Last weekend I had a really wonderful night out at SEN NIN - Japanese Teppanyaki & Sushi Restaurant in Camden, London.

For someone who loves Chinese, Thai, Indian, Italian, West African… in fact every type of food imaginable and who writes about cuisines from around the world it really is surprising that I have never tried Japanese food before. When I saw an offer on Living Social for a meal at a Teppanyaki Japanese restaurant I thought it was too good an opportunity to miss and now that I have tried it, I want MORE!

The concept of teppanyaki was created by Hiroaki “Rocky” Aoki (a former wrestler) in New York in 1964 when he came up with the wonderful idea for making meals a theatrically experience with a knife-spinning, joke-telling chef at a teppanyaki table – a steel grill surrounded on three sides by a wooden table for the guests. At first his restaurant, Benihana of Tokyo, struggled but following a rave review by Clementine Paddleford of the New York Herald Tribune the restaurant took off and soon it was enjoying the patronage of celebrities such as The Beatles and Muhammad Ali.

The first Sen Nin restaurant brought their brand of the teppenyaki experience to London about 5 years ago and there are now three Sen Nin restaurants in London in Islington, Ealing and Camden. Ferdie was our chef at the Camden branch last weekend and I had the chance for a quick chat before our meal.

Ferdie studied cookery in his homeland in the Philippines and had since gained 9 years experience of working in Japanese restaurants in Malaysia, Bahrain, Liverpool and London. Sen Nin menu is very much based on authentic traditional cooking with the occasional modern twist. Ferdie described Japanese food as a simple cuisine using “very fresh ingredients, that is the Japanese way.” Although teppenyaki is not found in Japan, in fact it would be considered disrespectful, Ferdie really enjoys the performance and “making people happy”.

We started with a Japanese cocktail, mine being a rather sour but refreshing Lychee Mojito while Neill enjoyed the sweeter but equally delicious Plum Mango Margarita.

Our meal began with miso soup (watercress, spring onion, seaweed, tofu and fish stock) followed by a tasty platter of sushi, spring rolls and dumplings, wasabi and some seriously delicious pickled ginger. Be warned be cautious of the wasabi, a Japanese root vegetable, related to horseradish that packs a serious punch! There were also a selection of sauces including soy sauce which our host suggested we add a little wasabi to, to liven it up.

I think it’s going to miss!

Then in came Ferdie. After a wonderful display of knife twirling, juggling and cheeky banter he skillfully prepared the Hibachi Japanese rice (otherwise known as ‘funky rice’ made with baby oil and coca cola, apparently, or do you think someone might have pulling my leg!). After numerous tricks performed by Ferdie we found out it was now our turn as we each tried to catch some cooked egg in our mouths. Predictably this didn’t go very well but we had fun trying!

For their main course each couple had the choice of three out of six dishes and we selected steak, chicken and the catch of the day, coley. Served with funky rice, stir fried vegetables and flavoured with teriyaki sauce it really was a treat. The meat was tender and moist; the steak in particular, which we had rare, was superb and although by now I was seriously full it was hard to stop eating such a delicious meal washed down with a refreshing Japanese beer.

The only disappoint of the whole evening was that our set meal did not include a Japanese dessert. Other than that it really was a perfect meal out.

As we finished our New York cheese cake we were offered a complimentary green tea which, despite the fact that I have never liked tea in any shape or form or from any country where I have tried it before, this really hit the spot in a most refreshing way. We left Sen Nin feeling very full and very happy thanks to Ferdie and all the staff.

Full details of the menu can be found on the restaurant’s website starting from just £6.50 for a lunchtime main course or £6.95pp for a Bento Box (available from 12 noon to 5pm) to £52 per person for the Wagyu Beef Meal. We had the Imperial Teppanyaki Meal normally costing £48.95 per person. You might want to keep in mind that we both found this set meal impossible to finish and there are a number of much more reasonably priced options with less courses!

I’m looking forward to visiting again sometime and it definitely won’t be long before I try some more Japanese food whether here, in another restaurant or perhaps I should try cooking some at home. I really did love it!

