Japanese BBQ

Lst bank holiday weekend I was invited to a barbeque at Kyashii (St Martin's Lane) - to launch their new skewer menu, officially called the 'Brasserie Izakaya menu'. Given the weather, the barbeque was cancelled although the skewers were still available and served with complimentary Bloom Gin summer cocktails. Always good in my book!


The selection on offer was heavy on different varieties of chicken - chicken balls, chicken fillet, chicken poussin and at least one other variety. I was surprised to see any beef on there but instead some diced duck which turned out to be a little dry and would have been better served rare. The best were the pork belly - almost bacon like, packed full of fat and flavour as well as the shiitake mushroom. I would have liked a dipping sauce - especially for the chicken yakitori and duck, but the rest were moist enough. Asparagus seemed wrong give the likely airmiles not being in season as did the verson wrapped in bacon.


The Bloom cocktails - called Fashionistas, were blended with juice and filled with cucumber cubes. In face they have a mini Bloom cocktail menu, really beatifully done and conducive to ordering from, being adorned in swirly flowers in shimmering silver. These cocktails and many more are also on offer in the lounge on the first floor, whic is a hidden bar in the heart of this normally bustling area. As well as offering this brasserie mneu, it has a rush hour offer - 2 for 1 cocktails between 5 and 7pm. A place to bear in mind for a quieter after work drink!


For those that want a little privacy - there are private rooms downstairs.
Kyashii Restaurant & Lounge, 4a Upper St. Martin’s Lane, WC2H 9NY London
Telephone: (+44) 0207 836 5211
General Email: info@kyashii.co.uk
Reservations Email: reservations@kyashii.co.uk

www.trisori.com

Make up doll

You know you arrived too early at the airport when you have half an hour to browse through the duty free shops.

It is, though, a pleasant surprise when you discover something you didn't expect in the maze of corridors of discounted products.

I was going to Istanbul and I needed some make up as I forgot mine in London ( great.. Can you imagine having meeting and greeting people without make up for 4 days? I don't think so...)

I found a mascara I liked, some lip gloss and then I saw it: pupa kokeshi make up doll.

How cute is it?

If you open this geisha looking doll, you' ll discover all the secret compartments and products contained in it!

In order of importance: 2 lipsticks, 7 eye shadows, 1 lip gloss, a blush and a mirror.
It comes in black or white and I love the idea that this cute doll can sit in my bathroom and just look delicious.

Pupa is a fun make up brand that I was using during my uni years in Milan and has always been famous for colour innovation and funkiness.

Grab your doll, babe.

Xx


www.trisori.com

Get with the J. Crew

The women of England screamed with delight when it was recently announced that J. Crew, one of the most coveted brands in the US (particularly on the east and west coasts), is coming to the Uk. They recently launched a few of their collections on net-a-porter, but we wanted more and now we are going to get it since you can now buy from the online store and have the clothes shipped here (FYI - the prices displayed on the website in GBP look a little strange as they have just been converted from the US $). J. Crew has been adored by celebrities for many years, everyone from Michelle Obama to Rachel Bilson are fans, and now we're getting a piece of the pie too.

During this post-summer holiday time of year our thoughts turn to our what new things we will wear to work and J. Crew is just what we need for our wardrobe inspiration. Affordable cashmere sweaters, neat blazers and pretty shirts all come together to form a fabulously preppy collection. I am particularly in love with this Vintage Tweed Jacket in mustard (£184.23) (below) which I will no doubt wear to death this Autumn.
Not only great for work though - the new collection also contains the most perfect weekend clothes. Warm and comfortable, these 70's style High Waisted Skinny Cords (£83.28) (below) are perfect for this winter and they are machine washable.

Everything about J. Crew is comfortable, easy and yet achingly trendy. And the best part? It doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

J. Crew Looks I LOVE:

The Lunch Meeting: Dolman-Sleeve Sweater-Dress (£156.32)
This is perfect for those smarter occasions this Autumn where you just want to be comfortable but look like you have made an effort too.  Although you would have to be fairly tall and rake-like to pull this off since the en-trend oversized style will swallow the more vertically challenged amongst us.

Indian Summer Party: Taryn Dress in Silk Chiffon (£130.25)
Don't be afraid to wear block colours. This dress is very pretty in sage green, which will set off a tan nicely, but if you're daring enough it also comes in burnt orange which will ensure that your entrance won't go unnoticed.

Simple and Sexy: No.2 Pencil Skirt in Double-Serge Wool (£111.65)
This is perfect for a wintery day in the office. I love the way it is teamed casually with an oversized jumper for comfort and style. The classic 50's design never fails to flatter, this is an outfit that transcends time and one well-worth investing in.

 Enjoy!

www.trisori.com

A Great Run

What makes a good run a great one?

 After returning from another one of my runs elated, someone recently asked me what separates a good run from a great one? This question really got me thinking as I go on runs all the time, nearly every day, but I only really remember a handful of really great runs. One such run was during a frosty English morning in Henley on Thames down by the river. My boyfriend and I charged down the hill to be greeted by the most beautiful view - glistening grass and steam rising off the river. Everything was so peaceful and still, it felt like we had woken up before the entire world, and even though we couldn't feel our fingers or toes it still remains one of the most breathtaking sites I have ever encountered and thus making for a truly inspiring run.

Another recent run that sticks out in my mind was in Los Angeles, a place where I feel totally at home and yet completely in awe of at the same time. This particular run was along Venice and Santa Monica Beach, which still remains as one of my favourite places to run as it just feels so alive with energy and is often graced with LA's glorious sun rays. I was in training for a marathon and ran 18 miles along the pacific coastline, to say that I was driven by the energy of the place may sound completely hippyish but it's true, I was. Well... that and the Blacked Eyed Peas album I had just downloaded. Each song pushed me farther, and allowed my mind to wander. I learnt then that if ever I am not in the mood to run, I should download a few new tunes to get me in the mood - this method still never fails.

