Tag: Food

Tattu Restaurant Manchester

It’s not often I dedicate an entire blog post to one restaurant but for a place as pretty as this, I had to make an exception…

Last Wednesday I finally got to go to Tattu Chinese Restaurant and Bar, situated in Spinningfields, Manchester. The place has only been open for a short period of time and I couldn’t wait to try it out. I finally took the trip with a few of my girlfriends and my friend Rae was also up from London, which was an added bonus.

First off, the place is visually stunning. The décor is slightly ‘oriental’ (without sounding too vague) and the bar area, as you first walk in, has a slight rustic nautical twist with the theme of tattoo art running throughout.

The bar area is situated downstairs and the faint scent of incense makes it the perfect place to sit and relax with a pre drink before heading upstairs to dine.

When you do make your way upstairs, you’re in for a real treat, as you enter a fabulously decorated indoor Chinese garden.

In terms of the décor, I think the images speak for themselves and show you how beautiful the place is but let that not distract from the food, which I have to say was as equally as impressive!

The waiters were really friendly and attentive and as we were spoilt for choice, they helped us with our final decisions on what to order.

To start, my friend Rae and I went for Dim Sum to share and opted for the Chicken Truffle Shumai and the Chilean Sea Bass Spinach Parcels.

Between our whole table we ordered so much that we began to pick and share each others starters. My favourites were the Chicken Truffle Shumai, which we ordered and the Mushroom Spring Rolls which Jazmine and Chloe went for.

For the main dishes, again Rae and I shared and we went for the Black Angus Fillet and the Chilli Salt Squid with a side of Steamed Mixed Vegetables.

The Black Angus Fillet had been highly recommend and I have to agree that it was extremely good. It was served rare (just how I like it), on a bed of asparagus and the caramel soy it was served with had the most incredible flavour (I’m salivating just thinking about it).

The Chilli Salt Squid was also a tasty treat but the Black Angus Fillet was definitely my favourite.

The food looks deceptive and by this point we were actually quite full but not too full for dessert, which we were all excited to get stuck into.

Again Rae and I shared and for dessert we ordered The Silk Road, consisting of Strawberry, lychee and rose and the Cherry Blossom with Chocolate, miso and cherry.

Both desserts were presented fabulously and tasted really good too. My favourite was probably Cherry Blossom but both desserts combined made the perfect end to a delicious meal.

I thoroughly enjoyed my dining experience at Tattu. It’s certainly not your typical Chinese restaurant and I would certainly recommend it to those looking for more of a fine dining experience. This is the perfect place to go for a special occasion or when you fancy something different and I would definitely go again.

Samio x

June 3, 2015
The Blue Floral Print Coat & Dinner at Solita

I think I need another month of not eating meat as since going back to my carnivorous ways, I’ve not stopped eating burgers. With so many great burger joints in Manchester though, it’s often rather hard to resist. On Friday I met up with the boyfriend after work and after going for a few drinks around The Northern Quarter, we ended up in Solita for a meal.

It was my first time at Solita, so I wanted to try as much as I could by getting starters and mains (any excuse). To start we went for the Buffalo Wings and the Deep Fried Mac ‘n’ Cheese Balls to share. The wings of course were splendid and the Mac ‘n’ Cheese Balls were delicious, I only wished there were more of them.

For the main, Damien went for the Catalan burger; Consisting of grilled chorizo, roasted red peppers, pepperjack cheese, roasted tomato aioli, nicely presented with a padron pepper skewer. I went for the Manc-Hattan burger; Consisting of pastrami, melted Lancashire cheese, fried black pudding, Lancashire sauce and Coney Island mustard. Both were served with skinny fries and we went halfs on our burgers (because I really wanted to try Damien’s Cajun burger). I loved both burgers but my favourite was the Manc-Hattan burger. I would rate it high up there on the burger scale in terms of creativeness and taste. We washed our meals down, with red wine for me and a beer for Damien. The staff were friendly and attentive and the food was delicious, so I’m sure I will be back again soon.

What I wore:
Coat/Jacket – Lavish Alice (Last Season)
Tank Top – Primark – In Store Now
Bracelets & Necklace – Primark – In Store Now
Earrings – Topshop
Black Skinny Jans – ASOS
Bag – Zara (old)
Shoes – Urban Outfitters (old)

Samio x

March 23, 2015
Pizza, Hot Chocolate & A Girlie Catch Up

Yesterday I caught up with one of my best friends, Lydia, over a hot chocolate. After trying the delicious Nutella hot chocolates together at Frurt On Sunday, I told her that we’d have to go to Bon Bon in The Northern Quarter, so she could try their amazing hot chocolates too. We both went for a salted caramel hot chocolate each (my personal favourite) and enjoyed a good natter as we sipped away.

A little later we went to meet our jet setter friend Abi (quite literally, she’s an air hostess) and got the rare occasion to catch up as she was back for her holidays.

