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Films, London

Top Indie Films to Watch at BFI LFF 2019

October 7, 2019 by cheriecity

The BFI London Film Festival 2019 is back with a dazzling programme of the best new film releases. It offers cinema lovers a rare opportunity to walk the red carpet at a Gala Screening and be the first to see the films that everyone will be talking about at a world, European or UK premiere.

Beyond the blockbusters, it also showcases independent releases featuring emerging talent, plus you can delve deeper into the director’s intentions with an intimate Q&A after the film.

Here are just a few of the inspiring, exciting films that you can see this week at participating cinemas across London…

Lucky Grandma

In Sasie Sealy’s debut black comedy Lucky Grandma, it’s impossible not to be charmed by Grandma Wong (played by veteran actress Tsai Chin), a tenacious widower resisting the pleas of her son to give up her tiny apartment in New York’s Chinatown and come to live in their family home.

After a fortuneteller predicts good luck coming her way, she recklessly gambles away her life savings during a trip to a Connecticut casino. However, on the bus ride home, the man sitting next to her suddenly dies from a heart attack, posing the opportunity to regain her losses and sneak away with his bag full of cash. Unfortunately for Grandma Wong, she has stolen from the fearsome Red Dragon gang and two of their henchmen are waiting in her living room to threaten her, not believing her claim of innocence.

To ward them off, she hires protection from a rival gang but her thriftiness get her Big Pong, a gentle giant rather than intimidating bodyguard. They form an unlikely bond and Big Pong’s skills are put to the test as Grandma Wong is chased around Chinatown by the gangsters, leading to a tense encounter with gang matriarch Sister Fong in an overheated sauna and a family member being taken hostage.

As well as being a joyous caper film, Lucky Grandma masterfully explores the lives of elderly Chinese immigrants and the cultural differences between them and their first generation Chinese-American children, from language and style of living to cooking and community. It also questions the independence and visibility of older generations in an ever-changing world, but always with a cheeky glint in the eye of the formidable Grandma Wong.

Photos: Lyle Vincent

Days of the Bagnold Summer

Remember those endlessly long summers at home where nothing much seems to happens? Simon Bird (of The Inbetweeners) perfectly captures the balmy ennui of the school holidays in middle class suburbia with his debut film, Days of the Bagnold Summer.

Based on Joff Winterhart’s graphic novel and adapted by his wife Lisa Owens, this likeable indie film chronicles six weeks in the lives of the Bagnolds – introverted teenage metalhead Daniel, played by promising newcomer Earl Cave (who happens to be the son of Susie and Nick Cave), and his divorced librarian mother Sue (Monica Dolan). Daniel is buoyed – excited would be overstating it – by the prospect of spending the holidays in Florida with his father and his girlfriend, but with a new baby on the way, they call to postpone his stay, grounding him in the somewhat less exotic Bromley, Kent.

Daniel’s days consist of arguing with his mum about chores, making ketchup sandwiches in his pyjamas, half-heartedly handing out his CVs and hanging out with his posh rocker best friend Ky (Elliot Speller-Gillott). Girls may be on Ky’s mind, but Daniel’s only really interested in music – in fact, he spots an advert looking for a singer in a local metal band, but has to pluck up the courage to apply.

While Daniel’s dad is zooming around Florida in a convertible MG and skipping his child support payments, dowdy cardigan-wearing Sue has given up on her own love life. That is, until Daniel’s schmoozing teacher (Rob Brydon) flirts with her in the library and they go out on date to their local Italian restaurant, kissing in the back of the taxi to her son’s dismay.

A trip to the seaside, the death of their old age golden retriever, a fall-out with Ky and Sue’s birthday meal out punctuate their summer together and their relationship certainly improves by the end of the film.

With a chipper soundtrack by Belle and Sebastian that Daniel would probably hate, Days of the Bagnold Summer is sure to take you back to simpler times when sleeping in and not cleaning your room was a triumph.

Photos: Rob Baker-Ashton

Our Ladies

Michael Caton-Jones’ raucous coming of age film Our Ladies has its world premiere at BFI London Film Festival. Adapted from Alan Warner’s novel The Sopranos and set in 1996, it follows a Fort William girls’ choir as they travel to Edinburgh to compete in a singing competition. However, hymns are the last thing on their minds as these Catholic school girls are on a mission to get their kicks in the capital.

Despite a stern warning from Sister Condron about the temptations of Edinburgh, six of the girls split off in groups to see who and what they can get their hands on. This takes them on a boozy tour of the city’s sinful spots like an infamous sauna, lesbian bar and a recently-divorced man’s flat.

It’s a transformative trip as secrets begin to unfold and old alliances shift. A surprising relationship develops between street smart Finnoula (Abigail Lawrie) and privileged, cello-playing Head Girl Kay (Eve Austin), as they discover they have more in common than their vastly different backgrounds would suggest.

Another key story is that of leukaemia survivor Orla (Tallulah Greive) who was ‘miraculously cured’ in Lourdes and is making up for lost time pursuing her desires – a new pair of thigh-high leather boots and a cute boy to lose her virginity with. Needless to say, Sister Condron’s vision of a choir of angels is destroyed as the girls turn up still drunk, vomiting as the result of a secret pregnancy and with their uniforms stolen.

Juxtaposed against the uncomplicated beauty of the rural Scottish landscape, life for the girls in Fort William is a challenge, as the film examines issues such as teenage pregnancy, repressed sexuality, lack of opportunity, poverty and vulnerability. Above all, however, Our Ladies is intoxicating and nostalgic with its punk rock attitude, stylised 90s backdrop and relatable girls.

