I have to admit I've ignored LJ far too much. I seem to re-engage around con times but after feeling like I was being bullied at my last job and taking on a new job that is really busy it is all a bit much and as such I've gone a bit silent.

I'm still alive though and I'll try to be around but really I tweet more than I blog. Maybe I should post my tweets to the blog... :-)

It was with a particular sense of dread that consciousness returned. There were all the familiar sounds of the surroundings that she was used to and one additional alien sound.

Careful to breathe as though still asleep, she allowed her ears to search out the environment. She heard the familiar movements around her, the exterior sounds from outside her immediate space and the other alien sound, far too close for comfort.

Careful not to move too quickly lest she alert the thing, small movements brought her to within what her ears told her was striking distance of the sound which had woken her out of her peaceful slumber. Coiled and ready to strike, she stilled one last time. Her ears told her she was in the perfect position to strike and so in one swift movement she struck out with such blinding speed and force that the alien had no time to react.

Cowed by the strike, the alien stopped making the noise. Now, she could finally roll over and fall back asleep, the radio alarm clock silent once more.

London - Shopping - Food & Drink - Sweets & Chocolates


The chocolate shop is fabulous if far from the tube. Right on several bus routes, in a very upmarket shopping area, Demarquette chocolates is an oasis of calm on a busy street. Within the shop you are met with a stylish interior where delicious chocolates are kept behind glass. There are more caramel flavours here than I have seen anywhere else. A heaven for the caramel lover, the shapes are both semi-round and floral. The flower shapes reflect the scent and flavour of the caramel inside.

The chocolate used is a favourite of chocolate makers in London – Valrhona. The choices of caramel and ganache flavouring were not typical and with a dizzying array of both caramel and ganache chocolates everyone is sure to find something they would enjoy. I suspect everyone will find something they will enjoy. Just the shopping experience was pleasurable, looking over the variety of lovely red boxes of chocolate bars and the colours of the various chocolates.

I would never turn down a box of truffles or ganache chocolates from this shop and expect to visit again :-)

Check out my review of Demarquette - I am deCabbit - on Qype

London - Education - Shopping - Shopping Centres


I went to the Taste of Christmas event at the Excel convention centre on a rainy Saturday (as opposed to the beautiful sunny Sunday). Thinking it wouldn’t be too bad given the weather, closure of the DLR and the distance from central London, I did not rush to get there early and got to the show around 3pm. What I didn’t realise was the 10,000+ people expected on the day would all be there at the same time, and all in the food areas. I should have read up on the show and dressed appropriately!

With some of the top TV chefs and restaurateurs signed up to delight and entertain and more people than ever reported to be planning to spend Christmas at home this year, the 2009 ‘Taste of Christmas’ was expected to be an even greater success than the inaugural event, with over 30,000 visitors anticipated. A significant proportion of this was expected to be lapsed visitors to such shows - last year’s launch event attracted over 25,000 visitors of which 47% had not been to a major show for two years with an estimated spend at the Show of over £1.3 million.

How was I to know without the press releases before I arrived that this was what was expected? Never before have I been in such a scrum. I was almost violated several times but despite that I still thought it was a brilliant show. Why? Because this was everyone’s Christmas shopping done all at once.

There were some special stories there including “Beyond Chocolate” run by pastry chef Simon Boyle (not the first I’ve met who has become a chocolate maker). His passion is getting homeless people off the street and giving them meaningful work while producing a quality product. The employees are all given training, learn about quality and get the chance to try all aspects of the factory before choosing the one they want to work at.

One chocolate maker I’ll be reviewing in great detail is Damian Allsop Ch2ocolate. Instead of using dairy products, he uses water in order to ensure the flavour of the chocolate comes out. This means lactose intolerant people and anyone at all who has had to avoid chocolate because it was dairy finally has a place to go for chocolate. No longer does anyone avoiding dairy have to avoid chocolate. These chocolates were divine and I’m delighted that I was able to sample them and review them. You now know what chocolates to get everyone on your list!

Another place I discovered at the show was Pinchito, (with no reviews at all for the WC1 location!) who were there promoting their funky Spanish tapas bar. They wanted a place with a less formal bar atmosphere and created it with funky artwork and a relaxed environment.

Heering which disappeared for years from our shelves was back in full flower at the show, offering discounts on cherry liquor and coffee liquor. Had I not already got some Crabbies alcoholic ginger beer and many packs of Debbie and Andrew sausages I would have walked home with a coffee and cherry liquor.

One of the most interesting stands I found was Rekorderlig cider (which I will be reviewing) with their many different ciders, including one I have decided is warm apple pie in a bottle. This is a brand you’re going to want to keep an eye out for. While a premium brand (and so not cheap) it is only available at Asda and Morrisons so get down there and grab the limited edition Winter cider.

For a gimmick, Oval vodka which has apparently been altered at a molecular level to taste better. While only available online at thedrinkshop.com you can still see the funky bottle. Perhaps more interesting to me was the Custom Cookie Co. They had a box of cookies spelling “merry xmas” with extra little fun shapes on at a discount at the show. Very tempting but being laden with bags already I had to pass it up.

