La Trompette

La Trompette
5-7 Devonshire Road
Chiswick
London, W4 2EU
Tel: 020 8747 1836
http://www.latrompette.co.uk

Joe took me here for Valentine's Day this year. We usually don't make a big deal out of this holiday, so it was sweet for him to take me out to a fancy dinner. Joe's boss recommended this and said it was one of the best French restaurants in London. It's not central (rather far west), so you get the 'Chiswick' discount on great French food -- £35 will get you a 3 course meal.

Joe ordered...
Seared loin of tuna with a salad of radish, coriander, soy and sesame
Roast halibut with creamed potatoes, red wine, button onions and lardons
Pear and almond tart with jersey cream

Sandy ordered...
Foie gras and chicken liver parfait with toasted brioche
Daube of pork with soft polenta, crisp pancetta, wild mushrooms and rosemary
Panna cotta of coconut and pineapple with financiers

I loved everything I ordered! The pork was so tender you didn't need a knife to cut it, and the halibut Joe ordered was cooked to perfection! Soft, flavorful, and moist. We didn't love the pear and almond tart (maybe not our thing), so would opt to try the crème brûlée or the chocolate fondant. Enjoy!

LAB

LAB (London Academy of Bartending)
12 Old Compton Street, Soho, W1D 4TQ

http://www.lab-townhouse.com

Telephone: 0871 4262225

This narrow and smoky bar didn't do much to impress me the first time I visited it. At the end of Old Compton Street it sits oddly amongst a Japanese restaurant, an Italian bakery, a Ed's burger joint and a predominately gay area of town. But if you enjoy a cocktail, uh, that sounded funny after the previous sentence :) -- If you enjoy GOOOD alcoholic drinks, do drop by for a few.

If you are with a small party, I would hang out at the bar to watch the bartenders work it. They don't call this place the London Academy of Bartending for nothing. The basement floor has another bar and a group seating area, but the booth seats are rather uncomfortable. The house music is a bit loud for group conversations to ensue, but I found myself saying quite often to my friends -- "you have to try this drink!".

Our favorites:
Absolutely Crushed -- Large measure of Absolut citron vodka muddled with fresh kumquats, lemon juice, passion fruit and soft brown sugar served frappe and polished with Mandarin Napoleon.

Very Berry -- Large measure of Wyborowa vodka muddled with fresh lime, blueberries, blackberries and caster sugar. Served over crushed ice with a creme de mure float.

Tiramisu -- (Even if you don't like chocolate martinis, this is one you have to try!) A heavenly mix of Patron XO cafe tequila with Mozart white and dark chocolate liqueur, marscapone cheese, charged with espresso and dusted with chocolate.

Little Bay

Little Bay
171 Farringdon Road
Clerkenwell
London, EC1R 3AL
Tel: 020 7278 1234
http://www.little-bay.co.uk
Suggested by: Warren

We were in the area and needed to grab a bite to eat before seeing our friend Rania perform at her first full gig in the Wilmington up the street. Warr picked the perfect place for dinner at Little Bay. Good service, CHEAP good food (which is hard to find in London), and a artistic atmosphere (check out big sun god on the wall). Salads are £3 and mains are £7!! I had the warm goat cheese salad and the sea bass for my main. Both were delicious! Dishes are not tiny, which is what I expected for that price. Do stop by if you are in the area. As always, reservations are recommended for less hassle.

Beard Papa's in London!

Joe, Caleb, and I confirmed that Beard Papa's does exist in London! Funny how if you can't find something on the internet, you need to see it to believe it.

Beard Papa's
143 Oxford Street
Mon - Fri: 8am - 10pm
Sat - Sun: 10am - 10pm

They are starting to have more special flavors. Today it was cappuccino. You will also find green tea, caramel, and chocolate coming soon (rotate on a daily basis). They still don't have sesame which is one of our favorites. To make up for the dissatisfying Korean dinner we had, Caleb had 2 puffs and Joe and I split a 2nd. We stuck to vanilla, which is still #1. If I haven't had it in a while, I always have to have a vanilla first. And if I go for seconds, then maybe the flavor of the day. It did puzzle us why this place opened so early in the morning during the week. Do people eat it for breakfast?!

***
Heard through the online grapevine that there is a Beard Papa on Oxford Street just opposite the Uniqlo (where you can buy cheap cashmere sweaters by the way)!

Joe and I have been avid followers of this special cream puff store since they opened their first U.S. store in New York. At one point we went 3 days in a row. If you have never tried Beard Papa's you should start with the regular vanilla flavor. They have daily specials like...

Sesame (yum!)
Chocolate (when is chocolate not good)
Pumpkin (okay)
Green Tea (not that sweet)
Earl Grey Tea (haven't tried - yet)
Coffee (haven't tried - yet)

Below is Joe at the Puente Hills (Cali) mall location before it was open. We paid a visit over Christmas break. And our friend Suong enjoying a cream puff at the Astor Place location in NYC.

* Uniqlo
Oxford Street
The Plaza Shopping Centre
118 Oxford St
London W1D 1LT
Closest Tube Station: Tottenham Court or Oxford Circus Station
* Beard Papa Website

Night Out at Canary Wharf - Jamie's & Gaucho Grill

Gaucho Grill
Multiple locations in London
29 Westferry Circus
London, E14 8RR
Tel: 0871 332 7606
http://www.gaucho-grill.com

Jamie's
28 Westferry Circus
London E14 8RR
Tel: 020 7536 2861

We decided to do a Friday night out in Canary Wharf after my co-worker Tim suggested ice skating. It's a strange getting out of the tube station and seeing so many sky scrapers. Most of London is not like New York City, so it felt very modern compared to central and west London. Note that Canary Wharf is where all the banks are concentrated, which could explain the high concentration of Porches and Mercedes in a 3 block radius. I do have to commend the large indoor mall linked to the Canary Wharf tube station. All inclusive, with there own fully equipped Waitrose (like Whole Foods). Sounds like NY's AOL Time Warner Builing huh? Yuppies live here. :)

After a painful hour of ice skating under the bright lights of towering buildings, we had to kill some time before our 930pm reservation at Gaucho Grill (we had a big party). The bar Jamie's right next to Gaucho Grill is a fun and lively place to kill some time. Both are located on Westferry Circus and have a romantic evening view of the Thames River. I wouldn't mind coming back to Royal China for some dim sum during the day, also next to Gaucho Grill.

Jamie's serves up good beer and delicious appetizer plates. Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc is Joe's beer of choice now, and I'm always down for a good cider. Food-wise, you can get your hands on some mini burgers, mini shrimp burritos, duck egg rolls, potato wedges, onion rings, and chicken satay. Do order the 'sampler' platter. Yes, skating around in circles does work up an appetite. Also, word is Jamie's is where all the Essex girls hang out in hope of snagging a banker husband, or just a sugar daddy. Just FYI (wink wink).

If you crave a steak while you are in London, Gaucho Grill can do the job as long as you get your steak with a side of béarnaise sauce. We found that the Argentinian beef was not as flavorful as we were used to, probably cooked with no salt/pepper. But quality wise, the fillet seemed to be the favorite (pronounced FILL-ET in London).

Don't miss out on trying at least 1 bottle from the extensive Argentinian wine selection. Floriane picked out a great bottle Malbec from Terrezas de los Andes 2004. Great red wine to have with a steak. Fruity, black cherries, prunes, raisins combined with vanilla, caramel notes. Great body, structure and volume.

The service was incredible for London standards. I would come back to try other non-meat dishes, as the chopped salad and grilled gambas were delicious.