Tag Archives: soho

Millie’s Cookies Launch Party, Powder Room, Soho

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I am a little bit biased about anything that has the word Milly (or Millie) in it… but for Millie’s cookies there is no need to be biased as I genuinely love their sweet, yummy and utterly addictive products. With numerous branches brightening up dreary tube stations, they provide the perfect place to indulge in a sweet snack. I used to visit their shop in Hammersmith Station often after school with my best friend – we’d treat ourselves to a white chocolate cookie to munch on the journey home.

The range of the brand is expanding with the addition of many new and exciting recipes and designs; and last week I went along to the very fitting Thoroughly Modern Launch Party. Taking place at the fabulously retro Powder Room parlour in Soho, it was the ideal place to celebrate Millie’s new goodies. The downstairs room was adorned with beautiful cakes, cookies, teacups and plates… pink fizzy was on offer and girls giggled while trying the assortment of sugary sweets displayed.

I adored the cookie cakes; Millie’s are the first brand to create cupcakes made from a cookie dough recipe – they are quite heavy but as they are so mini it doesn’t matter… the flavour and decoration are amazing. Then there are the healthier cookies, with nuts, seeds, raisins and oatmeal featured in the ingredients substituting the more fattening chocolate chunks. The themed cookies and cakes caused quite a commotion, giant cookies inscribed with personalised messages and intricate drawings. My favourite spelt ‘Thoroughly Modern Millie’ and as a gift they let me take it home! These big cookies make wonderful gifts, at the launch there were hand drawn wedding and julibee themed ones.

While we scoffed, a film crew wandered around gathering footage for upcoming Millie’s Cookies short films and a lovely vintage dressed girl sat manicuring guests’ crumb covered hands.

Millie’s cookies are my kind of brand… pretty, pink and with the perfect products.

Visit the Millie’s Cookies website here, and look out for a competition and collaboration coming soon on Thoroughly Modern Milly!

Foxcroft & Ginger, Soho

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I’ve popped into Foxcroft & Ginger before for a cup of coffee, but never had a chance to experience the food which sits so temptingly at the till.

This little cafe on Berwick Street battles with numerous Soho eateries for the custom of the creative professionals who reside in this arty area. My first internship was stationed only moments up the road so it’s surprising I haven’t sampled the place sooner.

Foxcroft and Ginger intends to inspire with its alternative and tasty food, interestingly flavoured muffins and epic sandwiches, however this cafe thrives predominantly because of its expertly made Monmouth coffee. This cute independent café is cool and trendy – vintage flags and antique furniture adorn the interior, mismatched teacups and plates are retro and original.

I had fresh orange juice and a creamy cappuccino which was delicious with a rich roasted taste. Choosing what to eat was more challenging. I eventually opted for the Rhubarb and Custard muffin and my friend chose the very eccentric red Superfood muffin. It was a lovely breakfast. The muffin was light and full of flavour, crispy and sweet on top with a gooey centre marbled with custard and soft apple… a very inventive and exciting combination and the ideal accompaniment for my coffee.

Aside from the reasonably priced and appetising food, Foxcroft and Ginger is a great place to hang out and chat with friends. Most of the cafes in Soho are busy and raucous, queuing is usually mandatory, but this little shop is the opposite, and on a lazy Saturday morning it was the perfect place to gossip and relax.

Visit the Foxcroft & Ginger website here.

Barrafina, Soho

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Don’t bother visiting Barrafina if you are not willing to wait for your supper. After almost two hours of queueing, I began obsessing and almost hallucinating about my imminent meal. The already seated diners, doing what I can only describe as cold hearted gloating, sat laughing and wiping neon chorizo juice from their mouths. Red with fury, fellow foodies offered me condolences (over twitter)… and advised me that the food ahead was worth the waiting agony. We sipped on our glasses of Macabeo 2010 El Muro as patiently as humanly possible.

Here I was thinking tapas was a quick light supper, apparently not as most customers seemed to spend hours deciding their order, dissecting prawns, sipping red wine and chatting endlessly as if they had all the time in the world… behind them the poor queuers groaned and drooled from utter starvation. As it had been another manic Tuesday blogging and I’d only had time for a measly croissant all day, I was planning on feasting when we did finally get to our table.

Seated in one corner of the tiny Soho restaurant we could survey the whole place, eyeing up our neighbours’ food so we could decide on the ultimate selection of tasty tapas. So here is what we chose:

Toast with Al-i-oli 3.1
I was so blind hungry when our this first plate arrived I can’t actually remember what this tasted like. We demolished it so it MUST have been good.
Chorizo Iberico 5.9
A rip-off frankly, for nearly six pounds we got about 12 tiny thin slices of chorizo. Not good enough.

Chicken Thigh with Romesco sauce 7.5
I love Romesco sauce, though Barrafina’s wasn’t quite as good as the recipe I’d experienced at Jose Pizarro’s restaurant. The meat was tender and well seasoned. A lovely dish.
Grilled Quail with Al-i-oli 6.9
Mean portion, but what there was was exceptionally good. Deliciously delicate meat with a crispy skin with yellow whipped Al-i-oli for dipping.

Chorizo, Potato and Watercress 6.9
We had already seen (and coveted) this dish from afar… intensely flavoured sizzling chorizo with fried new potatoes and fresh watercress. Gobbled and gone within seconds.

Green Salad 3.5
Best side salad I’ve ever had – deliciously garlicky dressing and fresh crunchy leaves. We had to order a second bowl as I became addicted to the vinegary dressing.
Chips with Brava Sauce 3.9
Divine: thin, crispy, salty and tossed with rosemary. Utterly yummy scrummy. Try dipping in Al-i-oli sauce, a more luxurious kind of mayo.

Crema Catalana 4
A kind of crème caramel / brulee… creamy light toffee tinted dessert with a hard sugary layer on top. It was a good dessert to share after a big supper and was served exactly as it should be… warm on top but chilled beneath.

The meal was, admittedly wonderful… Barrafina have got the stylish Spanish cuisine just right. A new branch is arriving in Covent Garden soon, which may ease the congestion at Soho, but until then try visiting at an unpopular time; otherwise you will have to wait a very, very long time for your food.

Visit the Barrafina website here.