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Mayochup

A London based food, parenting and travel blog. Follow us on our travels

Last November we beat the winter blues and went for a sunny trip to Oman. Without the wall of text, I shall shower you with pictures instead.

Perfect picnic spot overlooking the sea in the evening in Muscat
A walk along the beach in Muscat
Creative advertising 
Local fish in the fish market
You wouldn't think bananas grew here!
Camel rides offered on the beaches
Natural sink hole in Oman
One of the many wadi's. This one is Wadi Shab
Another wadi in Oman
Spices for sale
Local delicious food
Local delicious food

Typical souq shop in Muscat
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We were given a Groupon voucher for a 5 course tasting menu at Galvin at Windows located in the Hilton at Park Lane, London. Based on our experiences at Ormer, we were very excited and looking forward to tucking in on some amazing food.

Galvin at Windows lies on the 28th floor which offers great views of London at night. Upon entering we were shown to our table but as it has been a very hot day, it seems the air conditioning was struggling a bit and the restaurant felt very hot and stuffy.

We were offered a Bellini and some bread whilst we were waiting which was a mix of brown and onion bread. The onion bread was really nice but the brown bread was tough and a little dry.

Onion and brown bread
Onion and brown bread
An aperitif soon followed which was soft cheese and tomato on crusty bread. The cheese overpowered pretty much everything but it was quite nice anyway.

Galvin at Windows
The aperitif
The first course was described as 'Vichyssoise', truffle cream & gougiere. No idea what this was but no matter, we eat anything anyway. When it came, it was a cold soup which was creamy but lacked seasoning. Adding dill would have enhanced the dish and added an extra flavour but as it is, it was a little dull.

'Vichyssoise', truffle cream & gougiere at Galvin at Windows
'Vichyssoise', truffle cream & gougiere
Still, on to the next course which was 'Roasted pollock, brandade croquette & watercress veloute'. The fish was very delicate and very subtle in flavour. If mixed with the croquette and the veloute, you couldn't taste the fish at all so best to eat that separately. The croquette was nice but seemed an easy option for the chefs to compile the dish.

Roasted pollock, brandade croquette & watercress veloute at Galvin at Windows
Roasted pollock, brandade croquette & watercress veloute
Up next was 'Cornish pie "feather blade", mustard emulsion & pickles. This was the least favourite dish of them all. We couldn't understand why the pickles were there in the fist place, the flavour combination did not work at all. The pie was a bit dry and the pastry was too thick and on the dry side. The mustard emulsion was nice though.

Cornish pie "feather blade", mustard emulsion & pickles at Galvin at Windows
Cornish pie "feather blade", mustard emulsion & pickles
The last savoury course was Baron Bigod, chutney & raisin bread. This was disappointing as it involves no cooking whatsoever and a lazy addition to the menu. A bit of cheese, chutney and bread in a top class restaurant tasting menu?

Baron Bigod, chutney & raisin bread at Galvin at Windows
Baron Bigod, chutney & raisin bread
Dessert was 'Chocolate fondant, caramelised bananas & banana ice cream'. The chocolate fondant was very chocolatey and had the gooey centre however, it completely overpowered the banana ice cream.

Chocolate fondant, caramelised bananas & banana ice cream at Galvin at Windows
Chocolate fondant, caramelised bananas & banana ice cream
The food served here would be befitting of a gastro pub and not what you would expect of a top class restaurant. When comparing the food to Ormer who offer a similar tasting menu at a similar price, this falls way below their standards. Even the presentation of the dishes could have been better.

If you plan to drive in and park under the Hilton car park, be prepared for the astronomical car park prices. For our 2.5 hour stay we were charged £30 so it may be wise to park elsewhere and walk in.


Galvin at Windows
22 Park Lane
London
W1K 1BE
http://www.galvinatwindows.com/

Galvin at Windows - London Hilton on Park Lane Hotel Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
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After a 4 hour drive, our first stop on a weeks tour of England and Scotland is Chester which is situated in the north west just below Liverpool. Chester is one of the few walled cities that is still standing when built by the Romans all those years ago and as a result, the city centre is stunning which combines Roman architecture with Tudor buildings.