Sen Nin – Camden
35 Pratt Street, Camden NW1 0BG (map above)
020 7096 1276

Sen Nin – Islington
206 Upper Street, Islington N1 1RQ
020 7704 1890

Sen Nin – Ealing
18-19 The Mall, Ealing Broadway W5 2PJ
020 8840 2041

This week’s travel snap is a shot I took while visiting Arundel’s Wildfowl and Wetlands Centre in West Sussex, England. There are many beautiful birds there to photograph but one of my favourite images from the day was of this mallard, a very common duck in England. I love how this shot has captured the movement of the water as it passes over the wings with a shower of water droplets hanging in mid-air.

Photography Tip – Get Low

As well as needing a very fast shutter speed to freeze the movement, rather than looking down on the duck you’ll get a better shot if you get to their eye level, right down, lying on the ground with you camera balanced on a bean bag. This shot was taken with a 200mm fixed lens and 1/1600 shutter speed.

Last summer I discovered the Weed and Wild Flower Festival in a little village in the Sussex countryside. A wonderful fantasy woodland had been recreated inside Bignor’s ancient church. I can’t imagine how long it took to build (or clear up!) but the effect was stunning.

When I first got there the church was packed but later in the day I went back and managed to get a few photos with it fairly clear. There was plenty going on outside the church all weekend including craft and local produce stalls, guided walks, a medieval village and a woodmen’s display area demonstrating traditional crafts. Typically English cream teas (a cup of tea plus a scone with cream and strawberry jam),  lamb roast and Ballards beer could all be enjoyed sitting on the lawn of the vicarage next door while listening to classical and folk music groups. The vicar even did some poetry reading. The highlight of the weekend on Saturday evening saw jugglers, fire-dancers and a host of other entertainers brighten up the churchyard.

This week’s travel snap… a lovely English village fete with a twist!

In the New Forest in Hampshire, southern England, it’s the norm to find ponies, cows and many a grookle with camera in hand, wandering across the roads and along village streets. In fact free roaming ponies, donkeys and cows are everywhere and are a real delight to see.

So when this grookle (the term used by locals for tourists) visited the New Forest last weekend I wasn’t surprised by the numerous animals I had to drive around or by the goose that was causing havoc with the traffic. We tried (but failed) to herd her out of the road back into a garden but she was having none of it and insisted on following my Dad wherever he went for the next hour or so! I was surprised, however, when walking through the very pretty village of Beaulieu to see a herd of cows and sheep in a shop window. Not real ones of course. These were made of chocolate!

I had stumbled upon a delightful little chocolate shop filled from floor to ceiling with every size, shape and flavour of home-made chocolates known to woman (or man) kind. Beaulieu Chocolate Studio has been making contemporary hand-crafted chocolates, as well as local specialities, since 2006 carrying on the tradition of hand-made chocolates established in the village in the eighties. Chocolates for every occasion festooned every nook and cranny and with Easter just a week away delightfully decorated white, milk and dark chocolate eggs filled many of the shelves.

There were New Forest Heather Honey Truffles, made with fresh double cream ganache, sweetened with local New Forest honey and covered in milk chocolate or maybe you’d prefer the finest quality Australian Stem Ginger encased in 70% bitter Dark chocolate shell or the Epernay Champagne Truffles made with Marc de champagne and fresh double cream, moulded in white chocolate or perhaps the studio’s speciality, New Forest Bark, a sweet dark chocolate with toasted almonds. Heaven!

To one side of the shop front there is a large picture window through which you can watch the chocolates being made. I was lucky enough to be allowed into the workshop itself to meet chocolatiere, Trevor and when I stepped inside the most delicious smell of the darkest chocolate enveloped me! Of course this is their busiest time of the year and Trevor had been rushing around making the chocolate eggs that so many of us enjoy each Easter. He showed me how this was done by filling a mould with melted chocolate, tapping out the excess and tipping out the chocolate eggs, which are then allowed to cool.

I wish I could post a sample to each and everyone of you so that you too could taste just how delicious these chocolates are but alas, I can’t. So I will simply wish you all a very ‘Happy Easter‘ and if, like me, you live in a country that takes a few days off work to celebrate, enjoy your Easter break (and your chocolate be it egg shaped, rabbit shaped or indeed cow or even sheep shaped.)

This weekend my Jewish friends will also be celebrating ‘Passover‘ and I believe Hindus will be observing ‘Hanuman Jayanti‘ and Japanese Buddhists the flower festival of ‘Hana Matsuri‘. I wish you all a very happy weekend.

I’d love to hear how you celebrate Easter (or indeed any of these festivals) in your country. Here’s a link to an Austrian Easter.

