tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85881218917518178612024-03-13T14:24:52.406+00:00LDN: HOT OR NOTThe decisive guide to LondonJetsetting Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110252982989911383noreply@blogger.comBlogger442125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8588121891751817861.post-73342615810008413032009-03-26T09:46:00.003+00:002009-03-26T12:26:13.283+00:00The Finale: The Top FivesIt's really true. I'm about to board my one-way flight from London Heathrow, so this last post marks the end of LDN: HOT OR NOT.<br /><br />Thanks for reading, agreeing and disagreeing with me for the last two years. As a final parting gift, here's a random list of Top Fives (off the top of my head):<br /><br />Top five HOT London views<br /><br /><ul><li>Babylon at Kensington Roof Gardens</li><li>National Portrait Gallery Restaurant</li><li>Skylon at Royal Festival Hall</li><li>Tate Modern Restaurant</li><li>Along the canals of Little Venice</li></ul><p>Top five NOTs where I've wanted to throw something</p><ul><li>Cy Twombly at Tate Modern</li><li>Arbutus Restaurant</li><li>sorting out ISA account balance transfers</li><li>Daylesford Organic mail order</li><li>Bertorelli, Covent Garden</li></ul><p>Top five never-to-be-repeated HOT experiences</p><ul><li>Classical Brit Awards at Royal Albert Hall</li><li>VIP at O2 Wireless Festival</li><li>Glastonbury</li><li>Guest Night at Gray's Inn</li><li>Swan Lake at Royal Opera House</li></ul><p>Top five HOT art </p><ul><li>Anthony Gormley at Hayward Gallery</li><li>Henry Moore at Kew Gardens</li><li>Conceptual art at Tate Modern</li><li>National Gallery free tours</li><li>Candlelight viewing of secret Hogarths at Sir John Soane's Museum</li></ul><p>Top five NOTs where I had wished they'd just stop it, please</p><ul><li>Breakin' Boundaries at Roundhouse</li><li>Vicky Cristina Barcelona</li><li>The Walworth Farce at National Theatre</li><li>Speed the Plow at Old Vic</li><li>British Ambassador's Belly Dancer at Arcola Theatre</li></ul><p>Top Five HOT cinema experiences</p><ul><li>Secret Cinema</li><li>Anything at the Electric Cinema</li><li>BFI Mediatheque</li><li>The English Surgeon at the London Film Festival</li><li>Paris, je t'aime at Odeon Whiteleys</li></ul><p>Top five HOT moments which moved me to tears</p><ul><li>Spyski at Lyric Theatre</li><li>Daniel Barenboim playing Beethoven's Appassionata</li><li>War Horse at the National Theatre</li><li>Karma Police, Radiohead, clear evening sky at Victoria Park</li><li>Getting sweaty with my bestest buddies at Lucky Voice Karaoke</li></ul><p>Top Five HOT unusual theatre experiences</p><ul><li>Helium at Barbican</li><li>Contains Violence at Lyric Theatre</li><li>Masque of the Red Death at Battersea Arts Centre</li><li>Just To(o) Long at Battersea Arts Centre</li><li>Hamlet at King's Head Theatre</li></ul>And you want more gushing, eye-rolling and visceral hatred from Jetsetting Joyce, come and join me at <a href="http://melhotornot.blogspot.com/">MEL:HOT OR NOT</a>.<br /><br /><p></p>Jetsetting Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110252982989911383noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8588121891751817861.post-73624939568550848542009-03-18T19:03:00.000+00:002009-03-26T12:18:11.395+00:00NOT: Madame de Sade, Wyndham's Theatre, Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0DAThe third of the Donmar West End's blockbuster productions was the sold-out production of <a href="http://www.donmarwestend.com/madame_de_sade/">Madame de Sade</a>, starring the venerable Dame Judy Dench. However, on the night Margaret and I saw her, she didn't blow me away. In fact, she even fluffed her lines a couple of times and had to stop obviously a couple of times, leaving her cast members to rescue her from a prolonged silence. Personally, I thought ex-Bond girl Rosamund Pike as Madame de Sade was much better, with her crisp clear tones and elegant and beautiful in her corsetted, crinolined silk gowns.<br /><br />Further, both Margaret and I found the story of six women variously involved in the perversions of the Marquis de Sade (oddly, written by a Japanese author) to be a bit stressful to sit through after a long day. Along with that, it was at times incomprehensible, with strange fantastical interludes and particularly inexplicable behaviour by the Madame. Overall, not a particularly enjoyable theatrical experience.Jetsetting Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110252982989911383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8588121891751817861.post-72458928111279773972009-03-18T14:29:00.001+00:002009-03-27T05:10:24.027+00:00HOT: Wahaca, 66 Chandos Place, Covent Garden WC2N 4HG<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_OxTQ77UEExw/Scxfn60mNkI/AAAAAAAAAq0/HQF4F-hc8QI/s1600-h/Wahaca+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317730399427114562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_OxTQ77UEExw/Scxfn60mNkI/AAAAAAAAAq0/HQF4F-hc8QI/s320/Wahaca+003.jpg" border="0" /></a>I was in dire straits - my last day in London was rapidly slipping away from me, the National Dining Rooms didn't serve afternoon tea until 3pm and I needed to be in Kensington Church Street for my haircut at 3:30. Circling around Trafalgar Square aimlessly, I suddenly had an inspired idea.