London: Food & Fashion

Prada Flame Heels, available here

Hello Kitty Laduree Macarons

I took my mother who's visiting from New Zealand on her long awaited trip to London to shop to her heart's content. We started off on King's Rd in Chelsea and slowly made our way to Knightsbridge for the obligatory visit to Harrod's, zipping through the expensive Bond Streets (Old and New) where we were pounced on by an overzealous security guard for daring to take a photo of Longchamp's window display and finally arriving at Oxford St.

At Louis Vuitton, available here. One of the rare LVs I've seen without logos. LOVE the scrumptious leather and simple design.

Shopping is a wonderful exercise for the eyes and body. We left London completely over-stimulated by the endless array of gorgeous clothes and bags which we oohed and aahed over. So, what's this week's jackpot worth again?

Oriental Canteen

We wouldn't have survived the trip without many pit stops to fill our hungry tummies. I've noticed that the occasions that I've been completely bowled over by the quality of the food, it was almost always at super duper cheap restaurants or bistros. Perhaps I should say that the cheaper the food, the better it tastes. Or maybe I'm just a cheap date.

I stumbled upon Oriental Canteen many years ago while trying to locate a store on my GPS. Where else can you get an authentic Malaysian meal with a drink for less than £6? The Wat Dan Hor (flat rice noodles with egg sauce) was the best I've ever had. The sauce is tasty with the right amount of the smoky flavor that one can only achieve from an incredibly hot wok. And the price? £5.50! A can of coke will set you back 0.60 pence. Unbelievable. It's set in the heart of one of the most expensive piece of real estate in London - South Kensington.

Oriental Canteen
2A Exhibition Road
South Kensington
London SW7 2HF
Tel: 020 7581 8831
Tube: South Kensington


I was given a voucher by Fortnum & Mason to their Parlour restaurant. Thankfully, I'd booked a few days earlier as the queue was pretty long when we arrived. The food was pretty average and certainly not good value for money. The Black Forest cake was too dry. However, the service that I'd received was exceptional.

 "The Parlour" at Fortnum & Mason 
181 Piccadilly 
Mayfair, London
Tube: Green Park