While I take a little holiday from London,
restaurants, and blogging, here are some profiles of other bloggers you
should get to know! (London and elsewhere.) I'll be back in June.

Your name and location?
Paul. London!

Your blog?
Paul's Cooking

What was your last meal out? How was it?
My last meal out was at a perennial favourite of mine – Dim Sum at Royal China Bayswater. Excellent as usual!

What's been your worst meal ever?
Difficult to say, but has anyone ever flown internally in China ? (Hint: pass on the food.) [Note from Krista: I flew Beijing to Guangzhou on China Eastern? China Southern? in 2000 and LOVED the food. A big tin of noodles. Highly memorable. Also memorable…how the plane landed like straight down. No gradual approach here. It was like the pilot was landing us on an aircraft carrier.]

What's been the most commented post on your blog? Why?
Not sure to be honest!

Got any restaurant pet peeves? Things you really wish restaurants would/wouldn't do?
Pet peeve is bottled water!

When and why did you start your blog?
I started my blog in July 2009. Many friends had asked for a long time for me to give them recipes of meals we had shared, so I decided to publish them on the web!

Any food trends you're seeing that we should be aware of?
Gosh – I'm not a trendy eater, I eat what I like, regardless of trends 🙂

The post Profiling…Paul from Paul’s Cooking first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

While I take a little holiday from London,
restaurants, and blogging, here are some profiles of other bloggers you
should get to know! (London and elsewhere.) I'll be back in June.

Your name and location?
Annie, Chicago

Your blog?
Ann Marie Kostyk, All Chocolate. All The Time.

What was your last meal out? How was it?
Local steak house, Gibsons. They bring you homemade sweet potato chips with BBQ salt instead of bread.  Had a bowl of cream of mushroom soup, a rib eye, creamed spinach and a creme brulee big enough to find four comfortably. Yum.

What's been your worst meal ever?
Houlihan's both times I went.  never again.  Got food poisoning last time.  Made great friends with the tile on the bathroom floor that night.

What's been the most commented post on your blog? Why?

Got any restaurant pet peeves? Things you really wish restaurants would/wouldn't do?
Rude waitstaff, when they rush you, stay bread, cold food that should be hot.  I wish more restaurant owners/managers would come and said hi and ask if you're enjoying the meal.

When and why did you start your blog?
Started my blog about three years ago.  I love chocolate.  I love food.  People kept asking me about it.  Ta da!  My blog.

Any food trends you're seeing that we should be aware of?
Return to old fashioned, wholesome, healthy cooking with fresh, local in season produce.

The post Profiling…Annie from All Chocolate. All The Time. first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

Your name and location?
Ino. Cambridge!

Your blog?
Kitchen 22

What was your last meal out? How was it?
Last meal out… I didn't blog about it. It was at the Cambridge Chop House, the sister restaurant of St John's Chophouse and it was fantastic as usual. Really good suet puddings. That place made me appreciate proper British food, which has such a bad reputation with us foreigners!

What's been your worst meal ever?
Oh wow, that's a hard one. I try to forget when I've had a really bad experience! It must have been a curry house. I knew I shouldn't have gone to that specific one but someone convinced me. My curry had a can of chopped tomatoes open on top of it. Not even hot, not even mixed in. I was lost for words.

What's been the most commented post on your blog? Why?
Chocolate and orange cake I think. Why? People like cakes, people like Nigella. And it hasn't got any butter or flour in it!

Got any restaurant pet peeves? Things you really wish restaurants would/wouldn't do?
Including the tip in the bill. Filling up my glass with wine/juice/beer -  I want to do it myself. Oversized pepper mills? Bad idea.

When and why did you start your blog?
Well, I realised I spent loads of time cooking and reading other blogs, and felt like I should give it a go myself. Started quite randomly really, mainly because I convinced myself it will help me with writing and with learning new skills and I really think it has. It's still early days but I have become more comfortable with cooking, writing and photographing and I think it shows on the blog too! It was about a year ago, although I have been blogging more frequently since the beginning of 2010, which I consider the real start of my blog!