There’s a great photography post doing the rounds at the moment called ’7 Super Shots’. HostelBookers.com put out the call to select 7 of your favourite photographs, one for each of the following categories, then tag 5 bloggers that you would like to take part. I was really pleased when Anja nominated me. So here are my 7 shots…

1. A photo that…takes my breath away

The pretty seaside town of L’Ile Rousse, Corsica and the stunning beach – the colour of the sea took my breath away the first time I saw it and no matter how often I return it still does. A shot taken in the other direction featured in my ‘ Travel snap of the week’ recently so check it out if you’d like to know a more about L’Ile Rousse.

2. A photo that…makes me laugh or smile

These wonderful children in The Gambia always make me smile when I visit their school in Brikama. Read about my last visit in ‘My dairy from the smiling coast of Africa.’

3. A photo that…makes me dream

Calvi beach (also in Corsica) with a back drop of pine trees and the mountains beyond – I regularly dream of being back in Corsica!

4. A photo that…makes me think

I took this photograph while on a photographic assignment in Senegal. Whenever I look at it I wonder what she was thinking. I think she looks sad. My guide did speak to her to ask if it was OK to take a few photos before I barged into her home.  I do hope she didn’t mind the intrusion too much. I felt frustrated that all I could do was smile and thank her in English or French without knowing whether she understood a word of what I was saying.

As a travel photographer you often find your self intruding in people’s lives. When is it OK and when are you crossing the line?

5. A photo that…makes my mouth water

Cupcakes topped with strawberries and cream, in Brighton, England. Delicious!

6. A photo that…tells a story

This statue in memory of the end of slavery is a poignant reminder of the tragic past of Gorée Island just off the coast of Dakar, Senegal. Once a transportation post for slaves leaving Africa it is now a very beautiful little island with pretty pastel painted buildings and flower filled streets plus a museum about slavery. A ‘must see’ when visiting Dakar. More of my photos from Senegal are on Flickr.

7. A photo that…I am most proud of (aka my worthy of National Geographic shot)

This is a tough one! My favourite photograph changes regularly and I’ve already posted a few in my weekly ‘Travel snap’ features. Not wanting to repeat myself here’s another one of my favourites shots of a street in Mindelo on the island of São Vicente in Cape Verde.

Thanks again Anja for nominating me. There are lots of  bloggers’ I’d like to pass this on too but I better limit this to 5 as requested!

So I’m asking the following to share their ’7 Super Shots’ with us.

Suzanne, The Travel Bunny

Cynthia, Hapidayz

Abu, A Visual Journey

Andrew, Andrew Graeme Gould Photography

Greg, Wanders & Wonders

Interview with celebrity Carribean chef, Levi Roots.

Levi Roots, creator of the popular ‘Reggae, Reggae Sauce’, is well known in England as a celebrity chef, musician and dragon slayer following his appearance on BBC’s Dragons Den. When I saw that he was speaking at Destinations Holiday and Travel Show I jumped at the chance to meet him in person for an interview.

I was interested to know about Levi’s childhood in Jamaica and his experience of moving thousands of miles across the Atlantic Ocean to England.

Levi was born in Clarendon in Jamaica and he described an idyllic childhood growing up in the countryside, playing in the forest and fishing in the streams. He was the youngest child of a large family and his parents moved to Brixton, England when he was just 6 years old in the hope of making a better life. One by one each child was sent for but Levi, or Keith as he was known then, gave little thought to where his siblings were going as each one left. To him it just meant that there was more room in the bed!

As he was growing up he spent a lot of time with his grandmother in the kitchen. Much of the cooking was done outside using fresh fruits picked straight from the garden. It is the use of fruit in savoury dishes together with pimento berries (allspice), which add flavour as well as heat, that gives Caribbean cuisine its unique taste. Food was very much a community event. Often 10 or 20 friends and neighbours would gather in their home with everyone contributing to the meal in some way.

Levi loved listening to his grandmother singing as she cooked. She had a wonderful voice, as did his mother and indeed his grandfather. The songs that he heard in the home and in church travelled with him when at the age of 12 it was his turn to move to England. As each child had been sent for a suitcase had arrived from their parents with a suit and other travel supplies. When Levi’s suitcase appeared he thought for the first time about whether he would ever see his grandmother again but he still gave little thought to where he was going.

