Miwa Visiting Me


Miwa was so kindly to come to Leeds to keep me accompanied because she knew that John will be away to Florida for a week, and she was afraid that I will be lonely. Miwa arrived Saturday afternoon, then we went to town to have a walk with Melanie, and done some shopping. I took her to the restaurant called Thai Edge. It was absolutely delicious, authentic with reasonable price. I got my favourite curry crab. I missed it so much. It was 4.5 out of 5 definitely.

We decided to go to Manchester on Sunday, and just chilled out and ate food. Miwa and I didn’t do much research, and just booked the ticket to Manchester. Two little girls were in the big strange city, but we managed well. We went to Tai Hu Dimsum restaurant we went before with John, and we ordered 10 dishes dimsum and finished them all. The time when we finished lunch, all the shops were almost closed.

It’s nice of Miwa spending time with me because she will be back to Japan permanently and I won’t see her easily like she is in London now. I am so glad that I got Eileen, Miwa and Vicky as good friends in London.

Friends forever, no matter where they are!

Kendell’s Bistro French Restaurant

As a food lover, discovering good food is always my favourite part of a week. We saw Kendell’s Bistro French restaurant in Leeds city centre through the Internet, and it always has the best reviews. John’s Mum’s birthday is coming, so we took her there for special occasion.

We love French food and the best one we tried was my 27th birthday and our wedding day called Savoir Faire in Holborn London. It was really delicious, good service, and home-made French food. So I can’t wait to try another home-made French food in Leeds.

When we arrived, I was expected that it would be a tiny cozy restaurant, but it wasn’t. It was a big and open restaurant with many artistic pictures on the wall. It was fairly dark with candles everywhere. The interior decoration style was really French – elegant and romantic with French Jazz music. The atmosphere was just perfect and so my taste.

All the menu was written on the blackboard because it changes all the time, depends on the Seasons. You can see the main Chef Steve Kendell was so busy cooking through an open kitchen. We all ordered a three-courses-meal and some red wine: I ordered a French Onion Soup, Roast Pork Belly along with some roast potato and vegetables, and Lemon Tart. It was beautiful and gorgeous with right amount portion. The starter was right amount and tasty. The pork was tender, juicy and the cracker was perfect. The tart was fresh. The service was excellent and friendly. We did enjoy the food so much and felt like we instantly fell into the heaven.

The owner knew it was John’s Mum’s birthday, and gave her a rose champagne to treat her special. It was very thoughtful. All the little details made the restaurant different and we did have a good time. I certainly will return in the future. Price is very reasonable, good quality food, excellent service and good atmosphere. It deserves a 4.5 stars of 5. Highly recommended.

The cover picture was from I Know Yorkshire. It will be so perfect to read this article and listening Editch Piaf. I felt like I am already in France.


Manchester Shopping + Dimsum

After John went to Manchester for his conference meeting, he said I would love to go shopping and experience Manchester. We decided to drive to Manchester at this weekend and see whether I like it or not.

It was very easy road to drive from Leeds to Manchester. After 40 minutes, we parked in central of Manchester and started to explore the area. It got Selfridges and a lot of big departments, high street, and a lot more choices than Leeds. I always think Leeds city centre is too small. I did enjoy to go shopping in London, but could be quite tired, because it is huge. I could easily spend one day only walking in Oxford Street. However, Manchester is the perfect size for going shopping. You don’t need to take tubes to go to different area, but it got so many designers shops and brands everywhere.

Manchester is famous for a huge number of Chinese population, and it means there is a lot of Chinese restaurants in town, so we went to Tai Wu restaurant, which we had been to the same one in Guangzhou and it is a big Chain dimsum restaurant in China. It was great dimsum – very cheap. Price was from £1.7-£3 per dish. However, like in China, Tai Wu didn’t have much of vegetarian choices because John likes vegetarian dimsum. I think we ordered 8-10 dishes and came out only £16 for the bill.

