A Mouth Licking Meating at Meat Liqour

A few Thursdays ago Bertilicious and I decided to have a catch up over a highly unnecessary, but equally mouth-watering meal. 

Meat Liquor: good.bloody.choice.

Although most would consider this a pleasurable affair, for us it was strictly business. Decisions, important ones at that, had to be made: what would be the perfect accompaniment to two medium rare cheeseburgers. 

So, there we met at 12.30pm. I'm sure that is considered quite an early lunch for a meeting of this sort. However, had we tried to make it any later, it just couldn't have happened. After all, for those of you who haven't been or don't know, this is because Meat Liquor is just as infamous for its crazy queues as it is for its outstanding cuisine.

It was the right decision getting there early...

So, in order to make sure that we weren't hanging about for a minimum of 30 minutes, we got there as early as possible. Turned out even at 12.30pm we still had to wait before we could be seated, but this wasn't for too long and before we knew it, we were in serious burginess mode:

Top of the agenda: figuring out what we would be having. 




Well, the menu is relatively simple (as the best ones are):you have a choice of about 10 different burgers, and about 10 different sides. So, after 30 seconds of deliberation, we decided to go for two cheeseburgers (one with bacon), with a side of bingo wings and chili cheese fried. Top of the agenda...sorted.

But what are chili cheese fries you ask? And what in God's name are Bingo Wings? And how would you know to have these as your sides? Well comrades, I don't want to go through our highly sophisticated way of choosing the sides with you. Not because it is a big secret, but more because if I have to write down why those two sides go so well with that choice of burger, my mouth will start watering at the thought of how good this f*cking meal is and I will probably have to stop writing this blog and head straight to W1 to sample it again...

However, as "Item Two" on our check list was to ensure we left our meeting with evidence that this was a business lunch worth having, please endluge yourselves in the photo below:

OHHHHHH MAMA...

Yes we could start a debate about what is the best looking thing in that photo, and I would be the first to admit that I was having lunch with North West London's hottest piece of ass since 2009, however even he doesn't come close to how good looking the rest of that picture is and more importantly, how freakin good those bingo wings and chili cheese fries look.

Item one and two, check.

The only other remaining item on our short but oh so important list, was to not leave with any regrets at all...and with the bill coming to c £12.50pp, that was certainly achieved.

With all items checked off and two professional colleagues keen to book in the follow up meeting as soon as possible, I'd be the first to say this was a highliy productive and successful lunch meeting.

So if you haven't been yet, do yourselves a favour...book out time for an "important business meeting" and head there as soon (and early) as you can.

You can check out their site on:

http://www.meatliquor.com/

1luv,

Finey

x

Boy's got Mad-Jag Skills

We booked our tickets a while ago. Jaguar Skills and friends at Koko, in Mornington Crescent. Having been to the venue a few times before for similar gigs, I was excited. Don't get me wrong, Koko certainly isn't somewhere I would venture to for a normal night out...crowds there often consist of the testosterone induced 'yoots' that I prefer to cross over the road from, rather than share an evening with. However, on the odd occasion Koko manages to get in a decent line up, just like this one, those facts don't seem to matter.

KOKO in action: Quite a sight from the top tier

After all, the venue itself is pretty cool. It used to Camden's local theatre back in 1900, and clearly conscious of keeping most of the original features still in place,  all the designers did when they rebranded the place was basically rip out all the seats, add in a monster sound system, and call it Koko.

So, there we were, the 6 amigos (myself, the ever-present Goateenie, Ma-C, Myzle, Samshine and Goldizzle) on our way to an outrageous evening of fun filled tunes, a sh*t load of booze, and nothing to lose. The fact that we had to queue in a late March blizzard storm didn't seem to bother us, and soon enough we were sharing body heat with the hundreds of other eager beavers packing themselves into the venue. 

Once we were able to feel our limbs again, off we went exploring. The nice thing about Koko is that it's pretty big, so if you don't fancy getting in the hustle and bustle of the dance floor, you can always head somewhere else. So, after checking out the pretty impressive set up on stage (there was a 15 foot robot in one corner that looked like something out of Transformers), we ventured to the top floor to take in the views and ready ourselves for a 3 hour love-fest with the UK's most prestigious turntable ninja.

