TRIP TO WESTFIELD

The summer would not be complete without a trip to Westfield in Stratford, one of the largest shopping centres in Europe. 

If you've ever been to Kerala in India, you'll know know that no matter where you go you will always find coconuts being sold at the roadside. With a large knife the stall owner knocks off the top of the coconut, pops a straw in and hands it to you. One swig of the coconut juice is enough to make you want to stay in Kerala for all of eternity. 

You can imagine my surprise as I walked past a stall called Zumo (They sell delicious shakes and smoothies made of fresh fruit. It's a bit expensive but I'd definitely recommend it!) and I found a coconut still in it's shell. It didn't have the green covering that can normally be found on it but I thought I'd still give it a try. The juice doesn't taste as sweet as it does in India but it was still a nice drink.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Trying different cuisines is one of my favourite things to do. I adore the way different traditions have different recipes and methods of cooking and even eating food.

Normally, I don't go to Indian restaurants. As much as I think that accommodating this cuisine for the people it targets is great, I do believe that the authenticity of a traditional Indian curry is soon disappearing. Indi-Go is a brilliant Indian street food supplier. The samosa chaat and the bhel papdi took me back to the bustle of the streets of Mumbai.

Samosa chaat

Bhel papdi

Pani Poori

I have never tried Vietnamese food and I'm happy to say that I wasn't disappointed. I had this meal at the Pho restaurant and it was absolutely divine. You get given a very good portion so you do get your money's worth. With the choice of a variety of sauces, herbs and spices to add to your own accord, you can make each dish your own.

Pho ga