Photos: Jaap Buitendijk

For more information and booking, visit: https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/lff/

London, Restaurants

A Great Lunch at LIV Belgravia, London

September 16, 2019 by cheriecity

Last weekend, I headed west for lunch at LIV Belgravia, a fabulous new all-day restaurant just off Pimlico Road. I often forget just how pretty this neighbourhood is, with its Saturday Farmers’ Market, designer stores and gorgeous mews houses – and LIV certainly fits right in!

This is the first British restaurant from Australian Chef Damien Monley, who previously owned Sydney’s popular Flat White Cafe and Madam Char Char. Friendly and energetic, Damien came to chat with each table during my visit and emphasised his intention to offer generous, healthily-prepared dishes.

The restaurant has a chic yet unpretentious feel with lots of natural daylight, marble tables, uplifting yellow seating and a tasteful art collection with pieces by Henry Moore and Alexander Calder. Unlike some of London’s more boisterous, nosy restaurants, LIV is notably relaxed and just the kind of place you’d like to spend a few hours.

Lunch started on a high as we shared the tempting Roast chicken salad with corn, gem lettuce, crispy potatoes and chicken crackling. This was an indulgent, moreish salad with very high quality pulled chicken breast and I loved the creamy corn crush and the buttery roasties.

17-hour Wagyu beef, Japanese salad and wafu dressing was another hit. The rich Wagyu beef simply melted in the mouth and was contrasted nicely with crunchy fried onions, crisp salad leaves and an aromatic, zesty dressing with zesty lime, coriander and perhaps pomelo.

We were also keen to try the King prawn omelette with Thai basil, Asian slaw, sweet soy, ginger shallot and sriracha. This omelette was unbelievably velvety and souffléd with plenty of cream and a generous amount of plump king prawns tucked inside. The Asian slaw was the perfect accompaniment, bringing a touch of sweet sesame and punchiness from the sriracha.

The star dish, however, had to be the enormous Roast crispy pork sandwich with sweetcorn, rocket, apple, aioli and plum chutney. Thick slices of herby, succulent pork belly and puffed crackling were packed between slices of toasted sourdough with more of that yummy sweetcorn, tiny shards of green apple, flavourful aioli and lovely caramelised onion jam (although I didn’t quite detect the plum chutney).

For dessert, we went for the Aussie brunch-inspired Ricotta hotcakes with cinnamon butter, berries, seeds and organic maple. They were ever so light and fluffy and the toppings gave that extra touch of indulgence.

The cake of the day was a hefty, decadent Chocolate brownie served with a quenelle of vanilla cream. It had a dense, gooey centre and a cake-like crust and was definitely big enough to share.

We were also really impressed with the House-made scone with clotted cream and jam. It was buttery and golden with delicious accompaniments and very good value at only £3.50.

The only let-down was the Freshly-squeezed orange juice, which was weak and frothy with added banana rather than the robust, sweet juice I was expecting. However, the Fresh mint tea more than made up for it and the free Japanese charcoal filtered water was a nice touch.

LIV Belgravia may be picture perfect, but it balances style with substance and the cooking is seriously next level. It’s sure to become a big hit with the Chelsea brunch crowd and with a creative dinner service arriving later in the autumn, it’s set to be the neighbourhood restaurant that has it all.

For more information and booking, visit: www.livrestaurant.co.uk

Chérie City was a guest of LIV Belgravia

Food images by Chérie City and interiors by LIV Belgravia

London, Theatre

The Amazing Rouge at Underbelly in London

September 5, 2019 by cheriecity

This year’s circus programme at London’s Underbelly Festival has been truly spectacular and they’ve definitely saved the most raunchy, outrageous show for last.

Rouge, by Australia’s Highwire Entertainment, is one of the most ‘adult’ circus-cabaret shows that I’ve seen and it’s impossible not to be seduced by this charismatic group. The genre-defying show explores sex and relationships, from flirty silliness to the intricacies of sexual politics, and prides itself on a narrative of diversity and inclusion.

Choreographer and performer Paul Westbrook sets the tone for the evening by encouraging the audience to let loose and be inspired by the debauchery that is about to unfold, including the promise of nakedness.

The show begins with a bang as the group appears altogether with the acrobats immediately leaping and balancing, leading on to Paul’s ironic burlesque feather dance to Shirley Bassey’s Hey Big Spender. He’s a lovable chameleon who weaves the scenes together with skill, prowling and cantering around the stage, and his own routines are flawless.

The mesmerising Issie Hart is a goddess-like vision in red, performing an impressive operatic aria. The sophistication continues with Jessie Mckibbin twirling on the trapeze in a red dress that’s soon cast off for something racier. Her cyr wheel routine with Lyndon Johnson is also elegant and lovely, as they glide around the stage together coquettishly like young lovers.

Issie’s vocals switch seamlessly from operatic cabaret to soulful jazz when she performs Norah Jones’ Turn Me On to accompany a lonely ‘lamp’ waiting for that special someone. Also poignant is Lyndon and Paul’s strap routine, showing aggression, playfulness and a lot of chemistry. From here onwards, Rouge becomes more intense, sexy and high-octane.

I won’t spoil the surprise for you too much, but as the show reaches peak naughtiness, both the male and female ‘lamps’ get naked while Jessie Mckibbin dominates and whips her unruly, leather-clad unicorn boys and finds a cheeky use for a carrot.

It’s hard to pick a favourite scene, but I loved Jessie’s fire routine, spinning blazing hot batons and rolling the flames down her body. An impressive end to the show is Madison Burleigh’s nimble acrobatics as she balances upside down and leaps between the strong and focussed Liam deJong and Lydon Johnson.

