The not-so-secret diary

If you are like me, you are probably thinking life was just a lot easier in the past when people invited you over for dinner, or when you were on a flight the attendant asked: Veg or Non-Veg? Not any more. Amongst the mind-boggling range of food and life choices now available, I discovered today the existence of The Flexitarian'.  This appears to refer to a person who is not quite vegetarian but appears to have chosen to eat less meat. Hang on- so that's everyone who is NOT vegetarian (!) because 'less' is a relative term. Despite my initial disdain, I have decided there is some weight behind this idea. Mainly since it suggests that people who choose to be flexatarians have had some realisation, usually on moral, health or environmental grounds that either they or the planet may benefit from more plant-based foods. So far, so good. In fact I have some solid evidence from my London social circle that shows they were already 'on-trend' before this term wa...

I may have taken a brief hiatus from blogging but not in exploring London 's hidden culinary nooks. So I combine here my three most interesting yet diverse restaurant experiences from the last few months . In chronological order of visit, I start first with the unexpected delights of Shaolin temple's little restaurant in Tufnell Park. Admittedly the trek to the wild regions 'North' of the River Thames was an arduous one (you guessed it, I'm in the 'South' camp).  However my planned gate-crash of this small dinner party hosted by Chinese linguists was possibly the best 'I'm-inviting-myself-to-this-evening' occasion. I have no doubt the memory of that yummy aubergine dish, stir fried green beans and crunchy tofu will take me back there soon. No photos sadly and the temple/kung fu centre doesn't really advertise this little restaurant, but here's a link  . Equally surprising was the lovely restaurant with its pretty crockery at the Well...