Northern Lights at Royal Artillery Barracks

This was a spectacular installation inspired by the experience of the Northern Lights by  Dan Acher.

Sainsburys Chocolate Bakba buns

Sainsburys have so many new captivating sweet treats at the moment.

The chocolate babka seems to be new so tried it which turned out to be a surprise because it was not too sweet with a firm yet soft texture filled with chocolate paste in the middle.

sainsburys chocolate babka bun

Lidl Chef Select Chicken Tikka slices

Tried the chicken tikka one which was actually pretty tasty.
Great tikka filling with a slight spicy kick.

 

HiPP creamy salmon and potato pie

I love baby food but its been months since I last had it because they don't exactly come cheap.
This time I spotted them at one below for 29p.
Hipp is a memorable one because of the heart shaped plastic dish which you can reuse for puddings.
Anyway, this time I tried the creamy salmon and potato pie.
As with all baby foods, don't expect it to taste or even have texture like regular food.
You can think of it like molecular gastronomy in puree form!!
There was a strong smell of dill as well as visible pieces.
It was bland in adult terms but you can taste the pureed potatoes, dill and a hint of salmon.
There were occasional pieces of whole peas and cubes of potatoes.
Overall it was quite nice but salmon lovers might be disappointed.

Boots shapers Limited edition buffalo style cauliflower sandwich

Spotted this limited edition buffalo style cauliflower sandwich so decided to give it a go.
The taste was more like chilli jam with a hot fiery kick than buffalo.
The filling was basically patties made with cauliflower, chickpeas and onions with sweetcorn relish.
Overall not bad.

Raabs The Bakers, a traditional bakery in Central London

Traditional independent bakeries are getting scarce now and even more scarce in London especially central London where rents are high.

I was so lucky to discover Raabs on a bus journey to Stoke Newington.

Finally paid it a visit but as it was late that day, the shelves were bare so I had to make it earlier which is difficult especially if you don't live in Central London and for those who work they have zero chance of trying this gem.

The variety at Raabs will amaze you if you go at the right time.

From google, I was so delighted to see they had jelly babies which are basically doughnuts that are jelly baby shaped and probably filled with donuts!

When you go inside, it was nice to see someone in a guy dressed in a white 1950s bakery attire serving customers.

Without further ado, I got the rainbow cake, carrot cake, cream slice, mini London cheesecake and a mini cherry danish.

Seeing a CREAM SLICE is a rarity! When was the last time you saw a cream slice at your local bakery because you can only buy commercially made ones these days.

Overall, everything was fantastic but perhaps a little on the sweet side.

The only thing I would like to see is fresh cream in the cream slice and the pastry to have risen better as it would really make a difference in taste otherwise it was bang on especially the punchy strawberry jam.

To summarize, this is a must visit if you are in the area.

Chinese bakery treats at Chinatown bakery

I have always loved a good egg tart because they have always been good but this isn't the case in Hong Kong!

You would think that where they originate from would be authentic and delicious but sadly not unless you get them from expensive hotels or restaurants.

Anyway, I have been put off Chinese food in Hong Kong that I forgot I used to like it.

On a recent visit to China Town, I saw these glistening egg tarts and other goodies so I ended up getting them.

The egg tarts were just how they should be, the pastry was light with many layers and the filling was dreamy and not too sweet.

Also had the custard pie (which is a modern version of the wife cake - lo poh beng filled with Chinese style custard).

The custard pie was another delicious treat and best warmed up where the layers of pastry are like thin sheets of tissue paper contrasted by the sweet filling in the middle.

All year round at Chinatown bakery, they also have the pandan lotus mooncake.

Again another must have if you like pandan.

It has a really fragrant pandan aftertaste.