Summertime, and the living is easy

Imagine the scene:  it was a very hot, sunny summer evening and we were enjoying light refreshments on a terrace overlooking the sights of the city.  Everyone had their sunglasses on and the sun cream to hand, even though it was past 6.30.  You may be surprised to learn that we were in London! 

After a lovely ‘picnic’ on the terrace, we were given a ‘goodie bag’ with strawberries and cream and a small bottle of wine before boarding an original Routemaster bus for the short trip to the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.  Alessandra and I were fortunate to be guests of Knight Frank for an evening of the best that London has to offer, particularly when the weather cooperates!  

Set amidst the beautiful grounds of the royal Regent’s Park, this is one of the largest open air theatres in London with 1,250 seats.  It blends beautifully with the surroundings, and, despite its size, once inside it has a very intimate feel.  There are also places within the grounds where you can dine al fresco, or simply have a drink at the bar. 

The production we were seeing was Gershwin's Porgy & Bess. Most of the performers are award-winners, with Rufus Bonds Jr. playing the role of Porgy, while Bess was played by Nicola Hughes.




The stage was very simply set with a copper coloured, wave-like structure that looked amazing against a back-drop of lush green trees.  And the acoustics were fabulous, assisted with the rustling of trees that created additional atmosphere for the ‘outdoor’ scenes of the show.  The story, an American classic, was beautifully performed and the actors made us feel as if we were part of the show.  And of course, many of the songs are well known; including ‘Summertime’ and ‘It Ain’t Necessarily So’, and you could see the audience joining in. 

While we had a spectacular evening, from a meteorological perspective, should you be lucky enough to go to an outdoor theatre, please remember to be prepared for all the British weather might have to offer.  There is nothing worse than turning up for a wonderful show and being miserable because you feel cold, wet, scorched, or some combination thereof.  Do go out and enjoy all the cultural events that London has to offer, including theatre, concerts and outdoor cinemas.

Regent's Park Open Air Theatre:  http://openairtheatre.com/
Knight Frank:  http://www.knightfrank.co.uk/


Written by Eva Stock. Eva is Director of Sponsors Relations at FOCUS.

For more information about FOCUS visit:  www.focus-info.org

Enjoying authentic oriental cuisine

The Bugis Street Platter

Last week I was very lucky to have been invited to Bugis Street Brasserie in Copthorne Tara Hotel. This is an authentic Singaporean restaurant which is frequented by both native Asians and westerners.
Although I was not particularly thrilled when I was told to have dinner at a hotel restaurant, I admit that it was the best food I ever ate in a hotel and it was much better than most stand alone restaurants. I was there together with the whole FOCUS team in order to celebrate Irene Kuan’s (our Director of Finance’s) wedding. At the same time, it was a farewell dinner to our leaving Marketing Director, Marianne Sloth, my predecessor.

The atmosphere was great. Tables and the restaurant are nicely decorated with antique  furniture and paintings. The best thing, however, was the food. We enjoyed a delicious 4-course menu which made all our taste buds dance with delight.

We started with Laksa. This is a popular spicy noodle soup from the Peranakan cuisine, which is a combination of Chinese and Malay cuisine. It consists of rice noodles, prawns, chicken, tofu puffs and fish balls in Malaysian curry. This is just the most awesome combination one could think of.

As a second course, we enjoyed the Bugis Street Platter, the signature dish of the restaurant. It is an amazing selection of seaweed (the “prosperity grass” as the Chinese call it), spring rolls, spare ribs, chicken satay etc.. Even if you are picky with food, there is the right dish for everyone.

The third course included dishes such as spicy butter king prawns, sea bass in sambal sauce with spring onions, curry chicken, Chinese vegetables (Morning Glory) and Nasi Goreng - fried rice topped with sunny side up egg.

Everything was amazingly fresh and had a very intense, delicious taste.

Last but not least, we enjoyed a great light dessert of fresh fruits topped with melting chocolate ice cream! This was just the perfect finish to our dinner celebration.

Bugis Street, named after the legendary seafaring merchants from the Island of Sulawesi, was once one of the more notorious areas of Singapore. Recently, it has been transformed and now boasts a bustling street life with boutiques, market stalls, bars and restaurants.

