Braised Pork Rib Noodle soup at YeYe Noodle and dumplings

Wen't here randomly which is located in a small lane.

A tiny joint yet it was packed with seating upstairs and downstairs.

I was glad to be seated downstairs which is more spacious.

Ordered the Braised Pork Rib Noodle soup which is basically a slab of ribs on hand pulled noodles.

The star was the meaty ribs but it was not that fresh or over cooked because the meat was quite dry and felt like it had been braised for days while the broth was rather bland.

Overall slightly better to other poor quality meats in HK, the meat actually came off the bone cleanly.

If you are used to crap meats then this would probably be heaven!

Ye Ye Noodle and dumplings

14 Artillery Psge, London E1 7LJ

A special trip for the jellied egg at Maison Francois

As a foodie, how can one not visit Maison Francois.

Maison Francois is a modern French bistro near Old Bond Street which recently got recommended on the Michelin guide.

I was there specifically for two things and that was the oeuf en gelée £10 and the flat-bread with moules marinière £12.

When the oeuf en gelee arrived, it was simply stunning in every angle.

The oeuf en gelee is a jelly dome made with soft boiled egg, beef tea, smoked tongue and herbs according to their instagram.

It was visually perfect, the herbs, smoked tongue cubes, and egg was beautifully arranged to set. 

I know it sounds silly, but I had to do a video of slicing the egg and you only have one shot to get it right.

Putting my knife into the egg, it sliced beautifully with vibrant yolk coming out.

Next, was indulging in this beauty.

The aspic beef tea jelly was so moreish melting in your mouth along with the creamy egg yolk and tasty smoked tongue cubes.

Then you have the refreshing herbs that give it a nice ending.

You can really taste that chevril which has so many flavours coming out of it like Thai Basil and aniseed. 

Overall a must when ordering and best not to share.

Finished with the moules marinière which is pillowly flatbread topped with a generous amount of mussels.

Everybite was heavenly with soft and tender mussels and crisp chives however the flatbread was a little soggy in the middle.

Saying that, it was not too burnt compared to their insta pictures.

Apart from that, this was another beauty as where else can you find flatbread with fresh mussels.

Maison Francois:

34 Duke Street St James's, St. James's, London SW1Y 6DF

Possibly the best Himalayan dumplings in London at House of Momo: Dalston and Brixton

Every country will have some sort of dumpling in their cuisine.

The Nepalese have dumplings called momo usuall filled with chicken which looks similar to Shanghai Xiao Long Baos.

I have had my fair share of Nepalese dumplings which revolve around steamed or pan fried dumplings served with hot sauce.

At House of Momo they serve a good variety of dumplings and there was one particular one that comes in curry sauce.

First you choose the dumpling, then how it is cooked and then if you want it with curry sauce.

I went for the cheese and veg dumplings, steamed then fried served in curry sauce with some extra Thukpa noodles.

On paying the guy with cash, I was given the wrong change.

While I was waiting for my food, I could hear noodles and rice being cooked which sounded like the stir fries in the Chinese takeaways but with much more effort as it was louder.

When the dumplings came, they did not disappoint. 

I tried the dumplings first and inside, it was filled with delicious melted gooey cheese tasting like cheddar.

The curry sauce that it was in was light which really worked as it did not steal the show from the dumplings and it was not spicy.

The thukpa noodles on the other hand were disappointing and the broth was nothing like urban yak.

Went back again for the chilli noodles and requested it without the sauce as it would be too spicy.

It was really nice of them to accomodate the request and served the sauce separate.

Update 2024:

You can now find them at Brixton Village.

The taste is the same but the sauce is runnier compared to Dalston and the rice is laced with MSG!!

Nepalese Thukpa.
Very different to the other ones I have tried in terms of the broth but still delicious.
The broth was very strong and salty like soy sauce with burnt spring onions which give it that aromatic taste along with garlic.
I loved the julienne crunchy cabbages and the chicken which was crispy on the edges.
The other thukpas I have tried are usually lemony and this wasn't.

Lunches on a budget at Siam Town

Siam Town is relatively new to South Croydon and evidently they have been quite successful and popular.

Finally paid a visit to try their lunch deal which starts at 6.95 where you get a main and rice.

I tried the chicken and basil with Jasmine rice.

Overall, it was quite good and the generous pieces of chicken were tender.

It was quite spicy with a sweet aftertaste.

If Thai food is your thing then I would recommend a visit here for lunch.

The best thing is that is that it finishes at 16:00 so you can have a long lunch.

The Big Christmas Show guide 2022

Autumn is always the best time of the year with Christmas gifts rolling out.

Earlier in the blazing hot summer, I had the pleasure of trying Christmas foods for the supermarkets.

Now, it is time for Christmas gift ideas.

I am glad, the trend in the 1990s is making a come back this year as I managed to get my hands on Nandos colour changing clothing.

At the fair, it was good to see the good old Tamagotchi!!
There was so much to see and play.

I was greeted with Tamagotchis and mochi moons at the entrance while there was ebay.

Ebay so such a brilliant platform for buying and selling.

As a foodie, some of my favourite tea brands were there like Whittard to Bird and Blend.

There were so much indulgent drinks, Whittard had this hot chocolate advent calendar while Bird and Blend stole the show for Christmas teas.

Bird and Blend Christmas range:

Lyre's offers unsuspectingly non alcholic spirts and gins.

The best grazing cheese platter were provided by Berry and Brie and the vegan one tasted amazing even though I am not vegan.

On the sweet side, Piglets pantry does these wonderful cakes as well as afternoon tea boxes.

Little Moons:

It was great to see choc on choc there, a brand that you always see in the shops especially the chocolate range which you can buy on their website.

As a biscuit lover, I would definitely recommend a trip down memory lane with the mini chocolate biscuit box of wafers, custard, jammy dodger, party ring and bourbon as well as the liquid filled camembert.

If you still cannot decide, the hampers have you sorted with lots of goodies.

Treatbox offers personalized build your own gift boxes with a great range from inspirational quotes, stationery, lifestyle products, jewellery, edible treats, beauty products and exclusive products designed by Treatbox.

On the toys side, I loved the mini dyson hairdryer which actually works with real air blowing out as well a fur fluffs to lovely dolls by DesignaFriend that are attention to details.

For group games, Big potato games offer many games that involve everyone.