Update II

It has been over 2 months since I last blogged but I blame the crazy Christmas period and the fact that I have been ill. I went to the GP last Monday and she actually said 'its unfortunate but it seems you have caught another cold just as your other one was getting better'. The utter frustration! I also blame the new disgusting routemaster buses aka 'Boris-buses' with their no-windows concept. Everyone's germs and breathe just all mixed together into a big red container, do not even bother going upstairs if you have a weak immune system. Not to mention the amount of times this bus has broken down on me, not cool Boris, not cool.

Photo credits to BBC

Some of the changes in my life since November include a promotion and starting a new internship but this internship was different, different in that it was something I wanted to do, not something that I thought I should be doing. I am so sick of job-hunting and sometimes it can get you really down. People say that in your twenties you should be out exploring and finding your passion but then society says that after graduation we should be up and running in the cut-throat working world. So I thought why can't I try and pursue something that incorporates both passion and a career, which is easier said than done but I decided on 2 interests to explore.

I researched online trying to find trainee positions or internships but they were either in Australia or did not exist, until I saw one post. There was just one small problem, it was dated 2 years back. Nonetheless I did not let that deter me and thought it was worth a try to contact the company anyway and I am so happy I did because I got a response the next day telling me that there is a spot open for another intern and to come in for an interview. Mind you it has been a long time since I have gone to an interview but the creative director is such a lovely person, I was instantly made to feel relaxed. Fast forward to 2 months later and I have been offered a part-time position and I am just ecstatic. Just as I was losing hope I was given a chance in life and I am so excited to see where this new opportunity will take me.

Following on from this positive note, I have booked my next holiday! I was so disappointed that in 2014 I did not get to go anywhere so hearing my cries W.C messaged me immediately when she had her holidays booked from work. My heart had been set on one location for a couple of months now and with some near-miss bookings I was determined to go this time round. That place was Paris. I always felt ashamed that as a British person I have never set foot in France before, even on a school trip at least! (Way back in secondary school, there was one school trip to Paris which unfortunately got cancelled due to not enough interest). So even with the terrorist scares we have booked it for February coming. 

Moroccan Themed Afternoon Tea at Momo Restaurant

Hidden away from the bustling crowds of Regent St is a small food court on Heddon St. It contains various restaurants and bars including Ice Bar and Momo Restaurant. We were given the choice of either sitting inside or outside but since inside was a bit too warm for us, me and J.Y decided on the latter. Now sitting outside in November, in London sounds crazy but they had the overhead heaters which made it bearable, however what we did not account for was the fact that they offered shisha. Personally for me shisha and tea do not go together so we did feel regret when the table next to us started blowing big puffs of smoke our way, as we were trying to be dainty and ladylike with our afternoon tea.

For the menu please see here. We decided on the traditional afternoon tea which was £22 per person however there is a 13% service charge which they say is optional. In regards to tea I chose 'The A L'opera' green tea and J.Y chose the 'Blanc & Rose' white tea which we were both happy with. The food did take awhile to come out and I can not say for sure that it was worth waiting for. Although my expectations may have been too high to begin with.

To start off with is the savoury plate at the bottom. Now the overall appearance was somewhat off-putting. Imagine my surprise when I was taking the picture and realizing that the brown roll resembled something from the toilet but immaturity aside the mechouia (Tunisian salsa) on toast was quite nice however the zaalouk (eggplant) on toast I was not too keen on. The filo pastries had cheese inside which J.Y was a big fan of.

These mini sandwiches were so cute, it reminded me of something from Mario. Inside it was smoked salmon and cheese. The wrap had a Moroccan chicken filling which was delicious.

The start of the sweets begin here! First up was the scones with clotted cream and a strawberry and fig jam. The jam was absolutely gorgeous! It was flavoursome without being too sweet. The scones itself had a slight cinnamon flavour and raisins inside. If I could have stomached 2 I would have but being greedy has its consequences. 

Next up was the maghrebine pastries. I think these were the biggest disappointment, most of them had the same kind of texture (a sort of sponge soaked in syrup), just with different flavours.The nicest one had to be the one shaped like a mini loaf which had a subtle coffee-flavour to it.

The macarons were lovely! It was pistachio-flavoured with a lemon filling. The brownie had bits of walnut inside and on top was a dark-chocolate icing. The last one was a victoria sponge with a slab of white chocolate stuck on top with a tiny bit of lemon filling to stick it together. 

The service was good and the waiters were very friendly, maybe too friendly. One of them asked us where we are from when he saw me snapping away with my camera and I said 'We're Chinese', he then proceeded to throw out all the mandarin he knew which made it very awkward. I am not going to start a cultural lesson here but what I will say is that China has over 200 languages and yes the main one is Mandarin but please do not assume that every Chinese person can speak or understand it, especially British born ones! 

Overall I would not recommend this afternoon tea to friends. I think when you dislike nearly a whole plate or level then it is not worth it. Although I would go back to the restaurant and try the food because much of the savouries were nice and we had a good whiff coming from the table next to us who had ordered from the restaurant.

[Review] Garnier Body Tonic Smoothing Sugar Scrub

Usually I purchase 'Soap & Glory's Smoothie Star Breakfast Scrub' which is a good product but at RRP £8 it is quite pricey for a body scrub, so I wanted to see if I can find a cheaper alternative which is when I came across 'Garnier's Body Tonic Smoothing Scrub'. It had a lot of good reviews and for only £3.56 (on special offer in Superdrugs now, RRP £7.15), it was worth a try.

Directions and ingredients -
(Click on picture for bigger view).

Containing fruit extracts it has a strong smell and I am guessing the small red dots are suppose to be the fruit extracts. The scrub is very grainy so you do not need to rub it in too much. The back of the tube claims that after one use your skin feels noticeably softer and smoother and I was thoroughly impressed after my first use. It did leave my skin feeling soft and smelling fresh. However we shall see if after 3 weeks if my skin feels toned, (though I only exfoliate once a week).

After my initial first use I was very happy however the next day my skin felt very heavy and sticky, like there was a lot of residue left though I had washed everything off already. Maybe I had used too much product but I will not be purchasing Garnier's Body Tonic Smoothing Scrub again and will stick to my Soap & Glory Breakfast Scrub.

Rating out of 5: