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	<title>The Sugar Bar</title>
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	<description>casual dining, cooking, travelling &#38; unbottled banter</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:04:49 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>Postmodern Techy Trippy Dining at Inamo</title>
		<link>http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/2010/08/16/postmodern-techy-trippy-dining-at-inamo/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/2010/08/16/postmodern-techy-trippy-dining-at-inamo/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:04:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>diva</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[English]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Japanese]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[London]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thai]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[restaurant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[travels]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/?p=1541</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Photo from UcityGuides.com The past month I&#8217;ve not only been busy but I&#8217;ve been considering the future of this blog. Should I give it a major facelift, should I redesign and reconceptualize everything seeing as this was really a brainchild of a teenager, should I scrap it completely or should I leave it to age [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p align="center"><a href="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/inamo-restaurant-london3.jpg"><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/inamo-restaurant-london3.jpg" alt="" title="inamo-restaurant-london3" width="512" height="345" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1542" /><em></a>Photo from <a href="http://www.ucityguides.com/blog/2009/07/21/the-future-of-restaurants-the-high-tech-inamo-restaurant-london/">UcityGuides.com</a></em></p>
<p>The past month I&#8217;ve not only been busy but I&#8217;ve been considering the future of this blog. Should I give it a major facelift, should I redesign and reconceptualize everything seeing as this was really a brainchild of a teenager, should I scrap it completely or should I leave it to age in a corner with only some good photographs to keep for memory&#8217;s sake? I&#8217;m not sure yet where that&#8217;ll take me but once the decision is out, I&#8217;d be sure to post back here and let you all know. I&#8217;m at the crossroads.</p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/IMG_5299.jpg"><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/IMG_5299.jpg" alt="" title="IMG_5299" width="512" height="384" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1550" /></a><em>One half of the hungry crew</em></p>
<p>Anyhows, last weekend <a href="http://www.mowielicious.com">Mowie</a> organised a dinner for us hungry ghosts, including <a href="http://breadetbutter.wordpress.com">Suyin</a>, Panu and <a href="http://cunningeye.blogspot.com">Bruce</a>, at <a href="http://www.thecattylife.com">Catty&#8217;s</a> recommendation. I&#8217;d been told the ordering here was high-tech, you could play with your tables (literally) and the food was impressive. I mean, this is heaven&#8217;s playground for food geeks! The food was lush, the music being played in the restaurant groovy and chic, and the ambiance completely otherworldly. And as a first-timer to <strong>Inamo</strong>, you could be sure that I was reduced to a wide-eyed child, going back to basics to my 5 senses to explore the wonders of the world &#8211; Inamo&#8217;s world. I was utterly and completely in awe of anything that moved, on my table, that is.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/IMG_5308.jpg"><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/IMG_5308.jpg" alt="" title="IMG_5308" width="480" height="640" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1551" /></a></p>
<p><strong>The world is your oyster. The table is your iPad, or menu.</strong> Ie. You touch your table. There&#8217;s a little circular touchpad on the bottom right for you to maneuver through the menu of starters, main dishes, side dishes and dessert, drinks menu or other fun things like a map of the surrounding area, games, spy camera that stalks the chefs in the kitchen. Be careful not to get carried away with changing the &#8216;ambiance&#8217; or settings of your table, or desktop (now I&#8217;m getting confused with restaurant dining or computer speak). Yes I kid you not, you can change the background of your table: send it to outerspace, to the rocky deserts or lotus gardens. Mad! Can&#8217;t decide? Your table&#8217;s got the &#8216;random shuffle&#8217; function too. Some of the images are a bit neon or psychedelic but I suppose having your face lit up a ghostly cyan can be pretty fun whilst you chomp down on a Thai Green Curry or sumfin. Some people are into that. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/IMG_5302.jpg"><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/IMG_5302.jpg" alt="" title="IMG_5302" width="480" height="640" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1552" /></a></p>
<p>It&#8217;s trippy and really fun. Only problem is that you might get way too engrossed with the damn table and forget you&#8217;re actually dining with others. You can play Battleship with your dining mate across the table, however. So that&#8217;s got my thumbs up. Although I&#8217;m shit at Battleship and got called a coward by Bruce for backing out in less than a second.</p>
<p>You know menus without pictures really put people off? And then there are those menus with ridiculous out-of-this-world very deceptive pictures that look nothing like the real deal when it gets dished out from the kitchen? Inamo shows you the image of your meal, when you hover over the option via your touchpad, and screens it onto the round plate-looking placemat set in front of you. So, it looks real, it looks like its there. It&#8217;s virtual menu. It&#8217;s virtual dining. OMG it makes me want to eat the table.</p>
<p>Well enough said. Here&#8217;s some of the food we ate. The dessert&#8217;s the pretty part and very impressive from what I tasted! </p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/IMG_5306.jpg"><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/IMG_5306.jpg" alt="" title="IMG_5306" width="512" height="384" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1553" /></a><em>Truffle Marbled Beef</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/IMG_5307.jpg"><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/IMG_5307.jpg" alt="" title="IMG_5307" width="512" height="384" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1554" /></a><em>Black Cod with Spicy Miso</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/IMG_5309.jpg"><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/IMG_5309.jpg" alt="" title="IMG_5309" width="480" height="640" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1555" /></a><em>Berkshire Pork Neck with Apple Confit &#038; Chocolate Sauce</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/IMG_5311.jpg"><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/IMG_5311.jpg" alt="" title="IMG_5311" width="512" height="384" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1556" /></a><em>Pandan Macaron, Yuzu White Chocolate Mousse with Lemongrass &#038; Coconut Sorbet &#038; Milk Chocolate Sauce</em></p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/IMG_5312.jpg"><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/IMG_5312.jpg" alt="" title="IMG_5312" width="512" height="384" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1557" /></a><em>Vanilla Crème Brûlée</em></p>
