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Headmasters blow dry, Mayfair

25 Apr

Awards ceremonies are always fun. If nothing else they give you a chance to dress up and let your hair down and the Drapers Accessories and Footwear Awards last night at the Grosvenor House Hotel was no exception. But as much as I love getting glammed up, I’m not very good at planning. I knew about the awards months in advance and still managed to leave outfit planning to the last minute, running around like a headless chicken the night before trying on every dress I own.

The one thing I did plan though, granted still only a couple of days before, was a blow dry at Headmasters in Mayfair. Having never been to the hairdressers for a blow dry, I was looking forward to the post work, pre event treat.

I arrived fresh from work and met Stephanie, manager of the salon, who would be making me look a whole lot more glamorous for the evening. After a quick consultation I was off to the sink for a shampoo, condition and one of the best hairdresser head massages I have ever had.

My hair was dried to 90% before Stephanie came over to work her magic. My hair was parted and Stephanie, armed with blow dryer in one hand and brush in the other, set to work to create luscious waves.

No longer than 20 minutes later Stephanie was brushing my hair to the side and clipping it into place. My hair looked beautiful – bouncy with very glossy waves.

I don’t know how I ever went to an event without a blow dry. That may have been my first but it certainly won’t be the last.

Headmasters’ blow dries start from £27.

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Pimps and Pinups, Shoreditch

7 Apr

I thoroughly enjoyed my bank holiday weekend. Four days and five nights of relaxation, drinks with friends and lots of indulging. The first day back at work after any kind of holiday is not the easiest, unless you have an incentive to get to the end of the day. Mine just happened to be heading for a cut and colour before popping down to see a new band at The Borderline.

I have visited a few salons over the last year and each has been different and unique in its own right and Pimps and Pinups, my hairdressers on Tuesday, was no exception.

I remember walking past this salon years ago when I first moved to London and it almost embarrasses me to tell you that the thought of entering used to scare me. You see, the people inside just looked way too cool for my 18 year old self. Fast forward a good few years and as I walk up to the door I realise that all fear has diminished. I also realised as I stepped inside that my 18 year old fear was completely and utterly ridiculous. I was warmly welcomed to the salon and before I even sat down was asked what I wanted to drink ‘tea, coffee, beer…?’ Hang on. Beer? Well this is certainly new to me. And I quite liked it. A few minutes later, bottle of Becks in hand, I was greeted by my stylist who ushered over to the far corner chair.

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After a quick consultation (because I knew exactly what I wanted) my stylist was off to grab the colour and I was left to take a few snaps. When he arrived back we engaged in hairdresser chat and laughed and smiled our way through the colour application. Time flew by and before I knew it I was sat back in the chair, hair freshly washed, ready for my cut. My split ends were trimmed and the front of my hair subtly shaped. Then, armed with a hairdryer, my stylist proceeded to give me the movie star tussled waves that I so love.

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I really liked Pimps and Pinups. The music was diverse but at times a bit too much (I’m not a fan of rock music) but the staff were friendly and most importantly I walked out with a hairstyle that I love.

A semi permanent colour and a cut costs around £100.

Pimps and Pinups
14 Lamb Street
Spitalfields
London
E1 6EA
0207 426 2121

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Tune Hotels – King’s Cross

30 Mar

I don’t know if I’m just getting boring in my old age but going out just isn’t what it used to be. Over the last five or so years I have swapped the nightclub for the cafe and probably piled on a few pounds in the process.

But even though I tend not to go ‘clubbing’ much anymore, I still enjoy a few drinks down the pub with friends. The biggest problem for me though is the journey home. I’d rather not spend two hours on London’s unpredictable and unsavoury night busses, thank you.

Enter Tune Hotels. You may have read the review of our stay at the Liverpool Street branch and we liked it so much that we headed back to the King’s Cross branch. It was the night of our friends 30th and after one too many mixed beverages and definitely too many shots of tequila we stumbled back to the hotel for a few hours kip before check out at 10am.

Tune Hotel King’s Cross is a short 5 minute walk from the station and housed in an old grand building. If you are not familiar with the hotels, they are based on the ‘add on’ model and little extras such as internet, an entertainment package, a hairdryer and towel and toiletry rental comes at a cost.

We checked in, picked up our towels and soap, went in search of our room for the night and were pleasantly surprised on entry. The room was spotless with an en suite shower room and a window. We had a quick comfortable nap before we headed to the pub and a good uninterrupted night sleep when we arrived back from the pub.