View of Chester from the city walls
View of Chester centre from the city walls

Chester city centre
Chester city centre
After a slow stroll around the centre, we toured around the city walls which takes around 45 minutes to complete. As it so happens, it was Chester race weekend so when passing the racecourse, it was busy with the local Chester wildlife in various states of soberness. Still, this made the city colourful and buskers were out aplenty playing either Oasis or Beatles songs. The really talented ones play both Oasis and Beatles!

For tourist attractions, there are many. You have the remains of an old Roman ampitheatre, Chester Cathedral which is free to enter (they ask for a donation but not mandatory), two tiered shopping centre with tudor architecture, city walls, Chester zoo, the famous Eastgate clock. It's best to Google to find out what you want to do.

We found a place for lunch, situated just below the city walls, called Porta which is a tapas and wine bar. The place is tiny but the food is amazing and just what we needed. Most pubs are baby friendly and little Tamara enjoyed all the attention.

Porta kitchen
The tiny kitchen area. Chefs have nowhere to hide

Small service area

Prawn, croquettes and calamari
Prawns, croquettes and calamari

Pastel de Nata
Pastel de Nata - a Portuguese dessert
More shops later, it was time to find somewhere for dinner and Chester boasts a fantastic amount of out-of-town gastro pubs serving excellent food so we opted for The Chester Fields which has wonderful views of the countryside on a lovely sunny evening. The only downside is if you choose to eat outside, you'll have to contest your dinner with the local wasps which was off-putting. Still, we moved inside so we can enjoy our dessert in peace.

Steak and chips
Steak and chips. Meat was so tender and cooked perfectly

Lamb cooked three ways
Lamb cooked three ways. Just fantastic

Chocolate tart and strawberry ice cream
Odd combination this one. Dark chocolate tart with strawberry ice cream. Didn't quite go and the tart was a bit dry

Creme Brulee
Creme Brulee. Just amazing.
Chester is well worth a weekend visit with its stunning architecture, city walls, great food and warm and welcoming people. What's not to love?

The Chester Fields
Sandfield Farm
Chester Road
CH2 4JR
http://www.thechesterfields.co.uk/


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Out of the blue, my brother-in-law proposed to his long term girlfriend and to celebrate, we were invited to a pub outing and dinner at The White Horse in Harpenden.

The pub is situated on the edge of Harpenden next to idyllic houses and greens and fits in nicely in the area. The garden area is extensive and well looked after. The inside blends modern with rustic giving it a homely feel so it suits all seasons. As it was a warm evening with a bright blue sky, we opted to eat outside.

So after the chinking of the champagne glasses filled with prosecco, it was time to order dinner. The weather put paid to the availability of the menu, not because it was spoiled, but due to the pub being extremely busy over that weekend.

We both opted for the pork roast with crackling and all the trimmings. As you can see, the portion size is good and you definitely get your moneys worth.

Pork Roast with all the trimmings
My mother-in-law is a little fussy when it comes to ordering restaurant food and not all that keen on English/European food so she had Halibut with Asparagus and vegetables which isn't on the menu but the The White Horse was more than willing and capable to tailor a dish to her needs. 

Halibut with Asparagus and vegetables
Even though we managed to polish off our mains and feeling quite full, there is always room for pudding and we were enticed by the Rhubarb and Almond Pie which was amazing. The almond pie was warm and soft which complemented well with the strips of rhubarb and the dollop of clotted cream.

Almond and Rhubarb pie with clotted cream
This pub is recommended if you're in the area and is a nice place for large groups to come together. 

The White Horse
Redbourn Lane
Hatching Green
Harpenden
Hertfordshire
AL5 2JP
https://www.thewhitehorseharpenden.co.uk/



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Bournemouth is a 1.5 hour drive away so when the sun’s out, we can pop down and we did just that. However, when we got there, and this was upon arrival at Bournemouth, it was foggy. No matter though as there are still plenty of things to do other than the beach.

