Eating Out in East London

Since moving to East London, I am beginning to explore the local area, and luckily I have not been disappointed, as it is full of great places to eat and drink. I love the cobbled streets and views of the Thames in Wapping, juxtaposed with thought provoking graffiti and up and coming clothes shops of Hoxton and Shoreditch. 

A great place to go for brunch is Hoxton Grill, which can be found at 81 Great Eastern St, a five minute walk from Shoreditch High Street tube station. The place is smart casual, with red leather sofas and booths, and a pretty outdoor courtyard seating area with comfortable chairs to relax on. Without a doubt, I can say that this venue made the best pancakes I have ever had. They were served american style, thick and fluffy, topped with crispy, streaky bacon. The best part is that they give you a bottle of maple syrup to add to your own taste. My brunch date had a beautifully poached egg, resting on top of BBQ beans with bacon, on sourdough toast, which was also delicious. We also shared a peanut butter milkshake which was so big, you only need one between two! I would definitely recommend coming here - we were there for nearly 2 hours, and you don't really want to leave as it is so chilled. The lunch and dinner menu looks great, especially the Mac & Cheese with jalepenos and bacon, which I will definitely be trying on my next visit there. 

Bottega is an Italian restaurant, bar and delicatessen that has just opened up in a converted warehouse along the cobbled streets of Wapping. When you arrive, you are greeted with the gorgeous smell of Italy; garlic, herbs, olive oil, the slight spiciness that comes with Italian cured meats. Being a new restaurant in a fairly quiet area of London, the menu was relatively small. However, what was on there did not disappoint. Highlights included a seafood linguine with mussels, prawns and clams, homemade gnocchi and other gorgeous looking fare. To start we ordered a traditional Peroni, an italian lager that has a taste that is distinctive from your usual can of Stella. It was smooth, light and very drinkable. 

When eating Italian, especially in a deli style restaurant, I love to choose a few starters and a sharing platter to maximise the amount of different foods to taste, similar to tapas or a mezze. To start we had a delicious slow roasted pork belly with crackling, served with a tangy pickled red cabbage salad. The pork was melt in the mouth and the crackling was perfect. We also had some tempura prawns with a lemon mayonnaise, with a light a crispy coating which was very similar to the "Hairy Prawns" that can be found at Yo!Sushi. Then for the main course we ordered "Burrata". A platter of Parma Ham, spinach, grilled courgettes, mushrooms, roasted onions and tomatoes, italian flatbreads, pickled cabbage, celeriac, and crowned with a milky, fresh, creamy Mozzarella. It was amazing, and extremely filling, leaving no room for dessert! Overall, the restaurant was lovely and had a warm, buzzing ambience that made me want to go back again. 

I love food from all around the world, and one of my favourite cuisines is Chinese. Luckily, there is a cute little restaurant called "River View" which is only a minutes walk from Wapping tube station (turn right when you walk out, its at the end of the road).The food was great, not greasy, as some Chinese food can tend to be. As well as the classics such as sweet and sour chicken and crispy chilli beef, we also ordered Roast Duck in a ginger and spring onion sauce, which I had never tried before. The duck was cooked beautifully and I was pleasantly surprised.  Sitting right on the Thames with gorgeous views, especially on a summers evening, this place is one to visit. 

There will be more reviews soon on different places to eat and drink around London. 

Yaasica Lucia XXX 

Have you been to any great places in East London lately?

The East Coast Diner : a world away from Jersey Shore

When I was younger, I went to New York for my mother’s 50^th birthday, and ever since, I have been itching to get back there again. I love American food and culture, everything from burgers and chilli fries to Maybelline New York cosmetics. I love the way that everything is so much bigger, brighter, and more exciting than the small town that I grew up in. When the East Coast Diner opened in Woodbridge, Suffolk, I simply had to go back to check it out.

Rather than having red leather booths and a jukebox, there were scrubbed wooden tables and chairs, high stools and a pretty little courtyard outside for nice weather.

The menu was brilliant. From gourmet steak burgers, big apple hotdogs, nachos and thin crust ‘posh pizzas’, to milkshakes, Brooklyn lager and cocktails – there was a lot of choice. Firstly, we ordered a Peanut Butter Malted Milkshake and a virgin Mojito, which were both delicious.