<br /><br />Tranzie and Huy had both raved about <a href="http://www.wahaca.co.uk/">Wahaca </a>to me before, but I had developed a hatred for their no reservations policy which had meant that I'd been thwarted from eating there twice before. However, no queues at 2pm on a Wednesday!<br /><br />Given the number of times I'd been turned away after encountering long queues, I was really surprised by the size of the underground dining room. 'They must be doing something really right' I thought to myself, as I settled into a simple wooden table backed onto a brightly coloured wall.<br /><br />The menu placemat contained a wide choice of slightly unfamiliar takes on familiar Mexican dishes. In the interests of research, I chose three street food dishes (ranging from 3.50-4.00 each) which my waiter assured me would be 'more than enough' with a disbelieving glance. The pork pibil fillings wrapped in small soft corn tacos were nice, but only became really special when slathered with hot chipotle salsa. Same with the slightly bland chicken quesadillas. The really outstanding dish were the nopalitos tostadas - fresh, light and tangy ingredients contained in crisp corn shells. Next time I would definitely just have variations of the tostadas and nothing else.Jetsetting Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110252982989911383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8588121891751817861.post-52645832109169112582009-03-18T12:15:00.000+00:002009-03-26T11:29:13.187+00:00HOT: National Theatre Backstage Tour, Southbank SE1 9PXTransport for London conspired to work against me one last time on my final day in London....hence I arrived 15 minutes late to the National Theatre backstage tour. Luckily, the box office girl also moonlighted as a tour guide sometimes, so she was able to whip me around the first 15 minutes of the tour before dropping me off with the rest of the group, who were in the carpentry and set design area backstage.<br /><br />The tour provides an interesting insight into the background workings of one of my favourite London theatrical haunts. We were led through various areas, enroute spotting carpenters mending <a href="http://ldnhotornot.blogspot.com/2008/01/hot-war-horse-national-theatre.html">War Horse </a>puppets, artists spraypainting the huge backdrop for the upcoming production of Death and the Kings Horsemen, passing around various latex items from the props department such as an incredibly realistic hamburger, and being told about the massive drop in the Olivier stage which allowed things like swimming pools to be built (<a href="http://ldnhotornot.blogspot.com/2008/03/hot-much-ado-about-nothing-national.html">Much Ado about Nothing</a>), giant ship prows to rise above the ice (Fram) and the raising of a hot air balloon (His Dark Materials).<br /><br />The highlight was walking out onto the stage of the main auditorium, the Greek-inspired Olivier Theatre. Surprisingly for such a large theatre, I didn't feel overwhelmed out on stage, and I could even imagine myself addressing an audience :)Jetsetting Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110252982989911383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8588121891751817861.post-14453380130291298602009-03-02T19:54:00.001+00:002009-03-26T11:03:50.230+00:00HOT: I Capuleti e i Montecchi, Royal Opera House, Covent GardenThe fortunes of unemployment meant that I was able to get to Covent Garden at 10am on a whim - and score a day ticket for a stall circle seat (practically impossible to buy normally) to the evening performance of I Capuleti e i Montecchi. I can't say much about the unfamiliar Bellini interpretation Romeo and Juliet, and a small portion of the stage was cut off from view, but to hear and see the expressions of the ultra-famous soprano Anna Netrebko at such close range, for the bargain price of 23 pounds, really added to my normal enjoyment of any ROH opera production.Jetsetting Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110252982989911383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8588121891751817861.post-69581920259387799302009-03-02T17:20:00.004+00:002009-03-02T17:34:39.767+00:00NOT: The Avenue, 7 - 9 St. James's Street, Mayfair SW1A 1EEAnother benefit of unemployment is the freedom to take a leisurely 3 course lunch on a weekday. Thanks to <a href="http://www.toptable.co.uk/">Toptable</a>, I was able to redeem my points for a free lunch at <a href="http://www.theavenue-restaurant.co.uk/">The Avenue</a>, a relaxing, light-filled restaurant catering for the pinstripe-suited workers of Mayfair.<br /><br />I don't know whether I chose badly, but the food ranged from so-so to bad. My entree was a crab salad with avocado and marie rose. The chopped baby cos, bland crab and tasteless chunks of avocado were ok, and I now know that marie rose is in fact a fancy name for something that looks like thousand island dressing.<br /><br />My main was a rabbit and ham hock pie with buttered carrots. I know rabbit and ham hock are recession-friendly ingredients, but I've had rabbit before where it has been as delicately flavoured as chicken. On the other hand, this pie was a steaming mass of heavy, gamey odours and filled with unappetising shreds of offcuts. I didn't finish it.<br /><br />My Devon custard tart with blackcurrant sauce was nice, but unremarkable. The kind of sliced cake you'd get at your bog-standard suburban cafe.