Rouge is the show that has it all – mind-blowing acrobatics, incredible live singing, an engaging cast, cheeky humour and a positive message. It’s just so likeable and you really feel part of their hedonistic party.

Rouge runs at Underbelly Festival until 7th July. For more information and booking, visit: www.underbellyfestival.com

All images by Ian Georgeson

Hotels, Stockholm

An Amazing Hotel Stay at Miss Clara Stockholm

August 27, 2019 by cheriecity

Miss Clara by Nobis has been on my hotel wish list since opening in 2014 and finally the dream became a reality when we stayed for a few nights on our recent visit to Stockholm.

Miss Clara is a stunning design hotel housed in a 1910 Art Nouveau building on a corner of Sveavagen boulevard in Stockholm’s central Norrmalm district. It’s a hotel with an interesting history, as it was the private Ateneum girls’ school for over 40 years. In fact, the school’s popular headmistress Clara Stromberg was the inspiration behind the hotel’s name.

Part of the renowned Nobis Hospitality Group, Miss Clara is the more accessible younger sister of Stockholm’s luxurious flagship Nobis Hotel, but with the same high end touches.

Design

Swedish architect Gert Wingardh was entrusted to renovate the building, preserving many of its original features, including its arched windows and the sweeping main staircase where you can imagine unruly schoolgirls scrambling down at the sound of the bell. These institutional interiors are elevated with striking contemporary photography, including Max Modén’s ethereal ballerina series.

Arrival

On arrival, we were warmly welcomed by the lovely, chatty staff who very kindly upgraded us to a beautiful Deluxe Room on the first floor. Having spent the previous night at the idyllic, peaceful Hotel J – another Nobis hotel with a fabulous waterfront restaurant – I did wonder if our room might be noisy in comparison, but for such a busy area there was no disturbance at all.

The Room

Our room was very spacious and bright with high ceilings and lots of natural daylight coming in from the arched windows. Tasteful and restrained in style, all rooms at Miss Clara have a simple palette of white, brown, grey and black, with well-chosen Swedish furniture, touches of natural tanned leather and dark parquet floors. There are also home comforts like a large flatscreen TV, a window seat with storage space underneath and a brown suede chaise-longue for curling up on.

We found the king-size bed extremely comfortable and plush, with a bent wood headboard by Swedish company Gemla, a laptop table for eating or working on and a gorgeous herringbone wool throw. A quirky touch is the single chair back at the bottom of the bed, of which we imagined a number of different uses.

The white tile and limestone bathroom was truly impressive with a walk-in rainfall shower, enormous bathtub, thick cotton towels and bathrobe and slippers. An extra perk for guests is the holy grail of bathroom amenities – a full set of beautifully-scented Byredo Bal d’Afrique products. For that extra spa touch, you can also take advantage of Miss Clara’s 24-hour gym and dry sauna.

Dinner at Pizzeria Giro

For dinner, stay close to home and grab a table at the hotel’s two destination restaurants. Miss Clara’s Restaurant, overseen by Executive Chef Daniel Guest, has a modern bistro menu and is hip and seductive with dark corners lit with glowing pendant lamps, plus an exclusive terrace for watching the world go by.

Meanwhile next door, Pizzeria Giro is an exciting collaboration between Nobis Hospitality Group and the world-renowned L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele. This relaxed, walk-in only pizzeria has a fun vibe and its Neapolitan pizza is definitely the real deal.

We stopped by for dinner and found the menu surprisingly extensive, from the classic Marinara to the luxurious Tartufo, as well as calzone and pizza bianca. We ordered a typical Margherita and a Diavola topped with spicy salamella toscana – both were exemplary with springy, blistered dough, lots of juicy organic tomato sauce, creamy fior di latte, parmesan DOP 24 month and organic extra-virgin olive oil.

On Sunday morning, we treated ourselves to breakfast in Miss Clara’s Restaurant (at a reduced rate for residents) and it was truly spectacular.

Breakfast

From a generous buffet we enjoyed the most creamy scrambled eggs and crispy bacon, smoked salmon, local cured meats and cheeses, home-baked rolls, mini pastries and kanelbullar, cupcakes, chia pudding shots and yoghurt. We also loved the make-your-own waffles with a choice of sauces and the tea bar with plenty of high-quality loose-leaf blends.

Location

If you need any more persuading that Miss Clara is the hotel for you, I can tell you that it’s a two minute walk from Hotorget metro and within easy reach of shopping gems such as Acne Archive and the upscale Nordiska Kompaniet department store. You can also eat well in this neighbourhood with authentic Mexican tacos at La Neta, exquisite patisserie at Art Bakery and the fabulous Urban Deli just a few doors up.

Miss Clara Hotel is the perfect city bolthole with lots of style, atmosphere, personality and home comforts. I’ve definitely fallen in love with Stockholm and am dying to return and experience the iconic Nobis Hotel or this summer’s new opening, Blique by Nobis.

For more information and booking, visit: www.missclarahotel.com

All photos by Chérie City

London, Restaurants

An Excellent Dinner at OKN1 Hoxton

August 6, 2019 by cheriecity

A new restaurant has arrived in Hoxton this summer, with fantastic food, a relaxed ambiance and an enviable outdoor terrace. Nothing unusual there, but what if I told you it’s on a college campus and the kitchen brigade is made up of both student and professional chefs?

OKN1 is a vibrant neighbourhood restaurant that opened in June at New City College Hackney on Hoxton Street. Created in collaboration with Des McDonald Associates Concept Design, this beautifully-designed restaurant connects promising student chefs with the hospitality world. As part of their course, they have the opportunity to take on paid work at OKN1, preparing them for life in a professional kitchen.

Following an extensive refurbishment, the restaurant (formerly Open Kitchen) is now fully open to the public and offers an all-day New European menu.

