Review: Sugar Dumplin', Camberley, Surrey

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, we all know that Caribbean food is my favourite. My ultimate favourite. So I didn't need to be asked twice when Sugar Dumplin got in touch to see if I wanted to sample their menu at their new restaurant in Camberley, Surrey.

After collecting the party bus from London Bridge station and a very strong rum cocktail in both hands, we were soon on our way to Surrey. Trust me when I say it's well worth the journey out of London. As soon as you walk in the restaurant its like you've been transported thousands of miles away. The sounds of a steel drum tinkers in the background, pumping reggae music blasts as you scoff your food and the whole place feels like you've stumbled into a shack on a tiny Caribbean island. It feels a million miles away from just plain old Surrey - I absolutely loved the vibe. To me, the atmosphere is just as important as the food served up.

Boy did we eat a feast that night! Fiery jerk prawns with an added kick of ginger, sticky and extremely addictive BBQ ribs, perfectly cooked Bajan sword fish and salt cod fish cakes, chunky fried plantain chips and the signature sugar dumplins with incredibly moreish sauces. That was just to start!

More food still came out! When the goat curry arrived I was excited yet skeptical. This is my favourite dish and I'm always worried it's never executed good enough. But I needn't have worried! This was delicious. With mixed peppers and soft potatoes, the goat was incredibly tender with just the right amount of spicy chilli. I tried not to be too greedy with this dish! The rice and peas were the perfect partner to soak up the delicious sauce.

Thanks so much for such a delicious meal Sugar Dumplin - I wish I could eat it all over again!

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5 cities I want to visit in Germany

After spending four days in Cologne last week, my need to explore more of Germany has intensified. I find it so hard to believe that it has been a unified country for just 27 years - mind-blowing. Paired with beautiful architecture, my favourite time period of history and yummy, stodgy food, Germany has captured my heart. After reading my guidebook cover to cover, I now have a whole bundle of places I'm dying to visit. Here are my top five.

Image by Pascal Poggi via Pinterest

1. Dresden
This city on the edge of the River Elbe never really appealed to me - until I saw some pictures. Then it shot straight to the top of my list. Just look at that skyline above. Give me mesmerising historic building over sterile skyscrapers any day. The riverside beer gardens, incredible Baroque architecture, historic old town and interesting museums all help to make this East German city well worth visiting. The Allies unleashed a staggering 3900 tonnes of explosives on the city over two days in February 1945 meaning so much of the city had to be rebuilt following the destruction. Which only makes Dresden even more remarkable.

Image from Incredible Pictures via Pinterest

2. Nuremberg
Nazi Germany was always my favourite period during my history lessons at school, a period of history that fascinates me still. I think the fact World War II is so recent, so close to home and quite frankly mind blowing that one man nearly realised his atrocious dream. It's something that could quite easily happen again, especially in this current climate. Nuremberg was such an important city for the Nazis. It was here that the first Jewish businesses were boycotted, fanatical party rallies were held and the site for the Nuremberg Trials. But morbid reasons aside, Bavaria's second-largest city is also said to boast one of the best Christmas markets in Germany so I would love to catch that.

Image by Danny Groner for Photocritic via Pinterest

3. Munich
Surprisingly I do not want to visit during Oktoberfest - in fact I can't think of anything worse than facing those crowds. But I do want to soak up the Bavarian heritage, trawl around the famous beer halls, wander around the many museums and visit the Olympic stadium. I've heard such great things about Munich and am dying to experience it for myself.

Image from Flickr via Pinterest

4. Hamburg
Germany's second-largest city boasts that it is 'the gateway to the world'. Is this true? I'd certainly like to find out! The port city has numerous neighbourhoods each offering something different. From the Altstradt in the centre offering cultural museums to the gentrified St Georg as the hub of the city's gay scene. It sounds like a great place to spend 3/4 days just soaking up the German atmosphere.

Image from Stuck in Customs via Pinterest

5. Leipzig
I fell head over heels for Berlin four years ago and I've heard on the grapevine that Leipzig is a cheaper, fun version of that city. Cool, hip and alternative with a nightlife to die for. I'd love to find out more about the city that has been cited with a leading role in the 'peaceful revolution' that helped to draw a close to the Cold War. The east German city has so many museums and exhibitions devoted to the GDR. A period of history I'm eager to look into a bit more.