<p>I would have taken more pics but the table&#8217;s a straight rectangle so getting across to the other side isn&#8217;t quite that easy. And with all the distractions offered from my table, why on earth would I be hanging on to the camera?! The meal was truly enjoyable and this futuristic way of dining a great experience. I would definitely go back here again and ban myself from the &#8216;games&#8217; section. </p>
<p>Oh. And one more thing, if you&#8217;re a compulsive online shopper who loves sending truckloads of goodies into your online shopping basket with one click, practice restraint at Inamo. It&#8217;s easy to get carried away and click &#8216;ORDER&#8217;. </p>
<p><strong>inamo restaurant</strong><br />
134-136 Wardour Street<br />
Soho<br />
London W1F 8ZP<br />
Tel. for reservations: 020 7851 7051</p>
<p align="right"><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/xxx-diva.jpg" alt="" width="135" height="55" /></p>
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		<slash:comments>9</slash:comments>
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		<title>Goodman: For Meatfaces Only?</title>
		<link>http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/2010/07/20/goodman-for-meatfaces-only/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/2010/07/20/goodman-for-meatfaces-only/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 20 Jul 2010 12:18:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>diva</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[London]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beef]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[restaurant]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/?p=1527</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I think I was born to be a pescetarian. I love my seafood, especially shellfishes and octopus. Say &#8216;oct-&#8217; and I go nuts even before you can continue with &#8216;-topus&#8217;. Any other seafood enthusiasts in the house? But sometimes a meatfest is just what you need. And with a particular friend I know and adore, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I think I was born to be a pescetarian. I love my seafood, especially shellfishes and octopus. Say &#8216;oct-&#8217; and I go nuts even before you can continue with &#8216;-topus&#8217;. Any other seafood enthusiasts in the house?</p>
<p>But sometimes a meatfest is just what you need. And with a particular friend I know and adore, meatfests are compulsory affairs. So when she decided to come riding down the mountain, trotting over from York with little more than an unending appetite, I remembered when Catty first introduced Goodman to me and how I impressed I was with it. Lunch at Goodman&#8217;s was truly necessary and just perfect for meatfest friend. In fact, not going would&#8217;ve been criminal.</p>
<p>I wanted a burger so there wasn&#8217;t much hmm-haaing over the menu. My friend V went for the set lunch menu which is very affordable and probably one of the most affordable ones I&#8217;ve come across. I&#8217;m going to let the pictures (courtesy of V and her wicked camera) do the talking.</p>
<p align="center"><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/dsc_7225-1024x680.jpg" alt="dsc_7225" title="dsc_7225" width="512" height="341" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1528" /><em>V&#8217;s fish soup starter</em></p>
<p>So maybe Goodman&#8217;s not just for those red meat carnivores. This was extremely delicious served with flat croutons and garlic-will-blow-your-mind aioli.</p>
<p align="center"><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/dsc_7226-1024x680.jpg" alt="dsc_7226" title="dsc_7226" width="512" height="341" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1530" /><em>Roast lamb with creamed spinach and potatoes</em></p>
<p>And of course&#8230;the <strong>Goodman burger</strong>.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/dsc_7227-1024x680.jpg" alt="dsc_7227" title="dsc_7227" width="512" height="341" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1531" /></p>
<p>There are many great (and more comprehensive) reviews of Goodman on the webosphere so I won&#8217;t really go into it. The pictures speak for themselves and all I&#8217;ve to say is, people go here to be fed properly. And I mean properly. You can simply judge by the generous servings that are nothing but quality quality quality. The burger patty is crazy good that it doesn&#8217;t even need the slightest drop of condiment. Good meat, good food and oh yes, that fish soup starter? Fucking amazing (excuse my French, I couldn&#8217;t think of any other modifier).</p>
<p>And so that&#8217;s how today&#8217;s story ends. Although it&#8217;s simply the beginning to more trips to Mayfair just for Goodman I reckon. Happy days.</p>
<p><strong>Goodman Restaurant</strong><br />
26 Maddox Street<br />
London<br />
W1S 1QH</p>
<p>http://www.goodmanrestaurants.com</p>
<p align="right"><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/xxx-diva.jpg" alt="" width="135" height="55" /></p>
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		<slash:comments>8</slash:comments>
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		<title>Mini-Pancake Stack with Matcha Whipped Cream for the Child in You</title>
		<link>http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/2010/07/12/mini-pancake-stack-with-matcha-whipped-cream-for-the-child-in-you/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/2010/07/12/mini-pancake-stack-with-matcha-whipped-cream-for-the-child-in-you/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 12 Jul 2010 23:34:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>diva</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Japanese]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pancakes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[strawberries]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sweets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tea]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/?p=1513</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It&#8217;s funny how sometimes you&#8217;ll find my friends and I standing about in a straight line, frozen stiff when there appears a swarm of squealing toddlers running zig zag about you or between your legs. It&#8217;s terrifying, absolute pandemonium unfolding before your eyes. A dear friend of mine even confessed this most ridiculous line: &#8216;I [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/img_4979.jpg" alt="img_4979" title="img_4979" width="480" height="640" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1520" /></p>