There’s not really much else to be said about Tune Hotels. There isn’t a fancy restaurant or cocktail bar but you don’t always need that. And at from £55 a night in Central London, quite frankly I think this is one of the best options for any London traveller.

Tune Hotel
324 Gray’s Inn Road
London WC1X 8BU

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Konditori Valand, Stockholm

9 Mar

I don’t know how Jack does it. It’s like he has some sort of in built independent world travel guide embedded in his brain. Take Stockholm as an example. We were heading to Åre for a skiing trip but we were to enjoy a day in Stockholm on either side of the trip. I had spent a couple of hours at the computer before we left, trawling through pages of content to try and find the best places to eat and drink.

We arrived back in Stockholm at 7am after an overnight train journey on a sleeper train down from the mountains. Bleary eyed, we dragged our bags to the lockers and headed to McDonalds for a coffee. The problem was, there were 11 of us and true to the style of travelling with a large group, not everyone agreed with a stint in McDonalds. So it was Jack to the rescue and after a couple of minutes on my ipad, he had a suggestion – an original 1950′s cafe called Konditori Valand, which was a 20 minute walk away from the station. And it opened at 8am. Perfect.

We set off walking the streets of Stockholm, enduring the bitterly cold wind, eyes half closed, dreaming of the cup of coffee and Swedish breakfast that would hopefully work it’s magic. As we drew closer to the street, panic alarms started to sound. The cafe didn’t have its own website – Jack had found it on a small blog and we weren’t even sure that it would still be open. We drew closer and closer and finally spotted it.

We pulled open the door and all bundled inside. Konditori Valand was opened by Magdalena and her husband Stellan Åström in 1954. Magdalena was talking on the phone as we arrived but quickly ended the conversation as we walked through the door and welcomed us in her own way. Not one of us seemed to be able to concentrate on ordering, or even looking at what was on offer to begin with. We were like giddy kids in a sweetshop and as we all gawped at our surroundings, the lady’s confusion set in and slightly irritable, asked us what we wanted. We had gone for breakfast but on closer inspection there didn’t seem to be much on offer. In front of us sat an old 1950′s counter with trays of freshly baked goods. On each tray, which was capable of holding about 20 cakes, sat 6 cakes, evenly and perfectly spread.

When we had all calmed down, we placed an order for hot chocolates and coffees. The lady flipped on the percolators and set to work. The food on offer wasn’t to everyone’s taste but it didn’t look as though many other people were going to snap up minimalist spread so we took a few cakes and a couple of sandwiches, which were actually rather delicious.

While we waited for our drinks, the kids phones came out and we had a snapathon. It was like we had stepped back in time. The cafe looked as thought it hadn’t been touched since the 50′s – some of the beautiful original mid century modern furniture was weathered, ripped and stained. The ceiling in the main room was cracked and needed a little TLC. But it didn’t matter because it was the little touches that really made the place. The Campbells soup warmer, the old chill boxes, the perfectly lined crockery and soft drinks bottles, the phone that sat on the table next to the door, the stand alone serving counter. This was the cafe of our dreams.

By the time we were ready to leave, a couple of tables around us were occupied but we couldn’t help wonder how many people would pass through the doors that day. We couldn’t believe our luck that we had found perhaps one of the best original 1950s cafes in the world. I have never seen anything quite like it and doubt I ever will again – until I have my own one day perhaps.

Konditori Valand
Surbrunnsgatan 48, 11348 Stockholm
Tel: 08-300476

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Blanc – Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona

5 Nov

As a child, my family holidays were mostly spent in Spanish speaking countries. I will always thank my dad for introducing me to the beautiful island of Ibiza where we enjoyed two weeks in the sunshine every summer for years. So it is no surprise that I have always had a fondness for Spain. I am not sure how Barcelona has evaded my travel path up to now but a few weeks ago I set off with Jack and thoroughly I enjoyed my first visit.

We arrived on one of the busiest weekends – the Sunday evening played host to arguably one of the most important football matches of the season, Barcelona vs Madrid. The city was buzzing and as a result finding a hotel was a little difficult. The Mandarin Oriental was on my hit list but there was no room at the inn. But despite not being able to experience the rooms this time, we were still able to enjoy dinner on Friday evening at Blanc, the restaurant’s brasserie and gastrobar.

