GOOD KAI

Caribbean Restaurant, Turtle Bay in Staines Upon Thames The chap behind successful restaurant chain Las Iguana's is opening a new Caribbean styled restaurant just a few train stops from Twickenham, in Staines (Upon Thames). This was a fantastic opportunity to check out eats on the other side of my normal route, and on this occasion with fellow foodie blogger msfoodblogger.com. The restaurant's food takes influences from all around the Caribbean so there is a real eclectic element to their menu. Central Bar, Shack Dining Area - Turtle Bay Restaurant, Staines After a wee trek around staines High St, ok we got lost, but we made it in plenty time to enjoy a few cocktails before tucking into a banquet of their dauntlessly spiced food.  It really blows me away at how these folk set up these restaurants, hire and train staff in record time and above all manage to fit out the restaurants with fun atmosphere and great food at reasonable prices (Turtle Bay reackon you can get ...

Hix Restaurant, Soho London I'd been meaning to visit Hix for a while now, since dining out at one of Soho's most suave steakhouses, Mash (who happen to have the biggest selection of USA wine in the country) its just a short trek across the road on Brewer St, from Hix. You will need to book if you don't want to sit at the bar and eat but to be honest, bar eating is more entertaining and staff are usually very chatty. We opted to eat bar side. I was pleasantly surprised how the barstaff knew a lot about food, and I mean a lot - these guys weren't regurgitating a script, they were food fans themselves(?). Fish with Cockles, Oysters - Hix Restaurant, Soho, London Inside its a bubbling atmosphere, neon lighting with purple, crimson overtones and interesting displays of sea life with a pink flamingo in full flight overhead. I have been on a oyster hunt lately after indulging in some of the best oysters I've had in Whitstable (you can't beat NZ Bluff oysters...

So here I was sitting in the waiting room at a Dental Surgery in East Twickenham, leafing nervously (I'm a dental phobe) through their glossy mags and there it was, this tiny picture of a kitchen. Washed oak cabinetry, contrasting black worktop, not your usual outfit but I really liked it. I quickly snapped a pick aiming to google further at home. I also sent the image to my husband who equally agreed it looked great. We'd been tossing up the idea of putting in a new kitchen for a while. Our current one had its own unique set of issues - falling kick boards, hideous aqua green composite sink (what were the previous owners thinking?), dishwasher was starting to accumulate rust, all the freezer drawers had snapped, but more importantly it was severely lacking cupboard space due to the poor design. So when the opportunity came a few months later to renovate we decided to jump right in to re-do the whole kitchen. We also in this time had a water softener for the house instal...

Sonne Hotel, Lakeside, Zurich "I never know why they come in such large denominations' he says curiously. The chap behind the foreign exchange counter comments as he hands over a small bundle of 100 Swiss Franc notes. (He's obviously never been to Zurich). Switzerland, the land of the highest consumer spending rates in the world, well they do after all pay a generous minimum wage (18 Euro) and they are proud of their low unemployment stats, but that needs to come from somewhere right? No reprise for the eager traveller either, just as well it is an incredibly beautiful part of the world.  View from The Sonne Hotel Kusnacht, Lake Zurich Zurich is a short plane flight from London, less that 2hrs from Heathrow actually, and there are some cheaper flights available if you ferret around a bit online. My main modus operandi this time, while in Zurich was to taste some of the best pies in the planet, from New Zealand pie company Pie Tribe . Before going any furthe...

La Luna Di Luca, Richmond With the London marathon only weeks away and summer just over the horizon, thank gawd! Finally we are starting to enjoy some sun filled days, even if it is a little chilly. On that note, I thought it would be a perfect timing for any carb loading folk to find out the best Italian restaurants in Richmond & Twickers. Its no secret pasta is the perfect fuel, but its not limited to runners, cyclists also need a fair bit of fuel too, and I just love pasta anyway sooooo, everyone wins! In regards to proper Italian food - I suspect most of y'all think any truly authentic Italian restaurant is best found in Italy, well you'd be right if you understand that it is all regional based. It might be hard to believe that Italian food culture we see today was actually developed post WWII, when parts of Europe went through an economic boom, including Italy. The only food that is traditional (used 100 years) and is still used today is polenta. There's an i...

Delectable Pork Belly Tagine - The Palomar, London Not the easiest place to secure a booking at the moment if you want a dinner at The Palomar, (there's a two month waiting list for Friday or Sat night dinners) and having been there, I now know its both a combination of having a small premises and a demand for great Israeli food. I've been waiting forever to find somewhere that serves excellent middle eastern food in a modern vibrant environment. The itself restaurant is located in Soho, down a side street by the M&M store in Leicester square so its a great place pre or post theatre. You can do walk-ins but go early (6pm) to secure a time if you are going on a busy night. I tried a walk in one evening but were turned away as other patrons had already taken all available slots. Walk -ins are usually seated at the bar. From what I understand, the restaurant is owned by two Israeli chefs of whom at least one had successful restaurants in Jerusalem. On that success they ...

Smoked Haddock with Risotto, The Crown Twickenham Boy has it been a mission trying to reserve a table at The Crown. I've obviously been leaving it too late - every time I have tried to secure a Fri or Sat evening reservation, there have been none, two days out. It is especially hard if there is rugby on, sooooo, if you want an evening meal here at a popular time or even a weekend lunch you may have to book a week out.  Entrance to The Crown, Twickenham I have been a regular here at The Crown for a few years now, I played tennis not far from the pub and would often hobble down, post game, for a well earned refreshment and a meal. When I first arrived in Twickenham around 7 years ago, The Crown was under different ownership and was run down, apart from the odd decent Jazz band passing through, it wasn't thriving. However, since then it has been completely re-furbished from top to bottom, has been running under new management for a few years and is now one of ...