Bristol vs the world

February 9, 2014

Sunday style: Just keep swimmin’

The last few weeks I’ve found myself drawn to summer clothes. Much as I enjoy curling up with tea, books and a chunky jumper occasionally, the rubbish British weather means that, at the moment, those occasions are all-too-frequent. As a distraction I find myself fantasising about and pinteresting (and occasionally buying) floaty floral dresses, yellow sandals and light, bright cardigans. Sigh. I mean, I’m not expecting to be able to go tightless just yet, but being able to wear not-100%-rainproof shoes sometimes would be nice.

As a result today’s post is about clothes for a different kind of water – summer swimsuits (and bikinis). So whether you’re just daydreaming of your holidays, were sensible and booked a winter sun getaway or just want something fancy for your trips to the council pool, here are 10 of my favourites of the year so far.

(NB. Unless stated otherwise I’ve not actually road-tested any of these costumes so can’t comment on durability or how they hold up when actually doing some swimming.)

Baku St Martin boyleg

£88 from Asos

Thigh-flattering boyshort design! A waist-cinching belt! Boob-flattering neckline! In slimming black without being boring! Yes it’s expensive, but think of how good it would make you feel.

Spot print bikini

£8 for top, £4 for bottoms from George @ Asda

This polka dot number’s not going to be the most eye-catching on the beach, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It’s simple and classic without being plain. What’s more, it’s just £12 for the set. And you can buy it as separates. Well played, Asda.

South Beach Sonic Bloom bikini

Top £14-16, bottoms £11-13.50 from Asos

Super-pretty without being too sweet, girly or underwear-esque and not a bad price either. This longline top has detachable straps, and you can mix-and-match with briefs and/or a bandeau top to create your perfect look.

Seafolly summer garden boyleg

£105 from Asos

Every year I want to buy half of Seafolly’s collection. 2014 is no different. Another floral number that manages to be pretty without being saccharine, and you can’t go wrong with a bit of ruching. Another design well done.

Motel marshmallow twist front bikini

£39 from Motel

As enticing as its yummy namesake and I reckon you’d look pretty tasty in it too. Sadly you can’t buy tops and bottoms individually from Motel’s website, but Asos has separates in the same pattern but slightly different styles if (like me) you need different sizes for top and bottom. But its fab green colour – a nice change from the many other floral cossies out there – almost makes up for that slight frustration.

Gossard Floral Bikini

£49 for top, £22 for bottoms from Very

I know, I know, more florals. But this number from Gossard is different; it’s the grown-up version of the flowery numbers out there. Lovely.

Retro swimsuit by Esther Williams

£65 from For Luna

I actually own the black version of this costume and love it as much today as when I first took it out of its pretty, protective cloth bag about five years ago. Designed by ex-swimmer Esther Williams, this range is made for ladies who want to swim properly and look good doing it. So, even with the halterneck tie, this cossie stays secure when jumping into pools, front-crawling in the sea or being swept down a waterslide. As well as being practical its super-flattering, holding you in and boosting you up in all the right places. At £65 it’s not cheap, but a worthwhile investment. Take your pick from a range of colours that also includes dark green, red and gingham. I can also highly recommend the bikini bottoms in the same style.

We Are Handsome Skyline Print

£216, Asos

My jaw dropped twice when I saw this swimming costume. Firstly because of how awesome it is (the 50’s-style shape! You’d be wearing a painting!). And secondly, when I noticed the price. This is definitely an ‘If I won the lottery’ costume (and even then I think I’d feel guilty about dropping that much money on so little material) but we can admire its beauty from afar and dream.

Cutwork frill bandeau bikini

£14.99 for top, £7.99 for bottoms, from New Look
New Look have come up trumps with this cute little number. Personally I’d prefer something a little more substantial on the bottom half, but if you don’t mind baring your thighs then this a great value set. And as it comes in separates, I’m quite tempted to buy the top in black and team it with my trusty boyshorts. Also comes in lilac.

M&S spotted bandeau bikini

Top £17.50, bottoms (or ‘skirtini’) £16 from Marks & Spencer

‘Skirtini’ sounds like a name JD from Scrubs made up, and nautical and polka dots aren’t the most original of swimswear styles. But I’m willing to overlook all of that for this number from M&S. I can’t put my finger on exactly what it is I love about this set, but I just know I want it. Now. Isn’t that how all the best relationships start?

