- I can't find any natural ones here, they're all maple-flavoured and I don't particularly like the SLIGHTLY greenish or greyish texture it adds to the golden color of the burnt sugar- did the job.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
"From Primrose Hill with Love"
Type Russian Tea Room on Google and the first two relevant ones will come; therussiantearoomnyc and Trojka, Russian Tea Room Primrose Hill. Since New York is hardly relevant, possible, nor affordable now or anywhere in the near future, Primrose Hill it was. It was the idea of a dear friend, whom I really should go with, but decided to give it a go now since another dear friend wanted to meet up. I was taking up the time of someone with a busy schedule, so NO, Noodle Oodle Duck Rice Bayswater was not going to be good enough.
Trojka looked just like another restaurant, smells of coffee and cake, american accents amidst the buzz of chatting crowd- but they did have a decent menu boasting Polish, Hungarian, Ukranian and of course Russian spread. My eyes obviously skimmed through ANYTHING that has any of the nationality-sounding words (above) and went pass things like caviar, smoked salmon on bread and poppy seed cake.
I was initially worried since the waitress seemed to be carrying mugs of coffee and carrot or cheese cakes. The interior was authentic enough. Funnily enough, the toilet TILING was in my opinion the "piece de la resistance." But overall atmosphere was nice and agreeable and authentic enough.
I don't know why but I didn't take many pictures of the restaurant. Maybe because I was too excited about the food.
I ordered Blinis, which was this all too typical buckwheat pancakes (mini pancakes)- they really did taste like pancakes!! Like those morning ones you have with butter and maple syrup.
But more of that later. Here's a picture of russian dolls they had behind the serving and main cashier counter. I got it off of google images.
So back and on to the food.
I loved my Blinis, I regretted only having ordered the small portion. There's really nothing much to say about them since they just literally taste like pancakes. The Blinis wasn't extraordinarily weird tasting or anything. In fact when I tasted it, I just knew that's exactly how it would taste like. Except for the little surprise I had about how much like ACTUAL BREAKFAST pancakes they taste like. However, it was the fact that the whole thing was put together was what I liked best. It's familiar tastes, but not tastes that you usually get unless you put a bit of effort of looking into food like these. It rather REMINDS and SUGGESTS you of tastes you're familiar with, and how it would taste of put together.
I hope I'm making sense.
What Hazwan had looked much more interesting, and definitely evoked interesting flavours.
What Hazwan had, on the other hand, was FAR from being able to expect the flavor just from looking at it.
He had Coulibiak- which really wasn't that hard a decision to make. It came at the top of the main meals menu.
Coulibiak - old Russian recipe salmon pie of mushrooms, spinach, rice & kasha topped with smetana, served with fresh tomato sauce.
Sematana is this nice refreshing sour cream but not-too sour and a bit chunky with bits.
The rice made the bite quite dry, so did the salmon. But with the sauce, the moist in a bite is more balances. And it was this taste I really cannot fathom as good or not. It's just weird. DEFINITELY not un-tasty or anything like that though. Even the croute/ pastry looked like the normal puff pastry you have, but turns out it really isn't.
To top it all off, we picked the only drink with the word "Russian" in it. Russian Tea. It came with honey, lemon and raspberry syrup. A thick black tea- definitely stronger than your english breakfast and yorkshire blends.
Nice refreshing late tea it was. Nice area too, Primrose Hill.
I hope I'm making sense.
What Hazwan had, on the other hand, was FAR from being able to expect the flavor just from looking at it.
He had Coulibiak- which really wasn't that hard a decision to make. It came at the top of the main meals menu.
The rice made the bite quite dry, so did the salmon. But with the sauce, the moist in a bite is more balances. And it was this taste I really cannot fathom as good or not. It's just weird. DEFINITELY not un-tasty or anything like that though. Even the croute/ pastry looked like the normal puff pastry you have, but turns out it really isn't.
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