The restaurant chef, Kok San Wong, was born in Penang, Malaysia. Having to cook for his seven siblings while his parents were at work, Wong turned his hobby into his profession. He has been a trained chef for over 20 years and has worked in hotel restaurants and resorts in Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia.

Having lived in China and Indonesia for a long time myself, it is great to be able to enjoy such an authentic Asian cuisine in London. And I guess this culinary and cultural diversity is what makes London one of the best places on earth.

Written by Veronika Kamplade, who is  FOCUS Director of Marketing.

For more information about FOCUS visit:  www.focus-info.org

No smoking…please !

As soon as the English weather gets better and days longer, garden parties flourish throughout the country.  London, with many private gardens, falls for this informal and relaxed way of enjoying a beautiful English summer evening…

I have recently been invited to the Belgrave Square Garden Party. Located in the south-west side of Hyde Park Corner, it is Belgravia’s green ‘ lung ‘. This 4.5 acre private garden, designed by George Basevi* and first planted by Thomas Cubitt** in 1826, features large plane trees, pergolas, a tennis court and a playground for children… a wonderful setting for a summertime English garden party!

Upon  arrival, all guests were welcomed by a member of the Garden committee and offered a drink which made the threatening sky a little less scary… Fortunately, we all managed to stay dry until we sat down for dinner.  Grilled meats and fish, mediterranean vegetables and French wines were a perfect match for a light barbecue.

Those who stayed late had an unsual experience :  we were introduced to famous Lazaro Collazo, an authentic ‘torcedor’.  For those who do not know what a ‘torcedor’ is – and I must confess that, being a non-smoker, I was part of them – he/she is a master in  cigar rolling.  Lazaro Collazo began his career as a torcedor in Cuba in 1998 and in very few years, achieved the highest possible ranking within the categories defined by the Cuban Cigar Industry.

Tobacco plant

Like a fine wine, a hand-rolled cigar -formulated, produced, grown, and created by a master- is considered as one of the finest things in life.  Being totally ignorant in the art of cigar-smoking, I was introduced to all steps; first select the cigar by nothing else but the “feel” of it in your fingertips: Is it dry? Does it have a uniform firmness alongside?  Can you notice any vein and moistness? Then clip it in order to get the ideal draw. Light it and this happens to be a true art in itself as you should only light it by using a strip of Spanish cedar to ‘toast’ the end of the cigar.  Once the tip is glowing red, wait a little until the cigar reaches “smokability”!  You can then lightly puff your cigar, letting the smoke through the stick escape from your mouth. This is when you start tasting flavours and aromas such as oak, strawberry, mango, toast, coffee… almost as in wine tasting.  The Cigar Rolling Master was so passionate about his art that I decided to try and therefore followed  each path very carefully… This led me straight to coughing  and… laughter ! I am not sure I will turn into a cigar smoker… It was however worth trying and made of this pleasant English garden party something special!

*Georges Basevi: English architect (1794 –1845), designer of Belgrave Square.
 ** Thomas Cubitt(1788–1855:  leading master builder in London in the second quarter of the 19th century.

CGars:  http://www.cgarsltd.co.uk

Written by Florence Tilkens.  Florence is Social Media and Marketing Manager at FOCUS.

For more information please visit www.focus-info.org

Tea tasting at The Milestone…

I must confess that I have never been a tea drinker !  Brought up in a place where coffee was the next best beverage after wine, I never really paid too much attention to tea and invariably used to leave it when invited for tea time.  And yet… When I heard about a tea tasting being organised at The Milestone Hotel, I signed up immediately… obviously more attracted by the prospect of spending some time in the exquisite, Grade-II listed, quintessentially English boutique hotel. 

Often described as an English country mansion, set in the heart of London, The Milestone hotel is a very discrete place where privacy and elegance are the key words.  Amazingly,  the original dwelling on this site, Kensington House, was built in about 1689.  Beautifully restored to five star standards and now part of the Red Carnation Hotel Collection, The Milestone is a unique place with a typically English feel, home away from home.   With its selection of suites and apartments, all a perfect illustration of English taste, The Milestone was indeed the best choice and perfect place for this other English tradition :  tea tasting!

