Talk Trustafarian

London talking 

Z and I have been talking a lot lately about how the flat is getting “that summer feeling…” again - finally! I thought I’d share a few visuals so ya’ll know what we mean :)

Eastham. Definitely not a London top 10 location. But when the option of a dosa came with it, I jumped at the chance (never say no to a dosa - you WILL regret it)

I didn’t really go with any expectations (the dosa having blinded me) but with every stop on the tube towards our destination, I felt more and more like I was on the Delhi Metro, and when I finally got out at Eastham station, I saw exactly why. It’s literally mini-India, stowed away in red-brick chimneyed houses. A walk down the High Road and you will notice every shop is named after a South Indian girl, even though the name of the street it’s on probably belongs to an English Lord - an incredibly successful juxtaposition. 

When we finally arrived at Saravanaa Bhavan it seemed too good to be true! Run by a man I’m convinced is the local Eastham ‘seth,’ a title in Indian communities that combines Lord with Guardian with big moustache (all of which he fulfilled), it welcomed us with the quintessential display of Indian sweets and tables set with stainless steel water jugs. There in one swoop I recreated my childhood. A starter of buttermilk and dahi vada, followed by a plain dosa. Grown up me was still hungry though so she also ordered ‘chana - chickpea curry - bhatura,’ possibly the greasiest of all Indian breads, a winning combination obviously!

As if the food wasn’t reason enough for a return, the prices most definitely won us over - that extensive bit of gluttony I just described cost me a whole £12. You may close your jaw now.

Oh and jusssst in case you are looking further East to please your taste buds, there is always the “Great Wall” selection…

I wouldn’t call myself an Anglophile, but there are few traditions I adore more than afternoon tea. Sure, it’s the most decadent and frivolous and English of them all, but with its bite sized sandwiches, disproportionately high amount of sugar and endless cups of tea, what’s not to love?! Especially if you’ve had a bit too much to drink the night before…

And as luck would have it, this was precisely the situation I found myself in one March afternoon. My good friend Elisabeth invited us to the Tea Salon at Fortnum & Masons with her Mum, who was visiting from Canada. Although I was initially nervous about the combination of a fancy venue, being not quite (mentally) upright and meeting Liz’s mum, it turned out she was absolutely lovely, and generously hosted not just us, but also our gigantic hungover appetites!

To begin with, the tea-rista (with a qualification to match his title) conducted a tea tasting, doing his best to interest us in the rather long tea list. However, I zoned in on the Darjeeling earl grey, comfort clearly the coping strategy behind that move. It was fresh, warming and exactly what my poor dehydrated brain needed.

With the cakes however, we were a little more sassy. After polishing off all the scones on our trays, a task that did not take long given the smooth, fluffy clotted cream and wild berry jam they were served with, we ventured toward the cake trolley. If it had been difficult to resist the sugar devils before, now, we had begun to worship them - I just had to have a slice of the gorgeous Princess cake beckoning to me. So I gave in and I did. And holy hell, sinning never tasted so soul satisfyingly good!

Three hours passed surprisingly quickly - the conversation was amusing and pleasant, the tea helping us keep pace and the cakes giving it that cheerful boost to make it truly a delightful afternoon.

I’m sure men often wonder what purpose afternoon tea really serves…it did start as a fashion trend amongst 19th century ladies of leisure. But I prefer to see it as a cunning ploy to test female friendships - if you can make it through all the sugar, decadence and sips of tea without burning your tongue (quite literally!) I might just consider staying your friend…(true story).

Pretty #prague #sunset #travel

The green fairy hath cometh and conquered #prague #travel #absinthe

#win #prague #travel #budvar

The #czech have their priorities right! #prague #travel #beer£ #coffee£££

Baked garlic Camembert - Bombay taxi meets #french #gourmet #win #nofilter (at The Perspective Building Condominium)