Interestingly there was Jazz Festival promoting in Manchester city centre, and pity that we didn’t stay long to attend the event. I can feel more music cultural happening in Manchester than Leeds.

Manchester always has the reputation that it is a rough and scary city and I felt it when I was there, not because I followed the stereotype, but it was true.  Even though living in London for 2 years, I didn’t feel London is particular a rough or dangerous city. It has some rough area for sure, but I never felt uncomfortable living there. I think I might feel quite dangerous living in Manchester, but it was my personal opinion and it is properly not fully true if you are living there rather than as a visitor.

I do like Manchester, and bigger than Leeds and  love about the shopping and many choices of food. I will definitely go shopping there again and return often. It makes me miss London a lot.

Our New House in Leeds

We have moved in to Leeds for two and half months now, and always add some new furnitures or decoration in the house. It feels like a proper cozy and warm home now. Compared with London, we got a lot of spaces of the house in Leeds, and it is a nice modern stylish flat with open kitchen, 2 rooms and 2 bathrooms (one for John’s office and also be a guest room and one for us with a massive wardrobe to put my shoes and clothes, which is the highlight of the flat).

We do really enjoy the location of city centre and so easy to go shopping and eat out just by walking 5 minutes. I will imagine that the house will be full of good memories for us, and we do enjoy living in Leeds so far. However, I do miss London from time to time, missing its busy,  metropolitan and my friends, and the most importantly so many choices of shopping which that Leeds can not compared with.

Broken Bells

Like the Band of Horses, I have never heard the Broken Bells before, until I watched TV series ‘Chuck’ last episode in season 3, and since listening this album over and over again, I really love it. The famous song is ‘ The High Road’ but I love all the songs in the album. It is label in Spotify with one my my favourite bands Mew, and no wonder I like their style, just not as rock as Mew.

It’s worth mentioning that ‘The Ghost inside’ sounds like from The Dandy Warhols album  – The Dandy Warhols are Sound

I highly recommend this one, 4 of 5 stars. Currently, they are performing in London this month, shame that we are not in London.

You can listen their album in their MySpace or Spotify

Moved from London to Leeds…

We decided to leave London and living in Leeds for a year to experience different cities of the UK. It has been two years for me leaving in London. It was sad to leave the charming London and my friends. However, life is always on the move.

We live in the financial city centre Wellington Street in Leeds, and 5 minutes walk to the shopping centre, thus easily to find many restaurants and supermarkets for us. Location is perfect. Besides, the most exciting me is the our new apartment. It is 8 floor high, new, modern, spacious with 900 sqt with en-suit, plus one supermarket is just downstairs. What’s more, I got a fantastic huge wardrobe to fit all my clothes and shoes. John got a big spacious office room. This is exactly what we need.

In early March, we moved to the apartment and started to clean and made our home in Leeds. Leeds for us was a complete stranger, only John’s sister lives in Leeds. But I am sure we will explore the Yorkshire well in the future. Hopefully after all settling down, we will buy a car soon and start our adventure journey.

I love our new flat and new life – so many excitements to discover!

Japanese Okonomiyaki

It was our ast weekend living in London, so we met Eileen to try the Japanese Okonomiyaki in near Leicester Square Station. The restaurant Abeno is really famous Okonomiyaki in town. I remember Eileen took me there last year, and I loved it so much.

Okonomiyaki is like the omelettes with different meats, or seafood or vegetables inside, and on top with Japanese mayonnaise sources. So we decided to take John there for his first Japanese meal in town. The restaurant is small with only three tables and a round sussi bar. Luckily, we got a table, then we tried some Japanese beers, two okonomiywaki with different meats, and one Om-Soba.

Waiters bought all the raw ingredients in a bowl and used teppan-yaki grill to pan-fried everything into a pancake. You got the entertainment from the waiter cooking in front of you. Then at last, dressing with Japanese mayonnaise, BBQ sources, then some fish flakes on top. (dressing are optional)

It was so tasty and highly recommended. Surprisingly John really loved it. I was not sure that Japanese food is his cup of tea, but he tried, and he liked it.

