Sashimi, anyone?

It's difficult to remember life before the discovery of "the sushi buffet". It's helped us mark birthdays and milestones, helped us get through tough weeks and given us an excuse, time and again, to consume large amounts of raw fish. The discovery of the the branch in Camden Town was a fairly recent one (with us always having frequented the one on Frith Street before) but we've not looked back since. Tucked away in a little corner, I would never have found it on my own.

Hi Sushi
Canal front
Camden Lock
London NW1
020 7482 7088

The occasion this time (not that we ever really need one): Sook Fun turning 22.

A year and a half of sushi buffet outings have taught us much about strategy - we've come a long, long way from our days of ordering everything on the list only to be tortured by the incredible amount cucumber rolls that are left for us to finish at the end of the night. It's the classic economic theory of diminishing marginal utility. Nowadays, we only order our favourites (I suppose a year and a half does help when it comes to deciding on your favourites), in particular, the tuna, salmon and clam sashimi and those delicious salmon skin rolls. There a few things that taste quite like fresh sashimi and the thing I love about this outlet is how the fish never disappoints.

Along with the bottomless sushi, one is allowed to order 7 hot dishes. The Camden Town branch has a significantly more interesting selection to choose from. Our favourites include the miso soup, prawn tempura, chicken terriyaki, the tofu, squid rings and the mushrooms (which unfortunately they had run out of this time).

I was particularly impressed by the chicken on this particular trip and quite taken by the wasabi prawns as well.

Edamame, those addictive, addictive things are also a must-have. I'm always surprised at how much (and how quickly) they go down.

Adding to the fact that the food is of a much better quality than in the Frith Street outlet, what really seals the deal for this place is the wonderful ambience that it has. Quite unlike the Chinatown hustle and bustle that the Frith Street one has, this outlet is all about flowing water displays, pretty candles and a calm atmosphere. A gorgeous setting, good food, the all-you-can-eat concept and a reasonable price - you can probably see why it's our go-to for celebrations of any sort.

The perfect end to the meal, from Pattiserie Valerie.

The Chicken Escapades.

The thing about having a budding lawyer-chef in the house is that there's constant experimenting going on in the kitchen, and of course by extension, constant food tasting sessions for the rest of the house. Our cooking enthusiast, Jason, has been going through a bit of (what I'd like to call) a chicken wing phase of late, filling the house with the delicious aromas of his experiments.


Chicken in Hot Sauce. This was a particular favourite of mine, a wonderful mix of spices and flavours, every Malaysian's dream. Dipping the chicken wings into hot sauce shaken into flour before popping them into the oven gives them a deep-fried quality that could fool even the most frequent customers of Kentucky Fried Chicken. The real secret, however, is in the sauce that the chicken is tossed in after. A rather eclectic mix of Indonesian sweet sauce, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic ginger and hot sauce, the sauce makes the dish.

The One Where Everything Goes Into The Oven. This is Jason's version of the dish that every student has come to learn and love.

The vegetables provide the base for the dish. One could use any sort of vegetables but the types that readily soak up gravy or require longer cooking time are ideal. Some oil is rubbed onto the chicken and the seasoning ensues. The usual culprits, salt and pepper, are used along with Western herbs. Like the vegetables, the herbs are a matter of personal choice but it's best to limit the number of types of herbs to two or three. Like with most of his experiments, this one has a trick to it as well. Filling the pan with some chicken stock or chicken stock cubes dissolved in hot water will help infuse the vegetables with those fantastic chicken flavours. 30 minutes in the oven, and its good to go.

That's really what I love about experimenting - adapting old recipes, adding Asian twists to Western favourites and cooking with a lot of heart.

Hello, Year of the Tiger

We realised how far we had come as we were preparing dinner this year - the calmness of the whole affair was a far cry from last year's noise and chaos. Coordination is difficult when more than half the house is cooking at the same time. In fact, its quite likely a fire hazard but we work like a well-oiled machine nowadays - light chatter instead of screaming and (what I deem to be) the greatest feat of all, time to spare before the guests arrive.



Stir-fried vegetables, Sapna-style.

Diana's seemingly bottomless Chick-kut-teh.

Chinese-style roast chicken, also affectionately known as "the chicken your (my) parents made".

Anusha's Secret Recipe Roast Potatoes.

Sook Fun's Never-Fail Stir Fried Chinese Mushrooms and Broccoli.

