Eco Eating: Mana Raw

Here in Hong Kong, we're T-9 days from veils, cakes, white dresses and something old, new, borrowed and blue. So it's unsurprising that we're eyeball deep in wedmin. When we're not plotting table plans, having bridal hair trials or trying to finish off all the last minute decor DIYs, we're fixated on working out and eating well in a bid to be as lean as possible on the Big Day...

So, today's short but sweet post is an ode to an HK eatery that's proving pretty helpful in the pre-wedding regime, healthy fast food joint - Mana Raw.

Located a mere hop, skip and a tumble from it's sister restaurant, Mana, this newer, raw food outpost maintains the same fab eco-credentials as its older sister but kicks things up a notch by offering a vegan, raw menu. Not only are the eats healthy and organic but as at Mana, packaging's recyclable, there's a slick system of recycling bins to sort your waste into at the end of your meal and the restaurant operates a zero waste policy.

All sounding a little too virtuous to also be delicious? Think again. Food's inventive and super scrumptious with an offering spanning from vushi (vegan sushi) to raw wraps and zucchini 'pasta'. Early birds can scoop up Acai bowls for breakfast and a veritable rainbow of fresh juices.

Who said healthy eating had to mean tasteless, dull meals...?

Mana Raw!

97 Wellington Street Central

+852 2259 5125

8am - 8pm Everyday

Nutrition Magician: Alice Mackintosh

Paleo, Atkins, the 5:2, Dukan... Every week there seems to be a new eating fad promising to melt away those pesky extra pounds. But sorting the gimmicky rubbish from the sound nutritional advice can be pretty tricky. Plus, even just looking at what works for one of us Mice but has limited effect on the others, proves that there's no one size fits all approach. 

In recent months I've become even more focused on my eating given that Bridezilla would definitely like to drop a dress size or two prior to her wedding this autumn... So, since the beginning of the year, I've been limiting my carbs, eating plenty of organic vegetables and have all but dropped processed, fatty foods from my diet. I've definitely seen results, but as I've started to become more focussed on food and begun reading around the Internet, I've been totally overwhelmed by the mass of conflicting advice out there. 

On another wedding-related note, I've been having issues with my skin for a couple of years now - breakouts to a level that I haven't seen since I was teenager. Not much fun and definitely something I want to try to get in check in time for the big day. Some of my recent nutrition web-trawling began to suggest that that tired old adage - you are what you eat - has definite relevance when it comes to your skin. So I decided that it was time to call the professionals in. 

I've known Alice Mackintosh for several years having first met her out in Hong Kong. Since then she's scored a first class honours degree in Nutritional Therapy, moved back to London and now practices as a nutritionist at the Food Doctor Clinic on Harley Street. Alice specialises in the impact of diet on health and wellness and when I emailed her to ask about setting up a consultation discovered that a particular area of her expertise is skin (her own glowy gorgeous complexion should really have given me a hint there...). 

I happened to be in London briefly over the summer and luckily Alice managed to squeeze me in for a consultation while I was back. The Food Doctor clinic is located a hop skip and a jump from Oxford Street so after a hard morning's shopping, I trotted round to Harley Street to try to see if we could get to the root of my skin woes.

Pre-appointment I'd filled out a set of questionnaires (including a three day food diary and detail on my general lifestyle and health) which meant that by the time I arrived at my appointment, Alice already had the low down on the basics and we could dive straight into the detail. Given that I've been fairly strict on the eating front recently, Alice was pleased with my general diet which consists of plenty of lean protein, leafy green vegetables and a little good fat courtesy of avocado, oily fish and nuts. She suggested that I continue eating as clean as possible, talked me through a set of supplements which would make sure I was getting all my vital nutrients and then moved on to walk me through some of the things that could be causing my skin issues.

