A jewel in the Crown

It may be National Curry Week until 18th October but not all Indian restaurants are curry houses.

Recently, I was lucky enough to be invited for lunch at Quilon restaurant. This fine Indian restaurant is definitely not your typical local curry house: I quickly understood why it was awarded a Michelin star in 2008 and has retained it since then.

Located between St James’ Park and Victoria, Quilon serves South-West coastal Indian cuisine.  The décor is quite modern and sleek whilst warm and inviting with extensive use of dark wood: you are transported in the warmth and depth of Indian culture and cuisine without being overwhelmed with traditional decorative references.

And this progressive stance is also reflected in 
reflected in the original approach of the award-winning chef to Indian cuisine:  successfully blending the roots and flavours of Indian traditions with modern tastes and cooking techniques, the menu focuses on seafood while also serving excellent meat, poultry and vegetarian dishes.

We had the opportunity to try the tasting menu. What a journey of flavours, herbs and spices! I personally like spices as they add character and depth to a dish but I must admit I am usually not a big fan of very hot food. As soon as the appetisers arrived, I discovered the explosion of
flavours was more about the quality, subtlety

and mix of the spices used than about the strength. In the assortment of dips, some were significantly hotter than what I usually eat, but they were so full of deep and tangy flavours of lemon, mint, coriander, etc., that I could not really stop dipping…

The rest of the menu then brought us from succulent stuffed quail legs (with brown onion, chilli, ginger, spices and served with mustard) to a soft-as-a-feather coconut chicken breast, from a surprisingly light and cleansing spiced lentil broth to a deliciously indulgant layered bread with pure ghee (Indian clarified butter), from an assortment of tasty vegetables to comforting tomato- and lemon-flavoured rice… And not to mention one of their signature dishes, the beautiful melt-in-the-mouth baked black cod!

The desserts did not let us down either: the pistachio cake with melted black sesame fondant, the hot vermicelli kheer (creamy hot vermicelli pudding served with rose ice cream), and the chocolate and hazelnut praliné cake flavoured with cardamom and coconut, are equally delicious and surprising.

I already liked Indian cuisine before, but Quilon has definitely showed me new flavour horizons.

Quilon restaurant
41 Buckingham Gate
London SW1E 6AF
020 7821 1899

For more on Indian cuisine in the UK, read also the ‘East meets West: Britain’s curry quest’ article in the September-October issue of FOCUS Magazine.


Written by Aude Eyraud. Aude is FOCUS Director of Marketing.

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

My 'Dîner en Blanc'

The one and only time I have ever worn all white was for my wedding. It's just not one of my favourite colours for apparel. So, the idea of wearing this very tricky colour (for me) produces some trepidation.   

Dîner en Blanc is an international pop-up event phenomenon and, as the title suggests, all-white attire is a must. No negotiation on this point.  

My husband, Ernest, and I first learned about Dîner en Blanc back in the U.S. but were never able to get past the wait list to actually attend one.

When we learned about a planned Dîner en Blanc event in London, we never dreamed that we would actually get to go right way. We had hoped to get on the wait list and perhaps make it to one before we returned home in a few years. We were thrilled, then, to learn that we actually made the cut on the first try!  So, for the first time in nearly a decade I found myself garbed head-to-toe in white - well, actually more of an ecru.

The concept of Dîner en Blanc is simple:
Diners supply their own food, place settings and linens; organisers arrange the location and entertainment for the evening. Confirmed attendees meet at the appointed rendez-vous spot and are then escorted to the super-secret venue where they set up for the world’s 'most elegant picnic'. 

Our meeting place was The Birdcage sculpture at St. Pancras, and the venue was only a short walk away at Lewis Cubitt Square. Other attendees that evening, however, had to travel by tube from meeting points all over the city. The Facebook photos showing the marching white brigade attest to this amusing sight.


Most of those around us were DEB newbies - we
could tell by the shared wide-eyed wonder at some of the spectacular outfits and paraphernalia of many diners. DEB veterans were also easy to spot. They were meticulously packed to party with fancy baskets, their own tables and chairs (we rented ours from the event organisers) gourmet fare and table decorations that would do Colin Cowie proud.

For many of these vets, elegance was enthusiastically embraced - white sequinned gowns, Ascot-worthy hats adorned with ostrich feathers, parasols, and even powdered wigs! Others - I’m guessing some newbies - chose a more relaxed interpretation of elegance with white jeans, button-down shirts or T-shirts and trainers. No matter the style, 1,200 people dressed in the same colour is, itself, an amazing sight. 

