Gelatorino: redefining happiness in a cup

“I feel like having ice-cream, I have not had a proper one in ages! I’m always stealing it from your tub.”

It started drizzling and with the soft pitter patter and the help of google maps we found ourselves at Gelatorino. Upon first look, one might pass off Gelatorino as just another gelato place but just like how easy it is to judge a place by it’s first look,Gelatorino turned out to be the best gelato place ever.

Unlike typical gelato places that line up their gelato in an enticing display….

The gelato at Gelatorino are kept in pozzettis, refrigerated wells. These wells help to maintain the temperature, structure and freshness of the ice-cream.

The lady scooper was really friendly and kindly offered us to try their flavours. With absolutely zero expectations… the first mouthful swept us away, we were madly in love with the amazing velevty consistency of the gelato and the evident taste of the quality ingredients used. There are countless of flavours to choose from: nougat, almond, chocolate hazel nut, vanilla… to fruitier sorbets.

You can enjoy your gelato on a cone, in a cup or on a spectacular crepe.

Priced reasonably at 3 pounds for two flavours in a small cup, the size of the small cup may fool you into thinking about the portion you’ll be getting. However a generous portion of gelato is laden in and watching the thick gooey goodness take form in your cup makes it hard for one not to smile.

I had  2 flavours: cinnamon orange and pistachio,while my friend indulged in 4! He had chocolate hazelnut, pistachio, nougat, and choco chips.

Honestly speaking this is by far the best gelato I’ve ever had in my life. Even after comparing it to the ones I’ve had in Italy, this is the best ice-cream we’ve had.

The texture of gelato is usually seen and not tasted, well…the gelatos here are an exception. Here you taste it’s perfectly smooth and creamy texture yet at the same time there is a lightness to it that makes it a digestible  treat. Every mouthful was a moment of pure pleasure. I’ve attempted to capture it on camera, but no photo will do it justice. You must experience the flavours and texture of it yourself!

Our favourite flavour- hands down: Pistachio. It was glorious… I for one am not a fan of nuts. However this pistachio gelato was that good and that amazing for me to have a huge portion of it, praising it with wonderful things with each mouthful. 

Gelatorino promises the use of top quality ingredients, no use of preservatives, colouring or artificial thickeners. Unlike places which makes you doubt self declared statements like these, the gelato here left us with no queries, and we became instant fans. They promise real italian gelato, and guarantee  a gastromic gelato experience. Their food philosophy and the taste of their food are in perfect harmony.

Their gelato takes after traditional gelato making techniques based upon Torino (gelato capitial in Italy), from conserving to mantecazione(the removal of ice crystals, and gradual texturing). Award winning Maestro: Alberto Marchetti is their consultant chef.

If you ever find yourself in London, please do make a trip down to Gelatorino. I assure you that this will not disappoint, it will lift your spirits up and put a huge smile on your face. As I told my friend: ” Now I understand how that man could have such a huge cone of pistachio ice-cream, honestly if you are having a bad day this will seriously cheer you up!”

On my way out I saw this, a trip advisor award for the Gelatorino,  it is very deserving of them (:

Gelatorino also offers a selection of drinks. The americano my friend had was supposedly amazing, but I am not one to judge as I do not drink coffee. At the back of the shop is a corner with an exclusive range of italian biscuits. If you are unsure of how the biscuits taste they have individually priced biscuits in little glass jars at the gelato bar.

We love how we discovered this place by sheer chance. What a gem this place turned out to be!  Suprising finds like this one are simply amazing.

Love,

Natalie

Gelatorino
Covent Garden
2 Russell Street, London 
phone +44 207 240 0746

http://www.gelatorino.com/

Opens daily

 Monday- Wednesday: 12.00 am to 8.00 pm
Thursday: 12.00 am to 9.00 pm
Friday: 11.00 am to 10.00 pm
Saturday: 10.00 am to 11.00 pm
Sunday: 11.00 am to 8.00 pm

Paris: L’Epsilon

Imagine this: It is your last night in Paris. It is 8pm and you have a train to catch at 10pm. Having yet to try typically French dishes like Confit de canard  and Creme brulee; and without the slightest clue on places that serve them well, the situation is desperate. We chanced upon L’ Epsilon, a seemingly small cafe from the exterior but in actual fact a rather popular restaurant amongst the locals.

A cosy interior docked in vintage green with a rather homely air

We chose two set menus, which offered us a wide variety of choices. Our waitress for the night was wonderful as she carefully explained and helped us with our entree, mains and dessert.

*P.S Pardon me I am unable to recall and I couldn’t source out the exact name of each dish therefore a personal description of each dish will be used instead.*

Appetizer I: Salmon and avacado terrine on filo pastry and a cream cheese topping.