<br /><br />Luckily I only had to pay for my peppermint tea (to aid digestion). Given the <a href="http://ldnhotornot.blogspot.com/2008/10/hot-sake-no-hana-32-st-james-street.html">other fabulous restaurants on the street</a>, I'd give The Avenue a miss.Jetsetting Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110252982989911383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8588121891751817861.post-40929149873840479702009-03-02T11:07:00.000+00:002009-03-02T17:19:13.634+00:00HOT: Royal Opera House Backstage Tour, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden WC2E 9DDMy first day of unemployment and the possibilities for fun seem endless! On the spur of the moment, I decided to join the 10:30am backstage tour of my favourite London building, the <a href="http://www.roh.org.uk/">Royal Opera House</a>. For 9 pounds you get a detailed 1.5 hour tour of the auditorium (the only time I'll get to sit in the 200 pound Grand Tier seats and take in the view from the Royal Box), see the dye room where fabric and shoes are dyed for costumes, peek into the mechanics of the backstage sets and scenery, and best of all, salivate in front of the window of the morning warm-up class for the Royal Ballet. I was thrilled to see my favourite dancers, Carlos Acosta and Marianela Nunez, complete their pirouettes in their tshirts and leg warmers, although it must have been weird for the dancers with all of us standing there mesmerised, like we were watching feeding time at the zoo. Our guide was knowledgeable, funny and full of good factoids, so if you love the ballet and opera it's well worth the time.Jetsetting Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110252982989911383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8588121891751817861.post-34880106162192509252009-03-01T12:39:00.001+00:002009-03-02T17:05:34.426+00:00HOT: The Porchester Spa, Queensway London W2 5HSLondon's oldest spa, the <a href="http://www.courtneys.co.uk/centres/Porchester/the-porchester-spa">Porchester Spa</a>, was HOT, literally. Sunday mornings are women only, and I was surprised that at 9:55am a largish crowd had already gathered, waiting of the doors to open at 10am. It seemed to attract girlfriends and regulars, as many people chatted to each other.<br /><br />At the entrance I was handed two towels, a blue gingham cotton wrap and a locker key. Initially I was unsure as to whether to change into a swimsuit or participate in the nudefest. Given that everyone else - old, young, fat, thin, white, black, Carribean, Asian and Eastern European - seemed quite nonchalant about letting it all hang out, I decided to benefit from a full body cleanse (no one I knew was there anyway). <br /><br />The upper level was a Victorian green and white tiled domed space with lounge chairs for relaxing before and after your steam. The lower level housed two Russian steam rooms, so hot that I was unable to see anything when I first entered. There were also three Turkish hot rooms graduating from warm, medium to boiling. The warm room, the tepidarium, was probably no hotter than a really hot day in Queensland, so many people took in magazines and books to read while building up a gentle sweat. <br /><br />In between the heat you can have a blasting cold shower or bravely dip into the icy plunge pool (I got to my knees before scurrying out). There were also treatment rooms for which you have to pay extra, and I never did find the Finnish sauna cabin.<br /><br />Once you enter you can stay as long as you like, so I alternatively steamed, showered and read the Sunday Times. A very relaxing way to spend a Sunday morning, and with the added benefits of baby-smooth skin afterwards.Jetsetting Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110252982989911383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8588121891751817861.post-40044498226324647862009-02-28T12:05:00.004+00:002009-03-02T17:39:27.060+00:00HOT: Petersham Nurseries Restaurant, Off Petersham Road, Richmond TW10 7AG<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OxTQ77UEExw/SapKK7zq5mI/AAAAAAAAAqc/23i7wvOITj0/s1600-h/Petersham+006.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308136662523111010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OxTQ77UEExw/SapKK7zq5mI/AAAAAAAAAqc/23i7wvOITj0/s320/Petersham+006.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OxTQ77UEExw/SapKKOiRKdI/AAAAAAAAAqM/0eHl5szZWFA/s1600-h/Petersham+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308136650370525650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OxTQ77UEExw/SapKKOiRKdI/AAAAAAAAAqM/0eHl5szZWFA/s320/Petersham+003.jpg" border="0" /></a> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308136667399337138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_OxTQ77UEExw/SapKLN-QNLI/AAAAAAAAAqk/IvpMSf2OtfA/s320/Petersham+007.jpg" border="0" />I thought I'd done with Chiswick forever, so I was frustrated when I discovered that I'd have to schlep out there again, on my precious weekend, to rescue a blue skirt that I'd abandoned at the dry cleaners.