February 7, 2014

Food Friday: Cheap eats in Singapore

As I mentioned in my last post, Singapore isn’t exactly a budget travel destination. The prices aren’t quite London standards, but they certainly don’t tally with what you expect from the majority of South-east Asia.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t eat well on the cheap. Instead of heading to a restaurant, seek out the city’s hawker centres – huge food courts selling Singapore’s version of street food (actual on-street food carts don’t really exist here – these hawker centres are Singapore’s way of regulating them and, I imagine, helping to keep their deserved squeaky clean reputation). Not only are they well-priced – you’re looking at less than £10 for a meal for two with drinks – but they’re also an unmissable experience in themselves. Buzzing and busy, they’re where the locals meet and you could find yourself sharing a table with a huge range of interesting people. In fact, it was thanks to the Chinese family sat next to us in one food court that I discovered lime juice (so. good.). Even if you end up with a table to yourself, these are perfect places for people watching.

In fact, all factors combined, I’d probably go as far say that the hawker centre experiences were some of my highlights of our time in Singapore.

Top tip for hawker centres? As everyone will tell you, the longer the line at the stand, the better the food. So don’t be tempted by convenience (you’re on holiday, what’s the rush?!) and instead make time to queue up – it’ll probably be worth it!

We tried out five different food courts – here are my thoughts. (NB. I’m a rubbish blogger and forgot to write down the name of the stalls we tried, so I’ve concentrated more on the atmosphere and experience than food itself. TripAdvisor contains some great reviews with stall recommendations, however, as do blogs – or you could just do as we did and gamble!)

Maxwell Road Hawker Centre, Chinatown
Although not as busy as some of the more central centres, Maxwell Road is still quite well-known on the tourist circuit. Due to a jet-lag induced late morning nap on our arrival in Singapore, we visited relatively late for lunch so had no problems with queues or finding a table, but I’ve read reviews that suggest there can be. Not the most atmospheric of the food courts we visited, but this was probably because it wasn’t as busy. But the food is excellent – we both had (very generous portions of) seafood rice, which I’d highly recommend if I could remember the name of the stand… At this point we hadn’t discovered the joys of the fresh drinks on offer, so were boring and went for canned drinks so I can’t offer advice on them.

Tiong Bahru Market
Making the most of our unlimited SMRT journey tickets, I convinced John that we should make a trip to the Tiong Bahru neighbourhood so I could visit Books Actually (deserving of a post in itself). And OK, I also quite wanted to see the shop that only sells glass-less glasses (the area is like the Singapore Shoreditch). As we were in the area, we decided to stop in a Tiong Bahru Hawker Centre for dinner, which I’d read good things about; many local bloggers claim to make special journeys here from far-off (or as far-off as you can get in Singapore) districts. This certainly appeared to be the case on our visit; even mid-week, we noticed a lot of people arriving and leaving by taxi. It certainly felt more ‘local’ and less touristy than the other centres we visited, though the same could be said for the Tiong Bahru area in general.
Tiong Bahru hawker centre is also, in its way, an historical destination. Although, as mentioned above, Singapore doesn’t really have ‘street food’ any more, it used to be a big problem for the city. Tiong Bahru market – originally Seng Poh – was the first of these regulated centres, opening in 1950. With just one floor, the centre was quite different to the one you visit today. Renovated between 2004 and 2006, it is now a multi-story experience that can seat up to 1,400 diners at any one time. To put it into perspective, the UK’s biggest restaurant (Bristol’s Za Za Bazaar) seats up to 1,000.

Despite its size, Tiong Bahru hawker centre wasn’t as intimidating an experience as you might expect. Possibly because this was the quietest of the centres we visited – a lot of stalls were closed in the evening so if there’s a particular stand you want to try then I’d recommend a lunchtime visit. However the food we tried – chilli tofu for me and a rice dish for John – was probably some of the most flavour-full we had in Singapore.

Tekka Centre Food Court, Little India
Brightly-coloured buildings on hot, dusty roads: Little India feels like a world away from the rest of Singapore and is a must-visit. While you’re here, be sure to visit the local food court, which is close to the SMRT station exit. Although not quite fair to judge (it was the only centre we visited for lunch rush-hour, which appears to be the busiest time for the centres), this was also definitely the liveliest of those we ate at. Finding a table wasn’t easy, but we did manage to do so! But many others appeared to get around the problem by eating at the stands they had just bought from.

