London: Tea Time in Wonderland

My first impression of The Icecreamists had left me a little cold. Oh, the tastebuds were happy, but well the prices seemed a bit high for the average wallet. It had been their opening night, they had been overwhelmed and the customers’ follow-up had been too weak for me. As far as I was concerned, there were other cool addresses to play: Freggo, Scoop…

Very much present on Twitter and Facebook, the Icecream boutique does take marketing seriously. They contact me, give explanations, agree with some of my points and propose asavoury moment with their chef Mark Broadbent who will answer my questions. When you’re as sweet tooth and curious as I am, you don’t refuse such an offer!

My expectations? Mmmh. Try a larger palette of those icecreams. Understand why, according to them, they are so different from the trendy ones actually on the market. I don’t expect a revelation that oh, my god, those are so good!.

I was underestimating the passionate team. Mark guides me to the counter and makes me taste an incredible range: cinnamon, ginger, lemon, dulce… For some of those, I keep my position “delicious but I have tasted such a quality before”. But others are just unforgetable and i can only urge you not to settle for one flavour as I did. Pistacchios and hazelnuts are two incredible ones to try. I have had so many chemical ones before… This is the real think, as if you were actually crunching one. For sur, explains Mark – they do those by using the oil contain in the nut, which creates a very intense flavour. Another hit was the espresso -  a ristretto, sugary, the way i like it in Paris – you’d almost need a piece of chocolate on the side and a ray of sunshine to enjoy it as if you were in France. You must know by now I’m a chocoholic – the Venezuela flavour does pass the test highly, dark, intense but never bitter. A real surprise to me was the white chocolate, something I usually loathe, too much fat, too heavy. Not here: of course, they have added malt and bayleys and it just dances on your tongue…

Normally, the tastebuds would have been saturated by such a culinary adventure. How to go from one taste to another and still be able to differentiate them? The answer may reside in its texture, supple, a mouthfeel – not creamy which woud probably be too rich but just velvety. Not too sugary either, that would have killed the flavours. The focus really is on top ingredients: first quality chocolate, hazelnuts from Piedmont, cinamon from North Africa, pistacchios from Bronte… No compromise.

It’s not finished yet – now is the time for cocktails, my friends! I had blocked orginally at the price:£16.99 multiplied by two, what an expensive date… You won’t be friends with your banker for long.

Again, I stand corrected. Well, it still remains high prices, mind you. But a cocktail glass is enough for two, which makes it more approachable… The presentation has the necessary wow factor to make it pretty desirable. Elegant, classy, a touch of chocolate sauce, a spoon cleverly balanced on the side calling for your touch, a caramel flame… Oh, of course, you could have a banana split or a peach Melba someehere and share it too at a lesser price. But that would be comparing a kitkat bar and a piece of Vairhona. You s step above here, the satisfaction is way different. The first will be gulped down. The second will be eaten slowly, delicate spoonful after another and you will probably close your eyes. Another nice touch is to have a shot of alcohol on the side. Don’t pour it on the ice-cream, I find it a lot nicer separate: play on the textures, navigate, experience a balance: you’ll find that just a drop on your lips can bring sone flavours entirely to life, exploding differently.

Below:
Toffee Apple (with a lovely buttery note, very addictive, that reminds me of pommes flambess my mother used to do), caramel sauce, served with a plum alcohol
Viagra and absinthe, very smooth, very milky, served with a shot of absinth.

I also learn that those treats are prepared with 6% fat only but also with less air (35% against 150%!). That would explain why they melt slowlier? you can really take your time here without having a milkshake in a couple minutes!

Mark disappears with a smile, I am to be amazed once more. Arrives a modern presentation, I lick my lips. There is a tasting order to be respected, mind you, this is not a simple icecream, you see but a Sunday lunch icecream!

