London : Koya

In the midst of London's bloody weather, it's always good if you can find a good bowl of hot soup dishes isn't it ? Been heard of Koya or Koya Bar before, so we decided to try this place for lunch. Koya's head chef was a Japanese, so we kind of had that expectation of experiencing real authentic food in Koya. 

That time was lunch time and the place was quite busy. The place wasn't that spacious though, but we finally managed to get seats. The interior was very Japanese. Minimalist and clean.
Also have heard that this place was recommended by David Chang, and Heston Blumenthal also been joining the queue. Higher expectation now? :D

 

The menu was quite simple. They served hot or cold noodle and also donburi. That time I tried their Butajiru Udon ( Pork )  - £ 11.80. I love their Udon and it's said that it was homemade. It's springy and bouncy and cooked perfectly. The broth however, was quite light compared to the pork udon/ramen that I ever had before. Not oily and had strong ginger taste. With rocket and carrot for garnished, you could say that this udon has been westernized isn't it  ?

Well overall I still kind of enjoying it. But I personally think that the broth could be done much- much better. Well I'm still keen on trying other dishes though if I'm happen to visit London again! :)

Their Tap Water Jar !

Koya 
49 Frith Street
London W1D 4SG, UK
Phone :  +44 20 7434 4463
Twitter : @KoyaUdon

London : Prêt-à-Portea - The Berkeley Hotel

Some of you may know, that I WON A TRIP TO LONDON WITH MAGNUM INFINITY ! haha... Sorry I have to write it in capslock because I couldn't describe how happy and blessed I am ! London has always been the city of my dream. Vintage, Quirky, Classic and..... Accent ! If you ever checked my About Me tab ( yes I have to update it again ), it's funny that I really write down of dreaming to be able to visit London. Now IT IS came true! Crazy right?? 

Well.. it's just reminded me again, that never ever limit your dreams. Dream BIG, and do whatever you can do to make your dream happen, and let God do the rest ! I'm very grateful for this opportunity, and I'm personally wanna say my BIG thanks to Magnum Indonesia, KokikuTV, Alchemy to make my dream came true!

Well the 5D4N Magnum Infinity trip to London was really treating me well, and I enjoyed every second. Even though the weather was crap and too-cold-for-Indonesian, but still... it's an amazing experience. Especially for this, spending our afternoon and having posh Afternoon Tea at Prêt-à-Portea, The Berkeley Hotel. 
 

It will be such ashamed if you come to England and did not have any Afternoon Tea. It's been a British classic culture since 1840's, and it's really .... chic ! The Berkeley was a 5 star hotel with  it's historical values, and Prêt-à-Portea was started since 2005 in their Caramel Room. It's not too spacious though, that's why you need to book in advance, if you wanna experience this fashionista's afternoon tea. Like in our case, the team was already booked 2 months in advance for this Magnum Trip! ( Thanks for the effort guys! )

As I mention before, Prêt-à-Portea is a place for Fashionista! What makes them different from any other Afternoon Tea is, the pastry that they served are based on what's in season and what's on trend in the fashion world! Since we were come on May, then all the pastries that they served was based on Spring/Summer '14 collection. Prêt-à-Portea was already famous for this, and many famous fashionista's always booked their table to enjoy this posh Afternoon Tea. If you love fashion, you'll definitely have to try, at least once ! 

I love how they mix classic and bold striking color. It's just like what I always like in my fashion. I always love to pair a classic black color with neon green or even shocking pink to make it fun. The Afternoon Tea will cost you £41.00/ person, but you are free to enjoy their savory and sweet treats, also their collection of teas as much as you can ! :D 

The afternoon tea started with their Berkeley Tea Sandwiches. I love the one with Salmon and Cheese. Perfect !

Then the beautiful 3 tiers treat come to our table, and we do take time of taking pictures here and there until we finally eat it. Lols. Too pretty to be eaten !

Heavennnn!

The savory canapes are Tuna Tartare, Ham and Cheese Filo Pie, Crab Salad Cone, Tomato Water and Goat's Cheese and Beetroot Mousse. All was great and yummy, but I really like their Tuna Tartare and Tomato Water.

The list of designer-inspired sweet treats are :
Christian Louboutin chocolate biscuit Pigalle Spike heel with fresh turquoise hue icing and signature red sole
Karla Colletto lemon biscuit swimsuit with cherry red icing and pretty rosette-appliquéd neckline
Miu Miu exotic skin tote bag with chocolate pecan moelleux
Dsquared mini strapless mango bavarois dress with blueberry compote topped with hot pink lampshade hat
Alberta Ferreti pretty in pink Sicilian Guava and lemon verbena pannacotta with striped ballerina-inspired skirt and strappy shoe tuile 
 Victoria Beckham graphic geometric cherry and white chocolate mousse shirt Simone Rocha pineapple and coconut Savarin shirt dress with a “wow” lime punk spun sugar
Emilia Wickstead striped fuchsia pink and orange joconde with tropical crème pâtissière blazed with a twirly fruit cone
Oscar De La Renta flirtatious summer pistachio sponge cake dress topped with poppy seed parfait and edible flower



I kinda like the Oscar De La Renta one, because the pistachio sponge was very moist. I also like the Simone Rocha, because the coconut taste was very enjoyable and the lime punk spun sugar gives a nice crunch to it. The Miu Miu tote bag was also really nice with dark chocolate and pecan taste. 

I tried the Lapsang Souchong for my tea and it's served beautifully on the spring color teapot. Lapsang Souchong was a black tea from China, and it's known for it's distinctive smokey flavor and aroma. You definitely could smell it's smokiness as soon as you brewed this tea. Even though many could found the taste was a bit harsh, but for me, I just love it !

Don't forget to raise your pinky! :p

I also tried their Herbal Infusions, which a kind of candied fruits served with hot water. It's really pretty to see, but not my favorite though :p

You can also opted for some coffee if you want.

Foamy Cappucinno !

Bring back some of their pink bag? :D

The Berkeley

Prêt-à-Portea
Caramel Room, The Berkeley Hotel
Wilton Place, Knightsbridge
London SW1X 7RL, United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)20 7235 6000
Facebook : The Berkeley Hotel
Twitter :  @TheBerkeley