Adjusting to life in England was hard and he had to re-build a relationship with his parents. He arrived not being able to read or write, having never been to school, and his strict father was furious. The only subjects that interested Levi were drama and music and he learned little else at school but his mother tutored him each evening and it was thanks to her that he gained an education.

Upon leaving school he tried various jobs but was always drawn back to music. This career took him all over the world but the highlight was being nominated for a MOBO award. Levi told me that this was particularly important to him as it is the public that votes for these awards rather than the music industry. Singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Nelson Mandela during his visit to Brixton was another memorable moment in his life.

Alongside his singing career Levi combined his love of music and Caribbean food, selling jerk chicken once a year at the Notting Hill Carnival from his ‘Rasta’raunt’ and no doubt singing to many of the customers.

Caribbean food is a wonderful fusion of cuisine with influences from Africa, France, Holland and Spain amongst others and Levi loves promoting cookery from his homeland. The ideal opportunity came when he was asked to appear on Dragon’s Den and although his children begged him not to, fearing the dragon’s wrath, he went ahead, sang about his Reggae, Reggae Sauce to the dragons and successfully secured the backing that allowed him to launch his spicy Caribbean sauce and subsequent range of foods nationally. Levi’s wonderful sauce coupled with his charismatic personality and his fresh approach to promoting his food ensured the brands success.

Reggae, Reggae Food is now available internationally and a few months ago Levi was proud to return to his homeland, Jamaica to launch it there. In the coming months it will also be reaching Canada and as well as Japan later in the year.

Levi has recently published his fifth cook book ‘Sweet’ and with his delicious new soft drinks range you can now ‘Put some music in your glass’ as well as on your plate!

I’d love to hear from any of you outside of the UK. Can you buy Reggae, Reggae Sauce where you live? Have you tried it? I love it and sometimes if I’m in a hurry (which is all too often these days) I simply stir-fry some vegetables with some chicken or prawns and add a bit of Reggae, Reggae cooking sauce. It’s delicious!

Last week I was invited to the ‘Press Breakfast’ at (The Times presents) Destinations Holiday & Travel Show 2012 in London’s Earls Court. Having stayed with a friend in North London, I was up bright and early Thursday morning to make my way across town, in the bitter cold, arriving at Earl’s Court with over half an hour to go before the show even opened.

I found a delightful little coffee shop (opposite West Brompton tube station) where I was greeted with a very warm welcome and, despite only ordering a coffee, I was given some delicious crispy biscuits to accompany it. Having finished my drink I was happily reading when I noticed steam rising up from behind my newspaper. ” That can’t be steam” I thought. “I’ve finished my coffee.” Peeking round the paper I noticed for the first time the candle next to my empty coffee cup over which I’d been waving the newspaper. Yikes,  that was close. Strike “steam”, insert “smoke”.

Having nearly set fire to said delightful coffee shop I re-wrapped myself into a cocoon of warm layers and scurried back to Earls Court where we were directed to the Turkish beach bar in the centre of the show. Having deposited my coat, scarf, hat, two pairs of gloves and a layer or two of jumpers in the cloak room I sat slowly defrosting by a pretty blue rowing boat on a sand bank!

I filled up on more coffee, nibbled some tasty turkish sausages and chatted with other writers about the show. There was so much I wanted to see and do. I had a quick look round and came across a group of school children eagerly learning some Indonesian dance moves in the ‘See the world’ area of the show. Their enthusiasm was a delight to see.

Next stop, a photography masterclass on reportage photography by Doug McKinlay which was fascinating and informative and worth a blog in it’s own right. Then there’s time to watch a beautiful display of tango from Argentina on the World Entertainment Stage before catching an Expert Panel Session on Responsible Tourism. Hosted by Richard Hammond from Rough Guides with guests from four very different tour operators all specialising in responsible tourism, it was a fascinating insight in to their expectations and the challenges they face. I’ll also be discussing this in more detail at a later date.

Back at the World Entertainment Stage, I catch the end of  Tropicalinc.com‘s amusing and educational talk on wildlife where we all get to meet a very large snake, an undeniably cute young meerkat, a gorgeous genet and rather a moody looking skunk. Volunteers were asked to come forward for the opportunity to stroke and hold these wonderful creatures and some how I ended up holding a tarantula before passing it on for another person to conquer their fear of all things arachnid.

