Food and Drink

Review of Peninsula’s Legendary Mooncakes

As one of the major celebrations in Chinese culture, the legendary mooncake which is originally made with sweet lotus paste and salted egg yolk, is eaten during this festivity. However the original mooncake recipe is not everyone’s favourite simply because it’s much too sweet and very dense in flavour. Enter the Peninsula Hotel, the original inventor of the highly reputed and most sought after custard-filled mooncakes, raising the bar for this classic confectionary. First launched in 1986, The Peninsula Hong Kong still carries the tradition by releasing these delicacies each year for a limited time only. As they are so coveted and sell out within a matter of weeks, few can disagree that there isn’t anything quite comparable to Peninsula’s version.

Review of Sticky Mango - South East Asian Cuisine Under One Roof

The cuisine is South East Asian which, as it is one of my favourites, meant it is the first restaurant I have gone back to consistently to post-lockdown, once restaurants began reopening. I was super happy to see the number of nightly covers quadrupling since my first visit back, with the restaurant benefitting substantially from the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme, something that Peter has continued for September.  Opened in 2016 and tucked away just a short walk from the bustling South Bank and Waterloo Station, Sticky Mango is one of London’s best-kept secrets. The restaurant is spread over three floors of an historic building on Stamford Street which was previously home to RSJ Restaurant.

Review of Manuka Kitchen - Modern European Cuisine At Its Finest

A true neighbourhood restaurant must be familiar, comforting, and satisfying. In an intimate spot on Fulham Road sits Manuka Kitchen, a neighbourhood bistro that serves up modern European fare to its loyal clientele. Not everyone can say that their local is listed in the Michelin Guide or was a favourite of renowned food critic AA Gill.

Meet The Food Entrepreneur - Natalie Tangsakul

She talks about how her grandparents fled communist China, fought the Communist army in Thailand in order to finally plant their roots at the top of a mountain in a Chinese army settlement area. “We have numerous nationalities, languages, and a strong sense of multiculturalism in the area—Southern Chinese, Myanmar, Shan, Thai, Tai Yai, Tai Leu, and other tribal people,” she explains. Tangsakul is the founder of Talad, her regional Thai food concept that has pivoted from a restaurant to an Asian deli in Chelsea with dishes and kitchen must-haves that are available for pick-up or delivery.

Review of Balance Box Meal Plan

Balance Box is a meal delivery service that specialises in nutritionally designed, expertly crafted dishes that fit any diet and preference. With menu plans to choose from—classic, vegetarian, pescatarian, and free-from—you can sit back and relax knowing that each box contains enough for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two snacks per day, so not only will you stay healthy, but you will not have to worry about staying full either.

Meet The Seafood Expert: Martin Budge of Chapman's

Fresh, seasonal, and high-quality ingredients are often difficult to come by for the home cook, but companies like Chapman’s have now started supplying and delivering their locally-sourced seafood to the general public. Chapman’s has been in operation for over 25 years and have supplied fish and all kinds of seafood to some of the best restaurants around the country. “From humble beginnings, our steady growth over 26 years has been based on our consistent high quality and service,” says Martin Budge, Internal Account Manager at Chapman’s. “Our tight and loyal team now numbers 45 people and operates from a number of locations: our state-of-the-art central depot, our Canterbury restaurant, our Rye Harbour landing depot and our new Borough Green retail counter,” he adds.

Le Grand Cros Introduces Their New Rosé

Slowly they restored the property then in 1999, their son Julian took over the running of the domaine. He carried out major restructuring of the vineyards and an upgrade of the winery with the goal to get more out of the potential terroir and surrounding natural environment.

Make this Father’s Day a special one

Recipe by Ben Murphy - Smoked Eel, Scallop & Ponzu

Since he first started at the restaurant three years ago, Murphy has electrified the menu with his signature dishes that are seasonal, playful, and pleasing to the eye. The Launceston Place offering is made up of a la carte menus alongside tasting options with both vegan and vegetarian diets catered for. Some standouts include lobster with celery, yuzu, and coriander; burnt leek with chive and truffle; and passion fruit with Champagne, white chocolate, and meringue. Whilst their doors are still closed, Chef Murphy shares his recipe for a smoked eel, scallop, and ponzu dish with The Sybarite’s readers so that you can elevate your work from home cooking game and bring a touch of luxury to your next meal.

Review of Ceviche, Soho – a Peruvian food haven

“When I was growing up in Peru, I was lucky to taste the most exquisite flavours and have access to the most fascinating ingredients,” says Martin Morales, Chef and Founder of the Ceviche Family, which also includes the Andina in Shoreditch and Casita Andina in Piccadilly. “The Peruvian larder is mind blowing, and so one day, I hoped I could share it with other people.” We visited Ceviche on busy Frith Street on a chilly winter evening. The staff were as welcoming as the bold colours that greeted us when we stepped inside. Despite its name, Ceviche’s menu isn’t solely around raw fish—though we did make sure to try their delicious Ceviche Peruano with sustainable sea bass in a citrus-based “tiger’s milk” marinade with sweet potato, red onion, Andean corn, and crunchy corn nuts for texture. Morales talks about how today’s Latin culture has influences from East Asia, Africa, Spain, Italy, and the Middle East, and these are all reflected in the dishes you’ll come across in the region as well. He wanted to make sure that Londoners got a taste of what makes up modern Latin flavours and with a glass of Pisco Sour and a bottle of wine on the way, we decided to make our way through the menu to find out.

The King of Pop-Up Restaurants - An Exclusive Interview...

Hailed as the ‘King’ of pop-up restaurants, Jimmy Garcia has made his name through his popular festive Igloos (and summer BBQs) on the Southbank, Sky High Dining and not to mention the cable car suspended 90m above The River Thames. More recently, Jimmy catered at the Henley Festival 2020 at the Moet & Chandon London headquarters in Belgravia.

Meet the Coffee Experts: Annie Mitchell and Charlotte...

Together with partner Charlotte Dales, the American duo decided to launch their cold brew coffee company upon realising they couldn’t find the authentic cold brew that they grew up drinking in New Orleans in London. Mitchell’s enthusiasm and confidence in her product is highly visible every time she talks about it. Clearly, cold brew isn’t just a drink, but a movement that she and the Bottleshot team hope will really take flight in the capital. From partnering with Soho House to the support she’s gained from the local small business community, food and drinks writer Ina Yulo chats with Mitchell about her life as a founder and all things coffee.