It was also possibly the least well-kept of the centres we visited, feeling slightly dustier and older. If it had been the first we visited I can imagine having felt quite intimidated by the whole experience. But it’s worth sticking out – the food was tasty, cheap and offered a different selection to the others we visited; unsuprisingly, there were more curries on offer than elsewhere.

It’s perhaps worth noting that the traditional Indian way of eating many of these meals is with your hands. However there’s plenty of stalls that provide cutlery (we were boring and ate at one of these, and the food was still perfectly good). If you do decide to go for the hands-on experience then there are taps at the exit – so get stuck in!

Makansutra Glutton’s Bay
Located in near the touristy harbour, Glutton’s Bay understandably isn’t the most authentic of hawker centre experiences. It’s just that bit too clean and shiny and ordered. That isn’t to say it’s not worth a visit though – of the centres we visited at night, it was probably the livliest, the location is ideal, and we enjoyed eating in the (properly) open air.
We didn’t try a main meal here so you’ll have to trust TripAdvisor for that, but we just had to try the Durian fruit desserts. It definitely tastes better than it smells! We also shared a huge coconut water – well, it has to be done.

Glutton’s may not be the ‘real deal’ like some of the others, and it’s a little more expensive, but if you’re looking for food in the bay area then you could probably do a lot worse.

Chinatown Food Centre
This food centre is huge. As with Tiong Bahru, the ground floor is dedicated to wet market stalls. Head upstairs and you’re confronted with a labyrinth of stands offering starters, mains, desserts and drinks. This is where I was introduced to lime juice by a family sat next to us – and it was probably the best lime juice of the whole trip (believe me, I tried quite a few of them…). The deep-fried prawn balls with chilli sauce were also pretty tasty.

As with Tiong Bahru, a lot of the stands were closed in the evening. However it was still full of families, friends and lone locals enjoying the food. Despite it being busy, the atmosphere was just that bit more relaxed that at the Tekka Centre without being too quiet (which Tiong Bahru was on the verge of being). That, combined with nabbing a table by the edge which allowed for people watching on the streets below, probably made this my favourite of the centres we visited.

Photography Credits
Maxwell Road Hawker Center (exterior): Etour Singapore; Maxwell Road Hawker Centre (interior): Your Singapore; Tiong Bahru (exterior): Go Asia @ About.com; Tekka Centre (interior): Gogobot; Tekka Centre (exterior): Singapore.com. All images should link through to original page. All other images are my own, please credit if using.

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January 8, 2014

Where to stay Wednesday: The New Majestic Hotel, Singapore

In May-June 2013, J (my partner – because apparently we’ve got to the stage in our lives where they’re no longer a ‘boyfriend’ but ‘manfriend’ feels too old and too Sex and the City cliché) and I went on the holiday of a lifetime to Malaysian Borneo, via Singapore. This is the first of a series of posts from the trip.

Baths are one of those things that are always so much better in my head. It’ll be just like an advert, I think, I’ll look like a Bath Goddess, with water and bubbles up to my neck with just my glowing face on show. I’ll make content sighing noises as I become absorbed by a magazine or book. The reality is never like that. The water doesn’t come quite high enough, which results in either having to lie at an awkward angle or your top half getting a bit cold. Reading is impossible, unless you don’t mind sacrificing either a limb to the cold or the book to soggy pages (I don’t even like bent spines, so you can imagine my feelings on this). And then, when you’ve finally got yourself into a semi-comfortable position and are starting to relax, the water starts to go a bit lukewarm and you have to drag yourself out again. That’s when you encounter the worst part of this experience – the cold, cold air, and cold, cold tiles that inevitably await you, which even a fluffy towel that has been strategically arranged over a radiator on full blast can’t counter. So instead of being the relaxed, glowing goddess you envisioned, you’re shivery and frustrated and not even that clean because you’ve been sat in water with your own dirt for half an hour.