This was definitely a good move, as the first hour or so of our time there was spent listening to by far the worse MC I have ever heard. He was telling people to 'go f*%k themselves' over the top of some pretty generic drum and bass...Not exactly what I had come to participate in, but hey ho, I'm sure some other members of the crowd were loving it. In fact, there was this one bald and overweight 40 year old guy who certainly was, as he embraced Ma-C for a good 20 seconds at one point.

The set was ridonc (can you see the massive robot in the left corner?)

When the Jag-man (yes I just made that up) did eventually come on, this little blip was forgiven, and the atmosphere became pretty epic. Most of our crew stayed near the back of the room, so they had enough space to go crazy, but Ma-C and I (not being guys who shy away from a bit of a good old head bang) ended up throwing ourselves in the middle of a 50 man mosh pit near the front of the stage, taking on the role of conductors for the majority of our time there.



The tunes were absolutely phenomenal...the headline act pulled out all the stops, playing every type of sound you could think of, from Dubstep to Gangster Rap, Hip Hop to Deep House and even a bit of Punk. I even vaguely recollect a System of a Down remix of Tupac's 'California Love'...very special indeed.

As you can tell, we had a rather wonderful night. However, when I woke up the next morning, it felt like I had been involved in a street brawl. I guess i could have been based on the crowd that was there, so glass half full I suppose.

Anywho, if you want to check out what's on at Koko and have yourself a bit of a mess-fest, check out their website on:

http://www.koko.uk.com/

Alternatively, if you want to see when Jaguar Skills is next in town, you can do so on:

http://jaguarskills.com/

1luv,

Finey

x

A Kim Cheeky meal in Holborn

(Kim Chee)

                                                                                                                 

I heart Korean munch

I've been a massive fan of Korean food since I was introduced to it a couple years ago (at my local on the Finchley Road called Seoul).


So, last Tuesday night, when Tea Pot and myself ventured to one of Holborn's current hot spots- Kim Chee- we were both excited and nervous. Excited that we were going to try out a restaurant a few friends of ours had been raving about, but nervous that we were letting down the 'home team' Seoul in order to do so.


As if things couldn't get any more intense, we were accompanied by our dear friends, the Txt2blairs, of whom Mr.Txt2blair is of the Kosher persuasion, limiting what he could order on the menu. 

As you can tell...the pressure was most definitely on....

Almost felt like a North (west London) Korean vs (Slightly more) South Korean war we had on our hands.

So, when we arrived at 8.15 and found out that the place was so busy that we would have to wait for half an hour to be seated, I'm sure you can guess that we weren't best pleased. Of course, this wasn't helped by the fact that we had to spend that time waiting bang smack in front of the BBQ where the chefs prepared all the meat for their already seated customers! So despite its modern and quirky look, on first impressions it was very much our local restaurant that took the lead. North West Korea 1, Slightly more South Korea 0. 

It was literally painful waiting to be seated

The battle may have been won, but this particular Korean War was far from over as we were seated much sooner than expected. Soon enough we were flicking through the menu and noted the vast amount of choices for our vegetarian comrade Mr. Txt2blair...North West Korea 1, Slightly more South Korea 1. 

The mother of Korean munch: dolsot bibimbab

We ordered a plethora of treats...some traditional kim chee (spiced cabbage), deep fried tofu, spare rib broth, salmon and cod fillets, and of course an absolute MUST at any Korean gaff: some dolsot bibimbab (basically meat or tofu with rice, vegetables in a boiling clay pot with a cracked egg on top that cooks as you stir all the yummy goodness around.

We also decided to accompany the food with some quite delightful plum tea...well played Teapot and Miss Txt2blair for the suggestion.


So, all in all the meal was great and we were suitably stuffed. The service was also pretty impressive (our beef rib broth was quite bland, so after apologising profusely the manager immediately changed it for a much better one and gave us a discount at the end of the meal), meaning that Kim Chee suddenly took the lead. North West Korea 1, Slightly more South Korea 2. 

However, a key element of the experience was still to come...the bill. Would Kim Chee come out on top, or would Teapot and I would be cursing ourselves because we'd betrayed our local for an expensive night out? 

Needless to say, the bill was astounding... a mere £20 pp for a sh*tload of Korean food and drink. So, just as we thought North (west) Korea had come out on top, South Korea pulled out all the tricks...North West Korea 1, Slightly more South Korea 3. ....unbelievable!

