Burgers @ GBK

Hi Tinies,

One of the restaurants I've been loving at the moment is Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK). You can find them pretty much anywhere in London, as well as other major cities in the UK. With reasonable prices, and a good range on the menu, it's perfect for casual dates or meeting up with friends.

Food

As their name suggests, GBK specialises in burgers, but there is also a great sides menu which you can choose from as well. They do also offer vegetarian options e.g. falafel burger, and gluten free options. Of course, you can also tailor your burger so if you dislike cheese, like me, you can choose to just not have it in your burger.

I had the original chicken burger, which you can see in my photo above, which has chargrilled chicken, salad and relish as fillings. I thought the bun itself was well done, the bottom is slightly soggy but still better than most other places.

For drinks, I had an elderflower drink, which I thought was nice, fresh and great for summer. I would definitely recommend this over the soft drink options.

One thing to mention to onion rings lovers, GBK's onion rings are literally onions covered in a thing layer of batter. So, if you love more batter and less onion (like the ones you get from the supermarket), I would suggest you go for something else on the sides menu instead!

Rating: 8/10

Find out more about GBK here!

What's the best burger place you've ever been to? Let me know in the comments below!

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Ask Tiny! - Gifts for the Bubble Tea Enthusiasts

Hi Tinies!

Some of you Londoners, especially those who enjoys bubble tea, may have noticed a new option in the Bubbleology stores: Popping Boba Gift Packs! These are currently selling at about £4 per container, and you can choose from any popping boba flavours available in store.

What I love about these is that you can mix different flavours in one container. Let's say you like having mango and lychee popping boba, you can just ask for both in one. They are also so cute, and easy to gift.

I usually have popping boba with Lipton Ice Tea, which is readily available in most supermarkets. They are, obviously, not as good as the bubble teas in store, but you can stock up on fruit syrups and green tea at home if you're adventurous and want to make your own!

Things to Keep in Mind

1. Popping Boba don't last very long, and have a week until they expire. The Bubbleology staff will write the expiry date on the side, just make sure you don't forget!

2. If gifting, these can get a bit sticky around the outside from when the staff transfer it into the container. Just wipe down with a wet cloth to get rid of the stickiness before giving it away.

3. If you are a massive fan of popping boba, these aren't the most cost effective way of keeping a stock at home. You can buy the big buckets online which are a lot cheaper in the long run. Just Google or buy on Amazon :)

Find out more information on the Official Bubbleology Website!

Rating: 9/10

Would you buy these as a gift for a friend? Let me know in the comments below!

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Ask Tiny! - Healthy Snacks for Work

Trying to stay healthy whilst working in an office can be hard, but there are so many different healthier choices to choose from. So, next time, instead of grabbing that bar of chocolate, try some of the below options instead which have less calories and good for your body.

Dried Fruit

This is the perfect alternative to sweet foods, as they taste great but you get your 5-a-day in as well. Dried cranberries are my personal favourite, but dried mango and apricots are also pretty yummy. They are also good for summer, as they don't melt like sweets and chocolate.

Fresh Fruit

Not a fan of dried fruit? Why not opt for fresh fruit instead. A much healthier option as well, although a little harder to bring to work in case you drop it or knock it against something, which can make some fruits a bit bruised or squished. However, pop it into a lunch box, and you get a perfect snack for any time of the day. Most fruits also have a great scent, so you can freshen up your office as well.

Fresh Vegetables

Not so much of a sweet-tooth? Why not try raw vegetables instead. These are great snacks to have, and you can have them either sliced up, as salad or even whole if you really wanted to. My favourites are peppers, cucumber sticks and cherry tomatoes. For salads, I like to use rocket, lettuce, cherry tomatoes and cucumbers with a bit of olive oil and paprika.

Rice Crackers

Japanese rice crackers makes great snacks as they are filling but have pretty much no calories. They also taste great, in my opinion. Of course, opting for normal rice cakes is also good, although I find normal ones a little bit bland for my liking. Just be aware that these makes a loud crunch when your eating them!

Breadsticks

These are great for morning as breakfast food, as they are easy to store in the office and pretty addictive as well. I usually like to eat about 5-10 in the morning to give me some energy for the rest of the day.

Nuts

Again, like dried fruits and breadsticks, these are great for storing in the office. Nuts are especially good snacks to have for women, as they contain a high level of iron. I'm not a huge fan of nuts, but I will have peanuts once in while. Although, if they had roasted chestnuts for sale near me, I would be there everyday!