So you can imagine how excited I was when I discovered the dream solution to all my bathing woes: the outdoor bathtubs in Singapore’s New Majestic Hotel. It doesn’t matter if the water doesn’t come up high on you, because it’s always 30 degrees outside. So you can make the most of the high-sided vintage-style bathtub and get yourself into a comfortable reading position without having to make the choice of cold body parts vs book pulp/mess. And the aforementioned temperature means there’s definitely no need for the it’s-so-cold hopabout when you finally drag yourself out; in fact the air is so warm that you barely need a towel to get dry. (There are awnings you can pull over to cover the private veranda area where the bath is, so no opportunities for voyeurs. Which is good, because apparently it’s illegal to be naked in your own home in Singapore, so I’m not sure how they’d take to unintentional displays of nudity. And based on some of the warning signs we saw about for other crimes, I don’t want to find out either!)

The outdoor bath tubs are just one of the many fun features of this boutique design hotel. There’s also art installations in the lobby (and, more importantly, a bookshop), portholes in the pool (so diners in the restaurant can watch swimmers…) and each of the 30 rooms is unique, many decorated by local artists. Our room was ‘One Day I Just Drifted Off and Floated Away’, which was CAT THEMED.

To get the outdoor bath tubs and veranda you want to book a ‘Premier Garden Wing’ room – not much more than the cheapest category and definitely worth the extra! However if you really want to splash out, then the attic rooms look pretty special too.

However as you can probably tell from the photo above – in most rooms (judging from photos – and definitely in ours) the bathrooms are quite exposed. In that there isn’t a separate one. Our toilet was hidden by frosted glass. Fine for those of us in long-term relationships, and actually quite a fun and space-saving design idea. But probably not one for new couples who still want to maintain a bit of mystery about their toileting habits.

We were also quite taken with the cute ceramic Chinese-style teacups in our room, which a less honest version of myself would have been very tempted to permanently borrow. (I feel like the thought may have been crossing my mind when this photo was taken – shifty eyes…)

The hotel’s location on the outskirts of Chinatown was also ideal. We preferred this area as a place to stay to Orchard Road and Marina Bay – we didn’t dislike those places, but we felt Chinatown had a bit more charm to it. It’s also home to a few food courts, perfect for cheap but tasty eats (more on that later). And while most of the key sites were within walking distance if you wanted them to be, as we were still acclimatising to the heat and humidity we really appreciated being a very short walk from Outram Park SMRT (Metro) station.

Overall a great experience that I’d highly recommend – especially the Garden rooms. That really was one fine bath.

The Essentials

Website: http://www.newmajestichotel.com
Pricing: List prices start from 238SGD (about £115). Premier Garden Rooms (with the outdoor baths) start at around 268SGD (about £130). Splashing out on an Attic Suite will set you back about 385.20 a night (just under £190). Prices include breakfast, but not taxes and fees – so remember to budget a bit more if you’re booking directly via the website.
Location: On the outskirts of Chinatown, near Outram Park SMRT stop – which is handily on the same line as the airport.
Any other extras?: Lots! Non-alcoholic drinks in the mini-bar are complimentary; Kiehls toiletries; Nespresso machine; iPod dock; ginormous bathrobes
Recommended?: Absolutely. The prices may not sound cheap, but Singapore isn’t an easy place to do ‘budget’ – when we were looking, it actually seemed quite good value for money compared to other hotels in a similar price range. I also have to mention the staff, who were really friendly and helpful.
Any reason not to?: If you prefer your hotels traditional then this probably isn’t the place for you. Also while we really liked the location, some might find staying in the Marina Bay/City Hall or Orchard Road areas more convenient.

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Photo Credits: New Majestic Hotel exterior: Wikipedia (Creative Commons License); Room Photo – One Day I Just Drifted Off…: Black Tomato; Room Photo – Attic Room: New Majestic Hotel; Pool photo: New Majestic Hotel. All others are my own, please credit if using.

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January 2, 2014

My favourite things

It turns out introductory posts are hard. Do you ease readers in slowly with a bit about the idea behind the blog, which will probably change as we go on? Or do you dive straight into a ‘proper’ post?

Because I don’t like decisions (and hey, isn’t compromising always the best option?) I’ve gone for something in-between. Although I love exploring new places, the truth is that – as with most people – most of my time is spent in my home city, Bristol. (Not a complaint – Bristol is amazing.) The result of this, though, is that most new blogposts will probably be set in and around the area. So I’ve decided to start as I will likely go on, with a post on some of my favourite Bristol places from the first 18 months I’ve lived here. And hopefully it’ll also tell you a bit more about me, too – mainly that I spend quite a lot of my time eating…

Photo by Adam Gasson / adamgasson.com
Thali Cafes
The Thali Café in Totterdown was the first restaurant we tried after moving here in 2012*, and we’ve collected many a loyalty card stamp since. Made up of five venues in various Bristol suburbs, this local chain of Indian restaurants serves up some of the best value, tastiest food the city has to offer. The main attraction are their five ‘thalis’ – fresh curries that are full of flavour and also, somehow, seem to feel quite healthy. I can also highly recommend their starters, especially the poppadoms and selection of dips.