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Exploring the UK: Maltby Street Market, Bermondsey, South London

There's nothing I love more than strolling around a food market, sampling all the delicious treats on offer and trying new dishes. After trying Borough, Greenwich and Brockley, it was time to tick another one off my list. This time it was Maltby Street Market in Bermondsey, South London. Not too far from the famous Borough Market.

Ropewalk is a lively street food market located on Maltby Street in Bermondsey, South London. It has food stalls, wine bars in the arches and pop-up restaurants, perfect for foodies to get their fix. It's open from 9am - 4pm on a Saturday, making it the perfect place to whittle away a lazy day. It does get very busy so if crowds aren't your thing then make sure you get there early. The early bird catches the worm after all.

With many well-known street food traders such as Waffle On, The Cheese Truck and Finest Fayre all on offer, there's something to suit even the fussiest of eaters. With gin connoisseurs Little Bird Gin and wine bar St John, it'll be rude not to stop for a while for a little drink. If the hoards of tourists at Borough Market are a bit too much, then Maltby Street will be just the ticket.

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Review: Flesh and Buns, Covent Garden, London

Flesh and Buns had been on my list for a while but I'd never really made it there. That's what happens when you work in a city where numerous new restaurants open each week - you can hardly keep up! But when I wanted to celebrate my birthday with my internet friends back in January and Hannah casually dropped in the famous Sunday Japanese brunch, my mind was made up. I finally had my chance to visit.

For £46 you were given a delicious cocktail on arrival, chips, dips and edamane, unlimited hot and cold dishes, signature flesh and buns, unlimited prosecco and dessert for the table. When a plate of mixed sashimi is £12, this works out to be one hell of a deal. So of course we went to town and ordered one of everything off the menu. You gotta try it all right?!

Everything was absolutely delicious and we were still talking about the meal a week later. Personal highlights for me was the crispy, spicy Korean fried chicken wings, the fresh soft shell sushi, the tender flat iron steak in a soft steamed bun and peppery fried squid. I could have order so much more. - especially those juicy chicken wings. The sweet and sour sauce was so addictive.

No indulgent brunch is ever complete without a little dessert. We had the famous s'mores with passionfruit marshmallows, almond chocolate and crumbly biscuits. There's something that make you feel a bit like you've regressed to a child when you have to create your own food! Next up for the gooey chocolate fondant with matcha ice cream. Delicious!

It was honestly one of my favourite meals I've had in the city and can't wait to book my next trip back. Despite the bill coming to over £50 a head, it really was such great value for money. We ate until we were fit to burst and certainly took lots of advantage of the unlimited fizz. Definitely a great way to spend a lazy Sunday.

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Exploring the UK: Freeport Outlet Centre, Braintree, Essex

As much as I love the Big Smoke, I'm a little partial to my home county of Essex. Despite our reputation among others... I love exploring old favourites and new to me parts - it's home to some cracking places. One old favourite is the Freeport outlet centre in Braintree so when they got in touch to see if I fancied a day out, I quickly said yes.

Armed with a very generous voucher, I set off shop until I dropped. Freeport is home to a whole host of shops from homeware to beauty and fashion to electrical, there really is something for everyone. Lots of well-known retailers boast a shop at the outlet village. Ted baker, Adidas, Barbour, French Connection, Vans, M&S, Karen Millen and Hobbs are to name but a few. Thanks to my trip to Cologne coming up in a few days, I was on the hunt for some new bits and pieces to take there. Luckily I had no trouble finding things for my trip.

On the hunt for some comfortable shoes, something I don't own much of, I headed to Vans to treat myself to some plimsols. I was greeted with such a huge selection of different colours and styles and finally settled on a pair of plain black slim fit shoes. Then off to The Body Shop I went to stock up on some beauty bits and bobs for my holidays. The hand luggage restrictions get me every time. Finally I decided to treat my boyfriend to a new adidas zip up jumper to say thank you for being the chauffeur for the day. Not bad right?