A foggy start

Beaches are empty due to the weather
Being a typical British seaside resort, there’s plenty of amusement arcades, snack shops, restaurants, tourist shops and other places to visit. There’s even a sea life centre should the weather make a turn for the worse. Luckily for us, the fog lifted and we were treated to wonderful views of the English coastline. Baby Tamara loved it and got to touch sand for the first time and was captivated by the sea. However, the sound of the waves lapping the shoreline soon put her to sleep!

Luckily the weather improved

Views of the sea
There are plenty of places to eat but our tip is to walk a little further down the promenade to find ones that are more reasonably priced as the restaurants by the pier (the main entrance) tend to be quite expensive and lacking in quality. Harry Ramsdens being the major culprit. All batter, hardly any fish. So after a 15 minute walk, we found a lovely little place called Chine Side. This place offered seating upstairs on the balcony which is perfect for those sea views and people watching. Being by the sea, we couldn’t resist Fish & Chips and Salmon Fishcakes & Chips. We were pleasantly surprised with the healthy portions too. It's a shame there was no mushy peas but can't have everything.

Fish and Chips

Salmon Fishcakes and Chips

We returned home just before the stag and hen groups would come out to play which is the right time. Also beating the traffic on the way back. This resort is definitely worth the trip and a great place to relax.

Chine Side
Durley Chine Road
Bournemouth
Dorset
BH2 5JG
01202 438288
http://www.chineside.co.uk/


Chine Side Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
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Somehow, for reasons that are still unexplained, we won tickets for Cafe de Paris so on a Friday night, we went. Once we were there, unbeknown to us, we were actually entitled the VIP package which allowed us the three courses, a bottle of Prosecco and two free drinks. Unfortunately, or fortunately for me, Mrs Mayochup was pregnant at the time therefore could not drink anything alcoholic so the whole bottle of Prosecco and free Kir Royale was mine. Be rude not to waste it.

Ruby and performing guests

Another picture of the performers
We previously posted about Cafe de Paris and we were pleased to see that Ruby was still the MC who is still at his flamboyant best terrorising the gentlemen who he took a shine to. The acts were truly amazing and it’s hard to comprehend that us human beings can perform like that whether it being balancing on one hand on a raised platform to performing acts with fire. Over the course of the evening, it must have been the first time in its history that there were no hen parties but of course there were other celebrations like birthdays and anniversaries.

For starters, we went for the smoked chicken and papaya on blini. This comes with beetroot & shallot dressing and sweet potato confetti. The other starter was the cured salmon carpaccio with palm hearts, caper berry and rock salt. The salmon is no different to what you have in hundreds of other restaurants, light and refreshing but the smoked chicken and papaya was amazing. Surprisingly light and full of flavour.

Smoked chicken and papaya on blini

Cured salmon carpaccio with palm hearts, caper berry and rock salt

Between meals, we were treated to a magician plying her trade with card tricks and misdirection.  One guy on our table thought he had it worked out but the magician had him sussed and got nowhere. We forget her name but she was at the Edinburgh Film Festival, not that narrows it down much.

Magician with her really bright red hair
For the mains, we got the prime rib-eye steak with hand cooked chips and garlic butter. The other was grilled chicken breast which comes with courgettes, potato fondant, girolle mushrooms and parsley. Both were well cooked and well received.  Especially as one of us was drinking a lot and needed to soak up the booze!

Grilled chicken breast, courgettes, potato fondant, girolle mushrooms and parsley

Rib-eye steak with hand cooked chips and garlic butter

We thought we were only eligible for two courses so to have dessert was a bonus. We opted for fresh fruit salad and warm chocolate brownie.

Fresh fruit salad

Warm chocolate brownie

We do recommend coming here even if it's not just for the food. The entertainment is fantastic and worth the entry fee alone.

Cafe de Paris
3 Coventry Street
London
W1D 6BL
http://www.cafedeparis.com/

Cafe De Paris Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato


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