They also do takeaways and their Tiffin tins are definitely a worthwhile investment, especially if you live within walking distance of one of the restaurants. The first takeaway will set you back about £20, as you have to buy the Tiffin tupperware. But after that each refill is £8.95 – £10.50 (depending on the thali you choose), and that includes rice and two vegetable side dishes – all of which is more than enough for two people. Perfect!

*Restaurants tried during visits as ‘tourists’ not included!

Birdcage
Anywhere that combines tea, Chesterfield sofas and mismatched crockery, and vintage clothes is always A Good Thing in my book. It’s not just good looking – the drinks are good quality, too: they offer a good selection of loose leaf teas (my personal favourite being the Russian Caravan, whose unusual smokey flavour really does remind you of the smell of bonfires) and my friend and I agree that their hot chocolate is some of the best in Bristol. I’m not much of a coffee drinker, but apparently those are pretty tasty too. Music lovers should check out some of the bands that play there, most of which are free entry. Birdcage isn’t just an ideal place to stop off mid-shopping trip though; open until 10 or 11pm (except Sundays), it offers a more relaxed late-night alternative than many of the nearby bars.

Watershed
Located on the harbourside (I guess the name is a giveaway!), Watershed is an arts venue, probably most well-known for its great restaurant/bar and its cinema. The latter shows a mixture of your more ‘highbrow’ ‘big’ new releases (for example Long Walk To Freedom is currently playing, as is Gravity 3D, and we saw Alpha Papa here last summer) and the smaller films that you might not find playing at the bigger chain cinemas. The bar is a great place to relax with a pint before the showing, and the cinemas themselves are lovely and comfy. If that hasn’t convinced you, tickets tend to be cheaper than the nearby chain cinemas. They also do a lot for the arts, both in Bristol and elsewhere – so lots of reasons to support them.

Arnos Vale Cemetery
With some notable exceptions (Highgate in London, Père Lachaise in Paris, etc), cemeteries aren’t usually very high up on the ‘visit for leisure’ list. But Arnos Vale has something special about it; it fast became one of our favourite spots, an ideal escape for when we feel like we want to get away from the hustle of being in a city without actually leaving its confines. We mainly visit for the walking routes, some of which go through woodland and others on paved paths for when you want to avoid the mud! If you want to learn more about the history of the site, there’s a small area dedicated to the old furnace and crematorium. Oh, and there’s also a great on-site café, ideal for post-walk lunch or cake (are you sensing a theme?!).

St Nicholas Market
Forget Cabot Circus – if you want all your shopping under one roof then head to St Nicholas Market. Whether you’re looking for hot sauce or vinyls, second hand books piled to the ceiling or South African food supplies, you’ll find it in the maze of shops and stalls that make up the Arcades, Exchange and Covered Market. It’s also the best place to grab lunch in the city; Grillstock and Pieminister both have stalls in the Glass Arcade, where you’ll also find stands selling Caribbean food, falafel, sausages, Moroccan and much more. On Saturdays there’s also an outdoor market on Corn Street.

Tobacco Factory Theatre
I’m not usually one for signing up to mailing lists, but it’s worth making an exception for the Tobacco Factory’s. They play host to diverse shows aimed at a wide range of people, but particularly seem to specialise in Shakespeare/classical theatre, comedy and family-orientated productions. Being relatively small (with the even smaller Brewery Theatre accross the road), it’s also an intimate but friendly-feeling venue that I just really enjoy visiting. Although their full price tickets aren’t expensive (generally around £12-£15 for full price, though shows such as Shakespeare can creep up to around £20 at weekends), it’s still worth looking out for their £6 ‘opening night’ ticket deals – ideal for when you’re interested in giving something a bit different a try (it was thanks to this that we discovered the brilliant Molly Naylor, for example – because for £12 for a date night, you can’t say no. Thanks Tobacco Factory!).