<p>It&#8217;s funny how sometimes you&#8217;ll find my friends and I standing about in a straight line, frozen stiff when there appears a swarm of squealing toddlers running zig zag about you or between your legs. It&#8217;s terrifying, absolute pandemonium unfolding before your eyes. A dear friend of mine even confessed this most ridiculous line: &#8216;I am allergic to two things; one of which is children.&#8217; I don&#8217;t think I&#8217;m particularly allergic and I don&#8217;t really believe he meant what he said. Call it the heat of the moment. It&#8217;s perfectly logical in my opinion, however, that some people find children annoying, judging that the we&#8217;ve witnessed some which are just nightmares. But I have to admit that majority of the little buddies that I&#8217;ve met or spotted at work around the baby section are just truly adorable. And don&#8217;t get me wrong, I am in no way anti-children and I do want children in the future. Just a warning to my future kids though: discipline discipline discipline and then sweet treats on Sunday if you&#8217;re good otherwise you&#8217;re getting shoved under the stairs with no tea (your Mama Diva here&#8217;s giving you this headstart years in advance).</p>
<p>Nevertheless, when my soft spot for children goes away, I&#8217;ve been known to be a real mean dick &#8211; I&#8217;ve stolen candy from a kid before. So sue me. Who was that poor sucker? My sister. I stole her candy. I stole her whatever that thing is that babies suck on when they&#8217;re teething. I stole it right and good and it even waved it in her face, laughing.</p>
<p>I am mean and I ain&#8217;t gonna deny that. And oh yea, I&#8217;m greedy like that.</p>
<p>Maybe it&#8217;s because I&#8217;m still a child at heart. But humanity has got the better of me, civilization has socialized me and so I&#8217;ve stopped doing dumb things like that. If you can&#8217;t have what they have, make it for yourself. And so I did. My little sis C texted me to say Mum was making a lovely spread for breakfast Saturday morning. I wasn&#8217;t gonna lose at breakfast half a world away and if my mama can&#8217;t make it for me, suppose I&#8217;ve two hands, a pathetic kitchen but a brain nevertheless. The plan? To self-indulge in the kiddiest, cutest breakfast ever. And if mini-anything is not simply the cutest, I don&#8217;t know what is.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/img_4992.jpg" alt="img_4992" title="img_4992" width="512" height="384" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1521" /></p>
<p><strong>Catty</strong> has been tweeting about this &#8211; <a href="http://www.thecattylife.com/2010/07/matcha-madness/"><strong>Matcha Madness</strong></a>. Matcha &#8211; one of the four foods I love most in the world (mushrooms, berries, matcha and black sesame seeds &#8211; they drive me wild).  What is it about? You like matcha? You eat matcha? You want MORE matcha (from Teapigs)? Then head on over via the link and take part. Stop procrastinating. Go paint the town green.</p>
<p>So. I basically agreed to get involved, partly because I love to win things. Who doesn&#8217;t, right?? My post for it, however, is definitely not the most creative. And compared to the other things I&#8217;ve made before using matcha, this certainly pales in comparison so bad I probably shouldn&#8217;t have even bothered. And here comes the BUT. I gotta say the simple combination of flavours in this reminds me of Japanese Christmas Cake &#8211; strawberries, fluffy light sponge and whipped cream. This is quite perfect for the summer heat especially when British strawberries are at their best now, all red ripe and fat. Simply use your favourite pancake recipe (I&#8217;ve used one meant for dorayaki actually, recipe over <a href="http://kokken69.blogspot.com/2010/04/dorayaki-doraemons-favourite-japanese.html">here</a>), whip up some double cream with matcha and a touch of icing sugar if needed. Put everything together including the ripest sweetest fat strawberries you can find and drizzle golden syrup over.</p>
<p>When I was a kid, I used to make up combinations of fruit and biscuit as dessert for my parents. After a meal, my mama would clear away the dishes and I&#8217;d be busy in the kitchen hacking away (alright, actually nimbly slicing away) at whatever fruit was available, banging together some biscuits, chocolate squares that sorta thing together and putting it all nicely on a plate a la smiley faces, concentric circles, towers, etc.</p>
<p><em>Some kids had Lego. I had fruit and biscuits.</em></p>
<p><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/img_49911.jpg" alt="img_49911" title="img_49911" width="480" height="640" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1524" /></p>
<p>This childish pancake stack is really a tribute to that little kid me. The cherry on top? Those broken bits of matcha biscuits I stabbed into the matcha whipped cream. I have so much class, now don&#8217;t I?</p>
<p align="right"><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/xxx-diva.jpg" alt="" width="135" height="55" /></p>
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		<slash:comments>19</slash:comments>
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		<title>Leila&#8217;s Shop: Fried Eggs &amp; Sage</title>
		<link>http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/2010/07/08/leilas-shop-fried-eggs-sage/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/2010/07/08/leilas-shop-fried-eggs-sage/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 08 Jul 2010 15:02:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>diva</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[British]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[London]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cafés]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/?p=1506</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Once again, just a short and sweet post about yet another scrummy place. I love my eggs. I never used to as a kid, they made me feel ill &#8211; like nauseous I&#8217;m-gonna-be-sick type of ill. But now, it&#8217;s a completely different story. I love it. LOVE. And when I need an egg-fix, if I&#8217;m [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/img_4949.jpg" alt="img_4949" title="img_4949" width="480" height="640" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1507" /></p>
<p>Once again, just a short and sweet post about yet another scrummy place. I love my eggs. I never used to as a kid, they made me feel ill &#8211; like nauseous I&#8217;m-gonna-be-sick type of ill. But now, it&#8217;s a completely different story. I love it. LOVE. And when I need an egg-fix, if I&#8217;m lazy to fix myself breakfast, I normally head to <strong>The Breakfast Club</strong> which is only like a 5 minute walk from me.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/img_4952.jpg" alt="img_4952" title="img_4952" width="480" height="640" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1509" /></p>
<p>Maybe it&#8217;s the sun, or maybe it&#8217;s the need to sit outside facing the roads like cafés in Paris, which drew me to this quaint little café in Shoreditch. Not a big menu, not much variety. And served by a lanky freakishly tall dude who looks about twelve. Nice, huh. But the eggs were delicious. The toast, on the other hand, I&#8217;m a bit hesitant about. It was certainly good bread but over-toasted and it threatened to rip my mouth apart or break my teeth. Fail.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/img_4956.jpg" alt="img_4956" title="img_4956" width="480" height="640" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1508" /></p>
<p>Nevertheless, lemme stress this again. Eggs = good.</p>