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The entrance to the hotel is grand and impressive and after walking up a long carpeted walkway, we arrived in reception. It didn’t take us long to find Blanc, the beautiful dining room with an eye catching design visible from the reception area. Downstairs in Blanc we were greeted by the hostess and an acoustic set by a Spanish male and female duo. We were shown to our table, which sat on the boarder of the restaurant looking into the centre and were surprised to see that despite being a Friday evening, the dining room was half full and rather quiet.

I picked up the menu and didn’t know where to start. The waitress explained that the dishes were small so it would be worth ordering around four and sharing. At first the menu seemed a little confusing. Separated into ten sections, it consisted of a mish mash of styles including eggs, meats, stews and casseroles, fish, and sandwiches. There was also a section dedicated to the Oriental heritage of the Mandarin Oriental.

I wasn’t sure I wanted to eat a chicken curry alongside a dry aged beef burger or macaroni Napolotana so we opted for gnocchi with broccoli and lemon (8.50Euros), crushed fried eggs with Iberian ham (9Euros) and beef tenderloin with peppercorn sauce and spinach (18Euros). But before mains, we enjoyed both starters on offer – oysters from Delta del Ebre (2.80Euros per piece) and chicken-ham croquettes (2Euros per piece).

The oysters arrived on a bed of ice with slices of lemon but not the shallot vinegar dressing I love so much. Instead they were served with a pot of red onion relish, butter and thin slices of crisp toast. But despite not having the usually obligatory dressing, they were delicious – some of the biggest and juiciest oysters I have ever eaten. The exterior of the croquettes were golden with a perfect crunch, the interior creamy and smooth. I was reminded, and I mean this in the nicest possible way, of tinned chicken sandwiches that I used to look forward to at my grandmas house at the weekends when I was a child.

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When the mains arrived, one of the four waiters that were serving us throughout the evening assured us that we would love the gnocchi, which is hand made with a fork on the premises. The gnocchi were smooth, encased in a creamy sauce and topped with candied lemon peel. The lack of broccoli was slightly frustrating – I only remembered that the menu stated broccoli when I picked up a small piece just as we were finishing off the dish.

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The eggs and Iberico ham remained almost untouched by me. The dish arrived in a small frying pan and consisted of chips, slices of Iberico ham and fried eggs. It was too much like a posh man’s egg and chips, a dish that I have never been too fond of, so I left it to Jack who duly polished it.
The steak was small but well formed and cooked medium rare, exactly how I asked for it. The steak knife glided through the flesh to reveal a pink interior and once in the mouth, it literally melted away on the tongue.

We also ordered a tomato salad (9Euros) to cut through the rich dishes and provide a light and juicy accompaniment. The long dish consisted of baby heritage tomatoes – red, white and green, all peeled and topped with flakes of Parmesan, Arbequina olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

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We were presented with a dessert menu following our main courses and neither of us could imagine eating any more but with a little gentle persuasion, we ordered the Asian fresh fruit soup (8Euros) and chocolate coulant with passion fruit ice (8Euros). The ‘fruit soup’ arrived in a clay pot and the waitress poured a citrus juice over a range of fresh cubes of Asian fruit – lychee, mango, star fruit and a green tea jelly. The big surprise of the dish was a popping candy that was poured over the fruit and reacted as the juice was poured over – a perfectly light way to end the evening.

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By the time we were sipping on our last cocktail, most of the dining room had vacated and the music drew to an end. I had thoroughly enjoyed my evening but I couldn’t help wondering why the restaurant wasn’t full, especially as the city was so busy. I thought perhaps two reasons – the restaurant is very far from view of the busy city streets or the fact that times are tough and people just aren’t able to spend the money anymore. What I do know though is that the food impressed and considering the quality was very well priced. It certainly felt like we were in a high-class restaurant with a great design, excellent service and attention to detail. The menu could benefit from a tidy with a clearer focus but this is absolutely a restaurant that I would return to on my next trip to Barcelona.

Blanc
Mandarin Oriental
Passeig de Gràcia, 38-40
08007 Barcelona
Spain

Food for Think was a guest at Blanc

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Hotel Pulitzer, Barcelona

22 Oct

Anyone knows that when travelling with a low budget airline, transfers to the city from the airport are seldom easy and certainly not fun. So it was a surprise to say the least when we bought a £50 return ticket from London to Barcelona and it didn’t just fly us to Barcelona El Prat within two hours but it only took us 30 minutes to get to the centre.

