Not Just Another Milla

ERES Sunwear 2013

Not Just Another Milla — Mon, 20 May 2013 04:08:40 +0000

The luxury French lingerie ERES and swimwear brand has enlisted the talents of Karl Lagerfeld to make the campaign launch of its new online Sunwear. Staring Berenice Marlohe, who featured as a Bond Girl in Skyfall, the collection is ideal for the woman who enjoys lounging on a yacht and dressing up for a private beach party. That sounds like my type of summer, though I will have to work very hard to acquire a yacht! That said, I will probably have the yacht before I have her figure! She looks phenomenal and gives such a strong presence.

Artistic director Valerie Delafosse said the collection is “to accompany the ERES woman from morning to night”. ‘Sunwear’ is for those who love to start the day swimming in the warm Caribbean sea and enjoying cocktails at dusk in the South of France. The collection includes a printed silk kaftan with embroidered finishes, a braided silk bathrobe and embroidered with sequins copper umbrella skirt. A day by the beach without an ERES swimsuit simply won’t do!

Images courtesy of ERES.

The Modern Pantry and Lalani & Co Curated Afternoon Tea

Not Just Another Milla — Mon, 13 May 2013 04:25:42 +0000

I have been meaning to write about my near monthly brunches at The Modern Pantry since early 2012 but I’m trying to work through the menu so I can give a detailed review. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it! Anyway, Lalani & Co – the boutique tea company I’m always raving about – paired up with Anna Hansen’s The Modern Pantry for what can only be described as a rewriting of the afternoon tea rules. Gone were the cucumber sandwiches and out came the poussin and, rather bravely, there were no scones but an abundance of matcha marshmallows. That’s right, no scones. But when you have black garlic caramel truffles, do you really need scones? I took it upon myself to find out.

Each of the six courses were excellently paired with a different tea. The full menu:

1. Umeboshi custard tart, cauliflower, fennel & almond ‘pastry’ paired with Mannong Village Ancient White Buds 2010 from Yunnan, China.

2. Perroche, Ragstone & roast tomato sandwiches, sencha mayonnaise paired with Okumidori Cultivar 1st Flush Sencha 2012 from Kyoto, Japan. If you like green tea, you need to taste this.

3. Grilled Persian spiced poussin leg with Makaibari 2nd Flush Grand Reserve 2012 from the Darjeeling region.

4. Tonka bean, caraway and hazelnut frangipane tart also served with Makaibari 2nd Flush.

5. White chocolate, Urfa chilli & black garlic caramel truffle paired with LaKyrsiew Spring Reserve 2011 from Meghalaya.

6. Matcha marshmallows.

Have you ever seen such a menu? I don’t know what goes on inside Anna’s head but I like it! I eat umeboshi pretty much every day in the traditional Japanese style: with rice, natto and nori. It’s a very unique taste and paired with cauliflower and fennel, all quite strong flavours, I didn’t see it working. However, it was creamy with just enough saltiness from the umeboshi. Hmmn, I could have eaten four of those little things. My favourite course? The poussin was a work of art: succulent meat, crunchy pumpkin seeds, a warm spiciness with a touch of sweetness. I got all that of from a tiny plate. Whoever said cooking is a science has clearly been eating at The Modern Pantry. The balance of flavours is one thing but pairing them with tea, served at the appropriate temperature, to enhance the flavour is nothing short of genius, and something Lalani & Co do with such passion. The gooey sweetness of the white chocolate, urfa chilli and black garlic caramel truffle had me confused. I wanted to hate it. I mean, garlic in a dessert? Yes readers, yes! I don’t have the words, you just have to taste it to understand.

In terms of tea, the Okumidori was always going to be my favourite. It’s by far the best sencha I’ve had outside of Japan and I now have some in my kitchen cupboard so all is right with the world. I also really liked the Makaibari from the Darjeeling region. It has a refreshing taste and worked well with both the savoury and sweet courses, though I preferred it with the latter as it balanced out the sweetness.

For a woman who doesn’t care much for change, I really enjoyed this unique afternoon tea experience. This was a one-off event (though The Modern Pantry do offer afternoon tea) so I doubt that I will get to experience such unusual combinations of food during afternoon tea again, and I really ought to get back to my scone eating. However, I’m really hoping that other venues will see the merit in serving tea properly (no teabags and at the right temperature for the individual teas) to not only match the quality of food but also in respect of the history of tea drinking and, of course, and the tea lover.