The third most wonderful run I have ever been lucky enough to experience would have seem to most as incredibly dull. It was recently in Sydney (which must be home to the world's highest density of runners... they are everywhere) after I had just been given a gorgeous new Lululemon top (one of my new fave brands when it comes to running and yoga gear) and I have no idea why but I just loved running in it! Perhaps because I felt like one of them (a Sydney runner), or it might have been that I felt cool (god, that's sad isn't it?), but for whatever reason I just LOVED running in that top - I still do.

So, with all that in mind, it seems that a few factors can make a run a great one - it may be that you are in a beautiful place, or that your iPod pushes you further than you ever thought you would go, or perhaps you feel chic in your new fitness gear, but a really great run only really happens when you switch off and just totally absorb yourself in it, emerging happier on the other side.

Enjoy!



www.trisori.com

Chicken soup for the second heart

The traditional chinese medicine theory names feet as human's second heart which indicates that the wellbeing of your feet is related to your overall health conditions. Remember Trisori's experience in Bali ("Health: The Balinese Way")? Foot massage in Bali every day will make us bankrupt but we can still indulge our feet and heart in a much easier way without understanding the locations of all the pressure points.

Like hot bath in the tub in the western culture, soaking feet in hot water with salt or other herbal medicine in a wooden bucket is part of Chinese daily life. Our feet, furtherest to our heart, have the responsibility of the circulation of the far end of our body. Because we sit in the office with feet down every day, our feet need to be bettern taken care of in this way or other.

One may say I run everyday and take bath from time to time, wouldn't that be enough? Well, hot water obviously provides a different kind of relaxation and stimulation. Hot bath in the bath tub too frequently is on one hand too exhausting and on the other hand, consuming a lot of time and water. On the contrary, we can soak our feet in the hot water every everyning with limited consumption of time and water.

Here are a few tips for your daily footbath ritual:

1. The container: The ideal container for footbath is a wooden bucket with the hight of around 35-40cm. Wooden bucket holds the water temperature better than other materials and is easy to clean and maintain. The best material for such bucket is oak, which is however heavy and expensive. The second best choice currently is platycaldus. The reality is, unfortunately, due to different quality standards of wooden products between the EU and Asia, the export of such products has not been very easy. I spent equal amount of money in buying such bucket from China and in delivering it to London. Alternatively, you can easily get a metal bucket (no matter what it is originally designed for) or even a plastic bucket. The water temperature drops faster in metal or plastic buckets though. The key point in my opinion is the hight – make sure that the water level could reach almost your knees. I would not recommend those electronic foot spa which only contains water barely reaching your ankles...

2. Temperature: 40 – 50C would be warm enough to start with although I personally like soaking my feet in very hot water. Be careful, don't burn your feet!

3. Time: the whole point is to warm your body through your feet and this usually takes at least 20 minutes if not longer. Usually I will wait till I feel that it start to sweat slightly on my back. Add more hot water when needed.
   

4. Recipes: I do free style, with stuff I got from Lush or Bodyshop with pepermint or rose. Essential oils do their job properly as well. I read about adding vinegar into hot water in winter to prevent catching nasty cold which I will try maybe in December!

I guess that's all the “need to know” of a traditional Chinese style of footbath. Now burn a candle or an inscent, pick up a book, it's time to switch off and feed your feet with the chicken soup.

www.trisori.com

Hip Astor

Last week I went to the launch of the new Astor Hip Flask cocktail at The Waldorf Hilton along Aldwych. Not a hotel I’ve actually been to before, but being right in the heart of theatre-land it’s a good one to know about. Following in the trend of all the five star hotels, it has not too long ago been beautifully re-done - well as far as I saw anyway. (Definitely worth another visit to take it all in).


So the new Astor Hip Flask cocktail is available in the Good Godfrey’s bar which is named after Howard Godfrey - the band leader of the hotel band – the ‘Waldorfians’ back in the ‘20s. Designed particularly to appeal to the male species, it’s a bourbon based drink which harks back to the prohibition period, being served from a hip flask. It joins the female focused cocktail – the Refined Madame which is a lighter Tanqueray 10 based drink - a more sophisticated version of the Madame Ginevra and comes served with an atomiser.



The award-winning mixologist, Nelson Bernardes won’t divulge the exact recipe but we are told that the blend is aged in 5l oak barrel for the minimum of a month, to add spicy, nutty notes. To achieve the perfect flavour batches of aged blends are mixed together. To serve, extra bourbon is added and it is poured over ice, you then serve yourself out of the hip flask into a mini shot glass with a bourbon infused cherry.



An Astor Hip Flask costs £15 and for an additional £35 you can take away the hip flask as a souvenir.
Good Godfrey's Bar and Lounge is open:
• Monday to Saturday 8am to 2am
• Sunday 9am to 12 midnight
http://www.waldorfhilton.co.uk/dining-bars/good-godfreys.html
020 7836 2400

www.trisori.com

Fur sleeves: New Autumn Trend

Looking at pictures of the AW11, I noticed a certain fil rouge among the various catwalks: fur sleeves.
they might not be the most comfortable accessory present in the fashion scene but they are surely making a statement.
They screem look at me!

I am wondering if  they are going to be a big trend off the catwalks. I like the idea of accessorising a simple dress with gorgeous furry sleeves but do you really want to go around the centre of town with bare arms and furry sleeves?

It's ok, I think, when you are going to a party as they keep you warm and you look stylish. I guess I will keep them for my special occasions and when I want to feel  über cool.

Are you ready to adopt this AW11 trend?


Photos from style.com and coolspotter.com

www.trisori.com