Foodie Heaven: What to Eat in San Sebastian

Old Town lined with bars and bars of pintxos and vino

Did you know that San Sebastian is now one of my favourite European cities. Well, you do now!

Why? Because it is a hidden gem for food, sun, and sea. Food most importantly, of course.

I came back from San Sebastian having learnt two words in Basque – pintxos (obviously), which is the Basque take on Spanish tapas; and eskerrik asko, thank you in Basque (you can pronounce this by saying “as-scaredy-cats-go” really fast).

Fun fact: the difference between tapas and pintxos is the stick / toothpick that pintxos are usually served with. Traditionally, after eating, payment is to be made upon counting number of total sticks, though nowadays this is mostly served by bartenders instead.

Either way, pintxos itself should be enough of a reason why you should open up a new tab to book a flight there right now. Typically, each pintxos is €2, and a glass of rioja is a little less. Bargain.

Additionally, each pintxos bar usually has their own specialty, and it’d be a crime to miss out on those, so no matter how strange or weird it might look or sound – walk in, order, eat, drink, rejoice!

Let’s begin with my most favourite place of all time.

A Memoir: How to Thailand for Two Weeks

Feeling touristy in my sarong at Wat Pho, Thailand

Disclaimer: this may be a minor long read.

Thailand, a country where you can do just about everything. From beaches to mountains, to jungles, to cooking with locals, to spending days and nights with elephants, to drinking out of buckets (if you fancied) to paying minimal prices for luxurious hotel rooms while overlooking beautiful landscapes. It is a place for escape, especially if you’re like me, frequently craving an exotic adventure away from the office, the emails, and often lacklustre lunch options.

For years, all I heard about Thailand was this strange reputation it had built in the backpacking circle. It was often a feature on many people’s Gap Year adventures, part of their trail as they first ventured through the countries of South East Asia.

Why I Genuinely Love Travelling Alone

“Shit.” I thought to myself. “That’s it. From now on, regardless of who’s coming, I’m off.”

That was a real monologue I had with myself when I realised that I didn’t really need to have someone with me to see the world. That was the first time I set off alone, to Porto, Portugal, back in October 2016. Safe to say, those few days in autumnal and pretty Porto was the start of a never-ending hunt for somewhere new to explore.

Porto – the start of all my solo adventures

Before then, I had never intended on travelling alone. Before then, since I did no gap year or exchange abroad, I had only ever travelled with a boyfriend, often having to convince them with a justified reason and budget, before attempting to schedule something acceptable between us. Similarly, that trip to Porto wasn’t booked for one, but somehow things changed and before I knew it, I was sat at my desk at work pondering whether or not to cancel my flights.

Supreme Saturdays at Yauatcha City

Dim sum that isn’t just aesthetically pleasing

As they say, you win some, you dim sum. On Saturday, this was exactly what I did, except I didn’t just dim sum, I also won some.

The Supreme Saturdays menu at Yauatcha Broadgate is a winner: a set menu for £52pp (for a minimum of two) includes everything from delightful venison puffs, to perfectly formed translucent steamed dumplings, to truffle pork belly, to half a bottle of wine each.

So, let me start from the beginning.

Available on Saturdays from 12pm – 6pm, the Supreme Saturday package, where you may upgrade from wine to some Henriot Champagne for £58 if you woke up feeling fancy (veggie menu also available for £48pp), starts with a welcome drink. That Saturday, I was feeling that pink Lychee Ginger Collins in the background – a strong start.

Brunch at Smith & Wollensky

“Brunch”, probably one of my favourite words in the history of existence, especially on a Sunday, when one is recovering from a deadly hangover. A few weeks back, I was lucky enough to be invited to try out the new brunch menu at the newly refurbished Smith & Wollensky, situation along the Strand, in the ever-so-grand Adelphi building in Central London.

Upon arrival at the restaurant, we were greeted by the white and green theme colours, our coats collected, and led to our table. The interior of the place is very grand, the lights slightly dimmed to a warm yellow and the patterned flooring completing the very American-esque feel of the place.

Vegan Dining at Ethos

While you all indulge on Christmas and wishing all the Christmas calories didn’t count, I’m here to attempt to lure you away from all the mince pies and pigs in blankets with my night of eating well at the stylish veggie/vegan heaven, located centrally and tucked away behind Oxford Street.

Upon arrival, you are greeted by some very cosy interior design, and since ETHOS is dedicated to a plant-based diet, the place is full of trees and plants, reflecting fully on the nature scene.

Flat Iron – Cheap Steak at Its Best

Candle-lit dinners at Flat Iron

Finding cheap eats in a pricey place like London has always been a favourite hobby of mine. Today, I feel the need to share my love for this divine steakhouse which offer customers the indulgence of satisfying their meat cravings for a small price tag of £10.

My love for this place begun with my first visit to its store in Soho accompanied by some friends. With an almost non-existent sign declaring its presence, the only thing that grasped our attention was the huge queue gathered outside the restaurant. Let me warn you, the wait is not short and they don’t allow table bookings either. However, they do allow you to put down your name and contact details so that you can leave and come back when a table becomes available.

Yes, we waited for more than one hour. But rest assured, however long the wait, it will definitely be worth it.

An Introduction

HELLO, I’M VERNA AND WELCOME TO MY BLOG  🙂

So, where should we begin?

I’m a 21 year old student currently living in London, England and with this blog I hope to record my life in terms of the foods that I eat, places that I go and other miscellaneous events that may be of interest to blog about. Oh, and what’s a blog these days without some OOTDs?

For the sake of introductions, let’s get down to some random facts that you probably don’t even want to know about me.

1. I am originally from Shanghai, China but moved here to London when I was 9, hence I consider myself pretty much British.