After You Dessert Bar – Bangkok

One of my favourite things about Bangkok was the food, the sheer number and range of places to eat from tiny carts on the side of the street to rooftop restaurants and even mall food is good here.

A very popular spot that our friend Jack took us to was After You, I mean it was a week night at about 10pm when we went and it was rammed. It was full of young Thai’s on dates and in groups. Such a nice hang out spot.

Jack advised that it was all about the Shibuya Toast, and literally freaked when we tried to order one each. We found out why when it arrived.

They also do the normal Thai thing of bringing a sweet tea when you arrive. Love that.

The huge number of desserts had me stumped. So many to choose from, and they all were so different to what we get here. I wanted to try so many.

In the end I managed to make a decision, we also ordered iced teas.

So this is the toast. Do you see that? Coma inducing toast.

Seriously after this the boys ended up crashing hard, it was insane, the sugar sweats and then food coma.

I was more sensible and ordered a strawberry iced tea…

And a green tea layer cake. Beautiful cake. So light and can you see those tiny layer? No idea how that can be done.

YOu really MUST go to After You if you visit Bangkok, it’s really easy to find in the Thong Lor district (uber trendy lively area)

Also would love to know has anyone tried Shibuya toast?

Lahloo Tea – The Pantry

If you have read this blog for any length of time you have probably read about Lahloo Tea. This small company that want to re-educate people about the joys of proper tea and how wonderful it can be.

I always drank loose tea when I went to places that serve it but never beyond that. But now? Yes I am a convert. The flavour will always beat a tea bag every time.

Lahloo Tea have now gone one step further and have opened a place of their own, The Pantry in Clifton Village. I was desperate to visit before I left on my trip and just managed to do it, with my Mum visiting I needed no better reason, so we went.

You enter this cute cafe to a counter filled with all kinds of treats both savoury and sweet.

The cakes and biscuits are so pretty and perfectly formed.

And of course all the different kinds of Lahloo tea. The reason you visit!

We both picked the tart for lunch, Mum having the smoked haddock and me the three cheese, which both came with a beautiful celeriac salad and a refreshing cucumber and chilli salad.

They also have a wonderful breakfast menu (anywhere that does egg and solders is alright by me)

And we both of course ordered tea.

I ordered Jasmine Pearls, having heard lots about these, but never tried them. The tea is made from the little pearls you see below, is a very fragrant but delicate tea, and so refreshing.

My Mum went for a much darker tea, and picked Smokey. Another one I need to try.

As well as staying here to eat and drink everything is available for takeaway and there is a fully stocked tea shop for you, with all the Lahloo teas. Also lots of accessories. I so want a Matcha tea set!

So I was always going to be biased here but The Pantry really is lovely, so lovely I am jealous! Jealous that I don’t live near, and jealous that it’s not my cafe!

The whole place is lovely and as always the details are what make me love somewhere and they really have taken care with everything here, right down to lovely soap in the bathroom, which for me is a detail often forgotten but when a bathroom is nice I am always impressed.

And so then we left, but not before taking more treats with us!

Just a little post and a nudge to go visit!

Lahloo Tea - Clifton Village

Cafe Kino

Hello!

Back for a little one…  I visited Cafe Kino this week, a veggie-vegan cafe (I go there a lot for coffee and cake and people watching) and finally got to try their veggie burger, sadly they were out of curly fries.

I didn’t pout though, it just means I’ll have to go again soon!

Another little recommendation post for you really, because I think this place is great and you should all go visit.

It is located on the corner of Stokes Croft and Cheltenham Road, and it is great for people watching as there are stools in the huge front windows.

The cafe is lovely, really spartan but with booths (I adore booths) and an amazing tiled floor.

I love the school room type chairs.

This time I went with my Dad who is a vegetarian, we both went for the veggie burger which were lentil-beetroot type patties and were gorgeous… it came with a really nice salad garnish of leaves, sun-dried tomatoes and seeds in a really nice bap and chips of course.