What are some of your favourite snacks to take to school or work? Let me know by commenting :)

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Tiny x

Ask Tiny! - Hong Kong Haul

We bought quite a lot from Hong Kong, although we didn't have much time to. Overall, I definitely bought less than I thought I would, as I only spent about £150-£200 on clothing and the rest on food and gifts. Mostly I shopped in the Mong Kok area as it was so cheap, but the quality wasn't too bad if you choose carefully.

1. Shoes

Ballet Pumps

You love shoes? Well you will absolutely fall in love with Hong Kong markets. I found so many small shoe stalls with so many great deals. I needed a pair of pumps for work, hence why I bought the above. However, I also love trainer wedges and booties, so I bought some of those too. I have to say, my favourite so far is definitely the trainer wedges because they are SO comfy!

Wedge Boots

Brown Pull-Up Boots

Trainer Wedges

2. Clothing

My main goal when shopping for clothes was to stock up on my summer wear, but being a jumper addict, I kept being drawn to winter wear. I wanted to buy more clothing, however I wasn't actually able to buy much as I usually only found one item of clothing I liked in every shopping mall we went to. In the end I bought 2 tops, 4 jumpers and 1 pair of shorts.

Clothing Haul

3. Beauty

I popped into a few beauty stores including Colourmix and Sasa, but bought the majority of my face care products in Etude House. They gave free gifts that day if you bought 2 products of the same line, so I stocked up on foundation and BB Cream. The free gifts include a Baking Soda face wash, eye makeup remover, another face wash and a sample. I also received Korean beauty masks from my boyfriend's mum, as well as the White Pearl My Beauty Diary mask box as well.

Beauty Products

4. Food & Kitchen

Food!

As we had about 20kg left by the last day, we decided to stock up on our food. From instant noodles (Shin Ramyun!) to Korean pastes to instant curries. It may not look like a lot in the picture above, but I think I actually bought 5 packs of noodles as well as 9 curries! It definitely helped fill up our leftover space! We also found a really cute cutlery store, where we bought a ceramic peeler and a Doraemon ladle.

Ceramic Peeler & Ladle

5. Gifts for Others

Gifts for my Sister

In the end, I think I bought about the same amount for my family and friends as gifts as things I bought for myself. As my sister loves stationary, I bought her lots of stickers and crafty stuff as well as this really cute pink satchel I saw in a shopping mall. I also bought the Black Pearl My Beauty Diary mask box for a friend, and masks & things to help with backache for my parents.

Beauty

Of course, I didn't forget about the food! I'm sure Studio Ghibli fans will recognise the sweets from Grave of the Fireflies. Other from this, I also got some famous almond biscuits from Macao and general snacks.

Food

6. Gifts I Received

I received a lot of gifts in Hong Kong, from hospitality from my boyfriend's family to lots of tourism in Hong Kong. I'm so grateful that they let me stay and even helped me shop for gifts for my family. His grandma also took me to a jewellery store and bought me a gold bracelet, which is so cute but I was scared of wearing it in Hong Kong in case it got stolen!!

Gold Bracelet Gift

I wish I had more time to shop in Hong Kong and can't wait to go back to visit. As I mentioned above, I love my Trainer Wedges, I think they are my Hong Kong haul favourite! What's your favourite thing bought on holiday? Let me know in the comments below :)!

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Tiny

Vietnamese Food and Bubble Tea @ Aobaba

Spicy Hue Beef Noodle Soup

Aobaba is part restaurant, part bubble tea and part Asian supermarket. They specialize in Vietnamese street food, which is deliciously tasty!! I went to the Elephant and Castle branch in London but there's also branches in Hoxton, Kingston and Dublin.

Plate of Veg

I had the spicy hue beef noodle soup which came with a plate of veg which you can pour into the noodle. The noodle itself has lemon beef broth base in which beef shin, pork ball and pork meat is cooked in. Don't worry vegetarians, Aobaba also have some great choice especially for you. As you can see in the picture above, beansprouts and other veg and herbs are included on a separate plate, and you can pour these into the noodle.

Lychee Green Tea with Lychee Boba

I also tried their bubble tea which was really nice. It's the equivalent size to a small Bubbleology bubble tea and costs £3. The best thing is if you are not a big fan of tapioca, they don't charge you extra to switch to popping bobas.

You can see their full menu Here!

For £10 for the complete meal, which was very filling and definitely delicious, it's pretty much a bargain. I really want to try out their spring rolls as well, but I guess I'll have to wait until next time!

Rating: 10/10

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Tiny

Tonkotsu Ramen @ Japan Centre, London

Tonkotsu Ramen

London's Japan Centre is well known for providing rare Oriental groceries to the food market. However, they also have a tasty menu that rivals competitors in quality, taste & price. In Piccadilly Circus, you can find a small noodle stall outside the Japan Centre as well as another food stall inside before the elevator. Upstairs there is also a restaurant area where you can order food.