<p>The combination of eggs fried in truckloads of good olive oil, generously seasoned with cracked sea salt and lots of black pepper plus crisp sage leaves on each yolk eager to be dampened by creamy yolk when you break the membrane? Heaven.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/img_4953.jpg" alt="img_4953" title="img_4953" width="480" height="640" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1510" /><br />
Enough said.</p>
<p><strong>Leila&#8217;s Shop</strong><br />
17 Calvert Avenue<br />
Shoreditch<br />
London<br />
E2 7JP</p>
<p align="right"><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/xxx-diva.jpg" alt="" width="135" height="55" /></p>
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		<slash:comments>14</slash:comments>
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		<title>Byron Burger: I grin like a Cheshire cat</title>
		<link>http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/2010/07/01/byron-burger-i-grin-like-a-cheshire-cat/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/2010/07/01/byron-burger-i-grin-like-a-cheshire-cat/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 01 Jul 2010 19:26:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>diva</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[London]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beef]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[restaurant]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/?p=1499</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[No matter how busy anyone is, there&#8217;s always time to eat. My number one rule in the book, never forget to eat. I mean, it&#8217;s physically impossible for me anyway when I&#8217;m thinking, planning and dreaming about food 24/7/365&#8230; Yea I truly am that disgusting and ridiculous. If I got thrown out of a plane, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/img_4933.jpg" alt="img_4933" title="img_4933" width="512" height="384" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1500" /></p>
<p>No matter how busy anyone is, there&#8217;s always time to eat. My number one rule in the book, never forget to eat. I mean, it&#8217;s physically impossible for me anyway when I&#8217;m thinking, planning and dreaming about food 24/7/365&#8230; Yea I truly am that disgusting and ridiculous. If I got thrown out of a plane, shipwrecked on some desert island, etc. I&#8217;d probably start Ray Mears-style finding ways to recreate a cheesy omelette on hot volcanic rock I can find, grill wild boar satays, etc. all by a shoddily set-up campfire (the question of actually being successful in setting one up of course is very controversial). Despite being one not to eat out often, I can never say no to a lunch or a dinner out and with some of my favourite ladies, even more reason to ditch the work and run, arms-stretched out, squealing to <strong>Byron</strong>. </p>
<p><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/img_4931.jpg" alt="img_4931" title="img_4931" width="480" height="640" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1501" /></p>
<p><a href="http://www.thecattylife.com">Catty</a> had told me so much about it. <a href="http://www.breadetbutter.wordpress.com">Suyin</a> had raved about how good their burgers were. I, on the other hand, was clueless. I was going in blind. Can you imagine my anticipation.</p>
<p>10 minutes early. Tick tock tick tock. Sat there all by my lonely self, licking my lips and nursing a lone Diet Coke, with a massive grin on my face. Yes, I was well chipper. And all for burger and chips.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/img_4932.jpg" alt="img_4932" title="img_4932" width="480" height="640" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1502" /></p>
<p>Basically, there&#8217;s not much of a story to tell this time round. The results were good, let&#8217;s just say that. A really good patty and I loved that the patty came very pink in the middle. Anyone who likes red meat well done is missing out on quite a lot, let&#8217;s put it that way. I had a really good lunch. They serve great chips, made from spuds or courgettes &#8211; both very scrummy. End of story. Yum yum yummyinmytummy so that&#8217;sitthankyoubye.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/img_4930.jpg" alt="img_4930" title="img_4930" width="480" height="640" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1503" /></p>
<p><strong>Byron</strong><br />
At the Intrepid Fox<br />
97-99 Wardour Street<br />
London<br />
W1F 0UD</p>
<p>http://www.byronhamburgers.com</p>
<p align="right"><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/xxx-diva.jpg" alt="" width="135" height="55" /></p>
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		<title>BakersRoyale Guest Post: SoNo&#8217;s No Bake Cheesecake</title>
		<link>http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/2010/06/19/bakersroyale-guest-post-sonos-no-bake-cheesecake/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/2010/06/19/bakersroyale-guest-post-sonos-no-bake-cheesecake/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 19 Jun 2010 07:12:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>diva</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[cakes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cheese]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[foodblogs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pistachio]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[raspberries]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/?p=1491</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As you all know, my time on the blog has gotten very much shorter and the time to try new recipes and invent chocolate truffle combinations has been almost obliterated by the massive workload I have to complete. If I intend to save my degree, it&#8217;s all got to be done and The Sugar Bar [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/sonos-cheesecake-bakersroyale-1.jpg" alt="sonos-cheesecake-bakersroyale-1" title="sonos-cheesecake-bakersroyale-1" width="470" height="343" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1497" /></p>
<p>As you all know, my time on the blog has gotten very much shorter and the time to try new recipes and invent chocolate truffle combinations has been almost obliterated by the massive workload I have to complete. If I intend to save my degree, it&#8217;s all got to be done and <strong>The Sugar Bar</strong> has, unfortunately, to be placed on the backburner for a while. Nevertheless, I will update regularly (as much as I can) with some interesting pictures and places/little bits to eat. I won&#8217;t be gone completely of course. You see me on Twitter way too much.</p>
<p>The lovely Naomi, of <a href="http://www.bakersroyale.com">BakersRoyale</a>, noticing my struggle was very kind enough to suggest guest-posting for me and created a beautiful bit of heaven in the shape of a mini cake, all in the essence of a person with limited time and kitchen space. </p>
<p>I met <strong>Naomi</strong>, or actually I found her, through one of the cake posts she submitted to <a href="http://www.foodgawker.com">Foodgawker</a> and boy, did I gawk. Her cakes are stunning, little bits of art to be honest and all so meticulously put together. And I bet they taste as divine as they look &#8211; always quivering on my laptop screen, tempted to plop right out of it straight onto my dessert plate. She&#8217;s truly inspiring and such an easy-going person, we got along straightaway! In fact, sometimes I do wonder if she&#8217;s actually a twin of mine. We&#8217;re on the same wavelength. But enough of my chitter-chatter, let me give you Naomi! Here&#8217;s what she said:</p>