The key suspects appear to be stress, hormones, gut health or a combination of the lot. Getting down to the nitty gritty on these topics can involve complicated sciency stuff, but one of the great things about seeing Alice is that she makes even complex explanations easy to understand for the less scientific among us and the whole consultation feels much more like a catch-up with a ridiculously well-informed friend than a lecture from a stern old doctor. After spending an hour talking in simple terms about the ways in which I could improve not only my nutrition but also my general lifestyle to try to tackle each of these underlying problems, Alice sent me off with a supplement shopping list and a whole heap of practical, easy, to implement advice. A couple of days later she followed this up with a very detailed email which recapped everything that we'd discussed and happily jogged my memory on a couple of points I'd forgotten.

Several weeks on, and I've tried to follow Alice's advice as much as possible. I now religiously take an impressive line-up of tablets every morning (including probiotics, fish oil and magnesium) and I'm learning to tolerate spirulina and the even more foul tasting Wholly Immune (a dazzlingly nutrient-packed powder that you add to water). On the stress-front, I try my best to get to bed earlier and have even given acupuncture a try. So far, I've noticed an increase in energy levels and haven't (touch wood) been floored by any nasty bugs (fairly rare for me). I've also seen a definite improvement in my skin. I'm unfortunately not completely break-out free just yet, but I feel as though we're finally moving in the right direction. 

Rather excitingly, I've also heard whispers that Alice has co-founded a supplement company with her business partner, Rosie Speight, and that the two will be creating a range of products specifically designed to support our bodies against the stresses and strains of crazy modern lives. I'll bring further news as soon as I hear more, but in the meantime hop over to www.equilondon.com to make sure that you hear about the launch first. 

I can't recommend Alice enough for practical, non-nonsense help with nutrition. Whether you're having skin troubles, digestion concerns or some other niggling health problem that no amount of trips to the doctors appears to be fixing, a tweak to your diet could prove to be the magic answer. For those of you based somewhere other than London, Alice also offers Skype consultations so you can get your diet in check without even leaving your sofa...

Check out her website for more details and have a browse through her blog while you're there for plenty of sage eating advice and this amazing choc-ice recipe! If you really are what you eat, we're definitely going to become a coconut sprinkled choc-ice inside the next week or so...

A Tale of Three NYC Breakfasts (or Three Little Piggies Went to Brunch...)

If there's one thing us Mice excel at, it's eating. And if there's one meal New York dining spots are particularly brilliant at, it's breakfast.

So on our recent trip to the Big Apple, we felt it was our duty to seek out and gobble up all of the very best coffee, eggs, waffles and pancakes that the city has to offer, wash them down with several rounds of Mimosas, and then bring you the skinny on all our favs. So, that's exactly what we did. The things we do in the name of the blog...

We researched for weeks in advance, came up with a shortlist and then painstakingly nibbled and munched our way from breakfast to brunch all around the City. The results? Well, in no particular order, here are our top three spots to kick off the day in NYC... 

Buvette

First up, a West Village neighbourhood eatery with more than a dash of ooh la la.

Boozy Brunch with Mr B...

I've wanted to try Mr Buckley's for some time, however it's one of those places that, unless you live out East, is just not that convenient. The perfect opportunity arose for a girlie weekend lunch with all parties living in the Hagerston and Bethnal Green area! 

Located at 255 Hackney Road, you'll see why it's tricky for a post work meet-up for anyone outside East London, with the closest tube being Bethnal Green and that being a bus journey away, your next best bet is the overground to Cambridge Heath and then a further brisk trot. However, despite these complications, you'd be a fool to miss out on this one! Plus not having a tube station next door means you avoid the crowds and can actually enjoy this little gem! 

 

Having just celebrated his 2nd birthday, Mr Buckley is still relatively young, but fear not, he knows exactly what he's doing!

The ambiance is super laid back, it doesn't try too hard, which creates the perfect cocoon to while away many hours...which is exactly what we did! The decor is simple yet cool - exposed brick walls with peeling paint, mismatched school chairs, Mr Buckley's stencilled across one side of the room, quotes scrawled in neon lights and all dimly lit by shabby outdoor lamps. Urban meets chic at it's best!

