Category Archives: Locations

London Violet

As my inability to post reliably continues, this piece is being completed AFTER I have finished working in London. I’d pretend now I’ll have more time to write things, but I’m going away for a while, so this poor site will once again be neglected (pats site gently on head).

But enough of my failings, onto the violet treats! 

I imagine most UK peeps have had a parma violet sweet at one time or another. Opinion is divided between “euch, perfume” and “mmm, floral nectar”.

Naturally I am of the latter camp. However while rose crops up in quite a few cuisines, violet is scarce indeed. France is the violet powerhouse, and there is even a violet festival in Tourrettes-sur-Loup I half-heartedly keep meaning to go to. Over here, you’ll have to keep your eyes peeled to enjoy this delicate flavour in a format other than the aforementioned sweets or chocolate violet creams.

Ah well, my advice is to consume violet while you can, and lobby parliament in the meantime…

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Soho Rose Part 3: Desserts

If you’re like me, you probably haven’t eaten many rose desserts. They just aren’t that common. Perhaps something soaked in a rose syrup, or incorporating Turkish Delight?

Where rose goes, sugar invariably follows. These desserts are sweet – sometimes excessively so, but don’t let that stop you.

Tried:

falooda

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Soho Rose Part 2: Cocktails

Following my foray into rose non-alcoholic drinks, it seems only logical to follow up with some boozy options.

I occasionally experiment with rose cocktails at home, either using Lanique or rose syrup. I even denuded one of my rose bushes of pink petals to try making my own rose liqueur (tasted fine but looked brownish – milk-washing and filtering turned it a light yellow…).

I’ve had goals to try so many of the below and as of yet have failed miserably. No doubt menus will change, but I am hoping rose will continue to feature in imaginative and delicious drinks.

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Soho Rose Part 1: Non-alcoholic Drinks

I recently started working in Soho, which of course has been the perfect excuse to eat even more delicious things.

As my wallet and waistline can both testify, there are some downsides, but I am enjoying discovering interesting lunch places, new bars and fun snacks.

Researching a good place to get a bubble tea, I came across a review of a rose milk tea at Cuppacha. Rose is a favourite of mine, perfumed and sweet, but aside from rose cream chocolates, not very common in UK dishes. This has always seemed bizarre to me, given the long association between England and roses.

rose lassi

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London Dessert Day 1

This post was written over a year ago and then forgotten – but here it finally is.

Dessert is a course I rarely reach.

I find it very hard to ignore starters, and this inevitably means that by the time the dessert menu comes, I am full. Sometimes I have two starters and no main, or if it is a small plates place I rein it in, but I often get to the end of the meal and know that I just can’t fit anything else in.

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