<br /><br /><div>But in a Pollyanna moment of inspiration, I decided I'd make a fun trip of it and head out to <a href="http://www.petershamnurseries.com/home.asp">Petersham Nurseries </a>for lunch. It's a tube/train to Richmond, and then a short bus ride, but the trip is quite pleasant as the hectic density of Central London transforms into the villagey Richmond high street and then the bucolic fields and winding Thames, where the birds twitter and the air smells fresher. </div><br /><div></div><div>The restaurant is an extension of the delightful shop and is located inside one of the large greenhouses, which gives it a sense of alfresco dining even in the depths of winter. It was gasp-inducing in its beauty - a dirt floor combined with rustic French country chic, with a dash of the subcontinent in the Indian hangings and bamboo mats slung on the walls and the ceiling. The table decorations were simply a pot of fragrant herbs and a dusky pomegranate or bright lemon, and on the sideboard was an antique Salter scale loaded with an abundance of freshly picked clementines. </div><br /><div></div><div>And the food was absolutely incredible. Given the expensive menu, I had originally resolved to only have two courses, but that was quickly thrown aside. My starter of Dorset crab and white polenta was a meagre description for the inspired pairing of flavours and textures. As slowly as I could, I savoured the light summery flakes of crab and lemon zest melding into the warming winter comfort of the polenta. Next up was a crispy skinned and juicy guinea fowl, balanced with a pat of anchovy butter and some lightly charred Treviso radicchio. Dessert was a barely baked blood orange tart, oozing bright citrus flavours. </div><br /><div></div><div>I was so impressed by the setting and the quality of the food that I felt I compelled to have a word with the Australian chef, Skye Gyngell. She must get gushing foodies coming to her all the time (she's written a couple of books and writes a column in the Independent on Sundays) but I hope she understood the depth of my appreciation. I told her that it was my last weekend in London, and in my two years it was one of the best meals I'd ever had. A special memory to take home with me. </div><br /><div></div><div>PS If you want to visit Petersham Nurseries, you'd better go soon, as it may not be able to continue as it is for much longer. They are currently applying for permanent planning permission with Richmond City Council. To support their application, click <a href="http://www.petershamnurseries.com/our-battle-with-richmond-council.asp">here</a>. </div><div></div></div></div>Jetsetting Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110252982989911383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8588121891751817861.post-76894759552968079872009-02-27T17:10:00.007+00:002009-03-02T18:16:16.649+00:00NOT: Spring Awakening, Lyric Hammersmith, King St, Hammersmith W6 0QLYalin and I both agreed - we didn't dislike <a href="http://www.lyric.co.uk/fromhomepage/pl356.html">Spring Awakening</a>, but we didn't like it either - and we wouldn't recommend it others.<br /><br />I can see why the hype had built up. The adolescent search for meaning, identity and knowledge is a theme with which every audience member could identify, in their present or in their past. The teenage cast were engaging, with pretty Charlotte Wakefield (Wendla) giving a particularly standout performance with her charming, poised stage presence and beautiful ringing voice that I could have listened to forever.<br /><br />However, mainly what put us off was the music, some of the singing and the somewhat amateurish choreography. The modern lyrics were incomprehensible, some of the storyline was weird (Wendla asking to be beaten), at times the singing was nasal and out of tune and the dancing/stomping/jumping made it almost like a very slick Rock Eisteddford performance.<br /><br />Perhaps I would have loved it if I'd been 18....Jetsetting Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110252982989911383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8588121891751817861.post-38534884658461616042009-02-26T12:57:00.000+00:002009-03-01T08:05:24.506+00:00HOT: Duke of Sussex, 75 South Parade, Chiswick W4 5LFIt's a shame that it was only two days before the end of my job that we discovered the nearby gastropub, the Duke of Sussex. It would be a perfect summer venue, as the front faces Acton Green, and the back contains a greenery filled beer garden. In winter it's still lovely, as the dining room has been beautifully refurbished with crystal chandeliers hanging from the high carved ceiling.<br /><br />The menu is reasonably priced and unexpectedly veers between traditional English pub grub and Spanish dishes. My seafood paella (12 pounds), individually served in its own small paella pan, was full of lively flavours, and the vanilla cheesecake with pomegranate and blood orange (5 pounds) was a deceptively light cake which felled me about an hour later. With our Chiswick Park One Card we got an extra 20% off the total bill, leaving everyone a happy camper.Jetsetting Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110252982989911383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8588121891751817861.post-45094182091884611722009-02-25T19:26:00.001+00:002009-03-02T17:39:46.743+00:00NOT: Burnt by the Sun, National Theatre, Southbank SE1 9PX<a href="http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/">Burnt by the Sun</a> is a stage adaptation of the Oscar-winning Russian film of the same name. I remember watching the film and being struck by the idyllic Russian landscape, the languid summer heat and the creeping feeling of menace that begins when an unexpected guest arrives at the house.<br /><br />On stage, it's hard to capture that kind of atmosphere, although the rotating set of the cut-away country dacha was very inventive. Also, the twist in this story of love and revenge doesn't seem quite so original when you know that the playwright adapted a screenplay written by others.