Any food trends you're seeing that we should be aware of?
Oh dear, I'm sure you know better, I'm so slow at joining the trends – I haven't even had a macaron yet! Cupcakes?

The post Profiling…Ino from Kitchen 22 first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

While I take a little holiday from London,
restaurants, and blogging, here are some profiles of other bloggers you
should get to know! (London and elsewhere.) I'll be back in June.

Your name and location?
Emyr. London!

Your blog?
Bon Vivant Living

What was your last meal out? How was it?
My last dinner was at Bistrot Bruno Loubet. I had expected great things from all the positive reviews, but it didn't quite meet my expectations. The restaurant was a little too packed with tables almost on top of each other and the food, although certainly good, was by no means great for me. I guess it's one of the perils of building something up too much before trying it for yourself!

What's been your worst meal ever?
I can remember my father, who was not often seen in a kitchen, making
me an omelette from any ingredient he could find in the fridge, which
was, to this day, the worst thing I've ever eaten – the taste, look and
texture! I was very thankful to find a packet of Monster Munch crisps
in my school bag!

What's been the most commented post on your blog? Why?
The most commented post was my list of London's most romantic restaurants. Firstly, I think everyone has a different opinion of what constitutes romance, which then translates into differing opinions on what makes a restaurant romantic. I also think that any top 10 list is bound to cause slight controversy as everyone has, and is entitled to, their own opinion on what's best. The magic of a blog is that a list is one person's view, but others can comment and leave their views.

Got any restaurant pet peeves? Things you really wish restaurants would/wouldn't do?
There are quite a few things that I wish restaurant wouldn't do! One of the most annoying concerns the wine list – I am all for having expensive wines on the list because if someone is lucky enough to be able to afford a Petrus, then they should be able to order it. However, all wine lists should have a selection of good, affordable wines as well as there's nothing worse than having to scan a list to find the only one under £30.

I also think that having a water menu is just ridiculous – One restaurant I have visited had a separate menu for the water with the cheapest one being 8 Euro for a bottle!

When and why did you start your blog?
I run a London based concierge and lifestyle management service called Bon Vivant, and I recently launched a new blog featuring food, travel and luxury related reviews and recommendations, as well a fortnightly newsletter containing information on the latest openings, trends and special offers.

I also write articles on various lifestyle topics, including a recent review of Mayfair and many best of and top 10 lists for London, and every Monday, I post an article summarising the restaurant reviews from the national and London newspapers.

The blog was started as a sideline to Bon Vivant, to help share my knowledge of London and its best places. It is also a very convenient way to share and explore ideas and to enable others to comment and add their own suggestions.

Any food trends you're seeing that we should be aware of?
There are many continuing trends from 2009, such as the pop-up and underground restaurant, but I think 2010 is the year of the big hitters, as you have Heston, Boulud and Koffman all opening new restaurants with the likes of Polpo and Hawksmoor also looking to open new sites. In fact, I wrote a blog post on the developing trends of London's restaurant scene over here.

The post Profiling…Emyr from Bon Vivant first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

Your name and location?
Melanie, London!

Your blog?
Om Nom London

What was your last meal out? How was it?
My last meal out was Viet Grill on Kigsland Road. It was amazing -so much so that I've now gone there two Sundays in a row, followed by a trip to the Colombia Road Flower Market. Still have to do my write-up though!

What's been your worst meal ever?
I think it would have to be Boulevard Dining Room in Soho.  The food was barely edible. It was a complete rip-off and I'm surprised they're even in business.

What's been the most commented post on your blog? Why?
Polpo. I think it was because I happened to go there during the initial buzz. The post was featured on the Urbanspoon newsletter and homepage for a while, which I'm sure helped out a bit too.  Though I have to say my series on Paris restaurants, while not often commented on, is the most read.