Forking a generous portion of  terrine, one enjoys  a refreshing and delicious blend of flavours. The creamy texture of the avocado and it’s smooth buttery taste goes hand in hand with the saltiness of the smoked salmon. The base of the terrine is a light filo pastry which complements the flavours of each component.

Our second appetiser: Sun-dried tomato, goats cheese and rocket on rye bread This simple combination of goats cheese, sun-dried tomato and rocket was truly enjoyable. It comes off as a surprise as I am notone who usually appreciates cheese (I know, I’m missing out!). The tomatoes soaked in olive oil gave fragrance to the rustic rye bread; both bread, tomato and rocket counter balances the acidic and tart flavour of the goats cheese.

Main course I: Duck confit on a bed of sauteed patatoes. /Confit de canard

Owing to its flavour and tenderness to the technique it has been cooked with, the poaching of the leg of the duck in it’s own fat together with the use of seasonings such as thyme, salt and garlic made this dish a winner.

Main course II: Oven baked sea bass with  raspberry sauce, basmati rice and a side salad.

I enjoyed the lightness of the dish in contrast to the greasier and heartier confit. The fish was fresh and the berry sauce went surprisingly well with it. Although this was a dish well-done it may not be an ideal choice of order  if you are looking for something more symbolically French with a more wholesome flavour.

Dessert I:
Chocolate mousse sandwiched between two puff pastry.

You might be thinking, oh hey… it’s just one of those chocolate filled pastry things again. In some sense you are right
but the uniqueness of it lies in the taste of  the mousse. Unlike normal mousse which is rather airy and light, this mousse is
creamy with a nuttier sensation and a flavour reminiscent of nutella. Personally though, I found this dessert overwhelmingly
sweet.

Dessert II: Creme Brulee

A light vanilla custard with a caramelized sugar coating. Creme brulee have been largely associated with flan(another custard dish), however what draws them apart is the use of cream instead of milk in the custard. Thereby a smooth and silky texture is acheived while the slightly burnt sugar coating gives it a subtle crunch.

  L’Epsilon is a  casual dining  restaurant that is worth stopping by if you find yourself near Place I’talia or Les Gobelins. With a normal a la carte menu and a satisfying set menu priced fairly at 17 euros, a truly affordable and enjoyable meal in Paris awaits.

L’Epsilon

66 Avenue des Gobelins Paris
+33 1 43 31 69 36

Bon Appetit! ~

Natalie

Oscar’s Wine Bar and Bistro

On one of the very last days during Summer term last year Nat and I came across a discount offer for Oscar’s Wine Bar & Bistro ; combined with our sudden craving for burgers we decided that it was ripe time to give this grill restaurant a try, though we had heard little about it up until that very day!

 

It was early evening when I arrived early and waited for Nat ; I really liked the interior of the place and the atmosphere it exuded. It’s a big space but it felt private and cosy enough, and all the decorations gave this bistro a homely feeling that made us feel comfortable enough to just sit at a table over our meals, musing about life.

Grandma’s Kitchen with Raspberries (Kuchnia u Babci Maliny)

We fell in love with Krakow, Poland on the very first day that we set foot into this beautiful Eastern European city. It has an elegant, resplendent vibe to it, and seems to echo of old-school glamour down every street that we took. Kuchnia u Babci Maliny , meaning Grandma’s Kitchen with Raspberries (such a friendly, welcoming name!) was recommended by our hostel’s receptionist as a good place for lunch to fill our hungry tummies after a few hours of travelling out from Leeds. It was here that we had our first encounters with the magic of Polish dumplings, otherwise known as pierogis.

It was located just a few streets away from the main train station where our hostel was located near, and right opposite it was the majestic Juliusz Slowacki Theatre.

We loved dining in Poland for so many different reasons; being in Eastern Europe, prices are very much lower than what you usually encounter in Western European cities, and the servings are amazing as well. Furthermore, Polish cuisine just feels so hearty, comforting and exudes a vibe of eating someone’s homecooked food. Even now I can feel the nostalgia for these meals that we had months ago.

York Cocoa House

York certainly deserves its reputation for chocolate ; after all, Rowntree’s, the first Nestle company was started up here eons ago, and we’ve been in love with the smooth, milky texture of even off-the-counter chocolate bars sold at Tesco’s or Costcutters for cheap ever since we got here. York Cocoa House boasts a name for being a one-step destination for chocolate lovers ; they’ve got chocolate workshops, coffee, hot chocolate and an assorted array of chocolate cakes, chocolates that you can take home and even chocolate-influenced savoury dishes!