- a pea and mint sorbet. Not the British pea, mind you, barely cooked ot too boile. not, think, home hearted meal with a meltin floury touch, refreshing as a gazpacho, velvet on the tongue. I’d love to have glasses of that, with a straw. i can imagine it served with fish…

- Now – two scoops, a dark red and a pur white. You must balance them both in your spoon. Your eyes open wide. Ah! Roastbeef and Horseradish, how extraordinary! You need to try to fully understand but do trust me, those are more addictive than popcorn. separated, they lose a little of their magic, together they’re fireworks. Like yin and yang, underlines Mark while I have a Yorkshire pudding crisp.

- The last one is a desert, Mark’s favourite. Apple and blackberry crumble. The icecream is marbled, you can see entire parts of berries -  it’s like having the fruit exploding on your tastebuds. Clever crumble topping too -  crunchy, a hint of salt, even better: whole hazelnuts, roasted… How not to share his enthusiasm? (although I still lovingly long for the pistacchio)

It takes some genius and quite a vision to be an Icecreamist. I can think of so many possibilities: fish and chips? Tika? Why not? But don’t forget it took 20 tentatives to get that beef bouillon just right…

I’m delighted of course. More objectively: have I been bought? I certainly have been flavoured by the invitation. It was fab meeting the customers relationship manager, Hayley, the founder, Matt O’Connor who did take the time to say hello, sit, ask about my first experience and what i thought of my new one. The chef, Mark spent a whole hour with me. I had felt too banalized on the opening: I certainly was a VIP this time. Luxury!

I will not scream for all their flavours. But the ones I have higly praised really are worth stopping by. Pistacchio and hazelnuts are little celebration in themselves. Anf, you MUST come and try this Sunday lunch. Of course, it is unique and therefore trendy, but the flavours are just spot on. It could really replace a meal and you wold be as satisfied. Amazing. Will the future show those as packlunches? I certainly would indulge, I can’t wait for them to sell this pea and mint in tubs…

The Icecreamists
Selfridges
The Ultralounge
400 Oxford St
London, W1A1AB
Metro: Bond St

This week-end, slow down and take the time to…

… enjoy the colour firewok at http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/poplife/- Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst, Andy Warhol and my favourite, Murakami are part of it. Not to be missed!

… Listen to Roald Dahl’s stories @ the National Theater and even get a book signed by Quentin Blake himself…

… Join the Broadway market Saturday from noon for their mid-autumn festival – Vietnamese food and mooncakes, lantern making workshop, games and dances for kids!

… Lick you lips @ Selfridge’s with their “Taste of Singapore” cooking demonstrations…

… If you are @ Selfridge’s on Saturday, you could see the flashmob regrouping 100 volunteers wearing duck masks well decided on stopping Selfridge’s from selling foie gras!

… Have fun with 20 years of Nick Park’s drawings. Be a child a again with his Wallace and Gromit’s world! (alternatively head for the Science museum)

… Celebrate Diwali, the hindu festival of lights @ Trafalgar Square this Sunday… Music and light displays… (14.00-19.00)

I had been flooded on Twitter and Facebook with notes about the Icecreamists. They’re opening! The flavours a soooo out of this world! You won’t believe your tastebuds! I read about absinth ice cream, cryogenic cocktails… I really wondered what the Obamama flavour would be like.

Licking my lips, I pocket the VIP invitation for the opening. I get there in advance but people are already getting in. Ah! But nobody’s checking the guest names. A few shoppers join in, try their luck, get in. So much for the VIP effect.

The decoration is entirely back with touches of neon pink. Gothic-Kitsch! An excellent group sings some vintage Prince which makes me think this is going to be heavenly. In a corner stands a customised ice-cream van: black and pink again, the Queen driving, a reference to Banksy. God save the Cream!

I’m given a menu, brought to a table, explained I can ask for samples if I cannot choose. I look at the prices: the Sex Pistols cocktail is at a mere £19…! Gosh, your appetite curbs down immediately. Normal ice-cream portions are at £3.99. You have to pay for the opening party? No indication.

