Indian street food at Scarlet Rasoi

I was really exited to see an Indian street food restaurant in the O2 because I was in the mood of sitting comfortably in a nice environment with friends. I really didn't feel like having a burger or something quick, which is what the O2 mostly has on offer.

We came across a friendly waiter standing outside a lovely looking restaurant called, 'Scarlet Rasoi.' He kindly offered us some masala chips, we all loved the taste and felt immediately drawn to the place.

Another waiter quickly returned with a table, unfortunately the table was right in the corner of the restaurant. To get us all in he added a chair on the edge of the table which was directly in front of the mini fridge filled with drinks. He than noticed that it would be a bit of a squeeze and so he offered to move us to a bigger table after we had just sat down.

Once we had all comfortably been seated we ordered our starters, Samosa Chaat, Chicken Tikka and Golgappa. The starters arrived quickly and there was barely any wait time. We were all really hungry and couldn't wait to get stuck in. The Samosa Chaat and Chicken Tikka was bland it really lacked in flavour. I was really disappointed with the Golgappa as this was a starter I was really looking forward to. There was not much filling, the portion was really small and the Amlee juice tasted as though it was watered down, also I'm not quite sure about combining the tropical juice with the Golgappa, It was a strange taste.

Soon after, our main dishes arrived, Gun Powder Paneer, Butter Chicken Curry, Turmeric Dall and Masala Chips. The Gun Powder Paneer looked like the whole block of cheese was grilled, sliced and served with naan. It tasted bland with a hint of charcoal. The Turmeric Dall - average.

Scarlet Rasoi looks very chic and modern on the outside. Great ambience, comfortable atmosphere, with bollywood music to set the indian theme. The Masala chips was probably the best food on the menu.  Sadly, I don't think I will be visiting again in a hurry as the rest of the food didn't leave me asking for more.

A beautiful Japanese spread at Issho-Ni.

The dimmed lights and candle lit dinner sparked a great atmosphere for intimate conversations amongst loved ones. What a beautiful experience I had with my sisters at Issho-Ni. We were pleasantly greeted by the director and founder of Issho-Ni, Claire Su, She looked after us well, making us feel extremely comfortable and at home. 

A perfectly named restaurant, Issho-Ni meaning, together.  We were amongst people having a good time, laughing and enjoying each others company and being just that, together  in a beautifully chic and cosy designed restaurant.

Me and my sisters were definitely spoilt for choice as we browsed through the menu that offered various kinds of Japanese foods. I ordered the Homemade Kimchi, Spicy Lamb Chops, Udon Noodle Soup, Prawn Tempura and the Spider Maki Rolls. I absolutely love sushi, its one of my favourite foods. These maki rolls, were by far the best sushi I have had in a long time. The food was packed with flavour and every bite felt as tasty as the last.

The head chef, Eduardo Aguiar's passion for Japanese cuisine shone through every plate that was served to us. What an amazingly skill full chef he is and I am so happy to have tasted the beautifully presented meals created.

I had such a memorable experience at Issho-Ni, a friendly place that I will be visiting again very soon.

Peggy Porschen

I have wanted to visit this cafe for so long. When I found out I was going to be in the area I knew I had to pop in and see what the hype was all about for myself. I visited the cafe with family and as I got closer to Peggy Porschen there were people outside taking photos of themselves in front of the it, which I found quite funny because it is a cafe after all. Yet, I joined them and I had to get a photo of me and my family in front of the cafe because if anything, it's capturing the memory, right?

We finally stepped in and without having a table booked we still managed to get a seat which I was not complaining about, as the place was very busy. The whole cafe was so beautifully decorated with penguins, ball balls and fake snow. It looked amazing and with Mariah Carey playing in the background it definitely gave us the Christmas feeling. I loved the soft tones of pink, greens and whites used in the decor, it gives the cafe a pretty pastel girlie vibe.

I browsed the menu and had a look at the cakes, I opted for 'The vanilla cloud,' we also had the 'Dark chocolate truffle' and 'Lemon, raspberry and rose' all three layered slices of cakes. Both 'The vanilla cloud' and the 'Lemon, raspberry and rose' tasted so good, the sponge was so moist and fluffy. The icing was so soft and creamy, (My mouth is salivating thinking about it as I type). I can also see why the 'Lemon, raspberry and rose' cake slice won the award for Great Taste Winner earlier this year, that hint of rose wasn't over powering at all, it was the perfect amount and the soft frosting just melted away in my mouth. However, I did feel the dark chocolate truffle cake was a little too rich for me and the sponge was quite dense. Over all, very happy with my tasty cakes.

We experienced good service from the waiting staff, they were polite, friendly and professional. I can see why a lot of people want to visit Peggy Porschen. Well worth the hype and I am so happy I finally got the chance to taste their cakes and visit the very thoughtfully decorated cafe.