<br /><br />I have previously been impressed Rory Kinnear in <a href="http://ldnhotornot.blogspot.com/2008/06/hot-revengers-tragedy-national-theatre.html">The Revenger's Tragedy </a>and Man of Mode, but in this role I was never really convinced that he once loved Maroussia so passionately that he would fulfil a personal vendetta against her husband. His former love affair just wasn't credible as there was little chemistry between Kinnear and Michelle Dockery. Dockery, whilst quite good, played Maroussia in a very similar vein to Eliza Doolittle in her recent <a href="http://ldnhotornot.blogspot.com/2008/08/hot-pygmalion-old-vic-theatre-cut-se1.html">Pygmalion</a> so I found that I was watching her <em>act</em>, rather than <em>be</em>.<br /><br />All in all, it was a sound production, but not one to get particularly excited about - a shame as the film is one of my favourite foreign films.Jetsetting Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110252982989911383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8588121891751817861.post-36750896680156742932009-02-23T19:04:00.003+00:002009-03-01T09:01:49.425+00:00HOT: The Warrington, 93 Warrington Crescent, Maida Vale W9 1EH<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OxTQ77UEExw/SapOhxy2A9I/AAAAAAAAAqs/7SE6ECsg55Q/s1600-h/Petersham+001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308141453018792914" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OxTQ77UEExw/SapOhxy2A9I/AAAAAAAAAqs/7SE6ECsg55Q/s320/Petersham+001.jpg" border="0" /></a>You'd better hope that the <a href="http://www.gordonramsay.com/thewarrington/">Warrington </a>was a HOT, given that I was going to be eating there three times in the next week.<br /><br />The stunning Gordon Ramsay gastropub has been beautifully restored, with gleaming carved pillars, brightly coloured mosaic-tiled entrance and a dark wooden interior. The sedate cream and beige dining room upstairs was more Modern British, like its menu. We had the 2 course special for £15 from the Times, and my thick pumpkin soup and enormous chicken pie with mash were very good. Everyone agreed that all the dishes were well executed and to cap it off, served with friendliness. It was a perfect venue for a cosy Monday night dinner with friends.Jetsetting Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110252982989911383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8588121891751817861.post-43242464871734994152009-02-22T19:53:00.000+00:002009-02-27T17:03:34.688+00:00HOT: Confessions of a Shopaholic, Notting Hill Coronet, 103 Notting Hill Gate W11 3LBThe Notting Hill Coronet <em>still</em> seems to be experiencing <a href="http://ldnhotornot.blogspot.com/2009/02/not-revolutionary-road-coronet-cinema.html">heating problems in Screen 1</a>, its main theatre. Luckily, I didn't have to suffer it a second time for the early Sunday night session of the escapist romcom, <a href="http://www.bluefly.com/media/promotions/flash/shopaholic/main/shopaholic.html">Confessions of a Shopaholic</a>.<br /><br />I had low expectations of this film as its title seemed to sell it as a flimsy piece of trashy cinema. So I was really surprised to find myself enjoying the film - it's not all about shopping and being fabulous. Becky Bloomwood has a serious shopping addition which means that she is only happy when she buys things. Her problem causes her to lie and sees her humiliated, and it almost ruins her career, her friendships, her love life and her parents' dream - basically all the things that are important in life. Isla Fisher plays a likeable heroine so you're glad when there's a happy ending and she ends up with a great job, her friends and Hugh Dancy.<br /><br />On that note, can I just state for the record that in my two years in London I have <em>never</em> met an Englishman who came close to being as good looking and charming as Hugh Dancy. Maybe they only exist in the movies....Jetsetting Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110252982989911383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8588121891751817861.post-23425721321218038352009-02-22T17:57:00.002+00:002009-02-28T09:27:04.338+00:00HOT: Altermodern, Tate Britain, Millbank London SW1P 4RGBrek had told me to give <a href="http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/exhibitions/altermodern/">Altermodern</a> a miss - I think boring was the term used for the Tate's triennial exhibition of modern British art. While admittedly some of the works weren't new or interesting, in general I have to disagree. I don't know what made the art particularly British (as opposed to American, or Western European) but I really liked some of the more conceptual works in the exhibition:<br /><ul><li>Walead Beshty <em>Fedex Large Kraft Boxes</em>. Mel was incredulous 'You mean the one with all smashed glass boxes???'