As of late this afternoon I have one complete semester abroad as a Master's student under my belt. I've already been living in London for 3 months and, as I've said before, it feels quite like home here. I know my way around the most popular parts of this city and can find my way on foot, by bus, or by tube, train, or overground all the way from Richmond, past Roehampton, through Putney, across the bridge to Fulham, through Chelsea, South Kensington, Knightsbridge, up through Kennsingston and Notting Hill, around through Bayswater, Marylebone, Mayfair, Soho, down to Westinster, back up to Covent Garden and the way through to Regent's Park and Camden. And that's only the very most central part of the city. If you can believe it, those miles and miles of streets only comprise a very, very, very tiny bit of London. Thank goodness I'm set to stay for at least another 5 years so I can see the rest of it!
Since I have a pile of papers on my desk relating to posts I wanted to write, all relating to places I've been in London lately, each one hidden somewhere in or between the places listed above, I'm going to do a quick overview of each venue all in this one post. Then I'll finally be able to organize the left half of my desk and clear some additional space.
Jimmy Choo. If only I'd been able to buy the shoes! Instead, I walked past and was offered my very first mincemeat pie! So very English. My mini pie was only just larger than a quarter and at that size there was just as much pastry as there was filling. Thankfully, I discovered that the name 'mincemeat' is misleading because there is NO MEAT. Despite the fact the name is reminiscent of uncooked ground beef, and the filling is in fact quite brown, it's all made of sugary, gooey goodness. Possibly some dried fruits involved. However, there's absolutely no way to pretend any bit of that pie is healthful and therefore describing it as a fruit-filled pie might be misleading. In case the word 'pie' was misinterpreted, as well, to refer to something nutritious.
Spice Market. Imagine a wall of spices containing all the colors, flavors and fragrances of Southeast Asian cuisine. Spice Market London’s spice cabinet spans two floors, is 24 meters long and reveals every ingredient the chefs will need to create the dishes that makes Spice Market’s cuisine stand out.
The restaurant facade is completely transparent on three sides, and showcases the wall of spices, visible from the street. The eclectic and intimate design is a result of gold mesh sliding screens, brass screen lanterns, jatoba flooring and cozy booths, a unique brass 'birdcage' spiral stairs and 600 custom designed wok-lights. 
Leonidas Chocolates. The store on Bond St,located in the heart of London, offers over 70 varieties of chocolates, hot and cold beverages, including coffees and a variety of hot chocolate drinks, all of which are served with a complimentary chocolate of your choice. For those who truly enjoy the purest bittersweet chocolate taste, Leonidas offers a well-balanced and representative selection masterpieces in dark chocolate and milk chocolate covering to dazzle the most discerning palate.
Fortnum and Mason. Welcome to Piccadilly's most unique department store, whose window displays alone attract admires and draw interested customers indoors. On the Ground Floor you will find tea and coffee, confectionery, biscuits, cakes, patisserie, freshly baked goods from our in-store bakery and our considerable range of honey and preserves. The other floors are dedicated to cookware and household goods, women's accessories, men's accessories, and St James’s Restaurant, an elegant oasis of peace and quiet, high above Piccadilly. And for those who shop til they're literally about to drop F&M offers lavish treatments. Designed for those who need to unwind and revitalize in luxury and elegance while they buy things, this treatment includes a reviving foot refresher and a back massage using a zesty mix of citrus oils. Also, if you can't decide how to spend your money and if the array of pretty packages across the six floors don't pique your interest, you can hire a personal shopper to lead you about the emporium and show you “something you never knew you needed until captivated by it”.
Bee Me. 251 Portobello Rd in Notting Hill is always packed, but especially on Saturdays when the market is in full swing. Still, BeeMe is worth stopping for. After all, they are the “Official voice from the Bee Me hive”. Their specialty is a pure white frozen yogurt, and all you need is the tiniest of their serving cups, not much bigger than a medicine measuring cup, to be satisfied. While it has virtually no calories, so they say, it's very rich and topped with any mix of chocolates, dried fruits, nuts, or sprinkles; the perfect visual and edible contrast to the snow-white creamy yogurt.