Not being a fan of takoyaki, which is essentially octopus within a batter and shaped like a sphere, I decided to try out the noodle menu outside. For this particular lunch, I chose to have the Tonkotsu Ramen, which was roughly £8, but you can choose to have 3 gyoza dumplings as well for the combined price of £10. I would have loved to try to gyoza but unfortunately I dislike eating too much for lunch and we were in a bit of a rush.

With the noodle, you have pork, egg & two types of seaweed, which all tasted great. I especially liked the seaweed and pork. The noodles were pretty good too. Don't be fooled by appearances, despite the relatively small ball, this was a very filling meal, I'm glad I chose to skip the gyoza that day! We sat on the tables outside next to the stall and they were very speedy with getting the food to our table. The only downside is people smoke outside next to the tables, which makes the food a little unappetizing.

Nonetheless, £8 for a meal, especially tonkotsu noodles is a good deal and I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch.

Rating: 8/10

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Tiny

Yauatcha - Dim Sum & Dessert in London

Yauatcha Deserts Display

Yauatcha lies within Soho, London, offering dim sum as well as a beautiful array of desserts. For lunch or dinner, dim sum and food menus are usually served downstairs in stunning settings. Within the walls and a few cm away from each other are indents with electric candles that look real from afar. There is also a huge wine bar with a mini aquarium inside, where you can see live fish swimming underneath the bar where waiters are preparing wine. You can also view chefs cooking, making dumplings and preparing the food if you sit towards the side. The tables are a bit small, but overall, I really adored the interiors.

Pork & Prawn Siu Mai

The waiters and waitresses were all very professional, and were able to time everything perfectly. With the menu, I ordered 3 dim sums which set me back about £30, but despite appearances, they are all very filling and we were full after eating just 2. You can find traditional dim sum dishes as well as proper food menus as well, but as it was lunchtime, dim sum was more than enough. I would recommend the pork and prawn siu mai, although it did taste a little bit sour which could be appealing for people with specific tastes. I also enjoyed the Shanghai dumplings, which were a tiny bit sweet inside, but I wouldn't recommend the Beef & Enoki mushroom Cheung Fung as the inside was not to my taste.

Beef & Enoki Mushroom Cheung Fung and Shanghai Dumplings

What I enjoyed the most was definitely the dessert. Yauatcha are famous for their desserts, so you can give the dim sum a miss and go straight for seconds. With carefully designed choices, you will be stuck for minutes trying to decide which one to go for, but the friendly staff are always happy to give suggestions. I had the Raspberry Delice, which included raspberry, dark chocolate and a lychee middle. Ice cream is also served with the dessert. I thought the dessert was absolutely amazing and would be more than open to try others from their menu.

Jasmine Honey (Top) and Raspberry Delice (Bottom)

Ratings:

Dim Sum - 5/10

Dessert - 10/10

Tiny

Curry Shack - Are You Ready to Sizzle?

Free-Range Chicken Curry

Last Friday, we went to the Real Food Market at the Southbank Centre, London, for lunch. With so much variety in foods, you are really spoiled for choice as soon as you arrive. One stood out to me, because their rich aroma caught my attention right away. I knew that my lunch will be from Curry Shack.

Upon arrival, you are immediately offered to try the curry. When I went, there were three types, from mildly spicy to very hot. All of their chicken is free-range, sourced from local farms and you can really taste the difference when you dig in. After you choose your curry, you can personalise your curry to your taste by adding in vegetables, spices or chilli if you wanted to. Not a fan of meat, no worries, Curry Shack also offer veggie options (so let me know how it goes =]! )

I went for the super hot one, which looked like a soup of lava (silly me), and it is definitely very spicy, so if you're not a spicy lover, I would recommend you stick with the milder choices available. After the first few bites, I had to get something to drink from another stall in the market. I can't remember the name, but their apple and cranberry juice was really good, despite being a bit lukewarm. Also, if you don't like bits in your juice, be sure to ask first, as my orange & mango gave me a little shock.

From just £6, it's a very reasonable price for the food you eat. I'm very glad I went for this option and would not hesitate to try it again next time I go to the Southbank Centre. Remember guys, Real Food Market is only on Fridays to Sunday (most of the time)!

Check out their website here, and discover your new favourite street food today:

Real Food Festival Homepage

Rating: 10/10

Tiny

London Oktoberfest - Let the Beer Fest Begin

Missing the Germany Oktoberfest this year? London has the perfect substitute with their very own version of Oktoberfest, situated in Kennington Park, South West London!