. Maybe because I was in the midst of packing hell myself, but the identical glass boxes, damaged and chipped as they were sent by Fedex from country to country, aptly reflected the anxiety and general state of fragility I was experiencing through uprooting my life and moving countries (again). </li><li>Loris Greaud <em>Tremors Where Forever</em>. The brainwaves of intense thought transformed into physical vibrations eminating from a dangled octopus of white wires. Wow. </li><li>Simon Starling <em>Three White Desks</em>. The physical embodiment of Chinese Whispers. A Berlin cabinet maker was given a photograph of a desk and asked to rebuild it. A Sydney cabinet maker was given a photograph of the Berlin desk and asked to rebuild it. Finally, a London cabinet maker was given a photograph of the Sydney desk and asked to rebuild it. Again, maybe it was because I was also in a state of transition in my life, but the outwardly similar, but on closer inspection, slightly different, white desks spoke to me about the issues of immigration, other-ness and assimilation.</li><li>Subodh Gupta <em>Line of Control</em>. I had originally thought that this enormous sculpture was of a metal tree, but in fact it was pots and pans and other metal household objects forming a giant mushroom cloud. The exhibition guide said that it represented 'a world constantly being lost or destroyed, only to emerge anew, reconfigured and reconstructed from its own debris'. My interpretation was more prosaic - a sculpture warning of the everyday, ordinary-life impact of a nuclear bomb.</li></ul>Jetsetting Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110252982989911383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8588121891751817861.post-84202947604778062612009-02-22T16:47:00.001+00:002009-03-02T17:42:28.097+00:00HOT: Van Dyck and Britain, Tate Britain, Millbank SW1P 4RGThe paintings in the <a href="http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/exhibitions/vandyck/default.shtm">Van Dyck and Britain </a>exhibition were really beautiful and a definite contrast to the stiff linear portraits of his predecessors. His fluid and loose brushwork seemed to have the ability to bring out the luminosity of skin, and bring life to his sitters' eyes, even after all these centuries. Look out particularly for his self-portrait and the portrait of Thomas Arundel in Room 1. However, be warned that it does get a bit repetitive after eight rooms of Lord this and Lady that.Jetsetting Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110252982989911383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8588121891751817861.post-44924758851652859652009-02-21T23:04:00.002+00:002009-02-28T07:09:12.313+00:00HOT: The Double Club, 7 Torrens Street Islington EC1V 1NQI love the tagline for the <a href="http://www.thedoubleclub.co.uk/">Double Club</a>, a temporary bar, restaurant and disco designed by Carston Holler; 'where the Congo meets the West, and the West meets the Congo'. Not only that, but as the brightest new thing on the temporary pop-up venue firmanent, it felt like the United Nations. The crowd ranged from blond highlighted Sloanes, glamorous towering Africans a la Grace Jones, awkward buttoned-down white men jigging awkwardly from foot to foot, trendy malnutritioned art-students, and then us - Asian lawyers + Anglo-Saxon lawyers.<br /><br />Everything in The Double Club is....double. The decor is part Congolese (giraffe print stone walls, African tiling) and part Western (original Andy Warhols on the wall). The menu has Congolese dishes on one side, Western dishes on the other. We tried everything on the Congolese menu and while it wasn't bad, it wasn't something I'd be rushing to try again. Let's just say everything was stew and spinach and it cost 26 pounds. The disco normally switches between the happy lingawa to Western techno, although on Saturday night they had a live Congolese act which got the whole crowd bouncing and waving their arms in happy abandonment.Jetsetting Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110252982989911383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8588121891751817861.post-39629624672663072882009-02-21T13:57:00.003+00:002009-02-27T17:26:55.064+00:00HOT: J Sheekey, 28-32 St. Martins Court, Covent Garden WC2N 4AL<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OxTQ77UEExw/SagiNWJm5eI/AAAAAAAAAp8/oiwZxEmX4gg/s1600-h/P1040719.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307529773535651298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OxTQ77UEExw/SagiNWJm5eI/AAAAAAAAAp8/oiwZxEmX4gg/s320/P1040719.JPG" border="0" /></a> Martin's favourite London restaurant is the old school seafood institution, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.j-sheekey.co.uk/">J Sheekey</a>. The building is split into two - the dark wood dining room, hung with many black and white photos of theatre luminaries who have eaten there, and the Oyster Bar, very Parisian with its black and white tiles and brass railings. We ate in the dining room, but in future I will request a table in the Oyster Bar.<br /><br />On the weekend it has a good value 3 course menu for 24.50 with Julia Childs' style comfort food. Martin and I experienced the opposite ends of the seafood spectrum. I went for a creamy potato and smoked haddock soup, following by another creamy and buttery fish pie. Martin tried the light potted salmon with toast, and then a small fillet of plaice with shrimps. We both ended with two scoops of chocolatey ice-cream. Not the best food in the world, but a nice place for good solid food.Jetsetting Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110252982989911383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8588121891751817861.post-24799557109444983332009-02-21T12:53:00.001+00:002009-02-27T17:27:40.474+00:00HOT: Somerset House Guided Tour, Strand London WC2R 1LA<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_OxTQ77UEExw/SagigYSljcI/AAAAAAAAAqE/ELlXocXj9tk/s1600-h/P1040715.