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When we arrived at Plaza Cataluña, rucksack on back and wheelie case in hand, it took us a few minutes to navigate before setting off in search of Hotel Pulitzer, our hotel for the first night of our four night stay. Despite not having a map, we found the hotel very easily and were relieved that we had done so with little stress. We checked in and headed to our room, past the lobby and up the lift to the fourth floor in a glass lift that looked down onto the glamorous cocktail bar and lounge below.

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Hotel Pulitzer Barcelona stands out for its distinctive personality, with interiors crafted by Lázaro Rosa-­Violan whose character is exuded throughout the hotels exclusive bedrooms and rest areas, library, meeting rooms, terraces, restaurant and cocktail bar.

Our room was small but had everything we needed – a large bed, mini bar, plasma TV, a plush bathroom and air con. The dark colour tones made the room feel warm and comforting. A plate of fruit and bottle of cava had been left out for us but rather than drinking in our room, we wanted to get out and explore the city. Sadly, it was 10pm and after a quick Google and browse through the guide books that told us most good places nearby would be closed, we decided to head up to the hotels VISIT UP terrace bar. And what a surprise we had. It was a medium sized terrace full of hotel guests enjoying a few drinks and nibbles on a balmy evening. We ordered a plate of iberico ham and pan con tomate with a glass of prosecco to ease us in gently and enjoyed the buzz of the lively terrace. We managed to sneak in another glass of prosecco before the bar closed and we were forced to retire to bed.

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After a very good nights sleep, we woke, got dressed and headed to the breakfast table. We sat in the covered outside terrace and enjoyed a buffet style breakfast with coffee and freshly squeezed juice. Jack brought a slab of Spanish almond cake to the table and devoured it in seconds.

We had only just relaxed into life at the Pulitzer before we had to pack our cases and move on to the next stop. But not before a full day on Brompton bikes provided by the hotel – an ingenious idea that allows guests to enjoy riding freely through the city, rather than having to squish onto the underground packed with tourists and pick pockets.

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Our day on Bromptons was perhaps my favourite day in Barcelona. We rode to the flea market then on to the beach and right along the promenade to a locals restaurant called Can Mano for a spot of tapas. Following lunch, we rode to the old Olympic Park, up the windy hills and past beautiful parks and tremendous views. It was a hard ride, particularly as it was so hot but I would much rather have done that than take a bus or taxi.

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We finished off our day by returning the bikes to the hotel. We reluctantly handed back the bikes and walked out of the hotel wishing that we could stop time at least for another evening to enjoy one last night of comfort right in the center of Barcelona.

Hotel Pulitzer
Calle Bergara, 8
08022
Barcelona

0034 93 481 67 67

Average rate per double room: €150-­€250

Food for Think was a guest at Hotel Pulitzer

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D.O.M. – Sao Paulo

20 Oct

Three months have passed since I dined at Alex Atala’s restaurants. Three months. And I still get that fuzzy feeling when I think about my experience that day.

I was in Sao Paulo for five days to discover the best cuisine that the city has to offer and for such a short space of time, I took away memories that will last a lifetime. The hosts certainly knew what they were doing – leaving the best
experiences until last so that we left the city itching to go back.

Our second to last day was what has gone down in (my) history as Alex Atala
day. We rocked up at Dalva e Dito at lunchtime to be greeted by a fresh-faced
Alex Atala who welcomed us to his neighbourhood restaurant.

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I stepped inside and my eyes were drawn to a number of design
features. The brightly coloured rustic Portuguese tiles that covered the floor
looked almost too pretty to stand on and the blue and white tiles that adorned
the back wall of the restaurant glistened as the rustic chandelier shone out
and lit up the room. I peeked into the open plan kitchen to my right as we
were shown to our table and found it hard to believe that the calmness that I
witnessed would last during service. But it did. And that’s just one of the things
that makes Alex Atala’s restaurants so special.

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Lunch started off with a star fruit Caipirinha. Our hosts wisely ordered a couple
of portions of the h’orderves, which included house bread, Aviacao butter, half a bulb of roast garlic and three types of hot chilli peppers in oil that caught one of our group off guard. I ordered the lamb loin with crispy potatoes and chimi chirri for main.

Alex Atala doesn’t just strive to perfect every dish that is served at his
restaurants. Presentation is also key. And his little touches certainly count. From
the little butter tin to the petite pottery dishes that housed the chillies, dining at
Alex Atala’s restaurants is a visual feast, as well as a tasty one. And I don’t just
mean tasty, I mean out of this world tasty. I saw similarities between Dalva
e Dito and Corner Room by Nuno Mendes in Town Hall Hotel in London. Pink
and tender lamb loin packed full of flavour was quick to melt on the tongue
and crispy potatoes seasoned perfectly were a revelation. It reminded me of
an iberico pork dish I once devoured and got emotional about at Corner Room.
Both chefs take a piece of meat and work their magic, producing something
sensationally tasty. Yes, that’s what it is, sensational.