This afternoon cost me £38 and included a pot of the Lalani & Co’s LaKyrsiew tea.

Lalani & Co / info@lalaniandco.com

The Modern Pantry
48 St John’s Square
London
EC1V 4JJ
+44 (0)20 7553 9210

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Afternoon tea at the Royal Horseguards Hotel, London

Not Just Another Milla — Mon, 06 May 2013 04:37:55 +0000

Discovering my own city is such a treat. I constantly feel as though I know everything about London and then I discover something new. Enter the Royal Horseguards Hotel, former home of the British Secret Service. To celebrate a friend’s birthday birthday and arrival in London, we headed for an afternoon of indulgence at this hotel, which is located in London’s Whitehall. Unfortunately, I didn’t take many photographs of the hotel interiors. The lobby and tea room felt inviting, contemporary and luxurious without trying too hard.

Whether you’re talking about food, style or interior design, simplicity is always the way to go. The sandwiches here (served at room temperature as they should be) fit that mantra perfectly: coronation chicken, smoked salmon, roast beef and cucumber. The bread was soft and the fillings perfectly seasoned. The scones were delicious; the type of scones this woman dreams about, and apparently what I could do with right now! Served warm with a seemingly never-ending supply of clotted cream and strawberry jam. No complaints from me.

As part of my one-woman protest I’ve stopped ordering Japanese green tea when out. Most venues use boiling water which scolds the tea and therefore ruins the taste. I opted for Earl Grey with warm milk, which worked very well with the scones.

The desserts, however, were a serious disappointment; when a sugar addict finds dessert too sweet, you know something is wrong. The macarons – an artificial, almost fluorescent yellow colour – were basically circular baked sugar balls with one taste and one texture. This does not a good macaron make. One should be able to distinguish between the filling and the shell. Food is not naturally that colour so even if it had been nice, I wouldn’t have had more than a taste. The mini-cupcakes were forgettable but the biggest disappointment were the éclairs. Going by the colour of the interior, I think they were supposed to be coffee or caramel. Either way, I couldn’t taste anything except dry pastry and sugar. Having only had a nibble of each dessert, which says it all, I soon returned to the far superior scones. Fortunately, the staff were happy to provide an additional serving.

With its central location, comfortable interiors, affordable afternoon tea service and the soothing sounds of their harpist, the Royal Horseguards seemingly has it all. I can see myself taking a break from it all, stopping here for cream tea (which consists of scones served with clotted cream, jam and a pot of tea) but I really need to be wowed by the desserts to have a full afternoon tea again.

The afternoon tea with Laurent Perrier champagne cost £45 per person.

The Royal Horseguards Hotel
2 Whitehall Court
London
SW1A 2EJ
+44 (0) 871 376 9033

You can read more of my afternoon tea reviews here.

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Patiently waiting for summer time…

Not Just Another Milla — Sun, 05 May 2013 04:37:38 +0000

London is cloudy and cold and am I starting to wonder what happened to spring. Fortunately, this gorgeous summer editorial has me thinking about wearing pretty summer dresses, printed swimsuits and generally frolicking in the sun without 6 layers. With pieces from my two favourite brands – Bottega Veneta and Hermès – and complimented by Prada, Roland Mouret and Kenzo, what’s not to love!?

Images via Madame Figaro

The Spring Accessory: Le carré Hermès

Not Just Another Milla — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 04:17:59 +0000

If there is only one accessory a woman should own, it’s an Hermès scarf, so you can image how envious I am of model Karlie Kloss being wrapped in dozen of them. With the simple styling by Beat Bolliger and photography by David Sims, the scarves take centre stage as the American model moves gracefully to show the fluidity of the legendary silk scarves from the spring/summer 2013 collection.

Images courtesy of Fashion Gone Rogue.