Got any restaurant pet peeves? Things you really wish restaurants would/wouldn't do?
I really wish they would list out all the ingredients in a dish if there's a substantial amount of it included. Anyone who knows me, knows my unadulterated hatred of cucumbers, and I can't tell you how many times it's not listed as an ingredient on a dish, but magically shows up on my plate after a tactical order.

When and why did you start your blog?
Like Krista, I'm an American expat in London. I found that I associate most of my 'London experiences' with going out to eat, and I wanted a way to remember that. I started writing about food a few years ago on my other personal blog, but it ended up getting a life of its own in June 2009. 

Any food trends you're seeing that we should be aware of?
With the shutting of El Bulli, it seems that there's been a bit of a backlash against the really wacky molecular gastronomic experiences.  People are vocally concerned not just about getting an an experience as they are a good meal (if they're going to be paying hundreds of pounds for it, anyway). A new wave of Fat Duck positive reviews from food bloggers as of late proves there has to be style and substance for that type of restaurant to survive in the long-term.

Oh, and burgers. Far too many burgers.

The post Profiling…Melanie from Om Nom London first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

While I take a little holiday from London,
restaurants, and blogging, here are some profiles of other bloggers you
should get to know! (London and elsewhere.) I'll be back in June.

Your name and location?
Ute, London!

Your blog?
Hungry in London

What was your last meal out? How was it?
Went to Song Que yesterday and was happy to see that they have a new, very pretty toilet!

Lotus salad lovely, so was the spicy prawn soup. The Vietnamese omelet was slightly too greasy for my taste, won't order this one again.

What's been your worst meal ever?
I recently went to Rossopomodoro in Covent Garden, ended up there by mistake and a mistake it was indeed! Absolutely appalling food and service.

I am sure I have had even worse food on several occasions but I seem to have a selective memory only remembering the pleasurable experiences.

What's been the most commented post on your blog? Why?
Ohh I don't have any comments yet… 🙁 I hope this is because I am new and this will change…?

Got any restaurant pet peeves? Things you really wish restaurants would/wouldn't do?
I don't like when they fill up my already full wine glass. very annoying. and also service charge on the bill I could happily live without. I prefer to give when the service was good.

When and why did you start your blog?
I am very new, I only started 5 weeks ago but I am very enthusiastic about the whole thing.

Why? I love food and I am eating out so much – I feel this is something I want to share with my potential readers.

Any food trends you're seeing that we should be aware of?
I don't know really, I am usually not really following trends. In the end, they come and go but what stays is quality.

The post Profiling…Ute from Hungry in London first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

Your name and location?
Sarah. London!

Your blog?
Maison Cupcake

What was your last meal out? How was it?
I went to the Cadogan Arms on Kings Road with some other food bloggers.  We'd been a bit nervous after reading a poor review on the Cheese and Biscuits blog but apparently they've changed their chef since then. I was very happy with my meal (oysters, a duck casserole and honeycomb parfait) although one of us sent back an overdone so called rare steak. I'd rate it overall 7 out of 10 – I'm knocking those 3 points off for a nasty bathroom and the lengthy wait for one of my drinks. Nice enough food but I reckon it was too expensive for a pub, but then it is Chelsea so there are probably enough people nearby willing to pay that much.

What's been your worst meal ever?
Ha! Probably one I just wrote about on my blog the other day.  I recently visited Kelvedon Hatch Secret Nuclear Bunker in Essex and had a revolting lunch in their canteen.  They cook chips for you but if you want anything with it you have to nuke it yourself in an antiquated microwave. When I emptied my washing basket 48 hours later, I could still smell re-used chip fat on my clothes.  I'd still recommend people pay them a visit but maybe take a picnic.

My other worst meal that I'll never forget was a noodle dish about five years ago from a Chinese place on Walthamstow High St. It looked like it was covered in toenail clippings and snot but presumably this was lemongrass and lettuce. Never been back there since.

