Foodie in London

Crack the thin roof of burnt sugar to unveil a foie gras custard with a texture rich and velvety, perfect for smearing little dollops on pieces of that mildly sweet brioche bun topped with airy puffs of pork crackling. Outstanding!

I don't think they have this on the current menu, but I remember this as one of the better items that I had here – silky, sweet shreds of picked crab meat with blobs of briny oyster emulsion, and crunchy, ultra-thin seaweed crackers to scoop them up with. I love how this looks like a garden, but tastes of the sea.

The best thing on the Taste of Yauatcha menu, available until 4 January, is this: shrimp and black fungus tucked in beancurd skin, fried till crispy, and then enshrouded in soft, delicate sheets of rice noodle.

What's impressive is how that beancurd skin retains its crunch, even under that snug drapery and when doused in light soy sauce.

Ok lah, Michelin star-worthy!

Throwback to my favourite meal in London 2 months ago, where Chiltern Firehouse quite blew me away with this immaculately cooked duck breast accompanied by Jerusalem artichoke and pear three ways – raw, pickled, and grilled.

Varying degrees of crunch, sweetness and sourness from the fine slices of pear, plus the juicy meatiness and crisped skin of the duck, plus the tenderness of the charred artichoke... MAGIC.

The eponymous duck & waffle party that's crashed by a fried duck egg and mustard maple syrup. Certainly not the best duck confit (too dry) nor the best waffle (too flaccid) that lived, but served against a backdrop of mostly sky and city skyline at 40 floors above ground, I won't whinge.

Two reasons why you won't miss Roast Hog at the market:
1. The whole suckling pig that's spit-roasted right at the front of the stall, and
2. The snaking queue that sneaks its way up behind the stall. Be prepared for a 10min wait.

What everyone queues for are Roast Hog's butties – either a round bun or a wad of ciabatta sliced open and stuffed with carvings of succulent, herbs-inflected pork. Atop the sandwich, two crackers of rather hard, albeit crunchy, pork scratching play a balancing act.

Less than 10 minutes after we were done with this, I slipped and fell and split a hole in my right knee, which bled a huge lot and I had to rip my stocking open to clean it up. Thanks @dawnmusk and @wshirin for helping and taking photos of me when I looked like a hobo on the tube.

Petite pretties that will chase away any Monday blues. Lola's offers a smashing variety of over 15 flavours daily, so if you're spoilt for choice like we were, go for these miniatures, which are great for sampling and sharing even among 4 girls!

What I like is that the cakes were consistently moist and fairly fluffy, while the icings had a smooth creamy texture and weren't overly sugary.

P.S.- Lola's > Hummingbird, any day.

Sculpted "petals" of lush gelato on a slender cone – this was the ice cream that I saved with my unyielding iron grip, even while slipping on the pavement and unceremoniously crashing on my butt.

Slightly bruised in body and in pride, I clambered back onto my feet, checked and verified that my ice cream cone was intact – not a single drip on me, mind you – and continued in the pleasurable act of devouring it.

Here at Flat Iron, their signature main – the only, in fact – is a perfectly medium rare hanger steak served all rustic-like on a wooden board.

My well-sharpened mini cleaver saws cleanly through the scored, reddish-pink slices quite easily – a testament to the tenderness of the meat. On the palate, the steak unleashes its unabashedly robust, beefy flavour, completely undeterred and rather, encouraged by a subtle seasoning of salt and pepper; it's delicious whether on its own or dunked into the creamy black pepper sauce we picked.

For complements, I highly recommend the finely chopped creamed spinach and dripping cooked chips; crispy fries enhanced with beef fat.

If you have an hour or so to kill while waiting for a table, like I did, check out Smack Lobster Roll, which is a brisk 5min walk away from Flat Iron. I reckon Smack's lobster rolls and Flat Iron's steaks will be the best £10 spends you'll make in London.

😞 Sad face because the dense, stodgy Belgian waffle was premade and served at room temperature. I also found the gelato slightly icy, which is a big no-no for me!

If there's anything in my London itinerary that I would change in hindsight, I would swap out lunch at Marco Pierre White's steakhouse for Ottolenghi instead. If these pastries, which @elsalmondsmart specially delivered to our hotel room early on our last morning in London, are anything to go by, their food must be fabulous.

Definitely going to be a priority on my next visit up!

Legit French buckwheat crêpe folded over dribbles of butterscotchy salted caramel. The crêpe tasted a little burnt, but I adored the texture, which was firm yet slightly chewy, and not too floppy.