BUBBLEDOGS

i can't say i was overly impressed with bubbledogs. i'd heard all the hype surrounding its launch and have to admit i got swept up in it so when my mum asked if i fancied popping in after a shopping trip to Oxford street, i excitedly agreed.

i opted for the jose dog - a mexican inspired hotdog topped with salsa, avocado, sourcream and jalapeños, whilst my mum went for a New Yorker with caramelised onions. the dogs are pretty substandard if i'm honest, they reminded me of those frankferters you get out of a can - not the gourmet dog i'd been expecting for £7.50. I was impressed with the sweet potato fries - the perfect combination of sweet, salty and crunchy and as expected the champagne was delicious.

it really is a champagne bar, and the food is very much secondary to the alcohol but the gimmick factor is nice nonetheless. Would i go back - no, would i recommend it to a friend?again no but i am glad i went and gave it a go.

http://www.bubbledogs.co.uk/

70 Charlotte Street, London W1T 4QG

RIVER ISLAND WEDGES

Wedges are my go-to shoe when it's a sunny day, and now we're experiencing the first signs of summer, i popped into river island to search for a new pair and instantly fell in love with these peep toe platform wedges. I loved the cut out style and ankle strap and the extra bonus is that they are as comfortable to walk in as flats...obviously when you find a shoe this perfect,  you have to buy them in both colours (right?)

What do you think?

FEAST FESTIVAL - "I LOVE IT WHEN YOU CALL ME BIG POPPA"

On Thursday evening, i headed down to Brick Lane for the hotly anticipated foodie event We Feast festival. Now in its 4th year, Feast rounds up a huge collection of London's top culinary champions from Mark Hix through to Meringue Girls, all serving up their best offerings in the chilled atmosphere of brick lane yard.

There was so much delicious food on offer, i literally had to restrain myself from eating something from every stand but here are my highlights below... first up, the ultimate comfort food in 'Carlos the Cactus' from when mac met cheese - cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan, jalapeños and broccoli...(cue blissful coronary heartattack) 

Next up...50 day aged beef shorb rib tacos courtesy of Breddo's tacos....

The absolute star of the show though, has to be Patty & Bun's effort 'The Big Poppa' Burger. A juicy burger patty topped with chilli ketchup, double cheese, guacamole, habenero & cherry tomato salsa, pickle chillies, pickled onions all served in a brioche bun with a good squeeze of P&B mayo (my god!)

Tastes even  better when you sing 'it was all a dream' your head with every bite...

DISHOOM

to celebrate my brother's birthday this year, he wanted to go for a curry - but "not just to the one down the road" - so we had a bit of hunt around the net for inspiration and our searches pointed us in the direction of Dishoom. 

we opted for the branch in covent garden,as it was central for everyone to meet, but there is also a restaurant in Shoreditch. it's billed as a 'bombay cafe in london' with the walls adorned with bollywood inspired posters, trinkets and mirrors which enhance the bombay atmosphere. my personal favourite was the rules which greet you on arrival:

As there were 6 of us so we decided to order a selection of dishes from the menu and share them out between us. we went for 2 lots of vegetable and lamb samosas, 2  keema pau, 2 chicken ruby, 2 rice, a chicken biriyani, 2 classic naan, murgh mala, dishoom chicken tikka, lamb boti kabab, gunpowder potatoes and a portion of the house black daal. sadly the one dish we really wanted to try, the lamb chops, was sold out but I guess that's the perfect excuse to go back again! Now this sounds like a lot of food but we wolfed the whole lot down and it was delicious. The keema pau was a real stand out dish for me, it's a sort of spiced lamb mince which you scoop up using pieces of hot buttered bun - almost street food style! The whole meal came to less than £20 a head which we were all really impressed with and I will definitely be heading back for those lamb chops!

www.dishoom.com/

12 Upper St. Martin’s Lane, London WC2H 9FB