Then, I had a ‘Pimp Steak’ Hotdog which claimed to be all beef and all tasty – it sure was. Cooked in a way that still gave a satisfyingly crispy skin, and topped with fried onions, ketchup and mustard, this hotdog was a great alternative to the usual pork sausage ones found on the UK high street. I loved the way it was served in the traditional American way - in a basket with a grease-proof paper lining. My companion had a ‘Howlin’ Hot Burger’ which was made from 100% steak and topside mince, with cheese, jalepenos and chilli jam, a soft brioche bun and a cute little bucket of skinny fries. This again was totally different to your average cheeseburger.

Last month, I was thrilled when ShakeShack, a rapidly growing business from the USA that started as a hotdog cart, opened their first flagship restaurant in Covent Garden, London. I couldn't wait to go with a friend who is as much of a food lover as me. Again, the food was brilliant, using Aberdeen Angus beef and rare breed pork, which shows the transferability of the brand from USA to UK. The crinkle cut fries were perfectly cooked, very crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I would recommend it if you want something a little higher end than Mac D’s but don’t want to break the bank at Burger & Lobster.

Yaasica Lucia XXX 

Photo courtesy of Louisa Innes 

Have you eaten at any brilliant burger joints recently? 

OPI and Revlon Nail polish

I am a lover of nail polish. Whether it's the cheapest bottle from Collection 2000 to the coveted new colours from Chanel Le Vernis - without it, my hands feel naked. 

Recently I have treated myself to some higher end varnishes. The first was Revlon Scented Nail Enamel in Sugar Glaze. The colour is a gorgeous, candy pink which looks great on long or short nails (I applied it over 'gel extensions'). This purchase was mainly due to the novelty of having yummy smelling varnish rather than the usual chemicals; I can confirm it did indeed smell sugary sweet. More importantly, the pigmentation was great and the varnish went on smoothly, drying with an opaque finish after 2 coats. 

Another nail polish brand I'm loving at the moment is OPI - I know, I'm a little late to the party, but I'm here now - and I can't get enough. Most recently, I went to a little nail bar in Aldgate East and they applied a luscious shade called 'Big Apple Red'. Of course I'm enjoying the summer pastels, nudes and even whites that are on trend right now. However, I fancied a bit of a change. I instantly fell in love with the colour and it really is the colour of a ripe, red apple. 

Yaasica Lucia XXX

What are your favourite nail polish colours at the moment? 

Hidden bakeries along the Suffolk coast

Although I live in London, I grew up in a tiny town in the Suffolk countryside. Over the past few years there has been an array of small businesses starting up and opening brilliant little cafés, diners, bakeries and bistros. Whenever I go back to visit my mother I always scope out the almost hidden gems, to go and sample some of the wonderful produce. 

One of my favourite places, that I first visited a few months ago, is Pump Street Bakery in the village of Orford. With the tagline of 'real bread & slow food', the bakery not only sells delicious bread and sumptuous cakes, but also operates as a cafe. The seating area was warm and inviting, with a log burning stove and a long communal table with various couples, friends and families sitting together. 

The first thing we ordered was a pot of loose leaf earl grey tea, which came with the most gorgeous tea cups and a clear, glass teapot (I have been searching for a replica ever since). Then we had a toasted sandwich, made with fresh sourdough bread, mushrooms and cheese, which was cooked beautifully. 

Of course, we couldn't leave without taking home some of the plump handmade jam donuts, which were worlds away from the processed, squashed lumps from a supermarket. The almond flavoured 'bears claw' with flaky, melt in the mouth pastry is also one to try. Not forgetting the 'mille-feuille' meaning 'a thousand layers' which was amazingly thin layers of pastry, sandwiching together a light custard and tangy rhubarb. I will definitely be back there again! 

Yaasica Lucia XXX

Welcome to my blog...

WELCOME. 

I'm a 22 year old law graduate, currently working in the City of London. I've just moved to Wapping, an up and coming area to the east of the City. While I'm a lover of instagram, I really want to give blogging a try. This blog will mainly be my ramblings about things that I love - fashion, food and beauty. So a post could possibly be a review of my latest beauty purchase or fashion buy, or a recommendation of a place to get some brilliant food, all on a graduate budget. 

Hope you enjoy it, 

Yaasica Lucia XXX