We visited for dinner on a particularly hot evening and it was a joy to be greeted by the friendly staff and seated at a bright, comfortable table by the window with a refreshing Blackberry iced tea swiftly delivered. The restaurant instantly felt calm, unpretentious and stylish and the front of house team were great ambassadors – welcoming, knowledgeable about the menu and keen to please.

Our meal started with the most fantastic Grilled Wykham asparagus and lovage aioli – in fact, it’s the best asparagus dish I’ve ever tasted. The perfectly-cooked asparagus was very well-seasoned (perhaps with a light stock before grilling) and the subtle, herby aioli was so moreish that we scooped every last bit onto our bread.

Popcorn chicken and charred sweetcorn relish was a very different style of starter but also a hit. Large chunks of high quality, succulent chicken breast were coated in fine, crispy breadcrumbs and served with a generous amount of aromatic, piquant sweetcorn relish. The chicken wasn’t at all greasy and it contrasted nicely with the bold, fragrant and uplifting flavours of the sweetcorn relish.

Suffolk bacon chop with a fried egg and devilled sauce was hearty and satisfying – traditional comfort food at its best. The bacon chop was tender and smoky without being overly salty and went really well with the sweet and tangy devilled sauce, finished with a farm fresh fried egg with a bright orange, runny yolk. We found it substantial enough on its own, but you might like to accompany it with a side of Chicken salt chips.

The star dish, however, was the Hake fillet with Cornish dirties, chorizo and roasted peppers. This superior (and rather enormous) fillet of hake was expertly cooked with moist, flaky flesh and a pleasingly crispy, slightly salted skin. The Cornish dirties had a touch of natural creaminess and sweetness, which worked well with the generous chunks of spicy, indulgent chorizo and tart roasted peppers.

Luckily we still had room for dessert and the Raspberry frangipane tart with clotted cream was an absolute delight. The golden, buttery pastry was exemplary and the frangipane was light and fluffy with just the right amount of sweetness, studded with lovely fresh raspberries. The decadent scoop of clotted cream finished it off nicely.

The Little salted caramel and puffed amaranth pot certainly looked the part with sprinkles, cookie crumble and a touch of gold leaf. It was creamy and velvety with a crunchy texture from the amaranth and some delicious crispy chocolate-coated biscuits for dipping. Slightly bolder flavours would take this dessert to the next level, but it was still very enjoyable.

We were absolutely blown away by the high standard of cooking, quality of ingredients and meticulous presentation of the dishes we tried at OKN1. The main courses were particularly accomplished and rather daring for chefs in training – in fact, they had all the flavour and finesse that you’d expect from seasoned restaurant chefs.

OKN1 is a real gem in the East End and its fabulous terrace is definitely the place to be during these warmer months. It’s such an impressive, well-curated facility that’s sure to give Hackney’s next generation of chefs a great head-start in the hospitality industry. I can’t wait to return and try some of the brunch dishes and those very tempting double chocolate brownies.

For more information and booking, visit: www.okn1.co.uk

Chérie City was a guest of OKN1

Food images by Chérie City, interiors by OKN1

Featured, Hotels, Mallorca

Bikini Island and Mountain Hotel in Mallorca

July 11, 2019 by cheriecity

My past two summer holidays have been spent on the beautiful Balearic island of Mallorca and this year I tried to switch up destinations, but then Bikini Island & Mountain Hotel Port de Soller came along!

As a lover of design hotels, I often plan my trips around inspiring accommodation and I was keen to see what this resort inspired by San Francisco’s sixties hippie movement was all about.

Opened just last summer, Bikini Island & Mountain Hotel Port de Soller is the creative vision of four hospitality experts, including the two masterminds behind Germany’s pioneering 25hours hotels There are a few familiar touches that guests of the urban hotel group will recognise.

Arrival

We spent three night in Palma, staying at our old favourite Innside Palma Center, and took a scenic 45-minute bus ride over to Port de Soller to stay at Bikini for the remaining two nights (remind me to book for longer next time).

A quick taxi ride up the hill and we were checking in to Bikini heaven. Many of the friendly staff have come over from Germany from the summer season and we found the reception staff particularly efficient and welcoming.

The Room

Our Bayside Room on the second floor was bigger than I’d expected with a ‘college dorm meets surf shack’ style with turquoise walls, pine shelving and a pink peace sign on the ceiling.

Room features include a large flatscreen TV, king-size bed with cheeky ‘make love, not war’ cushions, Nespresso machine, minibar and a colourful beach bag and cotton beach towels to use during your stay. Fast wifi and powerful air-conditioning made everything tick along nicely.

Though the bathroom was petite, it had an exotic spa feel with a powerful walk-in shower, full size ILoveEcoEssentials bathroom products, fluffy towels and cotton waffle bathrobes.

Best of all was the private balcony with a day bed and hand-woven cream cushions that you’d expect to see in Tulum. Incense and tea light candles were thoughtfully provided free of charge to make the balcony all twinkling and fragrant at night.

The Pool

The jewel of the hotel is the fabulous swimming pool with a floral peace sign, which is suprisingly deep and surrounded by sunbeds shaded by raffia parasols and a few cabanas. Bikini is adults-only and the vibe is purposely chilled, so there aren’t any screaming childen or stag parties to contend with, just those cheeky sunbed hoggers (to the hotel’s credit, they have signs up discouraging it).

For the ultimate wellness break, there’s also morning yoga classes, a rooftop gym, sauna and steam room and Santaverde Spa with aloe vera treatments to cool down any sunburn.