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Fast forward a few hours and I am sitting in the back of a mini van on the way
from the hotel to Alex Atala’s prize restaurant, D.O.M. It is our last night in Sao
Paulo and I sense sadness in the air. Could it really be over so soon? But while
the sadness was starting to kick in, so was the excitement at dining at what has
just been voted the third best restaurant in the world in the World’s 50 Best list.

We arrived and were walked through the restaurant to the chefs table where
a large glass table sat on top of an old tree trunk. Alex greeted us again and
apologised that he would not be cooking for us as he was ill with the flu. Gone
was the bright face that we witnessed earlier in the day, instead replaced with
glazed eyes looking sadly at a scrunched up tissue in his hand. I wanted to tell him to go home and to rest, but despite the glaze, I saw determination in those eyes to show us the best of his restaurant. Had all three of us pushed him out of the door, he would have walked straight back in again.

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We opted for the fourteen course tasting menu with matching wines, which
kicked off with one of the prettiest dishes I had ever laid eyes upon – green
tomato gel with edible flours and herbs. This dish didn’t only look too
good to devour but was also a delight for the taste buds, each mouthful holding a
new surprise in store. The Oyster pane with taipoca marinee also impressed with
a clever mix of fish roe and tapioca balls sat on top of an oyster. As our coconut apple with seaweed, mushroom and camaru dressing arrived at the table, Alex emerged from the kitchen holding a brown coconut. Inside sat a foamy white ball, which Alex picked out and explained that the ‘coconut apple, as he calls it, is what forms when the coconut starts to sprout. Most discard the foamy white coconut interior but Alex relishes it. On our plate sat two cubes of coconut apple with two seaweed variants and thinly sliced mushrooms. The dish worked so well, partly for the flavour combinations but also because of the excellent combination of textures with the crunchy slimy seaweed and dry crunchy coconut apple.

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As the fifth dish approached the table, my heart sank. Sat on a cube of pineapple were two large dead Amazonian ants. Alex explained that the ants were raw with absolutely no seasoning. They had simply been frozen. He gave us all a knowing smile and steadily walked back to the kitchen. I stared down at my plate and looked around the table. I seemed to be the only one that was scared. Very scared. I looked to my left and Oliver was already stuffing the whole cube into his mouth – I looked to my right and David and Paul had already eaten their cube, ants and all. I looked towards the kitchen and saw Alex staring at my plate, waiting for me to place the morsel into my mouth. I knew I had to do it so I sliced it and placed a half in my mouth. I chewed hurriedly, slightly wincing and felt the crunch of the ants on my teeth. The first few bites were hell – I couldn’t help but picture a thin ants leg getting stuck in my teeth and I couldn’t quite grasp the fact that the ants were completely RAW. But then it hit me – an intense citrus flavour that filled my mouth and caused me to grin from ear to ear. I glanced into the kitchen at Alex who was giggling and nodding as if to say ‘I told you so’. I was gobsmacked and quickly picked up my second piece to experience the pleasure again. I was laughing and fighting back tears of joy. It’s a moment that I will remember for the rest of my life.

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Five more main courses rolled out of the kitchen before we made it to dessert and by the time the Panan sorbet arrived, all of us were giggling like school children. The matching wines had kicked in and ten glasses down, we were all feeling slightly tipsy. The sorbet slipped down easily and we enjoyed green papaya, yoghurt and bacuri and another dish of lemon and banana ravioli with priprioca before finishing with Brazil nut tart with whisky ice cream curry, chocolate, salt, rocket and pepper. Brazil nuts, unsurprisingly, featured heavily in my trip. I have attempted to preserve the Brazil nut toiletries supplied in the hotel to keep the memory alive. When I run out, the Body Shop shampoo and conditioner should do the trick. But back to dessert. The dessert cleverly used a range of flavours and textures with savoury peppery rocket, salt and a whisky ice cream with a sweet Brazil nut tart. On paper, I was sure that the flavours would not work and they most probably wouldn’t if most people attempted using them in a dessert but this gentleman cracked it.