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Coffee Break: The Chelsea Quarter Café, London

Not Just Another Milla — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 04:19:36 +0000

Each time I go to the Chelsea Quarter Café I cannot help but wonder how much butter they go through. Seriously, do they make any profit with all of the butter supplies needed? With croissants, pain aux raisins and an entire counter filled with enough boulangerie specials to keep me from missing France, this has become my go-to place when my friend Stephanie comes to visit. And can we just talk about the doorstep-sized scones for a moment please! Anything served with a dollop of rich clotted cream gets my vote but these scones speak for themselves, and they’re screaming “come and eat me!”. Such a shame they were served cold.

It’s calm enough to sit there with a book and some tea but even better when sharing du café with a friend visiting from Paris. The service is accommodating and friendly; they were kind enough to substitute the eggs for fresh tomatoes and when my tea wasn’t quite right (I cannot do the tea bag thing any more), they kindly changed it.

The only downside is that it is dangerously close to the exquisite Designer’s Guild where I have been known to utter the words “one of everything, please” on more than one occasion. My bank balance usually disagrees rather strongly and needless to say, often wins the argument.

Chelsea Quarter Café
219 Kings Road
London
SW3 5EJ

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Sashimi and tea at Sake No Hana restaurant, London

Not Just Another Milla — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 04:33:32 +0000

Given that Japanese food is my favourite, I infrequently dine at Japanese restaurants. I suppose it’s that fear of disappointment. When I moved to Japan, I was a vegetarian but the idea of being in the land of sashimi without trying a morsel simply wasn’t going to do. That was over five years ago but I still remember that piece of toro (fatty tuna belly) – mouthwatering and unlike anything I’d tasted before. So where does Sake No Hana fit into all of this? Well, in teaming up with Lalani & Co, tea curators who are redefining how tea should be enjoyed, Sake No Hana are providing a full circle dining experience.

If I’m forgoing champagne, something equally good needs to be on offer! Fret not, two of Lalani & Co’s organic Japanese teas: Yabukita from the Kyushu island (the south of Japan) and Okumidori from the beautiful city of Kyoto. Both were refreshing, surprising different but upon tasting the Okumidori, I proclaimed “I want to bathe in it!”. Probably not the most appropriate thing to say in a restaurant but seriously, after years of restaurants offering mediocre green tea (in tea bags!) I wouldn’t even drink at home, this was a welcome change. I think, in London at least, that restaurants are starting to realise that dining out should be a complete experience – wine, food, service and yes, tea. I’m a tea cup and saucer woman though I could probably get used to sipping sencha out of these Riedel crystal glasses.

Still pink and presented on a leaf atop of a pretty ceramic dish, the roasted duck served with truffles, daikon and walnuts set the tone for a rather elegant affair. The richness of the duck perfectly complimented by the refreshing Japanese vegetable tastes very light. There was a hint of miso as well. I’m writing this at 06h27 and despite the fact that I haven’t had breakfast yet, all I can think about is that roast duck! With a tempura crumble-like exterior, the crab and avocado rolls were served with spicy tuna rolls. As delicious as this all was, it was the sashimi which stole the show. Where did they get this fish from? I need to know! With a touch of wasabi and a dash of soy sauce it simply melted in my mouth. Perfection!

Naturally dessert was called for. We enjoyed a matcha cake served with yoghurt sorbet which looked like a work of art and far nicer than my own throw-it-in-a-bowl style. Like all Japanese desserts, the sweetness was very subtle making for a refreshing finale. It could have done with a lot more matcha though to suit my palette as the accompanying sorbet was the surprising highlight.

The ethos of Japanese cuisine is based on quality, freshness and detail, and the chefs here clearly respect this ethos. The best compliment I can give Sake No Hana is that with each mouthful of sashimi and sushi, I thought more about my time in Japan. Plus, the décor is sleek, unique and undeniably fits in perfectly with the chic area of St James’s. Highly recommended.

Sake No Hana
23 St James’s St
London
SW1A 1HA
+44 (0)20 7925 8988

Not Just Another Milla was a guest of Sake No Hana.

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Ramen at Shoryu, London

Not Just Another Milla — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 05:36:50 +0000

Although ramen originates from China, there’s not doubt that it is very much a part of Japanese life and with the endless ramen shops popping up in London, it seems that the popularity is catching. I’ve been want to try Shoryu for quite some time but the near constant queues have kept me away. Last weekend, post-Japanese exam and on a snowy London day, I decided to celebrate (and warm up) with a bowl of steaming ramen noodle soup.