Lad.

To conclude therefore, overall I'd say that whether it's your first time trying Korean out or not, the atmospheric Kim Chee should be tried by anyone who fancies a good quality meal for a very reasonable price.

If you want to check it out, visit their site on:

http://www.kimchee.uk.com/

1luv,

Finey

x

p.s. Thanks Singfood for the hook up- keep up the good work!

'I wish to complain about this meal'...

The above quote is what my brother said to get the attention of Ricardo, the general manager at Burger & Lobster in Soho. 

Apparently it took the guy by complete surprise, as whenever he normally asks a customer how the food is, 99/100 times the response will be something along the lines of: "its delicious"; or "absolutely fantastic". 

Ohhhhhhhhh mama

After all, not only is Burger & Lobster now infamous for its beautifully simple menu (a choice of three £20 meals: a burger; a lobster; or a lobster brioche), but it is regarded as a place where the food is ''perfectly cooked, at a price that will please even if you’re feeling the pinch" (Time Out).





So, when my brother Corque grabbed Ricardo by the arm and insinuated that there was a problem with the food, I'm sure he was as amused as he was relieved when he heard:

"Yes Ricardo...I wish to make a complaint...about how f*cking GOOD this food is!"



In fact, Corque must have made such an impression on Ricardo, that when we ventured back to the Dean Street restaurant a couple weeks later, he remembered who my brother was, and let him, myself and our good friend Romania skip the TWO HOUR queue to be guided to the best seats in the house...

Truly feeling like Burger and Lobsteroyalty, we were immediately hit by the smell of rich lobster tail being dipped into a glorious garlic butter sauce. I felt like Tanka from Rescue Rangers, hypnotised whilst I was gliding towards the booth Ricardo had prepared for us...

Like a mouse to some cheese...

My mouth watered as we sat down in a great location, in full view of both the chef's kitchen and the lobster tank. 

Yes, it tastes even better than it looks

And so, thrilled that I was about to find out what Corque had been raving about, we looked at the menu and ordered... Three 1.5 pound lobsters, as well as a lobster brioche to share (purely because of how good it looked when the person sitting next to us tucked into hers)

Eventually, the meal came, and my GOD was it every bit as good as the reviews said it was...The lobster brioche was heavenly...the bread buttery and sweet, the filling fridge cold and perfectly seasoned. Then there was the lobster meal itself which, accompanied by a generous portion of crispy fries and a side salad, was so good I could have made love to it let alone eat it.

Protecting my clothes (from the juice squirting out of the cracked lobster shell) with a plastic bib, I did a 'Curly Sue' and sucked on the end of each of my fingers, licking the stunning Lobster and garlic jus off of them. I would go as far as to say that the meal was so good that all three of us were actually gutted to have finished our plates...

Already excited to go back

Anyway, like all good managers, Ricardo of course came over to check we were satisfied (presumably expecting some kind of semi offensive quip).  We told him that we were: 

a) Genuinely offended by the quality of the meal 

and 

b) Convinced he should be arrested for serving such good food in his restaurant.

In fact, the only negative thing about the meal that night was hearing the people sitting next to us order the burger instead of the lobster. Don't get me wrong, you should really have a burger on the menu if you are going to call you restaurant 'Burger and Lobster', but really out of courtesy as opposed to anything else. I mean, why on earth would you spend £20 on a beef patty when they can feast on a 1.5 pound sea monster instead? Madness. 

Anyway, you'll be pleased to know that there are now four Burger & Lobster restaurants around town, so like me, if your mouth is drooling at the thought of tucking into some of their food, you can find their details on:

http://www.burgerandlobster.com/


1luv,

Finey

x

Ping pongs

Clearly, all it takes is an original theme and a lot of alcohol to make something the 'in thing' nowadays. Take Ping Bar for example. It took a small and dim lit Earls Court shop, added some table tennis tables and alcohol, and created one of London's most popular weekend spots.

After all, you'd think people fighting to get into the place at 8.30pm on a Saturday night would be because Harry Styles was playing beer pong inside. However, even if 1D's heart-throb was indeed having "a game of Beirut" in the bar, the only thing fellow Pinger's would be going crazy over, is the thought that they'd be the next in line to take aim and throw a table tennis ball into some cups of beer on the other side of the room.