What's been the most commented post on your blog? Why?
I had over 40 comments on my first ever entry to Daring Bakers. The challenge was Canadian Nanaimo Bars made using your own graham crackers. I stuck to the basic recipe but served them in bite size cubes on sticks.  I don't think anyone can resist stuff when it's served on a stick.

Got any restaurant pet peeves? Things you really wish restaurants would/wouldn't do?
I hate it when restaurant staff start clearing tables when you are still chewing your last mouthful of food. I want to smack them when they do that.

When and why did you start your blog?
In July 2009 when I made loads of cupcakes for our Big Lunch street party and I wanted to keep a record of my (hopefully improving) cooking and baking.  Then I discovered lots of American food blogs through Twitter and started to write about stuff other than cupcakes and improved my photography. Now I blog about baking, party food and have recently started doing kid friendly restaurant reviews. The blog I admire most is Not Quite Nigella by Lorraine in Sydney.  Her blog is a brilliant fusion of recipes, restaurant reviews and food related rapportage.

Any food trends you're seeing that we should be aware of?
I'm sure mainstream supermarkets will start stocking whoopie pies soon. I'm surprised French macarons haven't been stocked anywhere beyond the Maison Blanc ones in Waitrose but maybe they work out too expensive per item to end up in Tesco.

If I could revive a trend it would be for Fanny Cradock style kitsch presentation. I love garish food photography in 70s cookbooks!!

The post Profiling…Sarah from Maison Cupcake first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

While I take a little holiday from London,
restaurants, and blogging, here are some profiles of other bloggers you
should get to know! (London and elsewhere.) I'll be back in June.

Your name and location?
Rich. London!

Your blog?
Grumbling Gourmet

What was your last meal out? How was it?
Other than a local Sunday lunch earlier, it would have been the other night at The Ivy Club. Certainly not innovative fine dining, but I love their attention to detail and the quality of the ingredients. Sadly not one I'll blog, but always a superb experience.

What's been your worst meal ever?
Too many to count… with the exception of France, I've learnt never to eat in railway stations or within sight of a major tourist attraction.

I once made the big mistake of being dragged into the Bubba Gump on Times Square. I think that'd take the award overall.

In recent memory, I'd have to call out Vanilla restaurant on Great Titchfield St. The food wasn't bad at all but the service was the worst I've ever experienced (and I've spent time in Paris)

What's been the most commented post on your blog? Why?
Sadly not much yet, as I say, it's only been going since February and I'm still trying to work out how to get people there! It's taking time, but I'm starting to get there… This profile might just make a difference!

My New York Trip Planning post has had a few comments and bits of advice from people I don't know which was really gratifying, though it doesn't really count as a review per se

Got any restaurant pet peeves? Things you really wish restaurants would/wouldn't do?
Unnecessary innovation and poor quality ingredients (or really good ingredients that have been messed around with until you can't tell what they are)

Massive mark ups on wine

Charging for water… and I could go on for hours about kids running round too, but that's not really the restaurant's fault.

When and why did you start your blog?
Not so long ago… I started in February this year.

I've eaten at some very good (and some really bad) restaurants around the world over the years – partly for work and often for pleasure. I now work for a lifestyle concierge company and so have to be able to recommend and talk about some of the best to members of my service.

I've also spent a fair amount of time reading (and disagreeing with) reviews and critiques on the subject of food. The more I've done so, the more I've been inspired to write my own.

Any food trends you're seeing that we should be aware of?
I'm up for an increase in seasonal food and a focus on origin and terroir. I'll also carry on dreaming about In n' Out Burgers skipping the Atlantic and opening up in Soho…

The post Profiling…Rich from Grumbling Gourmet first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

Your name and location?
Kavey. London!