Girls’ Fun weekend + Jin Go Gae Korean BBQ

Fun Girls’ weekend

John went to Ireland a week for his business trip, so I asked Eileen to stay my house for the weekend, so girls can enjoy some champagne and eat different food. As we planned before, we went to eat unlimited PingPong Dimsum on Friday night, then we were back home and we drunk two bottles of Rose Wine while we were chatting. It was dizzy but so much fun to get crazy sometimes.

Next morning, I cooked my new recipes Green Thai Prawn with baby spanish and Jasmine rice for lunch. It was so easy to cook and we enjoyed it so much. Then we decided to travel to Wimbledon where Eileen lives and had a walk in the park, then went to try the famous Korean Barbecue in New Malden.

Jin Go Gae Korean BBQ Review

Eileen from Soul of South Korean so she introduced to us a lot of Korean food and culture. We have been tried different Korean food in Central London. However, people say that New Malden is one of the popular Korean communities and the food from there is more authentic and cheaper. While we were in Wimbledon, New Malden is just 10 minutes by bus.

Eileen has booked the table of the famous restaurant called Jin Go Gae, and Miwa joined us for dinner as well, so we hopped on the bus 131 from Central Wimbledon and went to Burlington Road. We are so glad that we booked the table, because it was a small restaurant, and packed with Korean, Japanese Asian people eating there.

First, we were served with several compliments dishes which is impossible to find in Central London. Then Eileen ordered three portions of BBQ Beef Ribs and two portions of Pork Belly. All the meats were Marianne with delicious sauces, and you Barbecued by yourself. Then when it was done, you need to use the raw Vegetable rapped with the meat plus some spicy green onion or rice. The meat was unbelievable tender and juicy. Miwa and I was eating non-stop and Eileen was laughing at us.

It was the most delicious Korean BBQ ever. I gave it 5 stars and we only paid £15 each! What a good meal and bargain!

Place: 272 Burlington Road, KT3 4NL
Tel: 020 8949 2506
Tube: Nearest Train station: Motspur Park Rail / Raynes Park

女人周末大吃会

约翰去爱尔兰出差1周,我叫好朋友Eileen周末过来我家住,两个女的一起吃喝聊天。约了周5见面,先去PingPong喝茶吃点心。然后回到我家,两人买了1瓶香槟喝酒聊天,然后感觉还不够mood, 再去买多一瓶。聊天到凌晨1点然后睡觉。

隔天,我煮了泰国绿咖喱大虾加菠菜给Eileen,她说味道十分正宗也十分美味,全都吃完。然后我们去温布顿Eileen的家坐会,决定晚上吃期待已久的韩国BBQ烤肉料理。Eileen幸好定了位置,因为那家人十分受欢迎。美和决定加入我们的大吃团。进了餐厅,哇,烧烤肉的味道都漂入你鼻子,再看看,里面都是坐的全是韩国人和日本人。

韩国烤肉我实在太喜欢了,正宗的吃法是用碳熏肉,然后加生菜和辣葱和肉一起吃。我们点了3大份牛肉2大份猪肉。我和美和吃得太高兴,生活肉是奄过,烤完一点都不老,多汁加十分鲜甜!实在太野味了。Eileen总笑我们吃得狼吞虎咽,韩国烤肉实在太好吃了,我天天吃都没有可以。我们实在享受这次女人周末大吃会。

Abercrombie & Fitch

Abercrombie & Fitch is a youthful brand of casual apparel from California. With extremely popular in the hight street, London in Mayfair and one from Milan are the only shops in Europe. Thousands of tourists and local people shop there everyday.

The location is the beginning / ending of Savile Row, depends which direction you are. It was quite hidden and opposition of the museum. The store is famous that they only recruit young, fit, pretty faces to be their staff. When you walk in, it feels like a night club rather than a normal shop. It smells perfume in the air and even in the clothes, and it appears dark with loud disco music.

