Vietnamese Pho, dessert & shopping

Once upon a time.......actually nearly 7 years ago when we landed on the British shores, we met up with fellow Kiwi contingent fairly regularly. As we were the only ones with a child, it was easier to navigate through the convoluted schedules that everyone had. And then kids happened. There was a sudden baby boom (have you ever noticed that when one friend gets pregnant, pretty much the entire group race to get their bun in the oven???) and then life became even more complicated. Before we realized, nearly 15 months had flashed past before we even spoke to each other.

We had a chance to catch up in the Cutty Sark area. Rather than rushing about in the cold, we decided to nip into the small Vietnamese joint - Mama Pho in Deptford. It's the kind of eatery that I love. Unpretentious, authentic and affordable mom and pop restaurant.  It belongs to the same family who runs the popular Cafe East near Canada Water (or Surrey Quays) tube station. Everything on the menu is priced at well under £9.











I'm not sure whether they thought I was some kind of important food critic or blogger but.....as I started taking photos of my dessert drink, one of their staff dashed over and grabbed the two glasses stating that they "didn't finish making it". I could be wrong but all they did was dumped more ice and water which made the drink tasted rather bland. Crunching through globs of half melted ice cubes wasn't all that pleasant either.

The thin and crispy fried spring roll was lip smacking delicious. Heck, anything fried tastes incredible these days. My beef pho was good. Not exactly.... I-have-to-eat-this-again-or-I-will-die good but their dishes are pretty darned scrummy for those who're craving Vietnamese fare in London.








Our friends recommended Jamie's Italian restaurant for dessert. Both the tangy pineapple with frozen yoghurt and epic brownie were a hit with the kids. Surprise. Surprise. You never have to force your kids to eat desserts. I have had my fair share of brownies and make my own too. These ones were surprisingly tasty and not overly sweet like many that are sold in bakeries.



Outfit: Isabel Marant Lexy jacket (similar), Alexander Wang t-shirt, Hermes belt, Zara jeans, Tophop ankle boots, Johnstons of Elgin cashmere scarf, Hermes watch.

Don't you just love the wide angle lens on smartphones? They make your legs longer and skinnier than they actually are. The grainy shots wiped out all my wrinkles too. Yay! I visited Fenwick for the first time ever to catch up with another friend and client. I was tempted by the much reduced lilac Markus Lupfer sweater (hanging by the wall) but decided I'm far FAR more comfortable in Uniqlo cotton cashmere sweaters. They're remarkably soft and so affordable (£24.95!!). I prefer the slouchy look and ended up with an XL because I like the longer length. It hides the muffin top especially when I've had a dessert....or two.


Mama Pho
24a Evelyn St
London
SE8 5DG
Tube: Surrey Quays


Jamie's Italian
17-19 Nelson Rd
London
SE10 9JB
Tube: Cutty Sark (DLR)

My 6 Weaknesses

Ahh.....Hermès....Hermès, my love affair with you was cemented over a decade ago in a chatroom frequented by equally bag obsessed ladies (like myself). Thanks to you, many friendship are formed and continue to this day. Our pockets are lighter because your sky high prices continue to rocket, year after year. If only UK's GDP performs as well as you do. You're mysterious, difficult to get hold of, desirable, look better than Pierce Brosnan and Hugh Jackman put together but unlike them, you're arrogant because you simply do not give a damn. And people still want you.......







I'm partial to tweed. A beautifully tailored Chanel tweed bouclé jacket is at the very top of my list. When planets align, unicorns trot on the grounds of New Forest, I lose 10 pounds in my sleep and win the million dollar lottery jackpot.......then I'll buy a black Chanel jacket at retail price. Otherwise, it's either buying alternatives say, Isabel Marant jackets or trying my luck at nabbing a Chanel bouclé jacket on the secondhand market.







I used to scoff at the idea of buying flowers and candles. It's frivolous. A little like chucking money down the drain. Or using dollar notes as kindling. I blame my current addiction on Instagram. There are just waaaaay too many photos of flowers and candles. And cashmere....why buy cashmere when wool will do the trick? Weeeeell......never say never. As winter drags on, even the most hardcase dudette succumb to it.









My baking skills are rusty from lack of use. I've put off replacing my dead mixer for well over a year. I figure that if I don't bake, I won't be tempted to scarf down an entire cake. I caved in during the Christmas sales and bought a bright yellow Kenwood mixer. I've dusted off the covers of my cookbooks and unearthed old recipes that I'd adapted on my blog. Sigh. There goes my New Year's resolution which bombed before it even had a chance at success.

Instagram & Beauty Secrets

Remember the prolonged brain fart that I'd mentioned here? It'll explain why I've disappeared from blogosphere for a week at a time. I'm still alive............on  Instagram because it's easier to churn out images than words. I'm a woman of few words.....*laughing hysterically*.....  Yeah right. Such an oxymoron. On a side note, thanks to this lovely lady - Vina, I found out that I was on the list of 20 Amazing Female Travelers to Follow on Instagram. Do pop over to check out the other 19 Instagramers. Thank you, Brit and Co for placing me next to such talented ladies.

I've used my share of anti-ageing beauty products in the past year or two but it's hard to gauge whether they truly work or not despite reading having read the reviews. I've been dying to find out beauty secrets from women who simply don't look their age. So......I started a series on Swoon Mag called "Beauty secrets from women who don't look their age". The title is a mouthful but what better way to get advice than from those who've walked the walk?