Pikkini Bar

Among the pretty gardens punctuated with vivid bougainvillea is the Pikkini Bar, where you can refuel with burgers, salads and smoothies. We loved the enormous Club sandwich and the Loaded sweet potato fries with avocado and jalapenos – more than enough for two to share.

The colourful Donkey Bar, created by Joerg Meyer of Hamburg’s Le Lion Bar, is another cool retreat serving cocktails and snacks from late-afternoon into the night.

Dinner at NENI

A big deciding factor in staying at Bikini was the hotel restaurant, NENI Mallorca, part of a boutique chain by Tel Aviv-born chef Haya Molcho and her sons (I love their restaurants in Berlin, Cologne and Hamburg). This made it very appealing to eat at the hotel morning and night and truly relax.

The restaurant is absolutely beautiful, covered in bottle green tiles with hanging plants in colourful pots and comfy garden-style seating. Of course, the outdoor terrace is the place to be, with spectacular views over the port and mountains, and we were fortune to have the same lovely front row table for two each time we dined there (make sure you book in advance).

NENI is all about Balagan-style social eating and everything is made to share around the table. Go for the Best of NENI (39 Euros per person) and let the chef prepare a dazzling feast for you, or go for a few mezze and mains like we did.

Highlights from our two dinners there were crispy Moroccan cigars, tender Marinated lamb steak with Mallorcan oranges and char-grilled broccoli, my usual favourite Jerusalem plate with spiced chicken, hummus, roasted red peppers and Har Bracha tahini with pita bread and the most fantastic grilled Gambas with tomato seeds, spinach and garlic.

We also loved the refreshing NENI iced tea and Limonana served in one-litre pitchers, New York-style cheesecake and the labneh with olives and pita bread served at the start of the meal.

Breakfast

Breakfast was equally impressive with a self-service buffet laden with Mallorcan and Middle Eastern treats. Alongside the typical breakfast items were Shakshuka, Spanish tortilla, traditional coca bread, fresh hummus, tahini and guacamole, high quality jamon Iberico and fresh yoghurt with granola.

Other highlights were little squares of sticky pistachio cake, the most luscious freshly-squeezed Soller orange juice, home-baked breads and loose leaf teas.

Location

To really get the most out of your stay at Bikini, you can hire Steven’s bicycles for free or take a spin in a cute Mercedes Benz convertible to explore the pretty town of Soller and charming, artistic villages Valldemossa and Deià. Port de Soller, with its promenade full of restaurants, cafes and shops, is just 5-minutes walk downhill and you can hike in the Serra de Tramuntana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Bikini Island & Mountain Hotel Port de Soller is a great addition to this beautiful part of the island and its boho-luxe vibe is matched with unparalleled facilities and warm staff. Life is Better in Bikini, as they say!

Planning a trip to Mallorca? Check out my guide on Where to Visit, Eat and Shop in Palma de Mallorca and Soller.

For more information and booking, visit: www.bikini-hotels.com

All photos by Chérie City

London, Theatre

Transit by Flip Fabrique at Underbelly

July 2, 2019 by cheriecity

Underbelly Festival has really spoiled us so far with some world-class productions, from the cool, contemporary circus show A Simple Space by Adelaide’s Gravity & Other Myths to the red-hot, debauched Little Death Club.

Of course, there’s plenty more to come this summer and just this weekend I caught the latest show, Transit by Flip Fabrique. Founded in 2011, this award-winning Quebecois circus company presented its show Catch Me (Attrape Moi) to much acclaim in London two years ago and their new work has been just as well-received.

Transit explores the globe-trotting life of a circus troupe – the highs and the lows, the comradery and the squabbles. The show opens in an airport where the group’s spirits are momentarily dampened by a long flight delay. Within moments, however, they are juggling diabolos and balancing on flight cases with effervescent Jade Dussault hula hooping on the top.

They also pass the time by skipping with multiple neon ropes, celebrating a birthday with party hats and performing a hilarious ballet routine catching sweets in their mouths.

Amid the comedy and acrobatics, there are some poignant moments, such as when Jade has to make a difficult announcement to the group and Pierre Riviere has an argument with his girlfriend on the phone over being constantly on tour.

As the delay gets longer, they reflect on whether they would leave the circus life behind and what they would do if it was their last night performing together. It’s an interesting moment, as very few circus shows have a scene with so much dialogue or ever give the audience a glimpse of the reality of this creative, physically demanding life.

Having discussed their wildest dreams for one last night, they set upon making them a reality. Jasmin Blouin breaks his record of performing 14 circus disciplines in under one and a half minutes, while Jonathan Julien lifts up the entire troupe metal-style and Cedrik Pinault gets to feel like a rock star when the audience cheers and throws ‘their’ knickers at him.

The show ends with an impressive tramp wall routine (bouncing on the trampoline and walking up vertically) and lots of colourful soft balls flying around. The group remains a happy family, even if it’s bittersweet as they may eventually follow different paths.

Transit is a thrilling, funny and touching show with a cool original soundtrack and plenty of wow moments. Flip Fabrique really stand out as a company and I can’t wait to see what they come up with next.

Transit runs at Underbelly Festival until 7th July. For more information and booking, visit: www.underbellyfestival.com

Restaurants, Stockholm

Where to Eat in Stockholm, Sweden

June 17, 2019 by cheriecity

Stockholm is a destination that really surprised me with its cuisine. I knew that the kanelbullar would be amazing (who doesn’t love fika?) and there would be plenty of interesting restaurants, being the capital city, but the quality of the produce and expert cooking really impressed.

During our long weekend, we grazed on premium Swedish grilled steak, authentic Mexican tacos, summer truffle corn on the cob and an indecent amount of traditional spiced pastries. In fact, there wasn’t one meal that fell short, so I’ve included every single one.

