Tag Archives: parsons green

Claude’s Kitchen | Restaurant Review

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platesClaude’s Kitchen in South West London is an atmospheric restaurant above a pub in Fulham. The kitchen is headed up by Claude Compton, the founder of award-winning streetfood company Green Goat Food co. and ex-chef of Petersham Nurseries and Club Gascon. The food is imaginative and also looks great.

Starters

Cornish Mackerel. (line caught)

Red Grape. Blood Orange, Beetroot, Bloody Mary Sauce.

I liked this starter. The ingredients would not necessarily go together, but they did in this dish. The bloody mary sauce is brilliant. The combination of ingredients are beautiful when you combine them, and also on their own. The mackerel is well cooked and a little crispy on top. Though it does have bones in it. Which is a pet hate of mine. When I go to a restaurant I don’t want to pick bones out of my fish. All in all I recommend this starter.

Wood Pigeon (Seared)

Celeriac, Cardamon, Pickled Red Onion, Lavender, Honey, Port.

Another interesting combination. Showing the imagination and originality of the restaurant. This also worked. Even with the risk of using lavender, which if used incorrectly tastes like their is soap in your food. This was the first time I had eaten wood pigeon. The meat tastes good and is cooked well. I also love port so this dish was also a winner for me. A lovely, well prepared combination of ingredients that really work together. The celeriac puree was delicious.

Main

Duck Legs (Braised)

Red Cabbage, Wine, Currents, Cabbage Gazpacho, Seville Orange

The duck is beautiful. Just perfectly done. The dish is quite sweet, but this is not a complaint, I like it. The red cabbage is good and the sauce is delicious. Very good.

Megrim Sole (Whole, Char-grilled and Cornish)

Wild Garlic, Almonds, New Pots, Shaved Sprouts, Sprouting

Like the mackerel the sole had bones in it. I know it says ‘whole fish’, but there are a lot of bones which stopped me enjoying the fish as much as I would have liked. However, the fish does taste good, and comes with a generous helping of greens on top with almonds for crunch. The new potatoes come on the side, in their skin and covered in butter and herbs. They are delicious. Barring the bones (that’s a mouthful!) I really liked this dish. Great flavours.

Dessert

Sweet & Sour Rhubarb

Lemon & Star Anise Possit – Hot Piquillo Tuille

Beautiful rhubarb that came with a great sauce. The Lemon & Star Anise Possit is divine.

Bitter Choc Parfait

Red Wine Figs, Beet Crisp, Fizzy Grapes.

This looked great and tasted great too. Another great and imaginative dish. The beet crisp is pretty cool and is a great touch. I love the figs too. The fizzy grape is a fizzy grape sauce covered over the dish. It is just delicious.

Claude’s Kitchen does beautiful food at reasonable prices. Highly recommended.

51 Parsons Green, SW6 (020 7371 8517). Dinner Tues-Sat from 6pm.

 

 

 

Bigoodi, Pampering For Children in West London.

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Bigoodi, the UK’s number one children’s destination launched recently. It’s a family run store in fashionable King’s Road.

Bigoodi is a vibrant new concept store for London where children enjoy pampering and styling by the professional enthusiastic staff whilst parents enjoy a unique retail experience. This destination has been designed with care and takes its influence largely from the trendy and exclusive boutiques of le Marais in Paris. The welcoming period frontage and fun chairs invite children (and their parents) into a world of enjoyment. In addition the colourful playroom hosts parties for special occasions, (catering for 2 to 15 year olds).

This independent, family owned boutique is located at 52 New Kings Road, in the heart of
Parsons Green, London. It is clear, that everything has been designed with children in mind;
chairs resemble grand American cars, sleek airplanes or princess thrones and flat screen TV’s
showing reel classic cartoons.

Bigoodi (a play on the French word for ‘hair roller’) has been created by Clemence de Crecy, a
local mother of two young boys; “As a mother of two young children I know how hard it is to find
the right hairdresser. All too often it can end in tears as regular salons are not designed or
equipped to look after the specific needs of children. Dedicated children’s hairdressing has been
hugely successful in the USA and Italy for a long time now, but here in the UK we have been slow
to catch on. It will be the kind of place where children feel secure, welcome, and cared for, and
hopefully somewhere they look forward to return to. Contented children make for contented
parents and there will also be a few fun extras just for adults to ensure they enjoy their visit too.”
The children’s sector appears to be booming with major brands still opening in London.
Bigoodi will also offer various types of children’s party, including ‘Ballerina’ parties for girls with
hairdressing, manicures and pedicures, light make up and ‘Kapla’ parties for boys centered
around the popular French building game. Full sets of invitations will be printed out and
distributed in advance for the birthday boy or girl to offer them to their best friends in the
playground. Birthday boy or girl is always coming for free!