Like I said... simple idea+ booze = shit hot venue.

So, with that in mind, when we ventured down last Saturday night for Lady Singdog and G-Chainz's joint Birthday celebrations, I was excited to see what all the hype was about. 

That's right...chocolate mutha f*ckin pizzas

We arrived pretty promptly (8.30pm) and it was already heaving inside. We walked past people biting into their freshly cooked chocolate pizzas, head nodded through a crowd of party goers who were dancing to old school tunes, before finally reaching the bar to purchase some tasty but slightly overpriced drinks (it cost me c£10 for a double and a mixer)...I was already getting excited about writing my blog about the place.

Probably taken on a Monday afternoon at Ping Bar...when it's closed.

Nonetheless, this joyous feeling was short lived. Turned out the ping pong tables were so busy that even though we were a group of 30 people, arrived on time and had an area especially reserved for us, our first game started at 11pm...Pretty cheeky considering that was kind of the reason why our hosts wanted to have their bash there in the first place.

Despite quite literally being stopped from getting into the swing of things, we still managed to fill those 2 and half hours with copious amounts of boozing, and therefore all had a ruddy good time. Put it this way, we were so drunk by 11pm that even being barged out the way by an adrenaline/steroid pumped bouncer (because he wanted to chuck out the "riff raff" drunks in the corner) was perfectly acceptable...  

Of course, that was until we realised this particular ruffian was actually the Birthday Boy, G-Chainz. Turned out he got so excited that we were finally able to play beer pong, he threw some beer over himself like the true G he is. Even Lady Singdog's attempt to defuse the situation, by giving the SS officer-turned-bouncer her puppy eyes were in vain. To be fair though, the c*nt had a point: throwing beer over yourself and a ping pong table is a serious no-no in a late night FREAKIN beer pong bar...

So, what are my final thoughts on Ping Bar I hear you ask?

Well, I had a hilarious night out with my mates but the ping ponged. However, that was more than made up by the amusing fact that the bouncers all had the same surname...shame I was too drunk to remember what that was, but I think it began with a D and ended with an ickhead.

Bounce- ah, that's better.

Having said all that, I think Ping is more a case of poor execution as opposed to a bad concept... I hear from friends that Bounce is much better: Taller ceilings; more space and equally decent music. Rumour has it you manage to get a game of table tennis in as well...

If you would rather make up your own mind about Ping, here's the website:

http://www.weloveping.com/#home


1luv,

Finey

x

p.s. Happy Birthday Lady Singdog and G-Chainz

The (not so) Secret Garden Party

Can you believe we're now in March? Madness. For me, March is always the month when summer planning gets cranked up another gear. This summer's main excursion (or should I say, potential life changing experience) is at the end of August, when Teapot, myself and two fellow "Playa Virgins" Goateenie and Twerky venture across the pond to the Burning Man festival.

However, before then I have to weigh up whether my metaphorical festival vagina can take a separate pounding from Cambridgeshire's hottest adventure...The Secret Garden Party.

The sculpture last year:mental.

Now don't get me wrong, for the last two years in a row SGP has teased me with it's breathtaking scenary (the festival centres around a lake with a huge sculpture in the middle), thrust itself deep into me with it's outrageous atmosphere, before making me orgasm on multiple occasions with its ridiculous activities. 




However, can I justify parting with between £170-£190 of my hard earned money to attend this year or should I save up to go towards my other trip? Just how much MORE could the organisers possibly plan to ensure the 2013 Gardeners leave as impressed as we did in 2012? 

After all, despite having to drag myself (and Teapot) through literal mud fields for an entire weekend, I came away genuinely depressed that another SGP weekend was over. 

And that's really because SGP is much more than a line up of quality bands, DJs and entertainers. Its a line up of sensational artwork, outrageous activities and surprising discoveries hidden behind every corner of the festival. 

For instance, a typical day could consist of the following:

Mud wrestling at the temple of boom is quite a sight

Wake up, head to Soulfire restaurant (that's right an actual restaurant) for a relatively well priced and delicious Eggs Benedict and Bloody Mary (cost circa £7). Then spend the day speaking with Aliens in the Culture Lab, listening to experimental beatboxers in the golf ball tent or crying with laughter at the mud wrestling tournament in the Temple of Boom...