Upon arrival, the guests were taken to a classic wood panelled boardroom, the Windsor Suite, where we were introduced to Lalani & Co’s precious leaves.  Lalani & Co is a family run company dedicated to the trade of exceptional teas.  Tea is like wine: its flavour is created by the terroir, the skill of the producer, the care of handling and ageing.

A welcome cocktail made with Japanese cooking matcha,  a finely milled green tea - one of Lalani & Co’s most famous organic teas, often used in recipes of green smoothies, macarons or ice-creams - refreshed and awakened our palate in order to prepare it for the three varieties of tea we were going to taste.

The first one was a rich and silky Japanese tea; its notes of umami and spring greens perfectly matched its name,  ‘Wazuka Garden’, produced in the Kyoto prefecture.

A deep amber, Sauternes-like nectar  with a powerful scent of honey, was then served in a stemmed glass.  This tea, produced in Taiwan’s Jade Mountain at 4,000-5,000 feet high, was a true celebration of the senses with its shades of amber, sweet scents and smooth, almost creamy,  texture ;  its name :   Jade Mountain Honey Special Spring… almost an anthem to poetry.  Needless to say that it was perfectly assorted to the canapes served during the tasting.

Then came the last : an enchanting and complex Nepal tea.  With its woody and tobacco notes, the Jun

Chiyabari brought a perfect conclusion  to a tasty evening in one of the most delightful hotels in London…  The evening ended with a prize draw for a dinner for two at The Milestone’s intimate and relaxing Cheneston’s restaurant… A genuine English experience !

And guess what ?   I believe that I have  been converted to tea drinking…






The Milestone Hotel, 1 Kensington Ct, London W8 5DL
www.milestonehotel.com

Lalani & Co, Dephna Building, 14 Cumberland Avenue, London NW10 7QL
www.lalaniandco.com

Written by Florence Tilkens.  Florence is Social Media and Marketing Manager at FOCUS.

For more information please visit www.focus-info.org

You say Macaron, I say Macaroon

Whether you pronounce this delightful treat the French way ‘macaron’ or the English way ‘macaroon’ there is no denying they are heavenly! The price of these delights suggests that in spite of their ‘petite’ size and simple ingredients there must be a small degree of magic put into their creation. I do thrive on culinary challenges so I set out to discover if there was indeed magic in each small bite.

When FOCUS treated me to a voucher to Leith’s School of Food and Wine it was nearly a certainty that I would enroll for a baking course. And so it was never a more appropriate gift for me… my ticket to discover the secret behind macaroon making.  Keeping the calendar of FOCUS events running at a hectic pace this year meant I spent months anticipating the day I would finally get my chance to take this class. When the day arrived I waved goodbye to the team with a spring in my step.

Entering Leiths was like stepping into my dream world- pristine kitchens brimming with all the kitchen essentials plus enviable gadgets that only true foodies make room for in their kitchen.  Graciously greeted by one of the Leith's team members I was shown to the library where I met four other women equally eager to learn the art of macaroon making.

Before I could choose a book we were escorted to Kitchen 4 where the lovely and talented Ansobe started our tutorial. While demonstrating each step with precision, she calmly and clearly talked us through the recipe and we feverishly took notes in the recipe booklet provided.

At last it was our chance to give it a go ourselves. The excitement mounted as we boiled our sugar syrup and sifted our almond mixture. Ansobe moved between us ensuring we were not going off track. It was not long before we had each produced baking sheets with 20 beautifully coloured circles. While our creations rested Ansobe made a delicious salted caramel and discussed trouble shooting for some of the most common pitfalls.

The moment of truth then arrived!  As the oven doors opened baking trays revealed 120 perfect macaroons- each one with the essential ‘foot.’ A cheer was let out by all! We had in fact uncovered the magic behind macaroon making.

It was time to leave Leith’s so we waved goodbye with our treats in hand. I can’t wait to return to uncover the magic of another delight!

 

Written by Nancy Dickinson.  Nancy is the Director of Events and Seminars at FOCUS.