Our collection of Yee Sang, a mix of Chinatown and good old Kuantan.

For dessert, cookies, other Chinese New Year yummies, and 4 litres of ice cream. Yes, 4. The yummies definitely made my celebration - love letters, pineapple tarts, peanut crunchies and my personal favourite, fish crackers. While fish crackers might be a bit of a puzzle to some, it's one of the staples back in my hometown - there's nothing like sitting rickshaw-puller style in the dining area with your cousins with a deck of cards and a huge tin of fish crackers.

Bulk. That's the first thing that comes to mind whenever we're attempting to feed the whole house and more, and it was bulk indeed this time around with enough food to last two more meals - definitely no complaints there, especially when you've got a whole host of dishes to choose from for breakfast the next day!

In the usual spirit, we had lots of food, lots of laughter, good music and silly chatter. Needless to say, I think we gave the Tiger Year a nice, warm welcome.

Here's to a year of good health, prosperity, happiness and success. Happy Chinese New Year!

For a tenner - a second take.

After having arrived at the Primrose Bakery in Covent Garden just as it was closing for the day, a rather disheartened group of four wandered around Covent Garden in the miserable weather looking for something to lift those spirits. As we abandoned the initial idea of a tea-and-cupcakes session and embraced the thought of dinner instead, we soon realised that we were a bit spoilt for choice. We finally settled on La Tasca, something that suited Steven who's enthusiastic about all things Spanish, extremely well. I was surprised that the Tapas for a Tenner deal was still going on in La Tasca (and of course, that suited everyone extremely well) - it's been almost a year.

La Tasca
23-24 Maiden Lane,
Covent Garden,
WC2E 7NA

I must say, the whole ordering process becomes so much easier when you have the option of saying, "Can we have everything on the menu, please?" Based on previous experience at a different La Tasca, I was a little apprehensive about certain items on the menu but with the option of giving everything a shot, we really had nothing to lose.

It's amazing how much food one can fit onto a tiny table with some clever arranging and stacking - let's just say that those skills definitely got us far this time around.

As always, the meatballs and fried calamari were hits. We also enjoyed the deep-fried white fish and chicken croquettes.

The berenjenas gratinadas (aubergine baked in garlic and wine sauce, topped with cheese), one of my all-time favourites, did not disappoint.

Both paella dishes came as a pleasant surprise as unlike the last time I was there, the paella was flavourful and rather addictive, particularly paella de verduras (vegetarian paella).

One thing that hasn't changed is the warm atmosphere that all La Tasca outlets seem to have. The soft lighting and rustic interior is a great setting for catching up with friends and in this particular case, making new ones.

Because even the shopaholics need to eat.

Bicester Village is every girl's dream - a whole area dedicated to brand outlet stores and with it being just an hour from london by train, it's shopping heaven. Food is probably the last thing on most people's minds in Bicester Village but it's definitely not for this foodie. The shopping area itself has a few dining options but if you want something a bit more interesting than Pret a Manger or Starbucks, there's a cosy Hungry Horse pub a stone's throw away from the outlet stores that lets you get away from the crowd.

The Acorn
Pingle Drive,
Bicester,
OX26 6WB

Fish pie has quickly become one of my favourite pub meals after my introduction to it in Nottingham. Like most of the other fish pies that I've had, this one was made up of smoked salmon and haddock. I have come to realise that fish pies seem to differ in style from place to place, some being drier than others. This was one of those drier ones with a thick layer of mash on the top. While it was pretty good for its price, one of the comments was that it didn't contain quite enough fish.

Roast chicken with stuffing, mash, peas and vegetables. Diana particularly enjoyed the creamy mash, eaten with a good helping of gravy.

The classic - fish and chips (or in this case, fish and mash). I am definitely a mushy peas person, which is surprising as I had a pretty strong dislike for them when I was younger. Goes to show that some things just grow on you.

An absolute must-have at The Acorn is the Ultimate Candymania. Chocolate and vanilla ice cream, Twix, Maltesers, Stars, Smarties, brownies and whipped cream in a bowl as big as someone's head - it's one of those desserts that were made for sharing. We loved the brownies, those chewy, chocolatey brownies that had an almost crunchy crust.

"Oh my, I think the ice cream has brought my appetite back!"

While the food isn't spectacular, The Acorn is a pleasant alternative to sandwiches and on-the-go food. Not having to venture far from the shopping area is a definite plus point and the cosy setting is a relaxing escape from the stress of bargain-hunting.