 

 

 

 

 

 

On our visit, the downstairs bar was booked out for a private party, so unfortunately we have no pictures to show, however this didn't stop us from sampling the amazing cocktails! My favourite had to be the 277 - Sloe Gin, lemon juice, cucumber and prosecco...so fresh and incredibly moreish! Having said that the Raspberry and Basil smash slipped down just as easily, as did a bottle of ice cold Savignon Blanc! There's no doubt that we'll back to check out the bar and the rest of the cocktail list!   

 

 

 

And finally...the food! WOW! You're in for a serious treat! We arrived towards the end of the Saturday brunch service, but being four hungover girls with impressive appetites, they kindly served us an edited version of the dinner menu and thank God they did! 

Firstly there's no messing about with small portions, even the jars are big enough for sharing - which was a great way to explore the menu options! We went for:

 

Shredded wild rabbit with chilli & tarragon...

 

Spice roasted peanuts, macadamias & almonds with vanilla salt...

Butterbean hummus with aubergine & pepperade...

Everything is presented beautifully and the flavours they pack in are incredible - who would have thought a jar of nuts could be so delicious...the perfect mix of salt, sweet, spice and delicate vanilla! Jars devoured, we decided to move onto mains...

 

Fillet of sea bass with lemon crushed potatoes & spinach purée...

8oz Onglet steak with bone marrow, blue cheese butter & skinny fries...

Some serious silence went down around a table that had previously been filled with constant chatter, squealing and laughter! There wasn't even time for food envy...both dishes were so lip smackingly good Middle Mouse and I forgot to do the obligatory spoon swap taster! 

 

By this point our tummies were so swollen with our amazing feast and 3 too many cocktails, we decided pudding would have to be bypassed! Well not completely...we ordered a couple of portions of Mr B's salted chocolate fudge and replaced the accompanying coffee with an espresso martini of course!!!! 

Divine is the only word to describe these little diamonds of heaven...wow wow wow...you need to get yourself down there if only to sample these bad boys!!! 

Our new favourite haunt and with a brunch menu and Sunday dinner menu still to sample, one we will need to frequent manyyyyy more times! 

See you soon Mr B.... 

Villiers Coffee Company & Dining Room...

I've constantly got one ear to the ground when it comes to new restaurants and bars opening in London. Not that I'm bored with our current vast selection, (how could I be?!) but my favourite hobby is eating and drinking with friends and there's nothing better than finding a new gem to explore together.

A friend told me a few months back that the family behind Gordon's Wine Bar were opening a new restaurant offering all day relaxed food and coffee. Being a huge fan of Gordon's, it immediately made it onto my iPhone to do list!

The perfect opportunity arose for a daytime catch up with a great friend requiring some tasty lunch, a good wine list and a location somewhere between Parsons Green and Bethnal Green!

Villiers Coffee Company and Dining Room ticked all the boxes!

It's literally two doors up from Gordon's so a quick trot from Embankment and Charing Cross - easy peasy! 

Now I'm not going to lie, Villier's is pretty compact in every sense of the word...if you're after somewhere for a top secret meeting, this isn't for you! However if you want somewhere relaxed with a buzzy atmosphere then read on!

The decor is simple - chunky wooden tables, white walls, blackboards, exposed bulbs and Hendricks bottles for candle holders - simple and cute. It doesn't feel quite finished with room for them to grow into their space and build some more character, having said that I loved the laid back and cosy vibe never claiming to be something it's not.

We only sampled a couple of dishes, getting distracted by drinking too much wine, but what we did pick was pretty delicious! Naughty, I know, but we were so famished when our lamb koftas and chicken and charred corn arrived I totally forgot to take pictures...but worry not I managed to get one of our scrumptious desert...chocolate fondant, honeycomb and salted caramel ice cream...delish! 

All in all, a great little relaxed spot to pop in on if you're in the area for a strong coffee or small plates and wine, they don't have a website but I've read in reviews that they also do breakfast with simple but delicious dishes - like fried egg, corn bread and guacamole, mmmm, this I need to try! 

However for me, Gordon's still wins...if you haven't been, where the hell are you hiding, you're seriously missing out!!

Villiers Coffee & Dining Room

31a Villiers Street

London

WC2N 6ND

+44 (0)20 7925 2100