But there’s lot more to the Tobacco Factory than the theatre, including a Thali Café, bar and Sunday Market, all of which are worth a visit in their own right.

I’ve realised writing this that there’s lots more places that could count as ‘favourites’ of mine, so I could see this becoming a bit of a regular feature. So I hope you’ve enjoyed it!

Image Credits (in order of appearance)
Adam Gasson; Emily Knight (Bristol Bites) (x2); Bristol 247; The Telegraph; Geoff Paine (Canal Scene); Bristol Post

All photos should link to original source or photographer’s website

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May 4, 2012

Food Friday: Take it away

To make up for the severe lack of Food Friday last week (and posts in general!), this post includes… multiple recommendations! This week, I decided to start compiling some of my favourite London spots to grab lunch if you’re in a rush but don’t fancy conventional fast food or sandwiches.

This list doesn’t include markets/street stalls (that’s for another post), or restaurants that do take-away versions of the restaurant food, for example Pizza Express. I’m starting with three of my favourites today, but will be adding further haunts, new discoveries and the many places I’ve forgotten as time goes on, too, so do leave any recommendations and favourites in the comments!

Rasa Express lunch box. Photo Credit: Ewan Munro

Rasa Express: Rathbone Street (Nearest Stations: Tottenham Court Road / Goodge Street), Euston Road (Nearest Stations: Warren St / Euston Square)
Website
Hidden at the back of the main restaurant, Rasa Express is one of the best value eats I’ve ever found, in London or elsewhere. The Keralan restaurants initially started as a vegetarian Indian, and has now grown into a small-chain of restaurants with different specialities, such as fish. (I know I said these weren’t takeaway versions of restaurants, but Rasa Express needs writing about – and is a little different to its restaurant counterpart).

The ‘speciality’ of Rasa Express is that is serves delicious curries and snacks in meal box form, all of which cost under £5. You can choose between vegetarian and meat, and the size of meal you want. On my last visit, I chose go all out and get the two curries, rice dish, side, bread and a pudding, which sorted me out for the day. However there are cheaper and smaller options if you’re after more of a snack, such as dumplings and potato balls.

The only negative is that there’s nowhere to sit and eat it – fine for us lucky folk who work nearby, but not ideal for visitors to the area. However the benches of Bedford Square and Soho Square are within a 5-10 minute walk, both lovely spots for outdoor eating when the weather’s right. And even if it’s not: these curries are worth withstanding a bit of drizzle for.

Benito’s Hat Exterior: My Metropole

Benito’s Hat (Various Locations)
Website
I’ve noticed a lot of burrito takeaways in London recently, and can’t claim to have tried them all. However of those I have tried, Benito’s Hat provided the best combination of good burritos and good value. Moreover, a lot of my colleagues are (very) regular visitors: high praise indeed considering us publishers aren’t exactly on bankers’ salaries, and so can’t just splash the cash on any old take out.

The food at Benito’s Hat isn’t limited to burritos, with tacos, soups and salads all making an appearance on the menu. Once you’ve chosen your meal, you then pick your base (a choice of beans), filling (veg, steak, two types of chicken or pork) and topping (various sauces, cheese or lettuce) – all for under £7, making it cheaper than a lot of other burrito outlets, and they don’t scrimp on the fillings either.

Eat in, take-away and even delivery (if you order before 11.30am) are all available.

Don’t have a Benito’s Hat nearby? Chilango is a little more expensive, but some argue that the burritos themselves are of a slightly higher quality. Try both and decide for yourself!

Oriental Star exterior. Photo Credit: The Local Data Company

Oriental Star, Finchley Road (Nearest Stations: Finchley Road / Finchley Road & Frognal)
Planning a trip to Finchley Road’s O2 Centre? Fancy something to eat? The centre itself, admittedly, is hardly short of affordable eating options, from Wetherspoons to Nando’s. However, your best bet is to leave the centre and cross the road (admittedly easier said than done – this is Finchley Road) to visit the unassuming Oriental Star noodle bar.

One of the best things about this place is the range of noodle and rice dishes on offer alongside the standard Chinese fare. The atmosphere there can vary – often it’s people in a rush, but on some evenings you will find locals shouting across the canteen-style tables to one another. Quick, tasty and cheap (most dishes are under £5 and very generous portions), this is a hidden gem on Finchley Road.