An afternoon game of crazy golf or lounging around in a canoe on the lake will then inevitably be followed by a nap...

There's nothing quite like the pagoda during sunset

At around 7.30pm, get dressed up in some ridiculous fancy dress wear and head to the Pagoda (a wooden platform on the lake) to celebrate the sun setting and official start to the nightlife with a few hundred of your new found friends. 

Nightime at SGP- when the festival comes alive

Next, leave the pagoda and simply walk and discover...Get stuck in a video-game dance off  before talking to a couple of pixies under the fairy lights of a willow tree. Discover a secret Jazz/Soul tent deep in a hidden forest and then have a bit of a folk dance in a circus. Finally, after heading to a 1950's tea and cake restaurant to chat to some method actors about the war, finish the night off on a ferris wheel to see the sun rise.


SGP 2013 is already well under way. The top two tiers of tickets have already sold out. So whether you go really boils down to your faith that a year on year track record of pushing the festival boundaries means the organisers know what they're doing.

Shit...think I've just convinced myself to book a ticket for this year


If you want to as well, just go to:

http://www.secretgardenparty.com/#!/information/theme-2013/

1luv

Finey

x

The Future of Cinema

There we were, four friends getting slung into a prison cell on a Saturday night whilst being told to 'shut the f**k up' by the incredibly intimidating prison guards. I stood there, shocked at how scared I was. After all, this isn't a situation a boy like me is used to finding himself in.

Fortunately, I wasn't being locked down in a real life prison cell...I was in the middle of one of Future Cinema's simply legendary productions, which a group of us decided to partake in at the weekend.

With Secret Cinema and Future Shorts as well, Future Cinema is gaining cult following

For those of you who haven't heard of Future Cinema, they are an Experiential Events Company who put on live and interactive productions of popular films, which you (the audience) participate in, before finishing the evening off with a cinematic viewing of the chosen project.

They are well known for their Secret Cinema events, as well as their Future Cinema productions (the only difference being you don't know which film you are going to experience with the former). 

        Not quite how I felt when we left our Shawshank prison...

In our case, we knew what it was going to be...IMDB's number 1 film of all time, The Shawshank Redemption. So the pressure for the company to transport you back into the  scary world of Shawshank prison, without scaring you so much that you couldn't enjoy yourself must have been immense.


Nonetheless, I have to say the team behind the event came up trumps. Without wanting to give too much away, the night kicked off with a court hearing, followed by a 1940s bus ride to our converted prison adventure. With hundreds of method actors playing fellow prisoners and prison guards, and so many things to do and see, the following few hours of your 'life' in prison was completely unique from the other guests of the event.

The prison guards weren't the friendliest of people

At the end of the evening, all prisoners were marched into the auditorium in single file, where we watched the iconic film (with impressively crystal clear sound and picture quality) our evening was based around.

Its not cheap at c£45pp, but every single one of us came out thinking we had received serious value for money.

The next Future Cinema event (Casablanca) will be completely different but presumably equally epic.

I've already bought my ticket...if you want to join the cinematic revolution, you can get yours at:

http://futurecinema.co.uk/tickets.html

1luv,

Finey

x

A Ginger in a Line

It was my special lady's birthday (otherwise known as Teapot) and I knew a trip down to the local curry house wouldn't quite cut it. 

So, having read a review about a new, up and coming secret dinner party called 'Gingerline', I booked two tickets, praying that I hadn't made the wrong decision.

A couple weeks later on a cold Thursday evening, Teapot and I set off, excited and nervous about the fact that we literally had NO IDEA what we were getting ourselves in for (even though we'd read up about previous parties Gingerline parties are renowned to constantly reinvent themselves so you never know which one you are going to)


So, getting off at the appropriate station, we followed some mysterious illuminous markings on the floor and reached our destination for the evening. 

When we arrived, the nerves once again kicked in...after all, I was meant to be taking out my darling Teapot to a what I believed would be a Birthday extravoganza. However, at that point we found ourselves standing with about 20 or so fellow 'Gingerliners' down a dark back street, behind a row of random shops in the middle of nowhere.

Thankfully, this was the last time that I felt so concerned...

Soon enough, a door opened and we were guided through a candle lit underground tunnel into some kind of 1970's Burlesque French Casino completely covered from top to bottom in gold...