Regrettably it was so busy many people did not have the time to chat with me about what they were doing so I won’t get a chance to review them but I have lots of reviews coming up here and on my chocolate blog :-)

You still have today to visit so why not get all your shopping done at once and visit Taste of Christmas - you'll love it (if you don't mind crowds)!

Check out my review of Excel - I am deCabbit - on Qype

I've eaten so much chocolate of late and I've written most of it up but wow... I think I might have reached the point where I've had too much :-)

I did sort of enjoy Taste of Christmas but it was so thick with people and so few retailers were expecting the press it made it almost impossible to talk to them about their products.

I did get some great stories - especially "Beyond Chocolate" and sampled some fantastic chocolates including the dairy-free Damian Allsop Ch2ocolates (made with water, not milk/cream).
get it... H20... :-D

London - Hotels & Holidays - Hotels - 5 Star Hotels


There are times in my life I regret working on a Saturday. You’d think chocolate sampling would not be one of them. And it was a surprise to me as much as anyone. As my romp around Toronto taught me, there are a number of chocolate makers who claim to be producing high quality chocolates but few who actually are. “Chocolate Unwrapped” brought together all the various chocolate producers in one place for all of London, and the world, to sample their wares.

Happening Saturday and Sunday in the Raddison May Fair Hotel, chosen for its opulence, the “Chocolate Unwrapped” event was held in the perfect chocolate box locale. Launched small to be more boutique and accessible, the event was full of chocolate lovers. More than one person remarked on the pleasure at having “slots” to visit during but I certainly found mine to be too short.

The chocolate feature event started 6 years ago with just a few chocolate shops in London, the very first Chocolate Week. The week has grown with the high quality chocolate industry and they now have over 30 independent shops and chocolate companies along with top department stores, Selfridges, Harrods and Fortnum and Mason taking part along with Hotel Chocolat and Thorntons.

Yes, you read that correctly, Thorntons were there. I did try ask Thorntons about their chocolate range. By this time I had sampled a multitude of chocolates from an overly nutty praline with pop rocks, through a moderate quality chocolate from mixed sources over sugared and oiled through to a high quality single origin chocolate. I decided to take samples with me and try them when I had a cleansed palette – especially after one of the worst milk chocolates I’ve had for awhile. Expect a review soon.

If you’re reading this and “Chocolate Unwrapped” is still happening, get down there or you’ll regret it. If not, check out any of the over 350 events happening which are only available on their website www.chocolate-week.co.uk – a purely digital event in real life. This is the first of many to come I hope as it has been executed brilliantly. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Check out my review of The Radisson Edwardian May Fair Hotel - I am deCabbit - on Qype

Amsterdam - Shopping - Food & Drink - Sweets & Chocolates


I'm passionate about chocolate. To me, chocolate is a symphony of flavours in the mouth. You can both enjoy the singular flavour of the entire orchestra at once or concentrate on enjoying each individual component.

I am not, though, a fan of the Belgian style of putting sweet cream in the middle of thick chocolate so I get goo all over my face. They also tend to be too sweet for me. Nothing against them - lots of people love Belgian chocolate. I just prefer the French style of doing things.

Upon entering this chocolate shop, you are immediately aware of a big difference between this one and others - there is a big glass wall separating the main shop with the chocolate producing area. You can watch the chocolate being made. You know the chocolates will be unique and not made elsewhere and shipped in because you can watch the magic happen. Just because you can watch the magic, doesn't mean the result is any good.

Imagine my surprise when I liked the Belgian stylings of Van Soest chocolates in Amsterdam. They are in the Belgian style for fillings but a more French approach to the outside (no, I'm not an expert. I just notice trends and generalise a lot). The more bitter, thin outside combined beautifully with the cream inside to take the extreme sweetness out of the equation, leaving a delicious taste in my mouth.

The port chocolate was a particular delight, with a subtle but distinctive flavour.

In addition to the truffles were excellent chocolate beans, revealing the subtle distinctiveness of the chocolate as well as the fullness of the flavour.

One particular favourite were the chocolate coated almonds. Eschewing the common tendency to either make the chocolate coating too thick or caramelise them, this was a balance between roasted almonds, chocolate and cocoa powder.

I highly recommend trying the chocolates here but don't buy too many. They are rich in flavour and as a result, you can only eat a few before being satisfied.

Check out my review of Van Soest - I am deCabbit - on Qype

London - Eating & Drinking - Restaurants - Chinese - Eating & Drinking - Restaurants - International - Eating & Drinking - Restaurants - Japanese & Sushi


Sake - it's often talked about but the idea of making wine of something I pour soy sauce on and eat with a slightly bitter taste did not seem like a great idea so for my entire stay in Japan in 2007, I declined any.

Fast forward to September 2009 and enter the lovely people at Cocoon. Cocoon is slightly hidden from the Oxford St direction but is visible when you exit the Piccadilly station and turn towards Air St. It's a mere 1 - 2 minutes leisurely ambling stroll from there to the restaurant.

We started with a sparkling sake paired with edamame thingys. I managed to pop one onto my sweater. Really classy, me. The sparkling sake was a shock and I was so pleasantly surprised, I wished I could have bought a few bottles on the spot!