Royal China Club. Dim sum is the “in” thing these days; it's the food all the cool kids are eating. But I'm not cool and I don't like dim sum. So when I went to the Royal China Club, the upmarket spin-off of the popular Royal China restaurants, I ordered my favorite, instead: salted tofu. Fine, fine, act as grossed out as you want. At least I don't eat mutilated muscle meat off other animals. ANYWAY. Even though I've now been to the RCC twice, now, I've never eaten in; only ordered take-away (no, it's not called 'take-out' here), however, both times I've waited in the dimly lit, posh ambiance to admire the massive fish and lobster tanks. That said, Royal China Club isn’t serving dishes inclined toward innovative fusion like like some of the edgier places in London, but more of rare, very decent quality Chinese treats, especially for those with plump wallets. Take that £220 shark fin entree, for example.
Locanda Locatelli. After our planned dinner at Rhodes W1 fell through (they booked us in the wrong room, which was nowhere near as lovely) we decided to walk block or two over to Locanda Locatelli, Giorgio Locatelli's Michelin Star Italian restaurant on Seymore St in Marylebone. And some of London's best Italian food is served inside the dark and cozy dining rooms, surrounded by panels of frosted glass and white leather cushions; enduringly glamorous with a loungey, Seventies look. The first thing we noted, apart from the glowing décor and wall of wine bottles, was the wine list itself; an encyclopedia of Italy's finest, with a detailed map of each wine-producing region. Order a bottle and the waiter will perform a ceremonious table-side wine pouring act. Prepare yourself for big portions of heavy food to follow. Anyone familiar with Italian cuisine knows that pastas and meats prevail. Go with a group and occupy a whole nook or prepare to mingle closely with strangers; we were able to sit at a private table near the bar, which also happened to be the perfect vantage point for people watching and celeb lookout. Overall, it's a stylish scene, and a convival one, and the best tables will be often swiped by the likes of Elton John, Madonna, and Gwyneth.
PS. When I Googled this place to find photos, all that came up were pics of celebrities. But since I am rarely impressed by popular celebrities, nor am I here to ramble on about their still human lives, I'm not going to include any of those photos. Enjoy the food snapshots instead:
And of course I've still been navigating through the best coffee houses of London.
Tapped and Packed Ltd. This coffee roaster has two locations; I popped in no. 26 on Charlotte Street on the way to the post office one Saturday afternoon. I got a take-away latte served in a small white paper cup, stamped with a black bicycle print. When it's creamy enough to enjoy without sweetener or syrups you know its a darn good cuppa.
Kaffeine. A new favorite and very near the UCL campus (my soon to be new school!). This could be dangerous. Kaffeine is another independent, Australian/New Zealand owned café (like Sacred....I'm noticing a trend in my fave coffee houses...). They serve brilliant coffee and light, fresh food in a space that has a chilled atmosphere, tall benches, and groovy, funky music...with baristas to match! The girl who took my order looked the part of a very “Leave it to Beaver”-type mom in a flowered blouse and red apron, but with painted pink hair intertwined with her natural, swept back blonde; thick sweeps of black eyeliner for additional contrast. And the nicest part was that she wasn't hurrying me along like they tend to do in these oft-packed coffee bars, and certainly didn't look or act impatient in the least. In fact, all the baristas actually smiled and looked like they were having fun at work!
Foxcroft and Ginger. I can't say the same for them. The guys behind the counter seemed more interested in each other's jokes than my order and I felt like I stood at the counter for an uncharacteristically long time before anyone noticed me. And without asking they assumed I wanted a take-away, which I didn't. Maybe the fact they were featured in Vogue gave them such big heads they're suddenly too inflated to serve all but their friends who come in to chat them up. I also have to say I very much dislike when restaurants of any sort have fabric cushions strewn about. Regardless of their condition, they always seem dirty and embedded with food, and I end up feeling uncomfortable in their presence. Despite rave reviews from others, I shan't return.
Speakeasy Espresso. Just a hop around the corner from Sacred, off Carnaby. This place is almost always empty, as far as I've seen. The pure-white room looks more like an art gallery than an espresso bar, so I personally passed it several times before actually realizing its true intentions: to make lattes for me. The main server/cashier was uncommonly friendly, but in a good way, and really warmed up to every customer that came in, even in the limited discourse between cashier and customer. However, the service from the baristas was unbearably slow, even more so since the place was nearly empty.
Paul. Is actually a chain of french coffee/pastry cafes but I actually really like their coffee quite a bit. Ok, I take that back. When the right baristas are working at the right Pauls then I LOVE their vanilla lattes like WHOA. Otherwise, when the wrong baristas are working the lattes taste like foamy water. A caring hand makes all the difference.
Aaaaaaand, wow. I think I'm actually caught up!
PS. In case you haven't picked up on this yet, I'll just say it: London is better than wherever you are. Cheers!
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