The Harry Potter Photographic Exhibition

 

After going to Avobar for brunch we went to The Harry Potter Photographic Exhibition that is on in Covent Garden. We didn't really know what it was other than it's Harry Potter so it must be good! It was £20 to get in. You have to wear a face mask through the exhibition.

It's a behind the scenes of photos and information about how the films were made. Stuff that you don't get to see even when you go to The Making of Harry Potter Warner Brothers Studio Tour which we have both been to. There's all photos of the sets, how the sets were built, costumes, locations they used, how they made the props and what props they used. There's even a green screen experience where you get to fly on a broom stick and get your mug shot taken for your ministry of magic ID card.

Harry's first set of Hogwarts robes from the Philopher's Stone

Hermione's outfit when they're on the run in The Deathly Hallows Part 1

One of Professor Snape's robes

Phone box used to get to the Ministry of Magic

Harry and Ginny's outfit in the Cursed Child - need to go see this next but tickets are even harder to get a hold of!

There's also a Butterbeer bar - the butterbeer is different to what you get in The Making of Harry Potter and in Universal Florida. It was fizzy - don't remember it being fizzy when I've had it before. Holly got a bottle with the souvenir tankyard and bought a case of them from the gift shop.

It was good as we found things out that that we didn't know even know I've watched all the films, read all the books, watched nearly every documentary that's been on TV, been to the studio tour and been to Universal Florida. There's so much to find out that you don't realise! If you're a Harry Potter fan definitely worth a visit.

Twitter || Instagram || Tumblr || Bloglovin || Google+ || Pinterest || Last.fm

Avobar

On the morning before coming back from London we went to Avobar in Covent Garden which is a brunch place that does avocado everything. Avocado in every dish and drink. We were early that they weren't even open yet and everywhere was dead and wasn't open yet as it was Sunday morning.

There is so much choice that we didn't know what to get.

We both got a matcha latte

Eggs Royale - with sliced avocado, house-cured pastrami salmon & avodaise - £12.50

Eggs Florentine - with sliced avocado, sautéed baby spinach & avodaise - £12.50

Matcha Pancakes Sweet - with caramelised banana, maple syrup & avo butter - £12.50

I got the eggs royale - avocado and salmon. Didn't know how my salmon was going to turn out but it just ended up being smoked salmon which is what I wanted luckily. Most places only do eggs royale - poached egg with avocado or eggs royale - with smoked salmon. I like having both salmon and avocado. My plate actually had a hair on it so I had to send it back and get another. Luckily we got the pancakes to share so I ate that before my food came back out. Couldn't taste the matcha in the pancakes - just tasted like normal pancakes really but the caramelised bananas was nice.

The avodaise was nice - avocado hollandaise which makes a change from the usual bright yellow stuff! If you love avocado definitely the place to visit if you're in London and around Covent Garden.

Twitter || Instagram || Tumblr || Bloglovin || Google+ || Pinterest || Last.fm

Bloom - Dinner

Finally had a catch up with Sarah on Wednesday night after 9 long months! We haven't seen each other since the new year just before the gym's shut and within that time we have been in and out of lockdown, I started a new temporary job and finished it, jumped on the smart watch bandwagon, went to London for my birthday to see Hamilton and a lot of other not so significant things so there was a lot of things to catch up on.

We went to Bloom for dinner which I went to last month for lunch. It wasn't that busy we were sat straight away with just a few tables but again service was super slow. It took ages for the food to come out.

I got the Sea Bass Fillet - Served with barrelled potatoes & stacked vegetables in a marinara sauce - £14.95

There was a lot of liquid going on on the plate. Parts of it was dead salty as they hadn't mixed the salt on properly and just sprinkled it in one area.

Sarah got the 3 small plates for £15

Chips & Dips - Chunky potato chips with garlic mayo & red pepper chilli dip

Veggie Croquettes - Potato, carrot, pea & spring onion croquette served with a side of guacamole and salsa

Halloumi Fingers - Fingers of halloumi mixed with peppers, onions & chilli with a side of garlic mayonnaise

It's a nice place but service just isn't great and neither is the food. I can say I've been there for both lunch and dinner. It would probably be alright if you were just going for drinks and had the small plates to share but I wouldn't recommend it as a place for lunch of dinner restaurant.