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Five hours after we had arrived, we were the last group of diners in the restaurant. Alex patiently sat at the bar waiting for us to finish our last course before joining us for a quick chat. Being ill with flu and mustering up the energy to sit with us certainly shows his character. We all knew that Alex would have little sleep that night for he would be back at work early the next morning to do it all again. None of us could fault a single minute of the evening and as we walked out of the door, back to the mini van, none of us spoke a word. We spent the journey back to the hotel in silence, each one of us savouring the memory of what could have been the greatest dining experience of our lives.

D.O.M.
Rua Barão de Capanema 549
São Paulo
Brasil

011/3088-0761

Food for Think was a guest of Embratur

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Hair by Daniel Hersheson

1 Oct

As a child I treasured the trips to London with my Dad and brother. A few times a year we would bundle into the car and travel for what seemed like hours to explore the Big Smoke. Each time we arrived in the city, we would take trips to Hamleys, Harrods and Harvey Nichols, followed by a walk around Knightsbridge. As we paced the streets and rode the world famous tube trains on the London Underground, I knew that this was where I wanted to be when I grew up. So when I finished college, I packed up my life and came down for a new start in a city that had inspired me for countless years.

London is one of the best cities in the world and one where, even after seven years, I still feel incredibly lucky to live. There is never any excuse for boredom in such a culturally vibrant city and just when you think you have seen it all, think again, there is much more to come.

London is home to the best – the best fashion, restaurants, museums and the best salons. London soaks up some of the best UK talent and once they arrive, they scarcely leave. Mark Alexander is a perfect example. Hailing from the North, Mark originally came to London for a couple of months but was so taken with the city that a couple of decades later still calls it home.

I came to London with a dream, one that I haven’t quite fulfilled, but I’m pretty sure I’m on the right track. Seven years on and I still feel inspired as I walk down the escalators deep underneath the city whose streets I’m certain are paved with gold. Somewhere. This year has been my busiest yet and after what seemed like a short summer, I was in desperate need of a hair cut and colour so I headed to Daniel Hersheson in Harvey Nichols, Knightsbridge for a couple of hours of pampering.

BEFORE

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I visited on Saturday afternoon and was surrounded by beautiful women armed with the latest designer handbags and glossy locks. I swapped my jumper for a gown in the cloakroom and was shown to my seat. ‘Would you like anything to eat or drink’, asked my host. Would I like anything to eat? I’ve never been asked that before. I settled for a glass of water and slumped into my seat.

I glanced around and one woman next to me was being attended to by three staff – one blow drying the hair, another giving her a manicure and another a pedicure. I was told she visits the salon twice a week. Another beautiful Asian lady with a Hermes bag plonked next to her sat nonchalantly chatting on her phone with foils in her hair. The woman next to her flicked through fashion pictures on one of the ipads supplied by the salon. I retrieved my ipad from my bag and sat tapping away until Jenna appeared next to me, all smiles. ‘I am going to be doing your colour today’, she said in a sweet voice. The consultation, to my surprise, was quick. Very quick. She glided off and returned a few minutes later with a pot of grey gloop. As she was busy brushing the colour through each strand of my hair, we got chatting and realised that we were not only hair twins but we both come from a similar part of the world. Both of us had moved to London a few years ago to escape the dull and lifeless cities. Both of us are never going back to live in our respective home towns and for the moment, neither of us has plans to leave London.

As Jenna was putting the finishing touches to her masterpiece, Carly bounded over and introduced herself. She was going to be cutting my hair after the dye had been washed out. She ran her fingers through my hair, wincing up her face as she did so. ‘You haven’t had your hair cut in a long time, have you’? Feeling flush I told her what she already knew. Rather than asking me what I wanted, she told me what I should have. Usually I would be hesitant to listen to someone I didn’t know telling me what I should look like, I like to think I have my own sense of style, you see. But I completely agreed with her. She walzed away and waited while I had my hair washed.

The cut was short but sweet and Carly left my hair looking healthy, glossy and full of volume. It’s funny really how a lick of paint and tidy up can make you feel – I walked out of Daniel Hersheson that day feeling like I belonged in an episode of Desparate Housewives. I may not be in the same boat as the woman who can afford a blow dry, manicure and pedicure twice a week but I will certainly be saving my pennies and return to Daniel Hersheson, if only to walk out of Harvey Nichols feeling like I had just walked off a L’Oreal set.