Next we moved on to Fair maiden with a prawn and mango cold spring roll. The sake this time was dry, contracting the sweet wet sparkling aperitif we had tried earlier. There was a light fragrance and this was 'Junmai Daiginjo' which indicated it was from high quality, pure rice and not fortified as well as the rice having lost 50% of their size before being used to make sake.

The cherry Bouquet sake paired with the sea bass sashimi introduced me for the first time not only to sake but also sashimi. Once the sashimi was eaten, the fruitfloral flavour of the fortified sake came out even more strongly. This was 'Ginjo' indicating the fortified nature of this sake. The added flavour gave this sake an additional element that I'd never experienced before.

Mirror of Truth, an ominous name for the next sake which was served warm in beautiful Kanazawa Nagamachi pottery (I think). The beef on the hot stone we were served was stunning! I’ve never been served anything like it. The subtle flavour of the sake was unlike any of the other ones and it went down smoothly. Warm sake is my second favourite next to sparkling but I fear I’ll never be able to try sake anywhere else. I trust only Cocoon right now to serve it properly.

For the next sake, we were all given glasses made in Japan with ceramic stems and special glass. Apparently, the glass changes the flavour of the sake and so the same is always used when sampling to be able to taste them against each other truly. This sake was a limited edition Miyasaka Pure ‘Junamai Ginjo’. This was served with the most heavenly delicious black cod on sticky rice ever. I think that if I die tomorrow, I’ll die happy for having tasted this cod. The sake needed to be pared with a flavourful food – it was intense, with a golden colour. It had fruity notes and was strong but smooth on the palette. The glass I got had a short stem with a bluebird egg blue porcelain colour decorated with gold and white.

The final sake was an amber colour, the colour of liquid gold. This strongly flavoured sake was a 6-year-old aged sake called Buddha’s Enlightenment. It was paired with ice cream truffles and something like a passion fruit. It could have been a passion fruit since I’ve never eaten one :-) Yes, it was an evening of firsts for me! Sake is almost never aged so to have one aged for 6 years is very rare. It is still started in a traditional method from a temple using raw rice, natural enzyme and yeast contained in well water. This sake needed to be balanced by strong flavours. I was not impressed by the chocolate, which I felt had lost something in being frozen. The chocolate lacked the depth of flavour I enjoy in my chocolate but it wasn’t intended to stand on it’s own but rather be a container for the ice cream within and in that it did an excellent job.

I now regret not having at least tried sake while I was in Japan. I know they are bidding once again for WorldCon so I may yet be back. The question is – can I let anyone but Cocoon now serve me sake and trust them…?

Check out my review of Cocoon Restaurant - I am deCabbit - on Qype

Someday he’ll come along

My garbage man

And he’ll be big and strong

My garbage man

And when he takes what’s left

My small front porch will be bereft

He’ll take away my junk

My garbage man

And he’ll be really prompt

My garbage man

And though it seems absurd

He’ll take it and not say a word

Maybe he’ll come pick up Sunday

Maybe Monday, maybe not

Still I’m sure he’ll pick up one day

Maybe Tuesday will be my good news day

And now strikes no more

My garbage man

He’s almost back to work

My garbage man

And with his overtime

He’s sure to not be short a dime

Maybe he’ll come pick up Sunday

Maybe Monday, maybe not

Still I’m sure he’ll pick up one day

Maybe Tuesday will be my good news day

Trash from my little home

Just meant for two

Has piled up so very long

It smells like poo

Now that the strike is past

My garbage man has come at last

Music by George Gershwin
Original Lyrics by Ira Gershwin
Above Lyrics Michael & Judith Lewis

Hamburg - Virtual Places

It was a dark and stormy night when I first donned my Qype shirt. Shielding my body against the onslaught of all that mother nature could throw at it, the shirt clung to each roll of ample flesh I jammed in it, promising salvation from the cold.

Outside, the dim light cast on the spotty reflective pools left behind by the rain illuminated my pathway to the salvation I sought beyond.

My departure, made easier by the Qype shirt, was unremarked by all but the musical tinkling of the chimes upon the door. Silence enfolded me as I began my harrowing journey. Splashing through a reflective pool, shattering the light within its depths, the Qype shirt helped me blend in to the night, while it's protective layer continued to work its charm.

As each shape shattered, it’s liquid silver surface marred by my footsteps, small reflections of the symbol brazenly splashed across the chest were visible. A rectangle, it’s corners gentled, it’s sides tilted encased an astrix of singular beauty. Underappreciated, it was a beacon of light within the darkness of the shirt.

As the sanctuary drew ever closer, the tears streaking my face were lost to the rain, my body still protected by the Qype shirt, still hidden in the darkness by its encompassing fabric. Protected from prying eyes, the Qype shirt protected me still until, light within darkness, the Qype logo announced my presence within the dark as a reflection of light struck me.

Sighing, the Qype shirt protected me as I crossed the threshold into the unknown sanctuary...
Check out my review of Qype T-shirt - I am deCabbit - on Qype