Stage Performance

With free entry after 8pm, who wouldn't want to experience the London Oktoberfest? As soon as we approached, we heard good music and people dressed up in Bavarian costumes. Inside was very spacious, which several tables empty towards the back of the tent. There was a live band playing towards the front, and of course, lots of beer.

Bratwurst with Chips

We ordered some bratwurst with chips, which was actually not bad. It was definitely very filling, although I think more sauce would have been appreciated as we had 5 people sharing one plate of sauces. The service was great, and all the staff were very friendly.

Of course, I haven't been to an Oktoberfest in Germany before, so I can't compare the London one to the German one. I'm sure that Oktoberfest in Germany is much more lively, and different in several aspects, however London Oktoberfest and Kennington Park did a good job with this event.

Rating: 7/10

Tiny

The Jerwood Space Cafe

The Jerwood Space Cafe is situated on Union Street, 4 minutes walk away from Borough and 15 minutes from my workplace in Elephant and Castle. From the outside, you would expect an art exhibition centre, which is what Jerwood Space is essentially. However, you wouldn't expect a little cafe sitting inside, with 3 different types of eating areas: inside admiring the wall art, in the glass conservatory, and outdoors on the patio.

I would recommend you check out the Prism display, which is hidden away in a dark room behind a black curtain. Inside are several prisms aligned together, creating beautiful colours on the walls around you. I also enjoyed covering the lights beaming into the prisms, which changes the sequences of colours that you can see.

Food wise, I had a Sweet Chilli Noodles with Salmon, which took about 10-15 minutes to arrive. For me, this dish was a bit too westernised, with a bit too much sugar and too little chilli. I believe, however, people not accustomed to Asian food, however, would enjoy this dish. The salmon was cooked to perfect, it was so scrumptious, and the veg was neither overcooked or undercooked. The only problem I had was with the sauce, as I mentioned earlier.

I think this unique little cafe is perfect for lunches by yourself, with friends, or even with clients. It's a very nice atmosphere, and all the hot foods are cooked on the spot, just for you.

Discover Their Menu Here!

Rating: 7/10

Tiny

The Red Lion - Great British Food at Decent Prices

Before today, I only knew the Red Lion to be a place to get a few drinks with friends. I had never considered their food menu, instead opting for a WKD or Smirnoff Ice. This may appear strange as normally I love pub food, but putting Red Lion and pub grub together never clicked in my head.

Interior of the Red Lion

That all changed today, as I went with my family to the local Red Lion (which I knew of before but completely forgot about!) to get some dinner with friends. The interior was lovely, with a standard British pub feel. I also have to say the seats were also so comfy! The staff were also great and very understanding. My parents don't speak very good English as they are Chinese, but our waitress, bless her, tried her best to decipher their responses.

Full Rack of Ribs, with Chips, Onion Rings and Peas

The menu was pretty standard, everything you would normally find in a pub. I ordered a full rack of ribs in BBQ sauce, with chips and peas, which was amazing! I need to get my hands on their supplier for peas because they tasted so fresh, as if they were just picked from the garden. The chips were also great, I normally dislike chunky chips, but the crisp outer coating and soft inners were cooked to perfection. My rack of ribs were also very delicious and easy to eat.

My Sister and Me

My family and their friends were also very happy with their meals. My sister, especially, loved her 'Hunter's Chicken' which consisted of chicken breast wrapped in bacon with cheese. It was definitely a very filling meal, which is always nice.

Rating: 9/10

Tiny

Bubble Tea - The Worldwide Phenomenon

I first heard about bubble tea more than 4 years ago now, back then I heard it being referred to as Nai Cha or milk tea. Originally, I was a bit repulsed by the idea of having milk in Chinese tea, and I'm not a big fan of milk anyways (I'm a little bit diary intolerant in the sense that I stay away from milk, cheese, butter etc) so I left the idea of trying it out.

When university started, I saw an amazing picture posted on my friend's Facebook, showing bubble tea in Bubbleology. All those different colours and the way the picture was taken took my interest. At the same time, I also found out about fruit tea, which included my favourite flavour: Lychee. I absolutely love lychees and anything lychee flavoured, so this was a big bonus for me.

Bubbleology Lychee Fruit Tea

Finally, in my second year, which was in 2012, I decided to try bubble tea from Bubbleology. If this many of my friends are recommending it, it must be good right? So, I stepped in and ordered a Lychee Green Tea with tapioca pearls (back then, I didn't know about popping bobas). First taste was just heaven, I didn't know tea could taste THIS good! At that stage, I knew this was going to be an instant favourite. Afterwards, we actually went there a lot (probably too much, as I can now identify new Bubbleology employees from old ones...), and at first I was a bit cautious, sticking to my lychee flavour, but soon decided to expand a little. I tried Taro, which was alright but confirmed that I'm not a milk tea person and definitely more fruit tea, but it was actually an alright flavour. I also had Apple and Peach which were really nice, but not a big fan of pomegranate.