At the beginning of the summer term after Easter break we strolled into town with Meryl on a rainy Sunday, wanting to see if it really lives up to its name or not (:

I had originally envisioned an old-school , cosy cafe atmosphere to this place, but the interior was more like an interesting confluence of sorts – it’s bright, airy and modern with fluorescent lighting making everything come into sharp relief. The goods are worth examining, albeit a little touristy, but for the weekend wanderer who just wants to take home a little reminder of York this will be a good place to stop by for a bit.

Filmore & Union

We’ve heard so much about Filmore & Union in York and gone past its beautiful shop front multiple times on our countless traipses around town ; we finally found time during one of our last weeks to take a look, and boy were we impressed. Filmore & Union is one of those sustainable, gluten-free, vegetarian-friendly places that makes you feel like you’re eating as part of a greater movement (okay, exaggerations but you get my drift). Everything feels wholesome and there are all these small touches to the place that make you feel right at home. The interior is lovely, as you can see – perfect for just nursing a drink or a bowl of soup, lounging on the quaint furnishings and watching the world go by.

The place occupies two levels, and if you go up to the top floor and sit right by the window the sunlight will filter in, in a very perfect way (:

Creperie Titia (Dartmouth)

Creperie Titia is a casual, lovely little place in Dartmouth to stop by for – you guessed it – sweet and savoury crepes on a sunny afternoon in Dartmouth, Devon.

We shared a selection of savoury crepes for lunch right after Huiting’s commissioning at the naval college, and what was kind of distinctive about these savoury crepes was how light and thin the skin was, so that the flavours don’t get lost in all the flour, egg and butter used. At about £7-£8 for each crepe, which could well be a full meal, it is pretty decently priced!

Five and Dime (Singapore)

The Five and Dime , located along River Valley Road in Singapore, is a great place to while a lazy Sunday afternoon away while beating the heat at the same time.

What I like about the place is that it is not over-populated like many well-known cafes in the country, and that it exudes an authentic, friendly vibe with approachable staff who are decidedly unpretentious.

Our cups of mocha latte, served on old-school red plastic plates and with a nostalgic fancy gem biscuit thrown in for a quick touch of whimsy. It was great coffee, strong and not overly sweet, with a right balance of bitter set off by the intoxicating aroma of mocha. At about $6.00 per cup, I wouldn’t say that it is cheap, but it beats stopping at yet another Starbucks and offers a great atmosphere to chill for a bit.

They also offer Western-style meals, and apparently their pasta is also worth a try!

On another note, it would be a great idea to take a stroll down River Valley Road and head off into the Liang Court area near Clarke Quay if you find that you have time on your hands. It’s a rustic, charming old area adorned with beautifully preserved shophouses of age-old Peranakan grandeur.

Five and Dime Eatery
297 River Valley Road

Singapore

+65 9236 5002

 

The Hairy Fig

If we had to pick a cafe in York that is quintessentially English, and serves up English food that is best representative of the fine produce that the Yorkshire country has to offer, The Hairy Fig would definitely be it. Situated in Fossgate, the Hairy Fig , painted in vintage green, is quick to catch the eye, but all too readily dismissed as a butchery with the display of ham, sauces, wine and cheese. In fact, it is a foods deli shop-cum-cafe, so you would be able to sit down for a meal in the dining area, and perhaps bring home some of the produce to share with family and friends!

Datscha (Berlin)

After an incredulous work-out (navigating our way from the air-port to our hostel in a foreign land with language barriers and lugging our duffel up and down various flight of stairs) it is only natural to be rewarded with food.

Our hostel is located at  Warschauer Straße and seems to be alienated from any real food places, unless you are into settling for some push-cart fare. A brief conversation with the receptionist and us looking very much like tourists, diving into maps and looking at the road signs saw us winding up in a  funky looking street, reminiscent of Haji Lane with a much more natural vibe to it.  The receptionist had recommended us a cafe but we gave it a miss for the entire street  of Kopernikusstraße  and beyond was lined up with a rich variety of cafes and shops.

Eventually we settled for Datscha (Gabriel-Max-Straße) after being drawn to the whole set up of the place and it’s popularity with the locals. and  all I can say is this was one of the best brunches I’ve ever had. Best impromptu decision ever!

It was Easter then so it was supposedly chilly but we were blessed with sunshine amidst the cold on this beautiful Sunday morning. Shades on, alfresco dining, the German accent drifting around, people smoking, backs against walls… ghetto cars, a quiet but happening corner in a neighbourhood…. dining in with the locals with our tired feet and hungry tummies, Datscha puts a great start to our time in Berlin.