Stop. Breathe.

You've just dealt with a toughie of a paper, and you've still got one to go. You're exhausted, mentally and physically. What do you do when you get a brief respite? Chances are you'll head on over to one of your favourites, your tried and tested, the one that never disappoints.

I think it's called a time-out, needing to step away from the game for awhile just to refuel and regroup. Bayswater's Gold Mine is one of those never-let-you-down places for us so when someone suggested that we take a break from everything for some roast duck, we simply couldn't say no.

As always, the main feature was the duck - this time whole, bones and all. I won't go into detail because I have here. What I realised, however, is that no matter how many times you've had it, there's always that "Oh, wow" moment when you take your first bite. Every single time.

They also serve some of the best roast pork around. Crispy tops and thick slices - just the way I like it.

The simple and incredibly tender stir-fried kailan.

Recommended by the staff, Pei Pah Tofu. The tofu patties, made from tofu and a mix of vegetables I think, made for an interesing dish.

So you kick back, relax, enjoy the food and just leave all your worries at home. Conversation is lighthearted as gossip is shared in hushed tones and you even manage to squeeze in a few games of air hockey and Tap Tap Revenge before the food is served. After your complimentary plate of sliced oranges, you get the bill and head down the road for some frozen yogurt. You take your time, savouring every bit of the refreshingly delicious yogurt and you head home happy and with a little more hope and optimism.

Sometimes you don't need adventure or excitement. Sometimes, you just need the comfort of good food and good friends. It's a good escape, even if just for a little while.

Italy: Of coffee and the other little bits

There's more to Italy than pizza and pasta, as we quickly discovered. The coffee bars probably make up my favourite bit of Italian food culture. A tiny space, a bar top, a display of pastries and biscuits and the unmistakable aroma of coffee. It came as a surprise, initially, how popular these bars seemed to be - just a neverending stream of people coming up to the counter to have their cup of coffee. The glorious aroma hits you as soon as you open the door and it takes a lot not to succumb to temptation. Perhaps the most amusing bit of it all is how even the Italian equivalent of a British pub would have coffee listed alongside their alcohol. Now, that's my kind of pub.

No matter where we were, the coffee was always excellent - full-flavoured but not too strong. The thought of a caffelatte and a warm pastry to kickstart the day was enough to get even my brother out of bed every morning. It's worth remembering though, that in Italy, ordering a "latte" will get you a cup of warm milk and not coffee with milk, something we learnt the hard (albeit highly amusing) way.

Cakes, pastries and cookies - things I can rarely say "no" to. The thing I like most about European cities is how these delightful little sweets seem to be in abundance. The pastries differed from city to city with the meringue-like pastries being more dominant in Venice. These pastries were a much lighter and more crumbly version of the ones in the other cities, features that one comes to appreciate after a large meal.

I found that I very much preferred Italian croissants to their heavier, more buttery French counterparts. Pictured is my favourite, a Nutella-filled one that we had as part of our buffet breakfast in Milan.

A little mixed bag of cookies to accompany you as you explore the city, or a box of tiramisu to enjoy while you wind down for the day - these little things can make anyones day and they certainly made mine, everyday. Perhaps the part that I looked forward most to at meals was dessert and with such variety, can you really blame me?

Now this, this is the one I can never say "no" to. I'm not sure if it's the sensation that the cold leaves on your tongue, or how the flavour slowly spreads as it melts in your mouth but I am definitely, without a doubt, an ice cream person. With my favourite ice cream parlour in London being an Italian one, I was almost certain that I was going to really enjoy the ice cream in Italy. Smooth, creamy and with flavours that would interest even the most unenthusiastic, I wasn't wrong.

We found ourselves, in the middle of winter, constantly stopping for ice cream.

I just have to give the vegetable soup we had in Venice a special mention. With a natural sweetness from the vegetables, it was so addictive we had to order seconds. What I liked most about it was that it wasn't too thick or creamy - just perfect for a cold winter's night.

Pretty interiors, tablecloths and napkins folded into shapes - in Italy, much effort seems to go into making even the smallest and cheapest restaurants look and feel warm and welcoming, something that we noticed and really appreciated.

It's one of those place where you feel like there's so much more that you have yet to discover, food or otherwise. For some people, the sights make the trip, for others, the shopping perhaps, but for me, it's always the food. I think it's safe to say that this trip was made.