Here are some fantastic places to eat and drink when visiting Stockholm…

Fikabaren

Södermalm, the island just south of historic Gamla Stan, was named by Vogue as one of ‘the 15 coolest neighbourhoods in the world’ in 2014, so of course you can expect a multitude of cool coffee shops. Fikabaren in SoFo (south of Folkungagatan) is bigger than most indie cafes, set across a few rooms with minimalist concrete and wood interiors and great photography on the walls.

It serves coffee from independent and sustainable producers, as well as home-made sandwiches and Swedish cakes. Our Matcha lattes were made with high-grade green tea and farm fresh milk – the perfect refuel.

Urban Deli

Another foodie beacon in Södermalm is Urban Deli, a fabulous food store and restaurant. This boutique chain has a few locations across Stockholm and you can find everything from Swedish pastries and take-out coffee to locally-produced gourmet cooking ingredients.

It’s not as pricey as you might think, with plenty of offers on products, and the Urban Deli in Norrmalm even has its own hotel attached!

Art Bakery

A new addition to Stockholm’s upscale NK. department store in Norrmalm, Art Bakery is the vision of celebrity baker Johan Sörberg. It features contemporary artwork and exhibitions in a large industrial-style bakery and cafe and the creativity runs through to the food.

Art Bakery’s exquisite patisserie takes centre stage, however you can also make a meal of it with salads, sandwiches and even ramen from the dedicated Japanese food counter. Not only are the cakes out of this world, but it’s a stylish, tranquil place to watch the world go by.

Sänkdalens Glass Bar

A tour around Gamla Stan in the warmer months wouldn’t be complete without ice cream. Bypass the tourist traps and check out the petite Sänkdalens Glass Bar, where you can find delicious Swedish ice cream in natural flavours, using organic milk and fruit from its own farm.

Highly recommended is a scoop of blueberry and rum & raisin.

Miss Clara by Nobis

Breakfast was a highlight of our stay at Miss Clara, a fabulous design hotel that’s part of the trend-setting Nobis Group. Of course, you don’t have to be staying at the hotel to enjoy this copious, high-quality buffet breakfast in its restaurant (but you will pay a little more as a non-resident).

We feasted on Scrambled eggs loaded with cream and grilled bacon, pancakes, mini pastries, fresh yoghurt and cured meats and local cheeses. There’s even a self-service waffle iron with fresh batter and sweet toppings, which was a real treat.

La Neta

Mexican food is big in Stockholm and one of the most authentic, fun and affordable places for a taco fix is La Neta. Named ‘the real deal’ in Mexican slang, La Neta is a colourful, unpretentious taquería with outposts in the City and Södermalm, another in Täby and two in Copenhagen. They only use premium ingredients and make the tortillas and salsas from scratch in-house – you can even buy them online or at Urban Deli.

We both went for a mix of five tacos for 110kr, so we could try a little of everything. They all hit the spot, but our favourites were Pastor (marinated pork with pineapple), Suadero (slow-cooked beef) and Carnitas (pulled pork confit). Guacamole con Totopos was also fantastic with crispy, bubbly corn chips and smooth guac that had an unexpected chilli kick.

The tacos were moreish and subtly flavoured – you can load them with as much fresh coriander, onions, sour cream and salsa as you like at the dining room counter. I long to go back for more tacos and hope they might expand further across Europe.

Restaurant J

On our first night in Sweden, we stayed at Hotel J on the idyllic island of Nacka in Stockholm’s urban archipelago. Also part of the Nobis group, this stylish, New England-influenced hotel has an old school resort feel and its waterside Restaurant J is undoubtedly the place to be, whether it’s a glass of wine on the sun terrace or an indulgent dinner of steak, daily catch or fresh lobster.

We made the most of the sun sitting on the terrace and enjoyed the most wonderful Swedish sirloin minute steak with crispy kale, veal gravy, smoked ramsons butter and Caesar salad with French fries.

The steak was smoky and well-cooked with flavourful accompaniments and we loved the generous family-style sharing bowls of crunchy fries and Caesar salad topped with lots of grated fresh Parmesan. It was surprisingly substantial and really delicious – definitely worth splashing out on.

Bleck

Nothing captures the spirit of Södermalm more than Bleck, a cute and casual restaurant overlooking the park Lilla Blecktornsparken. Its heated terrace is the place to be, especially on warmer days to watch the sun go down over beer and exceptional, good value small plates using fine local produce.

We ordered Swedish bitter lemon drinks and grazed on the most tender, flavourful Corn-fed chicken fried and glazed with sesame mayo and kimchee. We were also wowed by the punchy Fried potatoes with Parmesan, onion, chives and sour cream and the summery, aromatic Roasted corn on the cob with summer truffle, pickled onion and brown butter emulsion.

Giro Pizzeria

Since we’d already had breakfast in Miss Clara’s main restaurant, we decided to try Giro Pizzeria next door. This neighbourhood Neapolitan pizzeria is a collaboration between Nobis Hospitality Group and the world-famous L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele, that also has a restaurant in London.

We ordered a simple Margarita and Diavola and both were just heavenly with light, blistered crusts, tangy tomato sauce and creamy fior di latte. Giro Pizzeria is walk-in only and service is quick and cheerful, which was handy for us to roll back to our room and watch Eurovision with a pink raspberry Princess cake from the NK Saluhall.

Oaxen Slip

Oaxen Slip is a stunning Swedish bistro and the casual sister of the acclaimed two Michelin-starred restaurant Oaxen Krog. Occupying a prime spot overlooking the water on the leafy Djurgården island, Oaxen is set across a refurbished boatyard shed and its interiors echo the building’s industrial origin.