The funny thing is every time I shop there, I don’t know whether I should look at the staff who look like models with so pretty faces, or the clothes. The staff is chatting, dancing, but also helping people out. However, it was certainly a unusual shopping experience. The price is quite expensive compared with normal retail shops, but you are buying the brand and the images and of course, they never on sales

So what is their image? Some people might say that Abercrombie & Fitch’s image is young, blonde, rich-middle-class but rather superficial. Although superficial, I do like their beech casual look and so colourful. More importantly, it has XS sizes for me. It is hard to find XS (extra small sizes in the UK for normal shops). Surprisingly that there are so many middle-ages people shopping there as well. Whether they buy for themselves or buy for someone, I guess that everyone like Abercrombie’s image – young and fit.

I like the colourful T-shirt, pants and bikini. Last weekend I bought a leather flip flop for this summer. It was quite pricy, but it was fun to shop there. For such a unique shop and experience, it is worth to maintain in my blog, and definitely will bring my friends there.

小鹿是一个年轻阳光沙滩的休闲品牌,落于美国加州。因为超级受年轻朋友们的欢迎,整个欧洲只有伦敦和米兰两家。每天都有上千的旅客因为它的名气去那里购物。地理位置在高级购物街Mayfair – 全伦敦最贵的地皮。店面十分隐密,正对着一个博物馆的对面。店名专么没有打出来,不知道的人走过还以为里面是个酒吧或夜总会。

当你看到店外,外面已经有两位性感的男模特(八块胸肌半裸体)在店面迎接大家。走入店里,感觉象是个高级夜总会。店里到处闻到是浓浓的香水味,连他们卖的衣服都是香水味道。店里面暗暗的酒吧灯光加上放着沙滩迪斯高音乐,给大家一个轻松快乐,边跳舞边买衣服的体验。

因为小鹿的高消费水准,店里只雇佣全欧洲最漂亮,年轻,身材好的年轻人。最搞笑的是每次我去那里购物,我不知到是要看帅男美女呢,还是要看衣服,还是要享受里面的气氛。虽然衣服休闲,但价格比市面的衣服贵,t-shirt衣服买到400-500人民币一件。不过他们从来不降价,也没有这个必要。卖的就是人气和品牌-这就是小鹿的形象。

那什么是小鹿的形象呢?有人说是那些金色头发,年轻漂亮,模特身材和中高级消费人群买的牌子,但这些人比较肤浅喜欢物质的人群。这里没有对或错,也不意味着所有人都是这样。虽然肤浅,但我还是蛮喜欢他们颜色鲜艳,富有活力和沙滩形象。最重要是他们有小小码供我选择。英国很多普通店都没有小小码的衣服,所以每次逛街,我都知道哪些店有我的码数。惊奇的是,很多中年夫妇也都在里面买东西,不知道他们买给自己还是买礼物给别人,但我想他们都想感受下年轻活力的服装或时尚。

我个人喜欢颜色鲜艳的衣服,所以我蛮喜欢小鹿里面的T-shirt,裤子和比基尼。上周末我又买了一对皮拖鞋,虽然价格蛮高,不过实在是一个另类的购物经历。等我朋友们来旅游,我一定带他们去小鹿购物,让他们感受下一个全新独特的购物经验。

Jazz Cafe + Konaki Greek Restaurant

Eileen and I went to the Jazz cafe to seeRay’s Jazz live above Foyle Book shop near Tottencourt Station. It was a small cozy cafe with Jazz Live band. It was very full and everyone went to listen their performance. Fantastic Music!

After that, we booked a table to Konaki Greek Restaurant according my research and it voted 4 of 5 Greek restaurant in town. Meet John inside the restaurant, and enjoyed our great lamb and greek pasta and wine.

Lamb is exactly tender as it should be. Eileen’s lamb shank and John’s BBQ chicken was perfect cook and very tasty. It was a good meal with friendly environment. It was my first time to try the Greek food and I absolutely love greek’s pasta.

It was a satisfied meal and chatted so much with Eileen.