Your blog?
Kavey Eats

What was your last meal out? How was it?
I love eating out! One of my recent meals out was to Polpo in Soho. Every London blogger and their aunties went to Polpo in the weeks following its opening, or so it seemed. But I found a fellow food blogger, Laissez Faire, who hadn't been either, and the two of us met for lunch. Being quite geeky, I took advantage of all those fellow food blogger visits and drew up a wee list of some of the dishes that had the best and worst feedback. Sad or not, it worked and we had an excellent lunch of great food (and company!) A review of our meal here!

What's been your worst meal ever?
I'm sitting here doing my best to remember a really bad meal, but I really can't bring one to mind! My brain seems to be wired not to dwell on the crap stuff and so the meals that stick in the memory are the good ones. But that's not a bad thing, I think!

What's been the most commented post on your blog? Why?
The post with the most comments has been my review of Pierre Koffman's pop up restaurant. This was such a hotly anticipated event that everyone was dying to know what it was like – I booked a table at noon on the first day it opened and got my blog post up later that same day!

My second most viewed post, though with far less comments, is my write up of hosting a stall for a day at the Real Food Market in Covent Garden. I have no plans to go into this line of work, but wanted to learn what it was like to be on the other side of the table, as a frequent visitor to markets just like this. It was hugely hard work but very satisfying!

Got any restaurant pet peeves? Things you really wish restaurants would/wouldn't do?
I have many, but I try not to let them spoil the experience.

One peeve that really irritates me is a fixed price menu, with 2 or 3 choices per course, but where some of the choices have a supplement attached! The whole point, to me, of such a menu is a selection of dishes that the restaurant and chef are able to offer at a fixed price point. If a dish doesn't fit into that pricing structure, find another one that does – leave the more expensive dish for the a la carte menu!

When and why did you start your blog?
I'd been reading food blogs for years and idly thought about starting my own but, as is the way with so many ideas, never got around to it! On April Fool's day last year, I went to the Guardian Word of Mouth's Easter Chocolate Tasting event and had a great time – not least because I discovered (and ate rather a lot of ) Paul A Young's basil truffles! I got home that evening and started work on my blog, which just passed it's first birthday recently. I realised I'd actually been stealth blogging for ages, sharing restaurant reviews and recipes on my personal blog, on food talk forums and even by email – so I decided to copy all that old stuff across to Kavey Eats too, where it now forms an archive going back a couple of years!

Any food trends you're seeing that we should be aware of?
None that anyone interested in food hasn't already noticed for themselves!

More people growing their own produce – something my husband and I have been doing for several years, gradually expanding the number of varieties and the volume we're growing year on year.

More people cooking Asian cuisines at home, even some of the more complex dishes – not just Indian but Vietnamese, Malaysian, Chinese, Japanese… I'm not too brave in this arena, though I want to do more.

Fish! We went on a course at the Billingsgate Seafood Training School recently where we learned how to choose good quality fresh fish, and then how to prepare it – scaling, gutting, filleting and more. And a few ideas on cooking too. I noticed a lot of interest in this – many people said they too want to cook more fish at home.

The post Profiling…Kavey from Kavey Eats first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

Your name and location?
Kavey. London!

Your blog?
Kavey Eats

What was your last meal out? How was it?
I love eating out! One of my recent meals out was to Polpo in Soho. Every London blogger and their aunties went to Polpo in the weeks following its opening, or so it seemed. But I found a fellow food blogger, Laissez Faire, who hadn't been either, and the two of us met for lunch. Being quite geeky, I took advantage of all those fellow food blogger visits and drew up a wee list of some of the dishes that had the best and worst feedback. Sad or not, it worked and we had an excellent lunch of great food (and company!) A review of our meal here!

What's been your worst meal ever?
I'm sitting here doing my best to remember a really bad meal, but I really can't bring one to mind! My brain seems to be wired not to dwell on the crap stuff and so the meals that stick in the memory are the good ones. But that's not a bad thing, I think!

What's been the most commented post on your blog? Why?
The post with the most comments has been my review of Pierre Koffman's pop up restaurant. This was such a hotly anticipated event that everyone was dying to know what it was like – I booked a table at noon on the first day it opened and got my blog post up later that same day!

