Food & Drink Archives - Page 4 of 4

Top Shelf for Bottom Dollar

Alcohol, Experiences, Food & Drink, Home Tom

For those of us who enjoy a tipple every once in a while, appreciating a well made cocktail, a delicious wine or a smooth vodka is what it’s all about. Like any of the finer things in life, understanding the craft and the story behind what you’re enjoying only adds to the whole experience. Combine that with watching an expert create or select your drink means you can concentrate on the taste and the flavour of your chosen drop.

There are many amazing venues that will serve phenomenal cocktails often with creative themes and unique presentation. Top restaurants will always have a sommelier who will absolutely nail the wine pairing with your meal elevating both food and drink. Many small batch craft distilleries are creating some stunning spirits, especially around gin and vodka, often found at top and exclusive bars. However all of this comes with a price – quite literally.

10 Steps On How To Maximise Your Holiday Time

Deals, Experiences, Food & Drink, Travel Aga

Remember when you were a lot younger and you seemed to have all the time in the world, but no money? Perhaps as a kid, a teenager or a university student. Back then when you took a holiday it was most likely a long one, for at least a few weeks, and it always seemed to recharge your batteries and leave you feeling fully rested.

That was then. These days, our careers and lives are moving at the speed of light, full of opportunities that we can’t miss. Items on our to-do or bucket lists just seem to always back up and the latter rarely get ticked off. We all know the importance of good work/life balance and the importance of good mental well-being. No-one wants to burn-out due to overwork or over-stress.

Barista Coffee in Your Home

Coffee, Deals, Food & Drink, Gifts, Home, Lifestyle, Tips Tom

For me, the perfect day starts like this:

I wake up naturally five minutes before the alarm, feeling refreshed
I jump out of bed and spring straight into the shower
Feeling refreshed and cleansed, I make a healthy breakfast
I brew the perfect coffee
Reading the news, I enjoy my breakfast and my delicious coffee
I dive into my work for the day, with a smile on my face and a glint in my eye

As you can probably guess, the above list was created with my tongue firmly placed within my cheek. The truth of the matter is that none of those steps actually occur for me – except one.

Travel on Your Plate

Experiences, Food & Drink, Home, Invites/Access, Travel Aga

Tip: When travelling, try to attend cooking classes in the places you visit. This will make you experience the local culture much closer and what you learn is yours forever.

Food is in the heart of every culture, it’s part of our identity, it’s a way of living and of interacting with another human being. Cooking is an act of sharing with family, friends, or a stranger. It becomes the crucial element of hospitality and of feeling welcome. It nourishes both your body and soul.

Sightseeing at The Shard in style

Alcohol, Experiences, Food & Drink, Invites/Access, Perks, Travel Aga

TIP: Go to the GŎNG Bar instead of the traditional viewing platforms – both cost around the same but GŎNG Bar offers the view and yummy cocktails in an opulent ambience, whereas the traditional viewing platforms offer the view only.

The Shard is London’s tallest building with high speed elevators that travel at 6 meters per second towards a stunning view. The Shard also has two more traditional viewing platforms, the indoor viewing platform on Level 69 and the open-air Skydeck on Level 72. However the wow element is an experience on Level 52: GŎNG Bar, which is part of the Shangri-La Hotel.

The Art of Tasting Wine at a Restaurant

Alcohol, Fine Dining, Food & Drink Tom

So you’re on a big date. Or an important meeting. Or out with some good friends. You’re at a nice restaurant. The kind of restaurant that irons the table cloths before each service. Maybe there’s a star or two involved. You’ve read the menu, shared your choices with your fellow diner(s) and even progressed past the often heated “red or white” debate.

This is arguably the most mysterious, unknown and contested point during a fine dining experience

As a result of being an avid reader of Aspiring Snob, you’ve also taken it upon yourself, or been assigned, to decide on the wine to accompany your fine meal. You’ve browsed through and weighed up the merits of New World versus Old World, the type of grape, perhaps the year and – cutting right to the chase – the price. Finally you settle on what you believe will be an impressive accompaniment to your meal and will increase your standing by pairing perfectly.