Taste of London (entry one)

The Taste of London festival happens around this time of the year, just when summer is starting.

Last year we had a better weather. But i would say this year was an even better celebration. There are just more restaurants that Adrian and i are discovering and also, we keep coming back to the ones we like.

Taste of London is a festival that features the best restaurants (mostly michelin starred) of London, and the restaurants will feature their iconic dish, and some dishes (around 3) from their menu to feature in each their stalls to sell.

The dishes are in small platters, so you can go and taste what the other stalls are featuring. So the goal of the day, is, eat and sample as much as you can, and visit as many restaurant stall as you can, and choose which one you fancy, and mingle with other people. All these food arent free, but paid for. But would be cheaper if you had to buy the real deal at their restaurants.

At the end of the day, you dont realise that you've drunk like a few glasses of champagne (or a few pints of cask ale)--if you can take alcohol that is. Unfortunately for me, i couldnt so, i was relegated to drinking San Pelligrino orange flavoured drinks and diet cokes (whats new!) --AND! have eaten around 10 platters of different dishes which is ALOT of food already.


But food is not what makes Taste of London so great. Its the atmosphere, the little activities going on (raffles : cars/ holidays/ British airways giving away free trips), and the cooking masterclasses (which i love!) done by the famous chefs of yore. The last few years, there was Gary Rhodes, Anthony Worral Thompson, Gordon Ramsay, Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall and this year, its none other than Heston Blumenthal (whose show is actually one of the few tv shows we watch).


Heston Blumenthal owns Fat Duck, one of the very few highest michelin starred restaurant around the world, and before was said to be the best restaurant in the world. (bloody expensive! prepare at least £250 per person if you want to eat there).


Also, one of the most enjoyable activity we enjoyed this year was the Lauren Perrier Champagne Masterclass tasting Adrian and i were booked for. It was hosted by one top celebrity chef Nigel Barden. (more of this on the next entry)


Its also fun because you get to play shopper inside the festival, as the currency used inside the festival is in CROWNS, which is money you use to purchase anything from the stalls and the exhibitors. You need to preorder this currency. or you can go to the 'bank' in the festival to change your money into crowns.

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Anyways some photos of the day..





We got VIP tickets. Which meant we had access to the VIP lounge which has its own entertainment, exclusive toilet facilities, lounge area and best of all, the free Laurent Perrier welcome champagne drinks. Of course, Adrian got my freebie glass. Lucky husband!

It was quite cloudy today (yesterday). We stayed outside to eat. The inside felt stuffy as there were many people when we got in.

This is the champagne bar inside the tent. Laurent Perrier was overflowing.




alcoholic drinks everywhere..

the festival goers..Adrian and i, unlike some people who just stay inside the VIP lounge, we go out and enjoy whats going on outside.

Adrian had a rack of lamb from The Grill at Dorchester..I had scallops. People ordering their choices.

The entertainment at the middle of the festival. Some jazz group i forgot the name. x

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The food photos are on the next entry..:-)

NOTE: a friend told me that she tried back reading my blog yet she couldn't see all the entries when she clicked the archive on the month. If you wish to back read my blogs, please click on the TAGS (say JUNE2010, or MAY2010)--all the entries of the month will come out.