In my second year, we also had weekly visits from a bubble tea company from Brighton, called Pearls. The guy who served us was actually from Taiwan (I think?) and offered us great tasting bubble tea at a cheaper price than Bubbleology. Their staff was so friendly and this was where I discovered popping bobas (or popping pearls). So, for those of you who are not a big fan of tapioca pearls, I suggest you try popping bobas instead. Basically, they have a fruit based juice inside a soft jelly like membrane, and literally pop in your mouth. So whilst you're enjoying your tea, you also get bursts of fruity flavour every once in a while. Also, it's just fun to pop them in your mouth! I've tried the lychee and orange ones which taste quite similar, mango however has more kick in it. You can also add in fruit flavoured jelly into your tea, but I normally just go for tapioca and popping bobas.

At £3-4, a similar cost to coffee and tea, you receive a decent sized portion with great fruity flavours. It's especially tasty in the summer because it cools you down as well and can serve as a drink or a snack. Not sure if you will like bubble tea? Give it a go, and you might surprise yourself, just like I did 2 years ago!

Rating: 10/10

Tiny

The Electric Elephant Cafe - The Hidden Treasure

Last week, I had the pleasure of being recommended to eat lunch at The Electric Elephant Cafe. If it wasn't for my friend pointing it out, I would have almost missed it and walked straight on towards the church at the end of the road.

After stepping inside, The Electric Elephant Cafe gave an American Diner feel, which a touch of Britishness. On the wall, there was a blackboard with the drinks menu and an elephant that looked like one from the Dumbo scene. As we walked over to the food display, the waitress announced their lunch menu: beef and potato pasty! I am a pasty lover, so this was definitely looking up already.

We decided to sit outside, where we faced a building with red doors that looked like it was converted from an old stable. Apparently, this was also where Charlie Chaplin lived for a short period. The narrow cobbled stone path between the Cafe and this building gave the whole outside environment a very authentic feel, it actually looked a bit like a movie set from Oliver.

Finally our food arrived, my pasty had a full salad with it as well. The pasty was amazing, the flavouring was perfect and the pastry was fluffy and light. Even though I am not a fan of beetroot, which came with the full salad, the rest of the salad (tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce and pepper) perfectly complimented the pasty. It also came with a yellow sauce, which I'm guessing is mustard? Not sure about that though...

The Electric Elephant Cafe is a hidden treasure among the various lunch choices around Elephant & Castle. If you're looking a beautiful quiet cafe where you can enjoy a filling and delicious lunch, The Electric Elephant Cafe should definitely be on your list!

www.electricelephantcafe.co.uk

186a Crampton Street
London, SE17 3AE

Rating: 8/10

Tiny

Drinks at El Camion - Soho, London

I've walked past El Camion many times whenever I've been to Soho, but never had a chance to go in until recently. We actually went to the Pink Chihuahua Cocktail Bar below the restaurant you see on the main road, which was for members only.

Our table

The whole atmosphere was authentic, and looked like I stepped into the Mexican bar I went to in the Bronx back in 2012. They had great music and our table was just amazing. I started off safely with a vodka cranberry, but was persuaded by my friends to try the Daiquiri Deluxe which is made with rum, pineapple, lime and orgeat. Normally I'm not a rum person but this was really good. It tasted a bit like pineapple slushie with an alcoholic kick to it. We also had Tequila shots, which my friend's friend insisted upon. Tequilas at El Camion are not served with salt and lime, instead they serve tequila with homemade sangrita, which literally burned your mouth!

Beautiful wall deco

Just be careful not to drink too much! I live outside London and getting home after those drinks (I'm a lightweight and I get Asian flush >.<!) was a bit of a nightmare. Despite this, it was a great night and I had the chance to catch up with my uni friends in this beautiful authentic bar.

Rating: 10/10

Tiny

Red Bean Hedgehog Buns

I think I first discovered these little babies in 2012, when our local Chinese store started supplying these. Aren't they just adorable? The hedgehog shaped buns have a slightly sweet red bean filling inside, making it the perfect breakfast snack to prepare you for the day.

Getting these cute little snacks ready only take 10-15 minutes, and with only 67 calories in each bun! Perfect for young and old due to their soft interior and exterior, these hedgehog buns also offer a non sickly sweet taste and a very adorable image.

Rating: 10/10

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Tiny