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

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!