It wasn’t long before food was on our minds and so after saying goodbye to Abi, Lydia and I headed to our favourite pizza place (Croma), for some tasty dinner.

What I wore:
Cropped Biker Jacket – River Island (last season)
Faux Fur Collar – Asos (Old)
Skirt – Monki
Shoes – F&F

Samio x

March 6, 2015
Afternoon Tea

Friday was such a good day and I got to spend it with some of my favourite people, enjoying some of my favourite things.

Before starting the day’s activities I headed to Chorlton to my dear friend Beckler’s place, for a much needed hair cut! My hair has been so dry lately. Over the past weeks, every time I went to wash it, it was extremely knotty. My hair hadn’t been in this bad of a condition since I used to bleach it (which was years ago). I’ll be honest I’ve not taken the best care of my hair lately. During my month in Barcelona I was washing it everyday, so that it looked fresh for castings and work but I think that with that, along with the intense sun on it everyday, it just finally took it’s toll and my split ends got way out of hand… So anyway, after much deliberation, I decided that it must be a haircut that I needed and I was right.

Beckler is a very handy friend to have, because not only is she brilliantly funny, a good listener and lots of fun, she also cuts hair and is in fact the only person I trust with scissors near my fro. This time Beckler took about two inches off my fro, which was scary at the time but as soon as the ends were gone my hair felt much healthier. Straight away I was able to comb my fingers straight through my hair and it felt knot free and much thicker too.

Beckler and I then headed back into the center and went to (my favourite) Richmond Tea Rooms for afternoon tea. I’ve been to Richmond Tea Rooms lots of times, sampling many of their delicious cakes and food dishes (I’m sure many of you have heard me rambling on about it) but it was the first time I’d tried their afternoon tea.

We were there for Beckler’s belated Birthday celebrations together, so we decided to go all out and opt for The Richmond Tea, which is a traditional afternoon tea served with a glass of bubbly. It was delicious! We enjoyed a selection of finger sandwiches, quiche, a variety if mini cakes and two great big scones along with a large pot of Earl Grey tea, not forgetting our all important glasses of bubbly. It was very tasty and so filling too, so it was definitely worth the money and great for a birthday treat.

I just love it when food is so beautifully presented and so of course I couldn’t help but take a few snaps.

After our afternoon tea, Beckler and I headed over to The Northern Quarter and hung out in one of our favourite bars, drinking prosecco and chatting even more (when the pair of us get together we don’t stop). Soon it was after work time and so our friend Nick came and joined us, shortly followed by my boyfriend, Damien. We spent the rest of the evening drinking in The Northern Quarter and before we know it, it was late and time to head home. Beckler and a Nick decided to carry on the evening’s antics and turn it into a night out. For me however, I’d had one too many glasses of wine and so it was time for bed, ending an lovely day spent with great company.

Samio x

August 31, 2014
What I Got Up To On Valentine’s Day

I’d been dying to see the David Hockney: Early Reflections exhibition for months, so when the boyfriend said that for Valentine’s day he’d booked us a hotel in Liverpool so that we could go to the gallery and also make a night of it, I was more than excited.

We traveled up to Liverpool on Valentine’s Day and once there we spent some of the afternoon going round the shops before retreating from the worsening weather and heading to a bar. We did the touristy thing and went to the Cavern for a few drinks. Although I’ve been to Liverpool an uncountable amount of times, I’d never even been there so it was good to finally go. It got to early evening time and we decided to go straight for a meal, after which we headed back to the hotel to get ready for the night. That night we went out into the center of Liverpool for cocktails and had a great time.

A picture of me the next morning in our messy hotel room.

We were up and out early the next morning. We found Moose Coffee just round the corner from our hotel and so we decided to go in for breakfast. My eyes popped out of my head when I saw the menu and suddenly I had a craving for everything on it. I’m not usually one to get excited over breakfast but the options seemed endless and all equally appealing. In the end we both opted for Lone Star Moose, which consisted of ‘minute steak, gourmet chipolata sausages, homemade potato hash, two free range Moose style over easy eggs and a griddled tomato. Served with warm toast and Dijon mustard’ and with me being the greedy bugger I am, I also opted for extra bacon with my order. Needless to say, it was amazing and we each ate every last bit on our plates. The great thing is, I found out that they more recently opened a Moose Coffee in Manchester, so I shall be definitely visiting there in the near future!

After breakfast we headed to the Walker Art Gallery, feeling more ready for a nap than ready to walk round a gallery but we powered on…

I was happy I finally got to see the David Hockney exhibition and I loved some of the work displayed. Unfortunately no pictures could be taken in the David Hockney exhibition but we did get this snap of me looking at this amazing oil painting (in another part of the gallery) by Ged Quinn, titled The Exiled Forever Coming in to Land. This iPhone photo doesn’t do it justice but it is an amazing piece of art which I couldn’t stop staring at.