<p align="center">•••</p>
<p><strong>SoNo’s No Bake Cheesecake</strong> ~ A no bake cheesecake dressed up in a pistachio crumb and topped with some fresh raspberries.</p>
<p>This famous cheesecake is from <a href="http://www.pbs.org/everydayfood/cast/john.html">John Barricelli’s</a> SoNo Bakery in Connecticut and is featured in his <a href="http://www.amazon.com/SoNo-Baking-Company-Cookbook-Occasion/dp/0307449459">SoNo Bakery book</a>. After trying several no bake cheesecakes, this is hands down the best-period.</p>
<p>The bits of lemon and orange zest give the cheesecake a citrus balance that will refresh your palate with every bite. Add the pistachio crumb and the raspberries and this cheesecake moves from delicious to heavenly.</p>
<p>Aside from taste, the other reason I love this version of a no-bake cheesecake is John Barricelli’s use of gelatin to help set it. Now while he describes the finishing mixture as a mousse, I find the finishing mixture more similar to a baked cheesecake. No-bake versions tend to be very light and where this recipe not only has the velvety texture of a baked cheesecake, but it also has enough weight for every bite to be well tasted, rather than submitting and dissipating on contact. </p>
<p>I miniaturized this dessert into two inch mini cheesecakes the original recipe calls for a 9 inch pastry ring. If you don’t have one, a springform pan will work just as well. </p>
<p><strong>SoNo&#8217;s No Bake Cheesecake</strong><br />
<em>Ingredients</em></p>
<ul><em>Crust:</em><br />
1 1/2 cup crushed graham cracker<br />
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar<br />
7 tablespoon unsalted butter(melted)</p>
<p><em>Cheesecake:</em><br />
¼ cup water<br />
1 tablespoon powdered gelatin<br />
2 ¼ cups heavy cream<br />
1 pound cream cheese, room temperature (at least six hours)<br />
2/3 sugar<br />
1 teaspoon coarse salt<br />
Grated zest of orange<br />
Grated zest of lemon<br />
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice<br />
¾ sour cream</p>
<p><em>For assembly</em><br />
1 cup pistachios, shelled and finely chopped<br />
2 cups raspberries</ul>
<p><em>For the crust:</em></p>
<p>1. Combine graham cracker crumbs with sugar.<br />
2. Add melted butter and blend until combined.<br />
3. Press into pan. Set aside. </p>
<p><em>For the cheesecake:</em></p>
<p>1. Bring 1 inch of water to a simmer in the bottom of a double boiler. Sprinkle water over gelatin and let stand for 5 minutes.<br />
2. Using a spatula scrape the softened gelatin and place it into the top of the double boiler. Set it over simmering water and heat until the mixture becomes liquid. Remove from heat and set aside.<br />
3. Using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, beat the cream to medium peaks. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.<br />
4. Replace whisk attachment with a paddle. Wash out bowl. Add cream cheese, sugar, salt, lemon and orange zest and lemon juice in mixer bowl and beat on medium high speed until the mixture is smooth, about 5 minutes.<br />
5. Add a dollop of cream mixture to the gelatin and fold with a rubber spatula. Return the gelatin mixture to the remaining cream cheese mixture and fold together.<br />
6. Scrap the new mousse mixture into pastry rings or springform. Smooth the top and cover with plastic. Freeze for at least four hours or overnight to set.<br />
7. Remove cake. The cake will have a slight sunken center. Using spread sour cream on top as if icing a cake to even out the top.<br />
8. To remove from pastry ring, use a hot towel and wrap it around the ring. You may have to do this twice.<br />
9. Don’t worry about the uneven sides as it will be covered with the pistachio crumb.</p>
<p><em>To assemble:<br />
</em><br />
Cover sides with pistachio crumb and garnish top with raspberries.</p>
<p align="center">•••</p>
<p>Hope you liked Naomi&#8217;s post as much as I did! If you want more, jump over to her blog <a href="http://www.bakersroyale.com">here</a>.</p>
<p align="right"><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/xxx-diva.jpg" alt="" width="135" height="55" /></p>
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		<slash:comments>11</slash:comments>
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		<title>A Sleepy Breakfast at Lantana&#8217;s</title>
		<link>http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/2010/06/15/a-sleepy-breakfast-at-lantanas/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/2010/06/15/a-sleepy-breakfast-at-lantanas/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 Jun 2010 13:25:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>diva</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Australian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[London]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cafés]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coffee]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/?p=1485</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Yesterday was my last day with the kid sister C so we made sure to get up early for a good breakfast out. I&#8217;d raved about Lantana cafe on Charlotte Place in Fitzrovia quite a bit whilst C was here so it was absolutely necessary to get our sleepyheads over to the café. And get [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/img_4730.jpg" alt="img_4730" title="img_4730" width="480" height="640" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1486" /></p>
<p>Yesterday was my last day with the kid sister C so we made sure to get up early for a good breakfast out. I&#8217;d raved about<strong> Lantana</strong> cafe on Charlotte Place in Fitzrovia quite a bit whilst C was here so it was absolutely necessary to get our sleepyheads over to the café. And get this, it is open for breakfast at 8am! My little C found the menu a little strange at first and a bit too much for an early chow but mind you, that girl is zombie dead and expressionless that early in the morning. She took a while to decide on sourdough toast, roast tomatoes, etc. and pretty much mumbled her order to our waitress Suzie. Somehow the residual sleepiness that she had yet to shake off drowned out her voice. Now we know mumbling gets you nowhere so C unfortunately ended up with only sourdough toast, butter and jam. But she liked it good enough (you can&#8217;t fault good bread). Her iced latte was a milky heaven and by the end of the meal, she left with a satisfied belly. It did take a while for it all to register of course. Our breakfast conversation wasn&#8217;t that brilliant or lively. In fact, some might consider it non-conversation. The excited chatter only kicked in post-caffeine for me and for C, when she pulled out her polaroid. But we&#8217;re sisters. Long spells of silence between us two are allowed. We&#8217;re that comfortable with each other I suppose.</p>