You know the food is good when Japanese visitors flock in for a taste of home. Nestled on a corner bar, surrounded by the beautiful Japanese language and the scent of Japan cuisine, the atmosphere served as the perfect prelude to my forthcoming trip back to Japan. Starting with an ‘Umeshu Royal’ – a mix of umeshu (Japanese plum liqueur) and prosecco – and quickly followed with a side of kimchi (Korean spiced cabbage) and la pièce de résistance – Shoryu Ganso Tonkotsu. I had to do a double take when my soup arrived; who can eat such a large portion? Well, looking at the empty bowls around me, apparently, everyone. I don’t like eggs at all but they look so pretty, the noodles were abundant and even for someone who rarely eats meat, the pork was the highlight. It was so soft that it just slide off my chopsticks repeatedly. Hello spoon! The service was quick, pleasant and efficient. The only downside was that the stock was very salty – one of the main difficulties with a dish like ramen.

The first time I went to Japan, I thought I’d be brave and order a random dish. I soon found myself face-to-face with a plate of eel. Needless to say, I went hungry! That’s the wonderful thing about restaurants like Shoryu: they offer you an opportunity to see that there’s so much more to Japanese cuisine than sushi, and where better to explore new things in a country where you can read the menu.

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Making matcha lattes

Not Just Another Milla — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 16:01:04 +0000

It’s been a busy week for me and I’ve pretty much been living for the weekend. Finally a moment to relax with my Financial Times, a pain au chocolat from the boulangerie down the road and my home-made matcha latte. Using organic matcha from high-end tea curators, Lalani & Co, this is remarkably easy to make and very delicious.

Recipe:

1. Simmer the milk in a small pot over a gentle heat. I used organic semi-skinned milk though you can use any type. The matcha works particularly well with almond milk and coconut milk (a favourite of mine) resulting in a lovely vegan version.

2. Place the matcha powder in a heatproof dish and gently mix with a little boiling water. I like my matcha lattes rather strong so used 1.5 teaspoons but adjust according to preference.

3. Add the matcha mix to the simmering milk et voilà, time to drink! If you need a little sweetness, add agave syrup or honey.

Enjoy!

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Escale au Pérou: Vogue Paris Avril 2013

Not Just Another Milla — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 14:34:02 +0000

I don’t know why I continue to do this to myself. I stopped off at my trusty newsagent this morning and on a whim, decided to buy a copy of Vogue Paris as I’d seen a few of the images from the Kate Moss/Mario Testino/Sarajane Hoare editorial online, but more on that later. Needless to say, I am not happy.

In trying to be different, Vogue Paris has quite simply lost everything it was known for. Gone are the chic French styles, the exquisitely photographed ‘Bijoux’ section is less than noteworthy and that sophisticated sexiness that every woman born outside of Paris’ 75 postcode spends her life searching for is nowhere to be found. I mean, the entire issue is dedicated to Peru. Now I have nothing against Peru. In fact I’m sure it’s a lovely place but if I were as interested as Vogue Paris seems to think their readers are, I would have bought Vogue Lima (if such a magazine exists)! Instead, I’m getting tips, from what used to be the hottest magazine in the land, on how to dress in a beeping poncho! Is this really happening!? Oui, très à la mode !

When a bonafide Kate Moss aficionado isn’t impressed, you know something is wrong. Seriously wrong. Kate Moss and Mario Testino are usually a flawless combination. May this date be written in stone. This is the first Kate Moss editorial I’ve seen and disliked. In 22 pages, there is one image (in a Ralph Lauren ensemble) which is mediocre. The rest are just wrong. She’s styled horribly – the woman is wearing Hermès, Lanvin, Gucci – but she could have been wearing hand-me-downs from 1902. The main reason why Kate is a phenomenally successful model is her ability to captivate. However, that is not seen here. The clothes wear her and trust me, they are not pretty clothes! Her skin is too pale, the lipstick isn’t working at all and the list goes on. I do not understand this. I am not even going to bother searching the internet for the images.

I have never been more disappointed with Vogue Paris than today, but at least my Earl Grey tea tastes good.