marjoram's Qype profile

I was lucky enough to go on a QYPE event.... but lazy enough to only just write my review (slapped wrists)
This is place is a theme park restaurant in camden. An South African theme, if south africa was in Vegas. I know this £5m venture has been heavily researched and planned to give the dinner something authentic... but really?! I've never been, but i'm sceptical. Even if not the genuine article, this place is impressive.
This place is masssssive. And just keeps going. I actually got lost going to the loo... nothing to do with all the yummy red wine they gave me!
We were lucky enough to meet Barry Vera, the head chef. It was amazing to hear someone of his calibre to speak so passionately about food and learn of his travels around the world. A real treat.
We were also lucky enough to try Shaka Zulu sample board of springbok, ostrich, and kudu with different sauces. At £70 for the platter, you got to REALLY want to try some different meats! Im glad I did though!
In whole, I would recommend this place for drinks with friends or a works night out (with the boss paying). Novelty place.

This was THE best QYPE event I have been on though! So well thought out, interesting, educational. REALLY Excellent job organising, hats off!

Did a Jack the Ripper Tour with Golden Tours and i was left disappointed.

We were breaking in a new tour guy, which Im fine with... everyone has to have a first day... this wasn't the issue. Unfortunately, we had the older more experience tour guide come along who insisted on whispering nasty comments about the new guy, who in my opinion was doing a great job on his own. In the end, the older guy came and took over the tour and I think it was a real shame. The old guy's gimmick seemed to be emphasising the R in RRRRRRipper at an alarming decibel... great the first time... annoying the seventh.

Now, I may have no experience hosting tours, but if I was organising a Jack the Ripper tour, my main priority would be taking people to murders spots and explain in more detail how they were killed etc. Basic.
The old tour guide's preferred method would be explaining in some detail about murders but then getting to a street junction and point generally where the murders actually were. Not my style. I looked longingly at the many, many tours that seems to be traipsing the area that night in the ACTUAL SPOTS where the murders happened. And their guides were in costumes. Jealous.

To be honest, the only murder in the east end was our guide murdering our tour. In the end we actually felt RRRRRRRipped off. Go see the tour, but not with Golden Tours.

where can you take a one year old in london? Something interactive? something FREE?

The basement of the Science Museum takes a little bit of navigating to find, but well worth it. The specially designed section for toddlers is a multi-sensory play area where the little people can let loose and bang drums, splash in water or play with building blocks. It was a complete success. Perhaps maybe our little one year old was a tad too young to fully appreciate all the play centres... but i think he (and defo me the big kid) really enjoyed it.

the only problem was gettin the little fella out of there at home time!!

If you are ever in town and you need a cheap, midnight feast, this is the spot! This place stays open until 2am, but you do not need to be drunk to eat here! Endorsed and often visited by by celebrity chefs such as Jason Atherton and Gordon Ramsey, this place does chinese in style.

The service is great and they have some great deals on set menus.
Recommended is the Chilli squid (£7), salt and pepper pork ribs (£5.50) and the beef curry (£5.50).

I attended the QYPE event ‘Dr. Sketchy’ at RVT (Royal Vauxhall Tavern)

The event was the most random mix of events. . . Burlesque with Drawing? And comedy cabaret?? 3 nights for the price of one!!!

After a comical burlesque dance that went from Star Trek to tit tassels in less than 30 seconds, it was drawing time! This was like Pictionary on acid! The room, packed full to capacity, all abilities were ‘beavering’ away, trying to come up with the best or funniest picture they could. This Parlour type game was great fun: to draw using their left hand in a minute without looking was a challenge for even those with artistic ability!

We had a great laugh, mostly at my rubbish pictures. Great fun.

I recently visited Scoffers restaurant in Clapham.

In terms of style, Scoffers is a magpie, picking up dishes from all over – Thai, Chinese, French, Italian and transporting them to its nest perched on Battersea Rise.

For a midweek adventure in these credit crunched times, we went for the prix fix menu – 2 courses for 10 pounds. I was delighted when the Provencal mussels arrived. Accompanied by a garlic ciabatta toast, I mopped up the last of rich tomato broth. Licking my lips in satisfaction…what a lovely meal, I thought. Oh….but wait….this was 2 courses for ten pounds. More to come!

Could they beat this lovely starter with the next course…..? In a word….no. A very frank and clear NO. If the first course was a summers evening in Cannes then the second course was a wet weekend and a slap in the face. The “curry” main course (and yes, the use of inverted commas is very significant) was the consistency of dishwater and the taste…well….mildly spiced dishwater.

Now I am a typical Brit, I don’t like to complain in restaurants. But in this instance I felt it very necessary to complain. You may think that 2 course for 10 pounds, “you get what you pay for” but it wasn’t the lack of costly ingredients in the dish… it was lacking in love! The use of some low prices spices and a little time to allow the sauce to thicken, then this dish would have been fine, but without this…. I just had to complain.

The waiting staff couldn’t be nicer, and allowed us to re-order to make sure we left 100% satisfied. Ordering off the more exciting starter menu, we opted for more seafood, which was pleasant enough.

For me Scoffers just doesn’t get off the starters block! Its mains from around the world just don’t cut it for me. Jack of all Trades, Master of None. If it stuck to good, solid Mediterranean dishes that it seemed to do well and if kept their well-mannered staff then I would come back to this potentially lovely neighbourhood restaurant.

SUSHI MAKING EVENT

Being a London newbie (and also QYPE newbie, come to mention it), I attended my first QYPE event, Sushi Making at Cocoon. Cocoon is a glamorous and chic venue, no wonder it has previously used for fashion shoots and perfume launches.

The immaculately dressed hostess gave us the brief history of sushi. (NB The original 'sushi bars’ were actually portable wagon carts.) We watched in wonder at the beautiful knife skills of sushi chef who danced his knife through the sea bream separating fillet from skin effortlessly.

Monkey see.…Monkey do and the Sushi Generation Game ensued. Fortunaletely we were not trusted with the sharp Japanese knives (good job too, I like my fingers!!!) We worked our way through Tekka-maki (A tuna roll), Inari (tofu stuffed with rice) and Hakozushi (A type of pressed sushi made using a rectangular wooden mold.) On the whole the groups efforts were edible but way below the experienced skills of the sushi master.

I cannot fault the event, I was fed, watered, and I learnt things along the way. Do it if you get the chance….gochisou sama deshita (thanks for the meal)