It was a festive evening spent with new found
friends from all over the world, including Canada, France, Japan, Ireland, Germany and the U.S.  We danced to a great party band, played board games and enjoyed fireworks (well, hand-held sparklers!) If that weren’t exciting enough, our Canadian table mates got engaged in the middle of dinner. It happened in a flash:  Daniel kneeled and popped the question in a whisper to Angie. They embraced and she cried.  Once I figured out the momentous news, dozens (then hundreds) of us tapped our wine glasses and whirled our napkins overhead in celebration. How awesome is that?

I’ll never have a love affair with white clothes, but for an evening of food, fun, good cheer and colourful people, sign me up to dine en blanc any time.

Written by Pamela Rucker Springs. Pamela is a PR and communications expert with her own consultancy. She and her husband, Ernest, moved to London in late 2014 for his secondment with a global news organisation.

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

Gaudeamus Igitur

There is no better place to celebrate academic achievement than Cambridge University. I was delighted to be invited a few weeks ago to the Homerton College Graduation Ceremony. The day was beautiful and the girl who was graduating was shining (and melting) in her gown. We started the day with some drinks at the college grounds to then move to the formal halls for a buffet lunch. The atmosphere was very festive yet solemn. All students were wearing different gowns depending on their degree and their parents and guests were all in formal outfits. You could breathe the excitement but also the tension for the imminent graduation. After a surprisingly delicious meal we were asked to go to the centre of the town where the ceremony took place.


Cambridge university was founded in 1209 and today’s graduation ceremony is amongst its oldest traditions. The awarding of each degree is still an act of the whole university and it is therefore a very big celebration. Graduands were presented by their College to the Vice-Chancellor of the University or a deputy in the presence of the Proctors and entered in a procession in the Senate-House. All guests needed to hold a ticket and were asked to take a sit before the students came in. We were also requested to refrain from taking photos and videos. There was an official order of proceedings and formal announcements were read before the start of the conferment of degrees.

I was very amazed to see every student called up by their name and kneel before the Vice-Chancellor with hands together enclosed in his hands. A Latin formula was read aloud to every candidate. The newly graduate then rose, took one step back, bowed to the Vice-Chancellor and left the Senate House. I could hear some parents blowing their nose behind me and I also got emotional when my friend Lola

received her degree. It is such an amazing University and I kept thinking of how their time there must have been as well as of the career opportunities these kids will have.

At the end all new graduates gathered outside the Senate-House and with their best smile and incredible pride they all joined in the celebration of their lifetime achievement!

Written by Alessandra Gnudi. Alessandra is FOCUS Executive Director.

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

Exploring Outside of London: Salisbury, Stonehenge, Bath

As much as I love being in London, it was nice having a chance to leave and see the other beautiful sites that England has to offer.

My programme booked us a field trip to see Salisbury, Stonehenge and the city of Bath.

Our first stop was Salisbury where my breath was taken away at the beautiful landscapes. It was amazing to see the lush landscapes and the famous Salisbury Cathedral rising up in the distance. We were given the chance to walk around a bit then we went on a tour of the gothic-style Cathedral. I loved looking at the beautiful stained glass windows and hearing the history of the Cathedral from the tour guide. We even had the chance to look at a copy of the Magna Carta, which unfortunately, we were not allowed to take pictures of. It was a great experience and I learned a lot.

 

Next, we stopped at the famous Stonehenge. Before starting this trip, I knew what Stonehenge was, but I did not know what made it so special. Stonehenge is believed to be built over 5000 years ago and it still remains intact for people all over the world to see. The most interesting part is that no one knows the actual history of it, there are many speculations backed up by science. The most recent speculation was that it was used as an ancient burial ground. Seeing one of the World Heritage Sites was something that I will never forget.

We then finally made it to Bath. Bath is somewhere I have wanted to go since first arriving in London. The baths there date back to the Roman times where they named the city, a spa with hot springs and beautiful architecture. We were privileged enough to go on a tour of the Roman Baths where I had a personal listening device. I learned that they have the only hot springs in England, originally formed with rainwater. The baths were said to have healing powers that the Celtics used. At the end of the tour, we were able to have a drink out of one of the springs; the water did not taste great, in my opinion, because it was filled with many minerals that gave it a metallic taste. We then walked around and explored the great city. Bath has cute shops and great food that anyone would like. I really enjoyed the night life with many pubs playing live music and happy people all over.  

Overall, this was a great field trip and I am so glad I got to experience it. I learned so much about the history of these cities and was able to see some amazing sites. These are places I definitely need to try to get back to. 

Written by Jennifer Roth. Jennifer is working as an intern at FOCUS this summer.