To be Frank.

Last week I met my friends from school for some drinks at Franks Campari Bar. Have you been? If you haven't, you are running out of time, as they dismantle the bar at the end of September. You may have seen from my instagram photos, the bar itself is located on the tenth floor of a parking garage in Peckham. Pretty neat. Something I'm sure Vancouver's licensing laws, and 'no-fun' policies would prevent us from enjoying. This is the fourth summer running Franks, and so far so good.

The bar isn't easy to find. Once you see the initial signs (at the base of the garage) you are left on a hunt to search for small red squares with white arrows leading you to your destination.

When you reach the 9th floor there is an Art exhibition (a bit of an assurance that you've almost made it), and when you finally reach the 10th...you will know.

As you emerge from the garage to the open air of the top level, you are faced with the London skyline. That in itself makes Franks a wonderful place to spend an evening.

The menu was simple but tasty. We were left a little hungry as we didn't order enough between us, but I'll know better for next time. We ordered the humous and french bread, the grilled corn, and the Ox heart Kebab. The only other downside was the (sometimes) long line at the bar. Frustrating when you are excited to get back to your friends...and the view.

Great face Courtenay.

And in case you were wondering about plumbing logistics...

A true Londoner. I'm going to take this look back to Vancouver.

You can visit their website to find our more about Frank's HERE. 

Thai Minced Beef and Basil with a Fried Egg.

Whenever 'S' asks, "What do you feel like for dinner?" my response is always the same. "The Thai Beef dish!".  I love this dish. I wouldn't say it's a balanced meal, as it's definitely lacking in the vegetable department, but it is comforting and delicious.

I decided I needed to figure out how to make it myself. I found This recipe, and it did the trick. YUM!

I had a fantastic night last night in Trafalgar Square for Canada Day. I'll write about it later this week. Until then, get your cook on. Fast and Easy...and it'll turn into a dish you crave.

Top Image from here.

New World Dim Sum.

Rose and I spent the afternoon writing the first draft of our joint paper. As a reward, we ventured into chinatown (a short walk from the Leicester Station) with Rose's friend Ruby to grab some authentic dim sum. 

What is dim sum? You are not alone, as I mentioned a few weeks ago, I had never been (and this is odd for someone born and raised in Vancouver). Dim Sum is the name for a Chinese cuisine consisting of a large range of light dishes served alongside Chinese tea. It originated with the Cantonese in southern China. As Rose taught me last night, it is also termed 'Yum Cha' which means 'drinking tea'. For many in southern china, 'Yum cha' is a weekend family event. Rose explained that the youngest members of the family would que up to reserve a table for the rest of the family. By doing this, they are showing respect to their parents and grandparents, and showing how much spending time with their families means to them.'Yum Cha' is a time to get all the generations of the family together to socialize and enjoy an extended meal. Dim sum was traditionally served using hot trolleys and New World has maintained this tradition since its opening in 1985.

You may recall from a recent post, that our meal at Ping Pong was my first dim sum experience. Ping Pong is a trendy restaurant chain, attempting to make dim sum more main stream (and doing a great job), but we were looking for something legit. Rose was looking for dumplings that tasted like the ones she would enjoy at home in Hong Kong. 

No pressure...

I had found New World Chinese Restaurant on my time-out London app as one of the best affordable and authentic dim sum experiences. On average you can expect to pay ₤10 per person. 

If you go on a Sunday between noon and 2pm, expect to line up outside (as this is the traditional time for Chinese families to venture out for dim sum), but any time after that, you should be able to get a table right away.

  

The food was delicious. The ambiance was not great, and the service inattentive, but we were deep in conversation and distracted by the tasty dishes. I've read mixed reviews from others, suggesting the food is inconsistent. If this is the case, we must have had a good night. I would definitely go again as you can't really beat a delicious dinner for ₤10 a person. 

On another note, I realize there has been quite a lot of food posts lately...a girl has to eat you know. 

For those who aren't fans, I promise I've got some adventures planned this weekend that I will make sure to document and post next week. Some of the highlights include a bbq in Notting Hill, a friend's birthday, and a Sunday Polo match....not to mention what happens next Wednesday (yes, I'm slightly excited!).

If you're following me on Instagram, you are well aware.

@beyondtheblueumbrella

Grilled Couscous & Halloumi Salad.

I've been joking recently that it's impossible to get through a week in London without eating a burger (hamburger to us). No matter how hard I try, I'll end up at a pub having not eaten, and end up getting a burger. I'm not even a big burger fan.

A few weeks ago at The Goat, there was a breakthrough. One of the menu items was a Grilled Halloumi Couscous Salad. In an attempt to order something that included vegetables, I was sold.

I have been talking about this salad for the last few weeks, and last night successfully recreated it.

What you'll need:

I block of Halloumi Cheese

250g Couscous

1 can Chickpeas

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp dried corriander

1 chicken stock cube

15-20 cherry tomatoes

1/2 a Cucumber

3-4 slices finely chopped red onion

1/2 an avocado

2 cloves garlic

Olive Oil

Juice of one lemon

1 bag mixed salad greens

Method:

1) Place chickpeas on a foil lined cookie sheet tossed in Olive oil, a finely chopped garlic clove and a little bit of cumin, and grill in the oven (broil), for 10-15 mins (turning now and then)

2) Boil 400ml of water, and combine with chicken stock seasoning, cinnamon, cumin, and corriander

3) Put 250g couscous in a frying pan with a tbsp of olive oil, and another finely chopped garlic clove and brown for about five minutes

4) Once couscous is slightly brown place in large bowl with  the boiled chicken stock mixture, mix well, add a splash of olive oil, cover, and let sit while you prepare the rest of the salad 

(must sit at least 5 mins)

5) Chop cucumber, tomatoes, onion, and avocado and add to cous cous (I placed the avocado on top- just to make it look interesting)

6) Heat a tbsp of olive oil in a large pan, and add slices of Halloumi, browning both sides (this happens quite quickly so keep your eye on it). Remove from heat, get rid of excess oil, and let cool.

7) Add a couple tbsps of olive oil, salt and pepper, and lemon juice to the cous cous, to flavour. Stir to make sure entire bowl is dressed

To serve:

1) Place your greens as the base layer on each plate, followed by the cous cous, topped with slices of Halloumi (or cubes to make for easier consumption)

I hope you enjoy this. I think it's going to be my summer go to. Might even replace the Mango Quinoa recipe from last year!

Lastly, so you can laugh at my expense, you can check out my cooking attire. Yup, heals, and spandex. I am trying to prepare for a full day of heals at Ascot.

I haven't attempted them since the stress fracture, so this should be interesting...