Why making a business out of wine is no mean feat November 12, 2012 THERE CAN be something very impersonal about buying a bottle of wine. You pull something off a shelf with a nice label and some fancy writing and take pot luck. Even if it’s delicious, you don’t really know a great deal about it. There may be a few uninformative notes on the back, perhaps a [...]
Why making a business out of wine is no mean feat November 12, 2012 THERE CAN be something very impersonal about buying a bottle of wine. You pull something off a shelf with a nice label and some fancy writing and take pot luck. Even if it’s delicious, you don’t really know a great deal about it. There may be a few uninformative notes on the back, perhaps a [...]
Find sanctuary from the Indian bustle November 25, 2012 ENSCONCED in a luxury yoga hotel in the Himalayas, or in a resort matrix like Goa, you might just be able to avoid the clanging, overwhelming reality of India as you go about your daily business. Not in the cities. No matter how luxurious your hotel, enclave, or colony (as certain leafy districts are known), [...]
Visit Malaysia for the birds, the bees and the leeches October 7, 2012 MY HERO swoops down in the nick of time. I’m perched atop a bare rock, too petrified to move when she flies to my rescue. Barely seven inches tall, the blue-winged pitta flits to the ground and within moments, her beak is filled with what look like needle-thin worms. I’ve never been happier to see [...]
Best bread and butter on earth at fab Dabbous April 30, 2012 RESTAURANT DABBOUS 39 Whitfield Street W1T 2SF FOOD ***** SERVICE ***** ATMOSPHERE ***** Cost per person without wine: £50 Ollie Dabbous, the man behind the most talked-about, hardest-to-book new restaurant in England, is from Guildford. I like that. It gives Dabbous – whose food was said to be so exciting by one famous critic that [...]
San Francisco: the foodie’s dream November 27, 2011 THOSE lucky San Franciscans. One hour north and there’s Napa Valley. A hop skip and a jump (or 30 minutes) east of Napa and you’re in the stunning Sonoma wine region. Natural wonders including Lake Tahoe, Yosemite and the Big Sur are all on your doorstep. Top that with the fabulous food and drink and [...]
San Francisco: the foodie’s dream November 27, 2011 THOSE lucky San Franciscans. One hour north and there’s Napa Valley. A hop skip and a jump (or 30 minutes) east of Napa and you’re in the stunning Sonoma wine region. Natural wonders including Lake Tahoe, Yosemite and the Big Sur are all on your doorstep. Top that with the fabulous food and drink and [...]
Be amazed by Africa’s stunning wilderness January 8, 2012 WE set off from London hotly anticipating both the serenity of the Mozambican beach and the rugged landscape and heart-pounding thrill of hunting (seeking not shooting) big game in the Tanzanian bush. It’s a trip that perfectly encapsulates the word “safari” – “long journey” in Swahili – for it takes in seven flights, five boat [...]
The sherry bar that’s rocking South London’s food scene October 12, 2011 TONIGHT, José Pizarro is a rock star in his own restaurant. He’s shaking everyone’s hand, or rather, everyone’s shaking his hand. Hardeep Singh Kohli, the Scottish Sikh presenter, and his chums are settling in round a pillar to order and are giving him the pats on the back. It could be because today the Bermondsey [...]
Health on a summery plate August 8, 2011 Francois O’Neill, Brompton Bar & Grill Bressola, Nectarine and Mozzarella Salad with Lemon & Mint Serves 2 Salad • 6 slices of Bressola • 1 nectarine – halved and sliced into 8-10 pieces • 1 ball of mozzarella – torn into pieces • 1 large handful of lambs lettuce • 4 mint leaves – finely [...]