For weekday lunch, Oaxen Slip offers three weekly-changing special dishes (Veckans Värsting) for 155kr and we found them all rather tempting. We both went for Flank steak with peas, fried potatoes and smoked mayo. Arriving as a sharing plate, the medium-cooked steak was tender and juicy and went perfectly with the golden, crispy potatoes and sunkissed tomatoes and large peas that tasted like they’d been freshly-plucked from the garden.

Not only is Oaxen Slip a beautiful place to bask along the peaceful waterside, but the food has a home-style feel using superior ingredients. I’d definitely book a table at Oaxen Krog to get the full experience on another visit.

Travel tip:

If you hear that Stockholm is mostly cashless, believe it! Almost every cafe and restaurant we visited only took card payments and it was hard to spend the small amount of cash that we brought just in case (supermarkets, ticket offices and the NK department store accepted it, thankfully). A waiter actually told us that in about four years time, cash is expected to be obsolete on Sweden, so be sure to look into a prepaid currency card to avoid those pesky conversion charges.

All photos by Chérie City

London, Restaurants

London’s Best Ramen at Kanada-Ya in Angel

May 31, 2019 by cheriecity

Kanada-Ya is my favourite place for ramen in London and having tried many of its competitors, nothing comes close, in my opinion.

Established in Japan in 2009 by Kanada Kazuhiro, this game-changing ramen bar now has an outpost in Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay and three across London. I recently had dinner at Kanada-Ya Angel, which is thankfully a little easier to get a table than its central London sisters, however you may still need to queue at peak times.

Kanada-Ya has added Gyoza to the menu at all of its restaurants this spring, so we just had to try them. The precisely-folded dumplings were steaming hot with a crispy, golden base and generously filled with well-seasoned minced pork.

Chicken Karaage – another small plate – was tender and succulent with punchy flavours of garlic, ginger and soy and a crunchy fried coating. I’ve previously found Kanada-Ya’s Karaage a little heavy on the batter, but this time the balance was just right.

A great new discovery was Chashu Don – the perfect dish to share if you can’t get enough of Kanada-Ya’s famous pork belly. A plentiful bowl of soft, pearl-like Japanese rice dish was piled high with seared chashu pork belly and a layer of slow-cooked shredded pork, topped with spring onion. It was ridiculously delicious and very filling – definitely a new favourite!

For the main event, we tried Tonkotsu X, a ramen dish exclusive to the London restaurants, made with pork and corn-fed chicken bone broth, chashu pork belly, wood ear fungus, seaweed and spring onion. The umami-rich bone broth was meaty and slightly opaque and the silky chashu pork simply melted in the mouth. Kanada-Ya offers a choice of firmness for the noodles (from soft to extra-hard) and the regular noodles were exemplary – thin, springy and tasty.

Chashu-Men was a slightly lighter ramen with pork bone broth, chashu pork collar, wood ear fungus, seaweed and spring onion. The chashu pork collar was a little leaner and heartier than the pork belly and the pork bone broth was subtle and not overly creamy. It was nicely complemented by fresh, earthy wood ear fungus, crispy dried nori and thinly-sliced spring onion.

We washed it all down with Kanada-Ya’s tangy, zesty Home-made lemonade, however you can also try an iced matcha latte, premium sake or Japanese beer.

Kanada-Ya is a fantastic addition to Islington’s Upper Street and its new menu of delicious small plates proves there’s much more to it than simply ramen. I can’t wait to see what they come up with next.

Chérie City was a guest of Kanada-Ya

All photos by Chérie City

London, Theatre

A Great Night at Little Death Club at Underbelly

May 6, 2019 by cheriecity

Watch out London theatregoers, the Southbank just got that little bit sexier with the arrival of Little Death Club at Underbelly. A smash hit at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Adelaide Fringe, this daring show is here to shock and delight all summer long.

Inspired by the Weimar Republic’s den of iniquity, Little Death Club brings debauchery, amazement and lots of laughs in an intimate club setting. At the helm is formidable kabarett star Bernie Dieter, a striking vision in jet black feathers and spiked heels. Bernie is the real deal – a provocative libertine born in Köln to a family of circus performers, with razor-sharp wit and an air of seduction.

The scene was set from the moment we arrived at the Underbelly spiegeltent, with a glamorous family of misfits prowling around the room and lounging on the stage, set to sleazy rock from the fantastic live band.

Bernie broke the ice with some hilarious audience participation, loosening everyone up as the 60-minutes of decadence got underway. With sultry, theatrical tones, she regaled us with cheeky numbers including a rousing drinking song about her motorcycle-riding grandmother and another about lacklustre sex.

We were swiftly introduced to Myra DuBois, the self-proclaimed ‘songbird of south Yorkshire’, who served up unmistakably Northern humour, roasting a front-row guest for wearing flip flops to the theatre and having a pop at bloggers (it was the press night after all). We were then treated to Myra’s party piece – a pouting solo rendition of I Know Him So Well, famously performed by “Elaine Paige and the other one”.

More than just bawdy comedy, Little Death Club also has some serious acrobatic credentials. Fancy Chance mesmerised with angelic aerial ballet and somehow glided through the air hanging by her hair. Beau Sargent graced the hoop with contortions that had the audience wincing as well as an elegant, poignant piece about gender with stunning vocals from Bernie.

Josh Glanc played a disillusioned French mime longing for real-life sensations, while Kitty Bang Bang’s finale was red hot with some incredible naked fire breathing. It was so intense that you could feel the glow of the flames radiating from the stage.

Little Death Club is a fabulous, gin-soaked feast for the senses and above all, a whole lot of fun. Bernie’s farewell address pointedly reminded us to celebrate difference in a world that wants us to all be the same. I left wishing I could stay in her dazzling club just a little bit longer.