<p>On the other side of the table, after a lot of teasing and laughing, my own order arrived -<strong> brioche toast with poached pears, ricotta and blackberries</strong>. I died and went to heaven. I wasn&#8217;t even upset that they&#8217;d taken the french toast with pistachio mascarpone off the menu. This baby was composed of my favourite fruits and it felt like it was all meant to be. To revive myself and note, I did have a cappucino to start, I ordered a macchiato to get my heart pumping again. I heart this place. And I heart the coffees they serve. It was a fine way to get our last day started and a nice little café with a friendly setting for C and I managed to take more holiday polaroid shots.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/img_4736.jpg" alt="img_4736" title="img_4736" width="512" height="384" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1487" /></p>
<p>She&#8217;s home now all safe and sound with the rest of the family. And I am missing her lots. The house is too quiet, too empty and suddenly just a little less cluttered than when she was here with all luggage. It&#8217;s a bittersweet emotion inside me knowing that my little C has grown up just a bit more. This must be what my elder sis A felt when I left home for England years ago. Nevertheless, it&#8217;s nice to know the bonds between us three sisters have strengthened and matured. I&#8217;ve always wanted a brother. And yea, sure if you&#8217;d throw that into the mix I&#8217;d happily accept it. But there&#8217;s something about sisters and the joys, secrets and annoyances between us that is really precious. </p>
<p>I can&#8217;t wait to be reunited with both my sisters when I do finally return home. Breakfast with the whole family, it&#8217;s a sweet affair to wake up to. And oh, to be reunited with my beloved oven once again&#8230;</p>
<p align="right"><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/xxx-diva.jpg" alt="" width="135" height="55" /></p>
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		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
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		<title>An Ode to Pudding</title>
		<link>http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/2010/06/10/an-ode-to-pudding/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/2010/06/10/an-ode-to-pudding/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 10 Jun 2010 10:29:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>diva</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[London]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cafés]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cakes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cookies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[patisserie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sweets]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tea]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[travels]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/?p=1457</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Genmaicha in teacup &#038; saucer? Why not. There&#8217;s a street in London called Pudding Lane. That always tickles my funny bone. The word pudding. It makes me grin, it makes me laugh, it sends excited shivers down my spine, gives my sweet tooth a massive itch and also, activates my drool reflexes. And just a [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p align="center"><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/img_4285.jpg" alt="img_4285" title="img_4285" width="480" height="640" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1458" /><em>Genmaicha in teacup &#038; saucer? Why not.</em></p>
<p>There&#8217;s a street in London called Pudding Lane. That always tickles my funny bone. The word pudding. It makes me grin, it makes me laugh, it sends excited shivers down my spine, gives my sweet tooth a massive itch and also, activates my drool reflexes. And just a bit of trivia: did you know that there&#8217;s a breed of hamsters known as &#8216;Pudding&#8217;? That&#8217;s slightly weird but suppose that&#8217;s kinda cute. My kid sister&#8217;s got one of those. Quite adorable, if a little fat, lazy and greedy.</p>
<p>But&#8230;the thing the word originally refers to is much more fun, so much more decadent, truly inspiring, and gloriously delicious. I&#8217;m sure you&#8217;ll agree. No? Who loves pudding, hands up. If you don&#8217;t, I&#8217;m sorry I think you&#8217;re crazy.</p>
<p align="center"><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/img_3830.jpg" alt="img_3830" title="img_3830" width="480" height="640" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1460" /><em>SNOG froyo</em></p>
<p>As you might know, I&#8217;m guiltily taking a holiday. My kid sister is here for a short visit and so we&#8217;re visiting places in London/England she&#8217;s not seen before and eating the city over. Or sorta, as much as my wallet can afford. How ironic that after my wallet was stolen a few months ago, it hasn&#8217;t yet been replaced and my credit cards, ID cards, notes and change are all messily plopped together in an ugly pewter-coloured snake-scaled decorated freebie cosmetic pouch from Lancome. Oh dear.</p>
<p>Alright then, enough dallying about. Let me leave you with some pictures of sweet yummies and pudding. It&#8217;s nearly 11am, the sister is still concussed in bed like a sleeping dragon, the weather&#8217;s so horrid I simply can&#8217;t be bothered but things need to be done, and the day needs to go on! Keep safe in this gross weather and let&#8217;s hope for more sun this weekend. Until then&#8230;.. eat pudding.</p>
<p><strong>Hampton Court Palace Foodies Festival</strong></p>
<p><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/img_3878.jpg" alt="img_3878" title="img_3878" width="512" height="384" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1461" /><br />
<img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/img_3879.jpg" alt="img_3879" title="img_3879" width="512" height="384" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1462" /></p>
<p align="center"><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/img_3880.jpg" alt="img_3880" title="img_3880" width="432" height="576" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1463" /><em>LOVE Red Velvet in a Whoopie Pie</em></p>
<p><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/img_3892.jpg" alt="img_3892" title="img_3892" width="512" height="384" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1464" /></p>
<p><strong>Angel Food Bakery in Brighton</strong></p>
<p align="center"><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/img_4101.jpg" alt="img_4101" title="img_4101" width="512" height="384" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1466" /><em>Might get your daily dose of dopamine here in cupcake heaven</em></p>
<p><strong>Greenwich</strong></p>
<p align="center"><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/img_4185.jpg" alt="img_4185" title="img_4185" width="512" height="384" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1467" /><em>Down in the Greenwich Market</em></p>
<p align="center"><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/img_4191.jpg" alt="img_4191" title="img_4191" width="512" height="384" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1469" /><em>Melt-in-your-mouth apple pie in <strong>Biscuit Ceramic Café</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>Ottolenghi &#8211; A Necessary Pleasure</strong></p>
<p align="center"><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/img_4225.jpg" alt="img_4225" title="img_4225" width="432" height="576" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1470" /><em>In addition to my fav <strong>Lemon Polenta Cake</strong>, we tried this <strong>Chocolate &#038; Rum Fondant</strong> bad boy</em></p>