Parents will also be well looked after, and will be able to enjoy a spot of peace and quiet while
the professional stylists look after their little ones. Children’s fashion and lifestyle brands will be
invited to display their ranges in the shop, providing some carefully chosen top quality shopping
opportunities. The collection will change every 3 months, so there will something new to explore
on each visit.

52 New Kings Road, London SW6 4LS
Telephone 020 7736 47 68

This Month's Magazines: Pippa Middleton and Gwyneth Paltrow Cover Girls/ Updated

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Here is the second in my monthly round-up, for July 2011.

Tatler has joined Pippa Middleton’s fan club and put her on the cover, the article on her inside weighs up her possible future husbands, and has a very good article on her and lots of pictures. It also let’s you know that Pippa does pilates at Pilates on the Go in Parson’s Green, and has a testimonial on their website.

Tatler also give the low-down on the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s inner circle, who’s in and who’s out. Athina Onassis also has an article on her and multibillion-pound colossus Glencore has a four page article on them. Nathaniel Rothschild is one of their investors.

Tory Burch talks about what inspires her, Claudia Winklemann writes about her hatred of summer, Orlando had advice for your gap yah, Annabel Rivkin slams Made In Chelsea for making posh people look bad, and for not being posh at all.

One of the best article is their annual 100 most invited; The Middleton’s top the list, Natalie Massenet, Colin Firth, Nat Rothschild, Michael McIntyre, Dasha Zhukova and Liz Murdoch all make the list.

Tatler also has their first ever Hunting, Shooting & Fishing guide. Here at Frost we don’t hunt, but we love clay pigeon shooting.

Vanity Fair: Emma Stone is on the cover and talks about wanting to be a ‘covered up’ actress, but is on the cover in a bikini. Stone comes across well in the interview and states that she doesn’t want to make a career out of mere sex appeal. Ted Danson goes out to lunch, James Wolcott on Dominique Strauss-Kahn, There is a long form article on Groupon, one of the biggest growing business in history which will soon be worth $20 Billion.

There is an article to mark the 10th anniversary of 9/11, there is also a very good article on Prince Andrew and his many troubles, but does let you know that he is The Queen’s favorite child, Elephants – which are sadly being hunted in their tens of thousands per year, and Catch 22 writer Joseph Heller. Jerry Lewis does the Proust Questionnaire.

Vanity Fair Jewellery has a supplement with a naked Gwyneth Paltrow on the cover. It has lots of good articles on the history of Gold, The Windsor’s crown jewels, Daphne Guinness and a calender with Paltrow, Thandie Newton, Natalia Vodianova, Olivia Inge, Olivia Palermo, Uma Thurman and Poppy Delevigne.

Marie Claire has Audrey Tautou on the cover, the shy actress manages to give nothing away in the subsequent interview. George Clooney talks about his activism in South Sudan, there are wedding night confessions, a good article on women who earn money from blogging, a piece on the rise of Posh as Toff mania grips Britain.

There are QR codes abound in Marie Claire, exciting if you have a smart phone,

There is lots of fashion of course, it lets you nail your festival look, there is an article on couples who fight over wardrobe space, an article on love addiction and JK Rowling’s life story. Harry Potter star Bonnie Wright also gives an insight into her world and Megan Fox gives her beauty secrets.

There is a free gift of lip gloss, but not if you are a subscriber. Bad form.

Vogue has Kate Moss AKA Mrs Jamie Hince on the cover and in a forties fashion spread inside, though nothing on her wedding (American Vogue have been given the rights) Emma Stone, Jessica Chastain and Lily Collins.

Jemima Khan writes about conquering her fear of flying to save a long distance relationship. Jemima is a very good writer. Miss V is as brilliant as ever, with lots of parties and pictures,

Of course there is lots of fashion and the forties look is in. Christopher Bailey talks about 10 years at Burberry and Mustique is the holiday destination of the year.

The girls of Downtown Abbey are in vogue and in couture, complete with interviews. There is also a tan special and Christa D’Souza on the quest of a perfect ponytail. Gemma Atterton gives her Style File and talks about how hard it is to find cloths to fit her curvy frame.

There is also a free supplement of the Runaway round-up for Autumn/Winter 2011.

Glamour has Jessie J is on the cover and there is a free Personal Horoscope book.

There is a very good article inside where Jessie talks about her sexuality, her stroke and drugs and alcohol which you can read more about on Frost.

There is articles on cutting calories, getting in shape and being body confident, lessons from online dating, Karl Lagerfield on Lily Allen’s wedding dress, article on sex dreams, how to nail a wedding gift, Katy Perry’s body secrets.

This issue also had Glamour’s Women Of the Year Awards, their prestigious annual event, with news and gossip from the night. A running gag about sleeping with Davina McCall’s husband is funnier than it sounds. There is also 30,000 sex secrets and how to become red carpet glamorous, as well as an interview with the Inbetweener’s boys. Celia Walden interviews Rupert Grint and the stars spill their festival secrets.

A very good, fun edition with lots of fashion, stories, advice and fun.