 

For more information please visit www.focus-info.org

Trooping the Colour

This year I was lucky to have been invited to Trooping the Colour. This is an important and extravagant ceremony performed by regiments of the British and Commonwealth armies to mark the official birthday of the Queen.

Although I was not particularly thrilled when told I had to wear a hat, I admit that it was fun to go out and shop for one. My friend and I headed to Whitehall Saturday morning and were surprised to see so many other “invitees” travelling on the tube. The show for me started when we arrived at our allocated stand. There were representatives from the military and from the Church of England as well as British socialite habitués who knew each other.  Almost all of the women wore hats or fascinators and the men wore morning suits or formal uniforms.

Although it was only decided in 1748 that the parade would be  used to mark the official birthday of the Sovereign and would become an annual event, it is believed that the Ceremony was first performed during the reign of King Charles II (1660 - 1685). Queen Elizabeth II has taken the salute at every parade since the beginning of her reign in 1952, with the exception of 1955 when there was a national rail strike.  Until 1986 she took the salute riding side-saddle on her horse, but since then the Queen travels down The Mall from Buckingham Palace seated in a beautiful carriage as part of a royal procession escorted by the sovereign's Household Cavalry.

It was thrilling to see her at such a close distance and lovely to see her smiling. It was exciting to see the other members of the royal family as well. After receiving the royal salute, her Majesty inspected the troops of the Nijmegen Company Grenadier Guards. There was a lot of marching and many customs that I did not understand but it was still fascinating to watch. “God Save the Queen” was played several times and of course, we had to stand each time.

It is amazing to see such traditional and formal ceremonies in such a modern country and I guess it is this constant contrast we are all experiencing that makes this a great place to live in.

Written by Alessandra Gnudi who is FOCUS Executive Director.

For more information about FOCUS visit: www.focus-info.org

The Vikings are here (again)!

I recently visited the 'Vikings: life and legend' exhibition at the British Museum. It was with a bit of mixed feelings that I went to this exhibition.  Being Danish myself it was my ancestors who were the barbarians who pillaged, plundered and raped when they came to England. The exhibition tries to explain and show that the Vikings were so much more than cruel invaders of England.

The exhibition was opened by the Danish Queen Margrethe in March.

It takes place in the new Sainsbury Gallery that had to have its doors adjusted to welcome the large Roskilde 6 ship from Denmark. Unfortunately less than 20% of the timber remains from this ship and there is a new metal frame showing its original size. Even though this was the largest Viking ship ever  found in Scandinavia -  37-meter long, I think that it would have been nicer to have a whole ship on display.

There is a large display of items that were used in the daily life of a Viking, and also a large number of items that were worn on special occasions and by the very rich. The Vikings were very fond of “bling” and the jewellery and decorative items were worn by women and men alike. One of my favourite things from the

exhibition was the necklace found in Tissø in Denmark, made from solid gold and weighing an impressive 2.5 kg.

I have visited a number of museums in Denmark and Sweden with Viking items, but I still had some take-away from this one. The exhibition explains how the Viking art was influenced by all the countries they visited from Russia to the Muslim world. There is a display that shows how the Vikings used Muslim coins for jewellery. But from objects found in England it is very obvious that the Vikings also influenced the cultures that they visited and where they settled. This was absolute a new part of history for me.

Furthermore their religious beliefs are nicely explained in the London exhibition. During the Vikings era the Scandinavians went from cherishing  the Nordic Gods to becoming Christians. The influence of Christianity is also shown in the Viking art. This is evident in the replica of the 10th century Jelling Rune Stone that depicts a standing Jesus but without the cross.

There is also a display that shows how the Vikings influenced the English language in many ways.

Did I leave the exhibition feeling less humble and embarrassed to be a descendant of the Vikings? Well not really. But may be that is just me….

Bonus info: Did you know that there was never evidence found that the Vikings were using helmets with horns? This image was a misunderstanding from the 19th century when artists pictured Vikings with helmets with horns.

The exhibition closes on 22nd June 2014.

Written by Marianne Sloth, who is  FOCUS Director of Marketing. Marianne is Danish and has lived in London for 4 years.



For more information about FOCUS visit:  www.focus-info.org