Having looked round some more of the stalls offering every conceivable holiday imaginable (and a few stalls that seem to have no relevance to travel at all) I return to the World Entertainment stage to watch the Indonesian dancers that had so successfully engaged the school children earlier in the day. A lovely end to a really interesting day.

The following Saturday and Sunday, back at Destinations, I caught-up with some very interesting people including the inspirational travel writer, Frances Linzee Gordon who was there to talk about the wonderful new Dorling Kindersley book ‘Ultimate  Food Journeys‘ and celebrity Caribbean chef, musician and dragon slayer, Levi Roots who told me about how he came to England as a boy from Jamaica, his subsequent musical career and his rise to fame following his appearance on ITV’s  ’Dragons Den’. More on all of this coming soon!

After a few hours exploring Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park, wandering around the pretty craft stalls and laughing at the screams and shouts of joy coming from the hair-raising rides we tucked into delicious German sausages and a glass or two of hot mead. A wonderful way to spend New Year’s Eve 2011.

Angels Christmas Market with numerous stalls selling beautiful hand-made crafts, delicious home-made mead….

Hungarian chimney cake or for those with a big appetite, Lángos, a Hungarian fried bread topped with shredded cheese or sour cream….

…all washed down by a mug of hot chocolate, mulled wine or cider, mead or perhaps a glass of viking blood (a German mead made with cherries and honey) or a pint at Santa’s Pub one of many fine drinking establishments in Winter Wonderland.

Snow flakes whirled around us (and we couldn’t figure out where it was coming from as it wasn’t actually snowing!)

More of my photographs of London at Christmas and New Year on Flickr.

This year’s Winter Wonderland is sadly over but I’m sure it will be back again next year. One of London’s Royal Parks, Hyde Park, covers over 350 acres and is well worth a visit any time of year. For more information visit Hyde Park. I’ve added a pin on uencounter.me to show Hyde Park’s location.

Here’s to 2012 being a happy, healthy, (photography) and travel filled year for you all.

Last weekend I spent a wonderful Sunday afternoon exploring Covent Garden in London and was thrilled to discover a 32 foot high topiary reindeer and the largest Christmas tree I’ve ever seen as well as the wonderful street entertainers that you will find here any time of the year.

After a few hours shopping, we warmed up with a glass of mulled wine from a stall that looked like a giant Christmas present. There was also hot apple juice, minced pies and traditionally roasted chestnuts on offer. Tomorrow and Friday you’ll also be able to enjoy the seasonal delights of Covent Garden’s Real Food market with gourmet Christmas treats and a chocolate bar serving hot chocolate drinks and handmade sweet treats.

A very brief history
Covent Garden, in the heart of London’s West End, is today famous for its street entertainers, restaurants and cafes, theatres and The Royal Opera House, fashionable boutiques and interesting shops.

Once the site of the convent garden belonging to Westminster Abbey it was redeveloped in 1630 into an Italian style piazza and square and a licence for a fruit and vegetable market was later granted.

In 1666 the Great Fire of London destroyed much of the city and many of its markets and virtually overnight Covent Garden became the most important fruit, vegetable and flower market in the country. The River Thames brought boats from around the world filled with exotic items.

The market thrived and in the 1820s it was re-developed with a neo-classical market for fruit and vegetables. At one time it employed over 1,000 porters.

A new flower market was built in 1860s (which now houses the London Transport Museum) and in 1904 a second flower market for foreign flowers was built.

Eventually the market out grew the Covent Garden site, finally closing here and re-locating in the 1970s.

Did you know?

• In 1740 a list of Covent Garden prostitutes’ names, addresses, appearances and their specialities was published by a local tavern owner selling over 8,000 copies.
• London’s oldest, but still thriving restaurant, Rules, opened in 1798. Specialising in game, it serves traditional English food.

Earlier this week I stumbled across a travel bloggers competition called ‘Travel Photo Roulette’ and as the theme for this week is ‘LOVE’ I entered this picture which I took this time last year in London near the South Bank Centre by the River Thames. There’s some stiff competition and it’s well worth checking it out and if you are a travel blogger why not enter yourself! The hosts for this week are GlobeTrotter Girls so do check out their site and the competition.

With Christmas just over a week away I thought this image was also appropriate for this week’s travel snap. More images taken that day can been seen on my Facebook page.

Click here to see previous travel snaps

I’ve added a pin on uencounter so you can see exactly where I took this photograph from!