The waitress takes my order. She can’t hear me and I try to scream over the music. My portion arrives in a design glossy black pot. Is lready melting and dripping on the side. Flavour like, it’s quite nice, sorbet like, very soft, very sugary. Not extra-ordinary. I step to the counter, I’m curious abour the bread one. Oh, and the rose too. Oh, and the sex pistols exists as an ice-cream, not just in a cocktail? I wait and wait, being ignored. An exhausted waitress finally telle me, a touch unnerved, that they don’t do samples anymore. She does not propose a second ice-cream either.

End of the game for me. Waitresses do not ask for any feedback. Anyway, they had already given my table to someone else. Noone seems to care about people leaving. We don’t even get a good-bye. That’s an opening party?!

Verdict?
The theory was good. Vice-creams, ice-cream boutique. Molecular ice-creams. It sounded really good. The deco has been worked on.
But prices? You come here to impress a lover, that’s quite an expensive stop for two cocktails…
Ignoring people on your first day is not the best idea either. On that day… they’re your best friends.
The ice creams are good. But… those are all big names hiding, most often, a simple flavour. Obamama? Milk chocolate with a hint of salt. I’d rather have a little name but a big flavour.

In a nutshell: a trendy place -  you come here to be seen, to know the cool places, to have tried the different ice cream, the ones seen in the magazines. I’m not sure what the Sex Pistols would say, but I’d go for the Rolling Stones “I can’t get no satisfaction”.

Want some cool ice-cream?
- For the same price, head for Freggo and try the dulce or even the Malbec and berries… The deco also plays a glamour note.
- Grab a nectarine one @ Gelato Mio (2.50) close to Embankment and sit in the sun in the Embankment gardens…
- Try the kiwi ice-cream at Scoop (£2) then head for Covent Garden…
- Finish with a sesameor chestnut ice-cream (£3.50) @ Feng Sushi after a stroll on South Bank

The Icecreamists
Selfridges
The Ultralounge
400 Oxford St
London, W1A1AB

Tube: Bond St

Malgre mes recents deboires avec le service clients Liberty, je ne resiste pas a venir admirer leur nouvelle collection. Vous n’aurez pas de mal a trouver votre chemin…

Il y a chez chez Liberty un equilibre elegant entre classicisme et modernite. Des motifs minuscules mais un fini frais et colore. Des fleurs tres girly mais une coupe dynamique. Le batiment meme reflete ces dimensions – produits ultra-tendance sur structure Tudor…

Ou le nouveau motif de Meg Mathews… (pineapple). Une touche rock’n'roll…

Montez au 4eme etage. La marque a invite 6 artistes influents qui presentent leurs creations, dont une maison entierement courverte de bandes de tissu… Ou les bicyclettes suedoises Skeppshult revisitees…

Jetez egalement un coup d’oeils aux affiches revisitant les collaborations passees avec Chloe Sevigny, Kate Moss… Nike!

Les tables regorgent de produits declines dans les differents motifs, chapeaux, carnets, tasses, boutons… wellies!

Vous y trouverez egalement les poupees et les broches de Amanda Fatherazi, au look annees 50, deja reperees par les bloggeuses a la mode…

Une promenade tres rafraichissante. Un must pour les fashion-addicts!

Pssst! Levez les yeux vers les toits. Saviez-vous que cette girouette doree represente le Mayflower?

Prints charming
Liberty, 4eme etage / 4th floor
Great Marlborough Street
London, W1B 5AH
Metro / tube:
Jusqu’au / Until 02 septembre 2009
Gratuit / free!

Despite my recent disappointment with Liberty’s customer services, I could not resist stopping by to admire their new collections. It won’t be hard to find…!

Liberty has always kep this elegant balance bwteen classicism and modernity. Micro-designs but colourful and a wow effect, like a painting. Girly flowers but a dynamic style. The building itself reflects this vision – trendy products in a Tudor architecture.

Even the new motif by Meg Mathews has a rock’n'roll touch to it.

Go straight to the 4th floor to enjoy the Prints Charming exhibition. I prefer to take one of the old fashioned wooden lifts.

6 influent artists present their creations, such as this sweet wendy house entirely covered with strip of fabric.

How not to love the Swedish Skeppshult bikes revisited?