I loved that my burger was purple…

They have a small selection of beer, lager and cider, plus lots of yum soft drinks including my old favourite ginger beer

The cafe is even more well-loved because it is not run for profit and is a co-operative. It is always busy when I have visited yet I have always been able to get a seat, they are currently renovating their basement space which will be used for events…

You can check out their full menu and event listings and find out more about the cafe on their website; Cafe Kino

And when you finish promise me you’ll leave room for cake, I am still thinking about a huge slice of coconut, raspberry and ginger cake I ate there last month, it was beautiful.

Herman Friendship Cake

Bear with me on this recipe, I think it’s lovely but some people have thought it strange!

This cake comes from a recipe called Herman the German.

Basically you get given a little starter of yeasty cake mix, which you then look after, feed and grow it for 10 days by feeding the yeast.

You then split it into four, bake one part into a cake then give the other three parts away to friends who carry on the cycle.

It gives really tasty, moist cake and you can add whatever you want at the end.

If you want to start the cake…

1 packet Dry Yeast
2 cups lukewarm Water
2 cups Flour

In a glass or plastic container, dissolve yeast in warm water then add flour and beat till smooth. Cover and let stand at room temperature 48 hours. This makes two cups of the starter.
Use one cup of Herman and give the other cup to a friend, that’s two Herman cakes out in the world!

Below are the exact instructions I was given by my colleague Liz who passed Herman to me…

“Hello, my name is Herman. I’m a sourdough cake, if I have come to live with you it’s because one of you friends believes that you will keep me alive and then introduce me to more friends. I’m supposed to be kept on a worktop for 10 days without a lid on…
You can’t put me in the fridge (or I will die). If I stop bubbling, I am dead…. Follow the instructions in how to keep me alive below; it’s been a pleasure meeting you”

 Day 1: Herman has come to live with you, first of all pour him into a large mixing bowl, cover loosely with a tea towel.

Day 2: Stir well

Day 3: Same as yesterday (easy huh?)

Day 4: Herman will be very hungry!! Add 1 cup of plain flour, sugar and milk and then stir well.

Day 5-8: Stir well

Day 9: Hungry again, add the same as Day 4 and stir well…

… Then divide the mixture into 4 equal amounts and give 3 away to your friends (only trustworthy ones please) with a copy of these instructions. Herman no. 4 will stay with you.

 Day 10: Herman’s hungry again… Stir well and add the following:

1 cup of sugar
2 cups plain flour
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla essence
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder 
½ tsp salt
2/3 cup of cooking oil
2 cooking apples (in chunks)
1 cup of raisins (optional)
½ cup of walnuts (optional) 
(other optional ingredients pineapple, cherries, chopped chocolate etc)

Method: Mix everything together & put into a large greased roasting tin.
Sprinkle with ¼ cup of melted butter and ¼ cup of brown sugar.
Bake for 45 minutes at 170-180 (gas mark 5).
When cold cut into finger shaped pieces. Freezes well and is delicious warm with cream and custard… enjoy!!

I added to mine almond essence, ground almonds, flaked almonds, white chocolate chunks and raspberries. Delicious!

Give it a go, start one with your friends and see how far it spreads!

Fruity Bruschetta

On Saturday night I made such a lovely meal… even if I do say so myself yes.

To be honest the reason I can be so boasty is that I didn’t really do anything I just brought lovely ingredients and left them alone.

We had two recently married, soon to be parents over and our new housemate who is the reason why these photographs are so good. His camera is much better than mine. Thanks Bart!

So for a little nibble with champagne we have grilled peach, buffalo mozzarella and prosciutto and also fig, goats cheese and prosciutto bruschetta.

I just got some really good bread from Marks Bread, and the fruit is from Ashton Fruit Shop and the cheese from Southville Deli (all on North Street in Bedminster) and a store in Frome I visited that day.

I saved money by buying just what I needed of the good stuff, rather than lots of rubbish stuff from the supermarket, I don’t why how I always forget how good the fruit is from this shop.

I brushed the bread with olive oil, seasoned and baked in the oven for 5 minutes then griddled the peaches, just arranged (I use that word loosely) everything else on the bread.

I do realise I keep going on about grilled peaches, they are my new favourite fruit for putting in my dishes. They are especially good hot with the cool mozzarella. Delicious.