My second most viewed post, though with far less comments, is my write up of hosting a stall for a day at the Real Food Market in Covent Garden. I have no plans to go into this line of work, but wanted to learn what it was like to be on the other side of the table, as a frequent visitor to markets just like this. It was hugely hard work but very satisfying!

Got any restaurant pet peeves? Things you really wish restaurants would/wouldn't do?
I have many, but I try not to let them spoil the experience.

One peeve that really irritates me is a fixed price menu, with 2 or 3 choices per course, but where some of the choices have a supplement attached! The whole point, to me, of such a menu is a selection of dishes that the restaurant and chef are able to offer at a fixed price point. If a dish doesn't fit into that pricing structure, find another one that does – leave the more expensive dish for the a la carte menu!

When and why did you start your blog?
I'd been reading food blogs for years and idly thought about starting my own but, as is the way with so many ideas, never got around to it! On April Fool's day last year, I went to the Guardian Word of Mouth's Easter Chocolate Tasting event and had a great time – not least because I discovered (and ate rather a lot of ) Paul A Young's basil truffles! I got home that evening and started work on my blog, which just passed it's first birthday recently. I realised I'd actually been stealth blogging for ages, sharing restaurant reviews and recipes on my personal blog, on food talk forums and even by email – so I decided to copy all that old stuff across to Kavey Eats too, where it now forms an archive going back a couple of years!

Any food trends you're seeing that we should be aware of?
None that anyone interested in food hasn't already noticed for themselves!

More people growing their own produce – something my husband and I have been doing for several years, gradually expanding the number of varieties and the volume we're growing year on year.

More people cooking Asian cuisines at home, even some of the more complex dishes – not just Indian but Vietnamese, Malaysian, Chinese, Japanese… I'm not too brave in this arena, though I want to do more.

Fish! We went on a course at the Billingsgate Seafood Training School recently where we learned how to choose good quality fresh fish, and then how to prepare it – scaling, gutting, filleting and more. And a few ideas on cooking too. I noticed a lot of interest in this – many people said they too want to cook more fish at home.

The post Profiling…Kavey from Kavey Eats first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.

Your name and location?
Su-Lin. London!

Your blog?
Tamarind & Thyme

What was your last meal out? How was it?
Dim sum at Pearl Liang…and Krista was there! It was pretty good. We ate a lot and paid a fair sum.

What's been your worst meal ever?
I immediately thought of a dinner with friends at Sarastro – an opera-themed restaurant near Covent Garden. The food was terrible, the service was terrible, the "entertainment" was terrible. I wrote about it here.

What's been the most commented post on your blog? Why?
I think it would be when I wrote an academic journal style post on the Kati Roll Company and Mooli's. It seemed to encourage quite a bit of discussion but then comparisons will do that. It was the first post that I can recall where I pitted the products from two similar restaurants against each other.

Got any restaurant pet peeves? Things you really wish restaurants would/wouldn't do?
I wish all restaurants would bring a pitcher when we ask for tap water. No, scratch that – I wish restaurants would bring tap water by default without our needing to ask for it. I wish restaurants in London were like those on the continent (well, in the south) and have lots and lots of light so we can see our food and each other. I'm not one for mood lighting.

When and why did you start your blog?
Three years ago. I found I was writing long descriptions and wondering if I should note down recipes for my photos on Flickr. A dedicated food blog seemed like a natural extension to that.

Any food trends you're seeing that we should be aware of?
Why haven't pupusas or arepas hit these shores? I saw a spate of blog posts from American food blogs on them a year or two ago and bought a bag of masarepa to make them. I never got around to it but now that I've been reminded, I really should. [Note from Krista: See my post on Arepas in Camden. Note that they're also in the new food market on Brick Lane on Sundays!]

The post Profiling…Su-Lin from Tamarind & Thyme first appeared on Passport Delicious | Solo Travel Blog | Solo Female Travel.