We were handed a delicious cocktail, and once everyone was seated, officially greeted by our eccentric hostess for the evening (right). 

Add caption

A load of cocktails, intro's to our fellow diners, 4 glorious courses, and a load of hilarious Casino style dinner party games later (including spin the wheel of fortune, and a serenade from an erotic waiter/waitress), and Teapot and I found ourselves bang smack in the middle of what Time Out calls "the most riotous, otherworldy experience you have ever had the good luck to attend".

This was surely highlighted no greater than during my toilet visit...which turned out to be a journey into some kind of neon painted porn shop that was falling into the Abyss.

The toilets: serious WTF factor

So, would I recommend Gingerline? Absolutely. However, unless you are particularly keen to meet new people, I would strongly suggest going with a group of mates. Nothing at all against the really lovely girls we spent our evening with, but being forced to introduce yourself to a bunch of strangers when you are sobre is always a bit awkward ...especially when you're doing it in an underground Burlesque French Casino in the middle of London suburbia.

Check out the website on:

http://www.gingerline.info/index.html

1luv,

Finey

x

A Bit of Midweek Inspiration

There I was, bored at work and looking for any excuse to have fun

It came in the form of an group email from a very dear friend who had suddenly been blessed with an absolute gem of a gift. The email stated the following:

Subject: Re: Ushers
To:XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
From: XXXXXXXXXXXX
Date: Sun, 20 Jul 2012 10:23:44 +0000

Hi Guys,

Good news! Get your thinking hats on.

Our good friend XXXXXXX is on his honeymoon with his new wifey. But whilst they are enjoying the mexican sun we have a ripe opportunity to hit him where it hurts. 

He has left me his flat keys to "check in and see if everything is ok" whilst he is gone so let me know some ideas 

X



And so, within about 5 minutes we came up with a plan:

Blow up as many balloons as it is necessary to fill his entire bathroom (leaving of course water balloons on the floor for him to step in), and tin foil every single piece of HIS belongings in his bedroom (not wanting to upset his Mrs too much we left hers unscathed)

It took 4 hours, 5 rolls of tin foil and 800 balloons but in the end we did it...

Best Thursday night out I've had in a long time

1luv

Finey

x

Finey in Wonderland

We heard about it through the grapevine...apparently there was a non profit fancy dress party under London Bridge called Wonderland, whereby all money raised would contribute towards rebuilding Gambian schools for underprivileged kids...

So basically, for next to nothing (tickets were £8 each) not only was I going to an Alice in Wonderland themed party, but

1. I was allowed to look like a tit in fancy dress
2. I was ordered to do so in the name of charity

Nice.

I went with a few mates, and we all decided it would be fitting to glitter our entire faces and where farm animal noses (a duck, chicken, rabbit and pig to me more specific) so that we could fit in... 

The party was being held in a huge orange bricked building you would never know existed because it was underneath some train tracks, 200 yard down the road from Cable Nightclub. 

As we entered, it felt like we had fallen down the rabbit hole (apologies)...Brushing past human sized panda's and fairies we walked down a green lit corridor before entering the first room (the smaller of the two)...

It was some kind of fantastical hippy influenced tent...we had to crouch down and avoid the hanging dolls, tie died sheets, and army camoflage covering to reach the bar, had a couple shots and then enclosed ourselves in some kind of spider mesh whilst Reeps One (UK Beatboxing Champion) proceeded to 'spit' some beats on top of some crazy Hip Hop mixes.

Reeps One at work

Festivally jolly, we then walked into the main dance room, where there were two things that struck me...the first was a lady who had covered herself in fairy lights and was doing the robot dance on a pedastool on her own...the other, which was by far the showcase piece of the event, was the DJ booth, which as you can see from the picture below, was FUCKING MENTAL.

The DJ Booth=Immense

Another couple drinks later and we were on the dance floor raving to all sorts of hilarious dubstep remixes of classic pop songs like Britney Spears 'Crazy' and the Nolans 'In the Mood for Dancing'.

After speaking to some people there, this Wonderland gig wasn't even one of their better ones...which speaks volumes as we still had an outrageous night.

If you like the sound of it, check out their website on:

http://www.wonderlandfestival.co.uk/index.php?page=home 


1luv,

finey

x