Don’t forget to have a look at the posters, traveling through the past collaboratiosn with famous names such as Chloe Sevigny, Kate Moss… Nike!

Your eyes will also feast on the fantastic collection of products in Liberty designs – hats, notebooks, mugs, buttons… wellies…

You’ll also find the brooches and dolls specially made by Amanda Fatherazy- a lovely 50ies look, applauded by bloggers a la mode.

A very refreshing exhibition and an absolute must-see for all fashion addicts.

Pssst! when leaving the building, look up towards the roof and look for the golden weathervane. Did you know it represents the Mayflower?

Quelle chance d’avoir des amies aussi gourmandes que moi!

Grace a Chloe, je pars a la chasse au cream puff sur Oxford street: une sorte de chou a la creme par une chaine japonaise . A quoi s’attendre? La creme sera t-elle a l’anglaise, ecoeurante et peu sucree?

La devanture toute simple prete a confusion – ce pecheur laisse plutot imaginer un fish’n'chips shop. L’interieur ne paie pas de mine non plus.

J’imagine les friandises de la taille d’une profiterole – un lot de 5 semble donc ideal. Elles sont au contraire enormes! La serveuse les emplit de creme vanillee devant vous, saupoudre de sucre glace, glisse un cube de glace enveloppe dans la boite pour plus de fraicheur s’ils sont a emporter. Selon les jours de la semaine (voyez le calendrier sur le site), vous pourrez egalement choisir un autre parfum: fraise, chocolat ou the vert.

Bien sur, la curiosite me perdra. Je ne passerai pas la porte avant d’en avoir goute un. J’ouvre la boite – chaque chou est enveloppe individuellement. Je croque. La creme est legere, assez aerienne. La pate est croquante. Je me leche les babines. Ca n’a certes pas la finesse d’une patisserie francaise mais ma foi, ca s’avale bien vite. Tout de meme, impossible d’en avaler plus de deux: ca cale! On me deculpabilise sur place: chaque cream puff contient 10 calories de moins qu’une barre de mars.

Verdict? Je n’en ferais pas un dessert mais une pause cafe. C’est un plaisir qui exige le partage, la convivialite. Vous savez, le lundi ou le vendredi matin, au bureau, lorsque la motivation manque? C’est un Beard Papa cream puff qu’il vous faut avec un espresso, accompagne de quelques bavardages avec collegues… Ou entre copines, avec une seance shopping sur Oxford Street, a emmener dans un plus joli cadre – les squares ne manquent pas alentours…

Beard Papa’s cream Puffs
143 Oxford Street
Marylebone
London
W1D 2JB
£6 pour une boite de 5 / £6 for a box of 5

How lucky to have friends as sweet-toothed as I am!

Thanks to Chloe, I wil be hunting Japanese cream puffs on Oxford street. What to expect? Will the filling be very British – all cream and little sugar, slightly sickening? Or sweet and melting?

The shop is easily passed unnoticed – the fisherman logo confuses it with a fish’n'chips shop. The inside also looks pretty basic.

I expected the puffs to be profiterole size – surely a box of 5 will go down quite fast. But those are huge! The waitress fills them with vanilla cream in front of me, adds a litle sugar icing on top and a wrapped ice cube in the box to keep them fresher. Each day of the week brings an additional flavour: strawberry, chocolate or green tea.

I’m too curious and will not leave the shop without tasting one. Each treat is individually wrapped. The cream is light and tasty but not too overwhelming with vanilla. The shell is nice and crunchy. This is not as refined as a French pastry but is much better than any French eclair on this side of the channel. I reach for another one gladly. It is very filling though, you cannot manage more than two in a row. No guilt: each puff counts 10 calories less than a mars bar.

Verdict? I would not make a desert of it but it’s just perfect for a coffee break. You know, on Mondays and Fridays when motivation just escapes you? A Beard Papa cream puff , an espresso shot and a little chat is just what you need. Sounds good with girlfriends too after a shopping spree on Oxford St, grab a coffee, head for one of the many squares around…