Twitter || Instagram || Tumblr || Bloglovin || Google+ || Pinterest || Last.fm

Sticks N Sushi

Mamma Mia - Avocado, cucumber, sesame and chives - £6.50

Tamago - Omelette - £2.40

Pink Alaska - Salmon, avocado, cream cheese, & lumpfish roe - £8.60

Before we went to see Hamilton we had dinner at Sticks'n'Sushi. We did think of going here but was unsure and went to look at Market Hall Victoria but there was nothing we liked so we left it quite late to get food. We eventually settled to go to Sticks'n'Sushi. We got a table straight away outside and the guy was like are you going to the theatre? We said yeah to see Hamilton and he was like "they're really strict in there, if you're late they make you watch it on DVD so if you think we're rushing you it's so we can get you out in time." So we were like great hopefully once we order our food it will come quick and we can go.

We ordered the food but it took forever to come out and we were on the verge of being like if it doesn't come by 6:50pm we're gonna have to call it quits or doggy bag it and go as we needed to get to the theatre for 7pm. 

The sticks eventually came out then the sushi and we just inhaled the food. I couldn't even tell you if the food was nice because I ate it so quick and couldn't enjoy it. We had to ask for the bill when the food came as we just didn't have time to spare to mess about. They charged us £3 for tap water as there was some stupid charcoal stick in it which I wasn't happy with then tried to charge £4.13 service charge when the service was crap and slow. As we were in such a rush Holly just paid it then I said no I wasn't happy with it so they ended up refunding the service charge and asked why and I told them how it was. Holly went to the toilet and they brought over sticks again and I said we've already had ours? And the waitress was like it's fine have it on me as the service was so slow, Holly didn't want them so I inhaled them but the goat's cheese one Holly ordered was disgusting. I don't like goat's cheese!

Hotate Bacon - Scallops & bacon with miso herb butter - £5.60

Shake Teriyaki - Salmon, teriyaki & spring onion - £3

Yaki Yagi - Goat's cheese with dried ham - £3.80

The scallop was really nice and so was the salmon but ate it so quick I couldn't properly enjoy it!

I don't understand how the service was so slow for the sushi - like did they just fish the salmon before serving it.. I would like to go back but not the one in Victoria one of the other restaurants just to properly enjoy the food.

Annoying how slow the service was as we should have had time to enjoy the food but just didn't as we were in such a rush to go. I wouldn't recommend the Victoria restaurant especially if you're in a rush before seeing Hamilton! But maybe one of the others...

Twitter || Instagram || Tumblr || Bloglovin || Google+ || Pinterest || Last.fm

London China Town

Saturday afternoon in China Town is busy!  So many people around. We were on the look out for Hefaure - they do soufflé pancakes Holly wanted to try. I wasn't a fan as it just tasted like Chinese sponge cake.

She got the Oreo - cookies and cream

I was on the look out for a bubble waffle with matcha ice cream. We found 2 bubble waffles places but they didn't do soft serve matcha ice cream. We asked them if they knew any places that did them and they said they didn't. We found places that did matcha soft serve ice cream in a cone or the taiyaki fish which I had in Toronto. I ended up getting a plain bubble waffle from bubblewrap waffle where they charged me £4.49 then I got a matcha ice cream from the shop across the road that ripped me off for the ice cream. We walked down the road under one of the arches and there was a bakery called "Bake" that sold bubble waffles with soft serve matcha ice cream which was cheaper than what I paid for it both separately! It was so annoying how we didn't just walk a bit further and when we asked in one of the shops that they didn't know. We weren't going to have any lunch but after our desserts were hungry and wanted to have some dim sum as seen everyone else and it smelt so good.

We went to Plum Valley we did sit outside then it started raining so we sat inside.

 I actually got Holly to try chicken feet which I never thought she would ever try.

Char siu churn fan - char siu meat wrapped in rice noodle

Dan tart - Chinese egg custard tarts

We char siu baos - char siu buns

Siu mai

Chicken feet

Har gaw - prawn wrapped in a rice noodle pastry

Holly actually liked it all and her favourite were the har gaw which I was actually surprised about as I didn't think she would like it and she chose the siu mai and char siu baos herself and I picked everything else unsure whether she would like them. She was surprised that chicken feet weren't crunchy. She ate it and didn't think it was that bad - she just wasn't really a fan as she said it was like chicken wing meat and she doesn't really like chicken on the bone but didn't think it was the worst thing so I would definitely recommend that everyone tries it. If you like black bean sauce and chicken wings then I think you will like it! If you want to find an authentic Chinese restaurant look out for chicken feet on the menu as you definitely won't get that in an English Chinese...

London China Town is so big. There's so many restaurants to choose from and just so many different supermarkets, dessert shops, bakeries, bubble tea just so much choice if you just want to try something new. This was the first time I proper walked through China Town and had food from there and it was good. Definitely a go to place to visit if you're in London!