Freeport really is a great day out, it's less than a hour from London on the train and savings can be up to 60% off the retail price. It's a fantastic place to get all your favourite fashion brands at a good discount. It means you can buy more right?! There's such a great selection of shops and new ones are opening all the time. It's easy to navigate and thanks to the industrial estate opposite, there's some fantastic places to eat - and even a cinema if you fancy relaxing after all that shopping!

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Recipe: Ultimate mac and cheese

Mac and cheese is one of my all-time favourite comfort dishes. It's so hard to get right but when it's cook to perfectly, it tastes heavenly. Just not the most photogenic of food dishes! So when I was kindly sent some Norwegian Jarlsberg cheese I decided to attempt it for the first time. I used a Jamie Oliver recipe as a base. Jarlsberg is a great cheese to use because it still keeps it's intense nutty flavour when it's melted.

Feeds 4

Ingredients:
20g butter
1.5 heaped tbsp plain flour
4 tsp of lazy garlic
3 bay leaves
1 pint of semi-skimmed milk
300g macaroni pasta
1 pack of cherry tomatoes
4 rashers of bacon
Splash of Worcester sauce
150g grated Jarlsberg cheese*
100g grated parmesan cheese
1 big handful of breadcrumbs
Olive oil

Method:

1. Grill the bacon under the grill until it is nice and crispy. Once cooked, put aside to cool down.

2. While the bacon is cooking, melt the butter in a large saucepan over a low heat, add the flour then turn the heat up to medium. Keep staring until you get a paste like mixture.

3. Add the garlic and keep stirring until the garlic is nice and golden. Add the bay leaves.

4. Slowly add the milk and keep stirring until the sauce is lovely and smooth. Bring the mixture to a boil and then leave it to simmer. Stir occasionally so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Preheat the oven to around 200 degrees.

5. Boil some water and add the pasta. Cook to the packet instructions.

6. Meanwhile roughly chop the tomatoes and bacon. Season them with salt and pepper to your taste.

7. Once the pasts is cooked, drain it and add it to the sauce. Then add the grated cheeses, tomatoes, bacon and Worcester sauce.

8. Make sure the sauce isn't too thick as it will thicken in the oven. Add some water if you need too.

9. Transfer the mixture into a oven-proof casserole pan before popping in the oven for around 30 minutes until the mixture is bubbly and golden brown.

10. Whilst it cooked, heat some olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat before popping in the breadcrumbs. Stir and toss the breadcrumbs around until they're crispy but not too burnt!

11. Sprinkle some breadcrumbs over the finished mac and cheese for a lovely cranky topping before tucking in. Enjoy!

As always, please do let me me know if you give this a whirl and drop me a tweet!

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Hotel review: Qbic Hotel London City, Aldgate East, East London

I love a staycation in London so when my boyfriend and I booked ourselves gig tickets on our anniversary night I decided to throw caution to the wind and look for a hotel for the night. I came across Qbic Hotel London City. Based in Aldgate East, it was the perfect location from home. Only about 45 minutes on the tube and ridiculously close to Duck and Waffle for our brunch the next day. Brick Lane is one of my favourite areas in London so it was a good excuse to have a wander around the markets the next day.

For just over £100 a night per room, we opted for the second cheapest. Gotta have some luxury on an anniversary night right! I wanted something that looked a little quirky, stylish and had character. Chain hotels can feel sterile and boring. I think Qbic ticked all the boxes. I loved all the fun little touches hidden around the hotel such as the teddy do not disturb sign, the hosepipe lamp at the end of the bed, postcards of the local area and the slightly awkward lady above the bed - her eyes felt like they followed me around the room.

The bed was enormous and the room was spacious and light - something that some city hotels fail to get right. They can feel cramped and gloomy. I had a great nights sleep and it was a struggle to get up in the morning.

I couldn't fault the staff and they were even kind enough to let us leave our suitcases there the next while we explored the city - without charge! Checking in and out was a breeze and the free coffee machine on each floor was a lovely touch. I'd definitely recommend booking a room if you're ever visiting London - it's nice to have somewhere a little bit cool to head home after a day in the city.

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