Bernie Dieter’s Little Death Club runs at Underbelly Festival until 29th September. For more information and booking, visit: www.underbellyfestival.com

Chérie City was a guest of Underbelly Festival

All images by Alistair Veryard Photography

London, Restaurants

A Great Day Out in London Bridge

April 26, 2019 by cheriecity

London Bridge is one of my favourite areas to explore, with its views over the Thames, charming historical buildings and incredible food scene. I recently spent a glorious day out there and challenged myself to visit places that I haven’t been before, rather than relying on old favourites. It’s not difficult when there are so many new restaurants, cafes and hotels in London Bridge.

Roasting Plant Coffee

My first stop of the morning was Roasting Plant Coffee for an ‘on the go’ breakfast of a creamy, warming Chai latte and a home-made Blueberry muffin. This new London Bridge coffee shop comes via New York’s Lower East Side and its innovative Javabot offers an immersive roastery store experience where you can choose any just-roasted bean and they’ll grind and make your coffee to order.

Kat Maconie

I then strolled over to the Kat Maconie concept store for a spot of pampering. The British shoe designer launched her debut boutique and beauty salon at the beginning of the year and it’s quickly become part of the neighbourhood.

I enjoyed a 40-minute Ready for the Floor manicure while sipping Bermondsey tea and admiring the colourful, beautifully-crafted shoes gracing the wall. I was so tempted to leave with a new pair!

Padella Pasta

With freshly-painted nails, I walked over to meet Steven for lunch at Padella. This petite pasta bar by the duo behind Highbury’s Trullo always has a queue around the building and it’s easy to see why. Luckily we only had to wait 20 minutes in the sun before we were seated at the marble counter and tucking into the most fabulous Burrata with Fiorano 2018 olive oil and sourdough bread.

The fresh pasta is hand-rolled every morning and accompanied with delicious sauces inspired by the owners’ travels through Italy. We ordered two contrasting dishes to share and it was impossible to pick a favourite. Pici with marjoram and golden garlic was creamy and well-seasoned while Tagliarini with slow-cooked tomato sauce with Fiorano 2018 olive oil had a rich, sunkissed flavour.

Borough Market

We finished our day in London Bridge with a tour around the iconic Borough Market. I’ve visited countless times, but decided to pick up some provisions that I hadn’t tried before. At Neal’s Yard Dairy, we did a tasting of artisan cheeses with one of their friendly, knowledgable cheesemongers and settled on a small wedge of Gubbeen, a semi-soft cow’s milk cheese from Cork, Ireland.

To go with the cheese, we picked up some aromatic, juicy porchetta, sliced to order, at authentic Italian deli Gastronomica. Finally, we joined another queue at Bread Ahead Bakery for a freshly-baked ciabatta and two of their famous doughnuts, filled to bursting point with velvety pistachio and praline custard.

London Bridge is the perfect destination for foodies and there are always plenty of new places to discover. Where are your favourite spots in London Bridge?

The spending money was gifted by Hotels.com, but all views are my own.

All photos by Chérie City

London, Theatre

Gravity & Other Myths: A Simple Space

April 22, 2019 by cheriecity

It’s that time again when Underbelly Festival takes over the Southbank with a dazzling programme of live circus, cabaret, comedy and music. Underbelly always presents best circus talent from around the world, but this season’s debut show was truly spectacular and memorable.

A Simple Space by leading Australian company Gravity & Other Myths (GOM) has won a number of awards and has been performed more than 600 times across 30 countries. Formed in Adelaide in 2009, GOM is renowned for its honest, unpretentious shows that favour acrobatic excellence over high concept.

For this special Underbelly run, the stage set was minimal with just four spotlights that were switched on and off throughout and the performers were dressed casually in natural colours. The show began with the group continually shouting ‘falling’, then tumbling and leaping off each other energetically – a truly captivating introduction.

GOM’s work has a real playfulness and there were plenty of japes and dares, like seeing who could hold their breath the longest, making animal balloons behind their backs and a ‘strip skipping’ competition where Benton Adam-Walker ended up losing all of his clothes (yes, it did get a little racy).

The chemistry between the seven performers was palpable as they climbed and stood on each other’s bodies, formed vertiginous pyramids, held impossible contortion poses and walked on each other’s heads.

Annalise Moore’s acrobatics had everyone’s jaws on the floor in amazement as she somersaulted through the air, balanced upside down and was literally thrown across the stage and caught by the guys in unison with talented flyer Ashleigh Pearce.

In between the high-octane routines were fun moments like when André Augustus solved a Rubik’s cube while standing on his head and the stage became a colourful ball pit with the audience pelting the performers as they posed.

But what really took the show to the next level was the atmospheric electronic soundtrack performed with live drums and programming by Alex Flood. He also had his own solo moment beat boxing and tapping his chest rhythmically until it went red and raw.

The finale was epic with some incredible, high-speed acrobatics and I just didn’t want it to ever end. I really connected with GOM and loved the joyful, confident and stripped back vibe of A Simple Space. It’s definitely one that you won’t want to miss!

Underbelly has a wonderful carnival atmosphere and is bigger and better than ever with its fabulous pop-up spiegeltent, plus drinks and tempting street food from the likes of Nanny Bill’s and Hola Guacamole. The shows are short and sweet at just 60-minutes and most are under £20, making it an affordable night out by the Thames. I can’t wait to see more throughout the summer.

A Simple Space runs at Underbelly Festival until 5th May. For more information and booking, visit: www.underbellyfestival.com

Chérie City was a guest of Underbelly Festival

Photo (c) The Other Richard