AFTER

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Food for Think was a guest of Daniel Hersheson

My semi permanent hair colour with Jenna – £75

My cut with Carly – £75

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Mani, Sao Paulo

21 Aug

Two months ago I bought my first flat with my boyfriend. As one might expect, we are both incredibly excited and Jack has spent hours scouring his favourite design blogs for inspiration. We are almost on the same page. I say almost because, although I have salivated over the pictures, he has disagreed with me on a couple of my finds.

Brazil was a haven for inspiration. Beautiful Mediterranean style tiles adorned the walls and floors of bars, cafes and restaurants and bright and pastel eye catching colours were dotted all around the city.

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The destination of our final lunch in the sprawling city was no exception. Mani is housed in what seemed to be an old barn, although the old oak beams were most probably there for the effect. The long walkway was covered with intertwined bamboo and a beautiful terrace sat at the back of the restaurant.

We were the first to arrive dead on midday and took the opportunity to snap the surroundings before fellow diners arrived to fill the whole restaurant. When I arrived back in the UK, I showed Jack an image – a pastel blue table surrounded by white chairs and decorated with flowers in delicate glass bottles. As I dined, I imagined this table and chairs sat in my brand new kitchen. But alas no, I was silenced when Jack proclaimed that this is what he wanted for our beach house. The annoying thing? I agreed with him. Even though we are probably twenty years away from even considering a beach house.

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But it wasn’t just the interior of Mani that caught my imagination, it was the food I ate during the twelve course tasting menu. Not realising lunch would be so early, I helped myself to large helpings of Japanese rice and fruit at the breakfast buffet and let out a small wimper when we were bundled into the van for lunch straight after. Luckily, I have a strong stomach that can withstand copius amounts of food and by the time we arrived at lunch I was almost ready.

Mani is a restaurant that I was greatly looking forward to. Helena Rizzo and husband Daniel Redondo established Mani in 2006, which has gone from strength to strength in the last few years, currently nestled at number 51 on the World’s 50 Best list by Restaurant magazine. Rizzo is the talk of the Sao Paulo restaurant scene and is a favourite of Brazilian culinary star like Alex Atala of D.O.M. And if this wasn’t enough to give me an impression that Mani is special, a fellow journalist on our trip, who in her words ‘played truent’ for most of the five days, wanted to join us for lunch on our last day.

It didn’t take long to realise that Rizzo is a master of flavour and texture combinations. Each dish was delicate and light yet packed with flavour. Highlights were a trio of tomato consome, foie gras bombom and potato chip with roast beef and a bowl of cassava gnocchi with dashi. Each square of gnocchi was adorned with a different morsel of herb. Upon my first cube lay what I began to call a numbing herb and as the soft gnocchi literally melted away on my tongue, the powerful contrast of the herb that numbed my tongue in tandem was a pleasant surprise and one I won’t forget in a hurry.

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Other favourites were the bright purple display of beetroot slices with sesame, tonka bean and beetroot sorbet and ‘Feijoada’, Mani’s take on the popular Brazilian feijoada – balls of pork that when I pushed against the roof of my mouth popped to reveal a thin liquid. Feijoada is the equivalent of our Sunday roast – Brazilians love to eat the famous bean dish on Sundays with a topping of toasted manioc flour, or farofa as it is well known. The dish presented to me at Mani was so different in appearance and texture to the buffet I had helped myself to on the Sunday but similar in flavour. A cleaver dish that shows Rizzo’s creativity.

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The dessert was also memorable, if not just for the presentation. Cubes of mandarin jelly nestled in a nest with nut brittle with a smooth and creamy ice cream. Almost picture perfect, it took a few seconds for me to allow myself to destroy the art work.

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Our lunch lasted a good couple of hours and once again we were the first in and last out. Rizzo emerged from the kitchen after service and I caught myself staring in awe of this beautiful model turned chef. As she talked, her youthful smile lit up our table and I felt a wave of inspiration surge over me.

Mani was a magical experience and as I can’t just pop by now and again, one that I will repeat over and over in my memory for years to come.

Mani
Rua Joaquim Antunes
210 Jardim Paulistano
Sao Paulo
(11) 3085-4148 / (11) 3062-7458

Food for Think was a guest of Embratur

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The irony of Sao Paulo

7 Aug

‘Do you like soccer?’ asked the tanned bald headed Brazilian man sat beside me. I had been in my seat on the plane for fifteen minutes listening to a group of fourty Brazilians raucous laughter and jolly conversation, quietly worrying to myself that this was a taster of what was to come on my eleven hour flight from Paris to Sao Paulo, when Marcelo introduced himself.