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307530100527697346" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_OxTQ77UEExw/SagigYSljcI/AAAAAAAAAqE/ELlXocXj9tk/s320/P1040715.JPG" border="0" /></a> Every first and third Saturday of the month, Somerset House volunteers take <a href="http://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats_on/104.asp">free guided tours</a> of the building, including hidden spaces that are not usually accessible to the public. They are very popular, so its first in. The tour takes you through the history of the palace/government buildings, and includes a wander through the beautiful cantilevered Nelson stairs, the subterranean Deadhouse with Catholic tombstones embedded into the stone walls and a visit to the Barge House with a glass case holding a long, ornate barge.Jetsetting Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110252982989911383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8588121891751817861.post-15629577700305846012009-02-21T11:49:00.000+00:002009-02-22T08:53:21.515+00:00HOT: London Transport Museum Shop, 39 Wellington Street, Covent Garden WC2E 7BBI've got my priorities right - skip the museum, go straight to the museum shop. <a href="http://www.ltmuseumshop.co.uk/">London Transport Museum</a> is a great place to buy unique London gifts, ranging from old Tube posters, vintage underground toy cars to a Swiss airline trolley! My purchases were much more modest - some very funny greeting cards featuring London street signs and imprints of the A to Z.Jetsetting Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110252982989911383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8588121891751817861.post-2434685292721410912009-02-19T20:09:00.001+00:002009-02-20T15:20:38.924+00:00NOT: Le Corbusier - The Art of Architecture, Barbican Art Gallery, Silk Street EC2Y 8DSIn a week I will be staying in the famous Unite d'Habitation, so I was really eager to learn as much as I could about its influential architect, Le Corbusier. However, I think the Barbican's exhibition, <a href="http://www.barbican.org.uk/artgallery/event-detail.asp?id=8114">Le Corbusier — The Art of Architecture, </a>would gain a lot from a guided tour by a human. While I have an interest in architecture, I don't have enough of an interest to wade through an interminable number of miniature black and white photographs of buildings and architectural plans. Some of the models were interesting, some of the furniture was interesting, but nothing was interesting enough to hold my interest for every long. I hope seeing his building for real in Marseillle will be a better experience.Jetsetting Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110252982989911383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8588121891751817861.post-5110584853058987672009-02-19T19:04:00.001+00:002009-02-20T15:09:53.771+00:00NOT: Autobiographical Interiors and Objects, Barbican Centre, Silk Street EC2Y 8DSI don't know much about Le Corbusier, so I thought a <a href="http://www.barbican.org.uk/artgallery/event-detail.asp?ID=8540">talk about his work by Arthur Rüegg, Le Corbusier exhibition curator</a>, would provide some useful insights. Unfortunately, his 30 minute speech was completely unengaging - he sounded like he was reciting from an architecture textbook, full of esoteric terms and convulated phrases. The only thing I learnt was that apparently Le Corbusier was quite a messy person. I found my mind wandering all the time, the lady next to me kept nodding off and clearly the rest of the audience were numbed into a stupor as no one had any questions.Jetsetting Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110252982989911383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8588121891751817861.post-60499121601611014952009-02-17T19:47:00.000+00:002009-02-18T12:04:22.907+00:00HOT: deVille Restaurant, Mandeville Hotel, Mandeville Place, Marylebone W1U 2BE<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_OxTQ77UEExw/SZv5HNeXH9I/AAAAAAAAAp0/bCNrW-i9NPE/s1600-h/P1040713.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304106888430297042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_OxTQ77UEExw/SZv5HNeXH9I/AAAAAAAAAp0/bCNrW-i9NPE/s320/P1040713.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OxTQ77UEExw/SZv5Gt-KftI/AAAAAAAAAps/C_w25eCVlTo/s1600-h/P1040712.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304106879973752530" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OxTQ77UEExw/SZv5Gt-KftI/AAAAAAAAAps/C_w25eCVlTo/s320/P1040712.JPG" border="0" /></a>Dinner at deVille Restaurant, at the fashionable <a href="http://www.mandeville.co.uk/">Mandeville Hotel</a>, marked the beginning of farewells with my London friends (sob). Being a secluded hotel restaurant, it was pretty empty on a Tuesday night, but I cannot recommend this place highly enough.