248.1 London baybeee! ✈️🥐🍝
Hey there, ! Bit of a travel series before I get to the annual 'thanks for subscribing' post :D I don't usually write contemporaneously with travel, but I'm trying new things - so let me know if it's working.
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The trip started with the first time I've ever been in business class :O The experience was varied but mainly positive - the lounge is not as lovely as I thought but the SEAT SPACE on the plane is immense. There's just so! much! room! I could take everything out of my bag and leave them strewn across every surface - it was so easy to make space for things rather than just shoving it back in my bag. Also, as you'll see below, they serve food on 'white tablecloth' with real cutlery, it's on plates and served so beautifully. My favourite was also experiencing the lie flat capability of the seat - I wasn't planning to use it (since I wanted to be awake for as long as possible), but for a quick nap it was ELITE.
The interesting thing I found, however, was that the attendants didn't feel as...attentive to me as with their #Platinum members (which, okay, that makes sense) - but I still felt more like an intruder than anything else. Kind of like...'look, you should feel privileged to even BE in business class' hahaha.
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I got halfway through The Bear Season 2 - specifically had to pause after the 'Fishes' episode because it was so INTENSE (but so good!). The character work is just so so authentic across the series - how you see each of the characters adapt to the new things that are happening in their environment and trying their best with the tools and upbringing they've had.
One thing I liked was seeing each of the characters get a 'power-up' - either being sent to culinary school, or to go and get new ideas from other restaurants, or experimenting. It made me think about what this might look like for my own work and life - when was the last time I had this kind of power-up? When did I have the time to learn something new and / or experiment creatively again?
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I had a 5 hour layover in Singapore to eat to my heart's content, and was joined by some friends (thanks N and A!) to eat Kam's Roast which is a Michelin-starred place in Hong Kong (more specifically known as Kam's Roast Duck). Then, we went round finding some souvenirs, and ended up getting ice-cream from Birds of Paradise - another favourite of mine; imagine it as Messina, but for really asian flavours. Or like Kori, but built for an Asian palate. I got a Butterfly Pea flavour, as well as White Chrysanthenum ice-cream; the combination of which was delishhhhh.
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My first few days in London were racked by sickness, unfortunately. Maybe from the plane, maybe from being able to finally relax; who knows. But I was able to give myself some time to rest (and thank you to my sis for being patient with me <3) and I'm feelin' better now!
I was able to go to some places I liked from last time I was here; Arome Bakery (a bakery with great asian influences - below is an apple miso danish and a honey butter toast), as well as some new ones; Juliet's Quality Foods which is where the bagel is from (and had a very interesting multi-cultural menu!), as well as Padella which I missed from Borough Market last year - holy CRAP the pasta was so good, as was the tiramisu. I super want to go back to Padella for all their other pastas as well 🤤
Side thought: I love both Arome and Birds of Paradise for bringing what they know about Asian influences into their work, and selling that to me; where am I doing that in my life? Perhaps this newsletter? Or maybe I need to find another outlet for it.
See you next week if I have time to write :) I'm off to Berlin and Paris soon 👀 so I'm sure there'll be more cool things to chat through!