I could feel the tension in my shoulders ease as we launched into a pleasant but disjointed conversation. But this smiley chap’s broken English did not stop him – his enthusiasm was contagious and I found myself flicking through photos of his trip to Israel shortly after we had taken off. As I scrolled through, I admired the beauty of Jerusalem and began to feel a fondness for Marcelo who had taken me under his wing and distracted me from the leg crunching economy class seats. My time on the flight flew by and as I pulled my suitcase off the carrousel, I looked back to wave goodbye to Marcelo before leaving the airport and filling my lungs with the tropical South American air.

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Sao Paulo is a vast and beautiful city full of irony. A Favela sits in the valley of one of the richest districts of Sao Paulo. As I looked down on the pit of strangely beautiful, roughly built orange-bricked houses, I was told that the tall white building straight behind was an extremely expensive block of flats, each with a private swimming pool on the balcony. The distinct divide between the rich and the poor struck me. Every Sao Paulo mansion that we passed was heavily guarded – barred windows, wire fences, huge wrought iron gates. Even the deliverymen are not allowed to enter the grounds and most of the homeowners have implemented a large lazy Susan to ensure that no unwelcome guests are enticed.

Around 3.9 million, a staggering 45% of the national work force in Brazil aged 16-24 is unemployed and 11 million young people are housed in informal settlements. 93% of jobs available to such youngsters offer no career progression so it’s no wonder there is such a large rich / poor divide.

Having expressed an interest in a tour of a Favela, which plays home to more than 100,000 residents from all over Brazil, we were whisked off to meet David Hertz, founder of Gastromotiva, a social business that aims to promote Gastronomy as a way for social inclusion and to develop sustainable gastronomic enterprises in low-income communities. David’s objective is to help underprivileged youths develop personally and professionally and learn a mixture of work and life skills in order to create new businesses within their communities. Each semester enables thirty students to study at no cost and the varied program is composed of 280 hours, divided into lectures, practical classes, technical visits and practical training.

A large group of us started at the top and walked down the hill on the parameters of the Favela, stopping to discreetly capture the foreign environment. I stood disgraced as I saw a member of the group standing a meter away from an old decrepit man sat in a doorway smiling to herself as she snapped away on her camera. I quickly slid past, embarrassed to be a part of the same group and walked past another woman stood in front of a barred porch wielding her camera as two little girls posed and smiled. Feeling uncomfortable at the thought that some were treating the Favela as a human zoo, I walked on and snapped at the scenery discreetly.

We were reassured that the Favela was safe. Having watched City of God a few years ago, I was expecting mean faced drug barons wielding guns and waiting to pounce on any one of us. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Favela’s are very different in Sao Paulo – yes there is a drug problem but the lords are in Rio.

So how did this huge town come to be right in the middle of one of the most expensive suburbs of Sao Paulo? The land used to be a farm and the idea was to produce large houses on the land but having been empty for a long time, people who had no where to live came and built on the land. Only 30% of the houses have running water and the narrower streets do not have garbage collection. But it isn’t all bad. Over the last few years, this Favela has developed – Banco de Brazil, the largest bank in Brasil is planning on opening a branch and the largest department store in the country has a store, which makes a higher profit than the branch in the local mall.

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We visited a Government funded restaurant in the Favela, which opens Monday – Friday to provide breakfast and lunch, which is affordable for everyone who works and lives in the surrounding area. Breakfast consists of bread, coffee, milk and cheese bread and will set customers back 50 Cents (around 15p) and lunch consists of rice, beef, chicken, fish, dessert and a piece of fruit and will set customers back 1 Real (around 30p). The government provides 80 Cents for breakfast and 3.50 Real per person for lunch. The extra goes to employees and running costs. The restaurant was closed when we visited but we were given an idea of life for the locals. White walls and plastic chairs and tables adorned the room but it was clean and pleasant.

At the end of our tour, we were offered lunch that had been cooked by current Gastromotiva students. During the course, they learn not just how to cook popular Brazilian dishes; they are also taught how to prevent food wastage. We queued for a buffet of chicken, farofa and delicious salads using banana skin. The irony of drinking champagne in a Favela was a little too much so I stuck to the freshly squeezed pineapple juice.

After lunch we were guided safely back to our bus and taken back to the comfort of our hotel. I left inspired and sad but safe in the knowledge that help is there. It may be that Gastromotiva is scratching the surface but it is a very important cog in a large wheel that is slowly but surely making the quality of Brazilian life for many an awful lot better.

Food For Think was a guest of Embratur

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