<br /><br /><p>The glamorous decor was a plush grey with hints of plum reflecting off with mirrors. The service was welcoming and attentive, but not obstrusive. The bread was delicious, they didn't sneer at tap water nor when we ordered to fantastic value three course menu at £15.50. Every dish was carefully presented with delicate flavours, from our thinly sliced tea smoked duck and orange salad, the pork cutlets with mash, and the crowning glory of a bread and butter pudding (chocolate fondant for Riya). At full price, it was wonderful. At half price, thanks to <a href="http://www.tastelondon.co.uk/">Taste London</a>, it was a miracle. The whole meal, including service, was £8.72 a head. </p></div>Jetsetting Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110252982989911383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8588121891751817861.post-11218319068236513652009-02-15T19:23:00.002+00:002009-02-18T11:37:59.478+00:00HOT: Secret Cinema, Shepherds Bush Empire, 56 Shepherds Bush Green W12 8QE<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OxTQ77UEExw/SZvyjt4OisI/AAAAAAAAApE/ndYEwJYKAnc/s1600-h/cauldron.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304099681583663810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OxTQ77UEExw/SZvyjt4OisI/AAAAAAAAApE/ndYEwJYKAnc/s320/cauldron.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_OxTQ77UEExw/SZmkI59i9WI/AAAAAAAAAo0/yl5h67tf__I/s1600-h/P1040696.JPG"></a><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303450511271513234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_OxTQ77UEExw/SZmkJCAzzJI/AAAAAAAAAo8/QVQV8M3uWW8/s320/P1040709.JPG" border="0" />Saturday night - opera; Sunday night - heavy metal.<br /><div></div><div> </div><div><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.secretcinema.org/">Secret Cinema</a> has been on my London to-do list for a while, although it no longer has its underground feel because it's been written up in every newspaper and listings magazine. The queue snaking around <a href="http://www.o2shepherdsbushempire.co.uk/">Shepherds Bush Empire </a>on a Sunday night was testament to the popularity of the concept. </div><br /><div></div><div>Basically, you buy a ticket for a mystery film, at a mystery destination. A few days before, you're given your location and the film is only revealed on the night. There are clues along the way though - we were asked to dress in 80s rock (lots of shiny leggings on men, big teased hair, fur, leather and blow up guitars) and the ticket categories were 'Rock God' and 'Shady Promoters'. Hmmm....'This is Spinal Tap' was my bet, until I spotted a new movie poster in the tube.....</div><br /><div></div><div><a href="http://anvilmovie.com/">Anvil! The Story of Anvil</a> is a documentary (no, not a mockumentary Huy) about an 80s Canadian heavy metal band that never really made it, despite the likes of Metallica, Anthrax and Slayer citing their influential music. Now in their 50s, they're still together and trying again to get a break. It's unintentionally funny, poignant and heartwarming as you follow their quest for a last chance at fame. </div><br /><div></div><div>And then.....the special guests of the event were Anvil, live on stage! It was fantastic, even though it wasn't my sort of music. The crowd cheered them on as they thrashed their guitars, swung their sweaty hair around and RAWKED like old rockers do. </div><br /><div></div></div>Jetsetting Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110252982989911383noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8588121891751817861.post-92220237712486658382009-02-15T12:47:00.004+00:002009-02-18T11:41:09.600+00:00NOT: River Cafe, Thames Wharf, Rainville Road, Hammersmith W6 9HA<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304100600903160930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OxTQ77UEExw/SZvzZOnE1GI/AAAAAAAAApM/OsKeQ2awPf8/s320/river+cafe+1.jpg" border="0" /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OxTQ77UEExw/SZvzgrlm9HI/AAAAAAAAApU/ElQS25WHpds/s1600-h/river+cafe+2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304100728940721266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OxTQ77UEExw/SZvzgrlm9HI/AAAAAAAAApU/ElQS25WHpds/s320/river+cafe+2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304100730442682514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OxTQ77UEExw/SZvzgxLtEJI/AAAAAAAAApc/FrOjs_CKbb4/s320/river+cafe+3.jpg" border="0" />The famous <a href="http://www.rivercafe.co.uk/">River Cafe </a>is a London institution probably because (a) it's not cheap (b) it's hard to get a booking; and (c) it's inconvenient to get to via public transport.<br /><br />The light and airy restaurant has floor to ceiling windows with views of the murky Thames but why the cobalt blue carpet? That and the long dining room reminded me a bit of a cruise ship.<br /><br />The Italian food was generally of a high quality and flavoursome. Everyone else loved their dishes, although personally I thought my spinach tagliatelle didn't have enough of an al dente bite and the scallops in my main dish were definitely overcooked and rubbery. The chococlate nemesis was an amazing chocolate cake, almost like a baked chocolate mouse in its pillowy softness. Service was ok and unremarkable.<br /><br />So the question I keep coming back to is "was it worth it?". I liked it, but at £65 for 3 courses and a prosecco cocktail, I needed to love it. Besides the cache of name-checking such a famous place, I think I enjoyed my food and surroundings equally at <a href="http://ldnhotornot.blogspot.com/2009/02/hot-dehesa-25-ganton-street-soho-w1f.html">Dehesa the day before</a>, at less than half the price. The fact I could think of many other (recession friendly, easily accessible) restaurants I'd rather go to before this one makes me conclude it as a NOT. Controversial, I know.</div>Jetsetting Joycehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02110252982989911383noreply@blogger.com0