<p><strong>Afternoon Tea at Sketch with Pam</strong><br />
The Parlour tearoom at Sketch is a wonderfully eclectic and stylish place for tea. To find out more, check out my first post on it <a href="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/2010/03/12/tea-room-ladies-at-sketch-the-parlour/"><strong>here</strong></a>.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/img_4286.jpg" alt="img_4286" title="img_4286" width="512" height="384" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1471" /><br />
<img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/img_4287.jpg" alt="img_4287" title="img_4287" width="432" height="576" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1472" /></p>
<p align="center"><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/img_4291.jpg" alt="img_4291" title="img_4291" width="432" height="576" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1473" /><em>Bloody Praline</em></p>
<p align="center"><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/img_4293.jpg" alt="img_4293" title="img_4293" width="432" height="576" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1474" /><em>A Pink Paradise &#8211; delicate flavours of raspberry and lime</em></p>
<p><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/img_4298.jpg" alt="img_4298" title="img_4298" width="432" height="576" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1475" /></p>
<p><strong>Olde Sweet Shoppe in Cambridge</strong><br />
Not sure if this counts as pudding, but it&#8217;s sugary. So I&#8217;m throwing this into the mix too!</p>
<p><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/img_4361.jpg" alt="img_4361" title="img_4361" width="512" height="384" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1479" /></p>
<p>More sweet secrets to come. We descend further into pudding underworld.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/img_4362.jpg" alt="img_4362" title="img_4362" width="432" height="576" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1481" /></p>
<p align="right"><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/xxx-diva.jpg" alt="" width="135" height="55" /></p>
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		<slash:comments>13</slash:comments>
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		<title>It finally feels like summer</title>
		<link>http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/2010/05/22/it-finally-feels-like-summer/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/2010/05/22/it-finally-feels-like-summer/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 22 May 2010 16:31:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>diva</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[London]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cafés]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[coffee]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/?p=1441</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The sky is blue as blue, a half moon&#8217;s still out in this cloudless sky, sun&#8217;s blazing down upon us so fiercely &#8211; it&#8217;s just wonderful! And there are drunk idiots prancing about on the rooftop terrace, completely off their faces at 11 in the AM downing shots of Jack Daniel&#8217;s being absolutely ridiculous whilst [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_3779.jpg" alt="img_3779" title="img_3779" width="480" height="640" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1442" /></p>
<p>The sky is blue as blue, a half moon&#8217;s still out in this cloudless sky, sun&#8217;s blazing down upon us so fiercely &#8211; it&#8217;s just wonderful! And there are drunk idiots prancing about on the rooftop terrace, completely off their faces at 11 in the AM downing shots of Jack Daniel&#8217;s being absolutely ridiculous whilst R and I try to soak up some sun. Reading magazines and doing a bit of essay planning in peace? Impossible. Reeeediculous with a capital R.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_3746.jpg" alt="img_3746" title="img_3746" width="480" height="640" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1443" /><br />
<img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_3748.jpg" alt="img_3748" title="img_3748" width="480" height="640" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1444" /><br />
<img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_3760.jpg" alt="img_3760" title="img_3760" width="480" height="640" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1450" /></p>
<p>But thanks to these trolleyed losers, we moved off to a lovelier and more chilled out spot<strong> Look Mum No Hands</strong>, a cafe-bar-workshop down on Old Street. I think it was also the first time I thanked Tesco for anything &#8211; not having a cold can of coffee which meant we could head off somewhere else, any excuse to get out in the sun and sip a frappe. A leisurely walk away from where I live and we were grooving down Old Street which suddenly looked a lot more cheerful in the sunlight. The cafe is a pretty cool one which looks very inviting with their large workshop-like doors thrown open, large windows, great big wooden tables conducive for work, laptops or just sitting about with a coffee and cake to watch some TV. There are newspapers and magazines strewn about the wooden benches outside if you fancied lazying in the sun and reading. The interiors are also thoughtfully put together to be both creative but not overly distracting if you decided to sit about and work. And oh, if you&#8217;re by the window, you&#8217;ve not only snagged prime-time spot for people-watching, you also get free wi-fi. </p>
<p><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_3747.jpg" alt="img_3747" title="img_3747" width="512" height="384" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1446" /></p>
<p><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_3752.jpg" alt="img_3752" title="img_3752" width="512" height="384" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1445" /></p>
<p>It&#8217;s the epitome of CHILLAX.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_3755.jpg" alt="img_3755" title="img_3755" width="480" height="640" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1447" /></p>
<p>And the service is great. Waiting staff are chatty, friendly and eager to help. When I asked about taking photos, the dude behind the counter was like &#8216;yeaaa man, go ahead&#8217;. Welcome to <em>happiness and freedom central</em> with tall glasses of double shot espresso frappes to go. Worried about your lactose issues? They&#8217;re happy to sort you out with anything from whole to semi- to skimmed to soy. Actually, not just happy. Thrilled. The cakes, pastries and savoury tarts looked damn fine too and the same dude and I had a nice 30 second groan about how yum they looked. If we&#8217;d been hungrier or hadn&#8217;t had breakfast, I might&#8217;ve ordered one of those pastry twist thingies or a generous salad to enjoy out in the sun but I think, right now, the name of the game for me is to hold back and build up the anticipation for the next trip.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_3757.jpg" alt="img_3757" title="img_3757" width="512" height="384" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1448" /><br />