Downsizing

Clockwise: Chanel WOC, Hermes Dogon coin pouch, Olympus OM-D E-M10 with 45mm f/1.8 lens, Bose SoundLink Mini, Apple Macbook Air 11"

One of my biggest pet peeves has got to be clutter. I was born to parents who are hoarders, married to one and given birth to another. I'm constantly on a warpath to de-clutter our flat. It has to be done weekly or else my two roommates (husband and child) will squirrel away more junk in our tiny place.   Enough to start our own junkyard.

The other thing I've been doing for the past two years is downsizing. I've been slowly replacing some of my things with mini versions that are more lightweight and portable. Frankly speaking, my shoulders and back are killing me these days after years of lugging around too much crap in my bag. I've either given away or sold my heavier bags. Space is a commodity in my flat. Anything that won't cover the entire surface of a table gets a thumbs up from me.

These are some of my favorite items at the moment. Frankly speaking, the 11 inch Macbook Air has been one of the best presents I've ever received from the hubby (he now understands that his wife prefers gadgets over jewelry). It's just a tad heavier than an iPad but packs in every feature that I need and more. I can fit it easily into my Louis Vuitton Speedy 35cm. It's so flat and ridiculously fast. Love. Love. Love.

I think my bluetooth Bose SoundLink Mini gets the most oohs and aahs from visitors. Many rushed out to get theirs afterwards. It's just like a baby. They're tiny but boy, can their voices travel..............

It took me years before I finally caved in and bought the Chanel caviar WOC (wallet on chain). *major purchases tend to make me break out in hives* It has saved my rubbish shoulders on numerous occasions, particularly when I'm away all day in London. Have you noticed that bags are getting more and more expensive and heavy? Physiotherapists around the world must be raking it in.

I've been on a lookout for a small coin pouch. Just enough for a few bankcards, coins and receipts. The Hermes Dogon coin pouch is just the right size but I've also got my eye on the Comme des Garcons embossed leather pouch which is finally back in stock.

The Olympus OMD E-M10 camera is a new purchase. I rarely carry my monstrous Canon camera out  anymore unless I'm on a photo shoot. The massive lens attracts waaaaay too much attention, particularly from men (shame to say that neither my friend nor I get a look). The darned thing weighs just over 1.5 kgs and the Olympus is just a third of that. It works just as well as its bigger sibling, if not better but it's far more portable and easier on my back too. What have you downsized lately?

New Year's Resolution vs The Reality

1. Eat healthy! Lose weight! Get rid of that extra 10 pounds
Jan 1: Frantically searching for flax and chia seeds in shops for that extra omega 3 infusion in the hope of keeping dementia at bay and increasing my IQ by another 20 points. Never mind emotional intelligence. Just make me smarter. Period. Child and husband were force-fed vegetable and fruit smoothies while I recite the health benefits of each ingredient in their mud colored slush. I convince us that it tastes MARVELOUS, dah-lings! We're getting healthier.......and smarter.......

Jan 7: Lunch consists of rye bread with flax and chia seeds, topped with avocado and rocket leaves. Washed down with a glass of Coca Cola. Yes, the sugary drink. My rationale...... 1) I've been tooooooo healthy for a week. A WHOLE week! I deserve a treat.   2) Coca Cola cleans my gut as well as my toilet bowl.


2. Be fearless. Take more risks!
Jan 1: Scribbling down all the incredible projects I'll be doing. Journey into the depths of the most rural mountains of the world. Explore the universe. Give my blog a kick in the rear end with exciting posts that it desperately needs.

Jan 7: Prolonged brain fart. There's a deep butt shaped indentation on the sofa.




Barbour parka, Zara skinny jeans, Uniqlo sweater, Johnstons of Elgin cashmere scarf and New Balance 420 sneakers.


3. Be as stylish as those famous fashion bloggers and movie stars. 41 is the new 31!
Jan 1: Mentally pairing all the different pieces in my closet. Chanel! Isabel Marant! Rick Owens! Starts to hyperventilate thinking how cool my outfits are going to be in 2015. The streets of England will be my runway!

Jan 7: Day 1 of 2015 - black skinnies, black jumper, parka and sneakers. Day 2 of 2015 - black skinnies, striped jumper, parka and sneakers. Day 3 of 2015 - black skinnies, black jumper, parka and sneakers. Day 4 of 2015 - repeat of Day 1. Day 5 of 2015 - repeat of Day 2. Day 6 of 2015 - repeat of Day 3. Day 7 of 2015 - repeat of Day 1. Notice a very similar pattern forming??


4. Maintain a calm demeanor while attending to parental duties
Jan 1: Zen. Serenity. Peace, harmony and all that jazz. Speak to my child lovingly the way Mother Theresa did to the kids in the orphanage.

Jan 7: Apologize to numerous passers-by while Lil L and her friend run, skip and piggy back each other and narrowly missing innocent victims who had the misfortune of sharing the same sidewalk with us. The flat trembles while the child plays deaf as I channel Pavarotti's powerful vocal chords telling her for the millionth time to take a bath, clean her room, change her clothes, have dinner, GO TO SLEEP etc etc. MAJOR FAIL.


Forget about numbers 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. I give up.