 

Twitter || Instagram || Tumblr || Bloglovin || Google+ || Pinterest || Last.fm

Koyo

For my birthday meal Kelly took me to a new sushi restaurant that opened just at the end of lockdown down the road from where she lives. When we got there Kelly gave her name as she booked a table and the guy was like from Newcastle? We were like nope Liverpool which was really awkward as he is from Newcastle so then decided to tell every customer about his awkward story introducing us as "Julie and Kelly from Newcastle not Liverpool". He was a character for sure.

The menu was good and took a while to pick what to get!

Omega 3 - Sashimi grade Atlantic salmon, 6 salmon maki, 4 baby salmon maki, 5 salmon sushi, 4 salmon rolls - £8.40

Tuna Dynamite Roll - 6 pieces of spicy line caught tuna under a crunchy blanket - £6.30

Crab Uramaki - 6 crab and avocado pieces wrapped in Japanese originated rice seaweed and sesame seeds - £4.75

Gyoza Chicken Noodles - Slurping udon noodles, pumpkin seeds, chicken gyoza and Asian slaw - £10

Little Moons Mochi - Matcha green tea and coconut - £1.50 each

The sushi was really good. The salmon was my favourite and the tuna wasn't even spicy. Didn't even realise it was meant to be spicy until I wrote this post up and it says "spicy tuna". Service was super quick as soon as we ordered the food it came straight out. We ordered the first 2 plates of sushi first then ordered the crab, then decided we could still eat and ordered the noodles all to share.

Finally jumped on the hyped and tried "Little Moons Mochi" as they're sold out everywhere. I don't think they're anything special, just the same as every other mochi. It was a good finish to the end of the meal with my favourite matcha!

Really enjoyed the sushi and recommend if you have to be in the area! The only thing was we were sat on the bar on stools, would have preferred to sit in a booth but I get because there was only 2 of us they were saved for bigger parties.

Thanks for the birthday meal Kelly!

Twitter || Instagram || Facebook || Tumblr || Bloglovin || Pinterest || Last.fm

Kensington Palace

Going with my birthday tradition of when I visit Kelly for my birthday we go and visit a palace for my birthday. 5 years ago for my birthday me and Kelly went to Buckingham Palace and this time it was Kensington Palace.

We walked here from Sky Garden through Hyde Park.

Hyde Park is huge! First time I've walked through it and didn't realise Kensington Palace was at the other end of it. We booked for 4pm and turned up at about 4:45pm and they just wouldn't let us in until it was our time slot. So we just had to sit down on a bench and wait.

Security wasn't as tight as Sky Garden it was just the usual open you bag and they use giant chopsticks to look into it. It also wasn't as strict as Buckingham Palace. You just get left to roam free and take as many photos as you like and don't get no earphones.

We started off in The Jewel Room

There was meant to be 3 tiaras in this cabinet but one of them went out that morning on loan to a wedding!

Then we learnt all thing about Queen Victoria's childhood - Victoria A Royal Childhood. Learnt about King's way in the past that I knew nothing about and still don't in the King's state apartments - The Georgian's 1700s and then the Queen's state apartments - The Stuarts 1690s.

As the exit was the same as the entrance we forgot to walk round to this entrance with the main gate!

It was strange as I didn't actually do any research before saying I wanted to visit so didn't know what to expect but I thought there would be stuff about Kate, Wills, Harry and Diana but nope nothing... Then again the bits we got to go through is the public bit and there is still the private part where some of the Royal Family still live today. Until we went out into the Orangery Royal Style in the Making. 

Princess Diana's Wedding Dress

Princess Diana's actual wedding dress! I didn't realise how long the train was and have never been a fan of the dress like it was not flattering at all and she looks good in anything other than this dress. But it does look nicer up close but still she could have worn something so much nicer!

This old couple were like we watched the wedding... And we thought she was going to say she watched it in real life but she meant on TV... and still has the newspaper cuttings from the day. We didn't know what to say other than we weren't alive but would have if we were!

Worn by the Queen Mother

Worn by Princess Margaret

After leaving the Orangery you go back into the Palace and you see these photos...

I thought there would be stuff about all these but nope nothing this is all you get!

Princess Diana Memorial Garden - Sunken Garden

I was quite surprised you weren't allowed in the garden to see the new memorial that was only put there in July. But I get why you can't as people will probably trash it even without meaning to, just easier to keep people out!

It was a nice little tour learning about the past royals. It wasn't that busy but I'm not sure if that's because they are strict with people's booking times but I thought a lot of people would want to go and see Princess Diana's wedding dress as that is a new exhibition that's running from 3rd June 2021 to 2nd January 2022 which isn't that long!

Still need to visit Clarence House, Hampton Court Palace and St James's Palace that are in London so they will be on the cards for my next summer visit!

Twitter || Instagram || Facebook || Tumblr || Bloglovin || Pinterest || Last.fm