<img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_3758.jpg" alt="img_3758" title="img_3758" width="512" height="384" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1449" /><br />
<img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_3761.jpg" alt="img_3761" title="img_3761" width="512" height="384" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1451" /></p>
<p>Sitting outside was like some sort of therapy. If R and I weren&#8217;t currently-in-the-process-of-recovering-from-a-hangover, I might&#8217;ve ordered a cold beer, but the frappes were a lovely touch to our sun therapy. People sitting around us were friendly looking folks too; some were here for quiet newspaper-reading time, for brunch with the kids and the dog, a chat with friends or were tired cyclists stopping by for a caffeine break. Loved the atmosphere!</p>
<p>This is what summertime should be like. </p>
<p><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_3762.jpg" alt="img_3762" title="img_3762" width="480" height="640" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1452" /><br />
<img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_3771.jpg" alt="img_3771" title="img_3771" width="480" height="640" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1453" /></p>
<p>Happy days all round guys. With airplanes in the sky, coffee through a straw and the sickly sweet creamy smell of sunscreen. And adios again, I&#8217;ve got a deadline to meet!</p>
<p><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_3766.jpg" alt="img_3766" title="img_3766" width="512" height="384" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1454" /></p>
<p align="right"><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/xxx-diva.jpg" alt="" width="135" height="55" /></p>
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		<title>Mixed Noodles with Spicy Sweet Bibimguksu Sauce</title>
		<link>http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/2010/05/18/mixed-noodles-with-spicy-sweet-bibimguksu-sauce/</link>
		<comments>http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/2010/05/18/mixed-noodles-with-spicy-sweet-bibimguksu-sauce/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 18 May 2010 12:08:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>diva</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Korean]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fish]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[noodles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[savoury]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[spicy]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/?p=1430</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Have I been missed? I&#8217;ve been away for quite a bit that&#8217;s for sure (nose deep in books, essays and my laptop til my eyes crossed) and so has the sun. But just for today (can&#8217;t be too confident with English weather) &#8211; for one day only? &#8211; the sun is out and I&#8217;m back [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_3634.jpg" alt="img_3634" title="img_3634" width="480" height="640" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1434" /></p>
<p>Have I been missed? I&#8217;ve been away for quite a bit that&#8217;s for sure (nose deep in books, essays and my laptop til my eyes crossed) and so has the sun. But just for today (can&#8217;t be too confident with English weather) &#8211; for one day only? &#8211; the sun is out and I&#8217;m back with a quick and scrummy blogpost.</p>
<p>When summer arrives in its fully glory, I have less exciting food cravings and more urges for ice cream and fruit. I&#8217;ve some friends who completely lose their appetites too which of course is just a little sad. If its unbearably hot and humid, I get too grumpy to even bother with food. My cure is to sit on the patio, feet soaking in the koi pond whilst I guzzle down jugs of iced water or soda. One way to restart your tastebuds, however, I find is eating something with a combination of flavours like hot and spicy, sweet and sour, sweet and savoury. And that brings me to this seasoning for bibimguksu noodles, or a Korean spicy mixed noodle dish. I don&#8217;t have all the right ingredients but what I really wanted was the sauce so I decided to use the recipe for its seasoning and whack it into my own concoction of ingredients that I had on hand. This is not authentic bibimguksu I&#8217;m afraid.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_3627.jpg" alt="img_3627" title="img_3627" width="480" height="640" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1437" /></p>
<p>I&#8217;m unembarrassed to say I&#8217;m currently going through a barren-fridge moment. Living off junk and processed foods, completely in line with being a starving student/artist type. I know students get so much mick taken out of them and wrongly accused for being bad cooks, etc. I beg to differ. The student race can be pretty talented at cooking, a discerning food shopper and foodie right down to his/her toes. Only when the going gets tough, do we get a little lazy. Doing the washing up, food shopping, cooking properly on the hob all gets thrown out the window for takeaway, cold sandwiches bought cheaply from Tesco, dry cereal, microwaveable meals and cuppa soups. I shudder even as I type that but yea, that&#8217;s really my life at the moment. I hope you can sense the dread and utter unwillingness.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m starting to lose my train of thought now and before this post actually gets nowhere and bores everyone to death, let&#8217;s just say I was pretty glad to have fresh ingredients between my hands this afternoon, to get out the chopping board and to see a real proper hot meal appear before my eyes in the kitchen. This is quick and I swear, one of the best sauces for preparing noodles. Totally delicious.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_3629.jpg" alt="img_3629" title="img_3629" width="512" height="384" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1436" /></p>
<p>Recipe can be found on <a href="http://mykoreankitchen.com/2007/05/29/spicy-sweet-and-vinegary-noodles-bibim-guksu/"><strong>My Korean Kitchen</strong></a> that is a wonderful reservoir of Korean recipes. Here, I&#8217;ve reproduced the part containing the seasoning.</p>
<p>I&#8217;ve used soft egg noodles and fried it with onions, garlic, yellow peppers, sansai vegetables and codfish. Fry this all together, then add the pre-mixed bibimguksu sauce and garnish with whatever you fancy; some ideas like boiled eggs, black sesame seeds, chilli pepper, spring onions.</p>
<p><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/img_3622.jpg" alt="img_3622" title="img_3622" width="432" height="576" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1435" /></p>
<p><strong>Bibimguksu sauce</strong><br />
<em>Ingredients</em><br />
2 tbs gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)<br />
2 tbs rice vinegar<br />
1 tbs soy sauce<br />
1 tbs honey<br />
1 tbs sesame oil<br />
1 tbs brown sugar<br />
sesame seeds, lightly toasted (for garnish)</p>
<p>This yields 2 servings.</p>
<p>Mix together well. Set aside until use for mixing into noodles.</p>
<p align="right"><img src="http://www.sugarbar.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/xxx-diva.jpg" alt="" width="135" height="55" /></p>
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		<slash:comments>19</slash:comments>
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