There was so much to see in the Walker Gallery, we would have stayed longer if it wasn’t for our slowly looming hangovers creeping in from the night before and the bags that were weighing down our shoulders. We left early afternoon and headed home feeling content, full and ready for a rest before getting ready to celebrate my Mother’s birthday later that evening.

Samio x

February 18, 2014
Cranberry And Orange Zest Loaf

Usually my Sunday’s are spent lounging about and indulging in afternoon naps. So basically, Sunday’s are my lazy days. This Sunday however the boyfriend and I decided to get up early and then go for a long walk in the park. It was just what I needed and I came back feeling refreshed. Of course all that walking had built up an appetite and so I decided to bake.

I had some fresh cranberries to use, so it was the perfect ingredient to use in my baking. This is a variation of a cranberry loaf recipe I found. It’s yummy and goes great with a cup of coffee.

Ingredients:

Butter or margarine to grease the bread tin

Grease proof paper.

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups plain flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup milk

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond flavouring

The zest of 1 orange.

Lemon zest (optional)

1 cup of cranberries

A hand full of Brazil nuts

Instructions:

Pre heat oven to 175 degrees C or 350 degrees F.

Line the bottom of the bread tin with grease proof baking paper and fully grease the tin with butter or margarine.

First mix together the eggs and sugar, then combine the rest of the ingredients all together in a mixing bowl.

Once the ingredients have all been folded in and mixed together then pour the mixture into the greased bread tin.

Bake in the oven for 45 to 55 minutes, baking for less time if using a fan oven.

Bake until golden. To check if it is ready, before taking the loaf out of the oven, slowly penetrate with a sharp knife. If the knife comes out clean when removed then the loaf is done, if it comes out with mixture on in then bake for slightly longer.

Once taking the loaf out of the oven, leave to cool before removing from the tin.

After removing the loaf from the tin, peel the grease proof paper from the bottom of the loaf.

Cut into slices and serve.

Make sure the rest of the cake is covered and keep it in the fridge.

Samio x

January 5, 2014
This week

Today I’ve been feeling a bit lethargic, I think this past week has finally caught up on me and my lack of sleep has taken its toll. I haven’t blogged much as of late, partly because I haven’t had much chance and partly due to laziness when I have had the spare time. I have been taking pictures throughout my week and the week before, all with the good intention of blogging but I just haven’t gotten round to it until now.

So on Monday and Tuesday I was shooting. Monday’s shoot was in a cosy studio, sheltered from the blizzard like weather outside but Tuesday’s shoot was outdoors and it was freezing!
The shoot was for an up and coming designer who makes leather bum bags, ATQM. As the theme was summer/festivals the clothing was mainly short shorts and crop tops, so we had to brave the cold whilst trying to look warm. I was working with a couple of other girls from my agency and also my friend, Laura was on the shoot too.

– Left, Laura getting her makeup done ready to shoot and right, me braving the cold whilst shooting. (more…)

March 16, 2013
Barcelona

This weekend I went to Barcelona. One of my best friends, Lydia, who I have known most of my life, recently moved over there. It was her birthday on Friday and so I thought what better excuse to take a trip there for the weekend.

Although I’ve visited Spain many times it was my first time in Barcelona and I couldn’t wait to get out there and see the sights and enjoy some great food and wine with a dear friend.

For the trip I had to pack strategically, as I was only taking hand luggage (I know how brave am I). Something, which many will know, is a hard task for me as I’m the girl who takes a suitcase to stop somewhere for one night. Luckily enough though, I managed to fit everything I needed in my small black case and to below the hand luggage max weight of 10 kgs… Most of the stuff I had in there was black, as the colour seems to have invaded my wardrobe as of late, something which I am in the process of changing! Having mostly black clothing in my case helped though, because I knew with little room, at least everything I was taking should work together as outfits. It gave me the opportunity to mix and match if need be. I managed to limit myself to three pairs of footwear (An arduous task for myself); I packed a pair of plane black wedge shoes for the evenings, my funky zebra print vans for the day and I wore my Underground wedges to travel in.

Although I was only there for two nights we managed to fit a lot in and Lydia was every so kind enough to make an itinerary of the weekends events. She sent it to me before I went so I was able to pack appropriately.

On the Friday I was up at 4am and in a taxi to the airport by 5am. I wanted to be comfy and warm for my journey so I travelled over in my black Underground wedges, black leggings, baggy long sleeved skull top, a black hoodie (previously my boyfriend’s, now mine!) and my leather bomber jacket. The day before I had also made a new black clutch bag for my travels, from my brand Pearls & Lipstick (Website is opening soon). I put an extra pocket in this design, which perfectly fits my passport. I also wanted something that I could use throughout my trip, as I needed to travel light. The size and design of the bag meant I was able to use it throughout the weekend and with it being black it also went with everything. I made it to fit my mini Ipad, coin purse, travel documents, passport and also a book and any other small bits if need be. This is the first bag I’ve made in this particular design, and as I’m happy with the result I shall be making more to sell ready for when the site is open.

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January 29, 2013