Slightly Peckish

May 14, 2013

Slightly Peckish: Brunch at Beauty and Essex (NYC)

by Sakura Gooneratne

One of the things we were told we must do in New York was to have brunch. On the recommendation of my brother-in-law, we booked a table at Beauty and Essex to meet up with some of my sister Yuki’s university friends who now live in New York. They last saw each other five years […]

April 2, 2013

Slightly Peckish in NYC: Momofuku Noodle Bar + Misoya (East Village)

by Sakura Gooneratne

My first-ever visit to New York was with my sister and it flew by. It’s been four years since we travelled together and she’s always so much fun — we do a lot of laughing, shopping and, of course, eating. This time was no exception as we raced through the city to meet our friends […]

March 19, 2013

Slightly Peckish: London Ramen Wars – Tonkotsu (LDN)

by Sakura Gooneratne

London Ramen Wars Part I: Ittenbari The second ramen bar that opened in London close on the heels of Ittenbari is Tonkotsu located in the middle of Soho. Run by the team behind Tsuru Sushi whose pop-up ramen event I attended last year, Tonkotsu is a stylish and modern ramen-ya serving tonkotsu ramen as its […]

February 26, 2013

Slightly Peckish: London Ramen Wars – Ittenbari (LDN)

by Sakura Gooneratne

London is currently undergoing a ramen boom. In the past year alone, five new ramen bars are opening its doors to a public clamouring for some hearty B-kyu Japanese grub. It’s a ramen war, baby. Compared to what was available before, these are serious noodle bars with a tight focus on all the accoutrements that […]

February 12, 2013

Slightly Peckish: Dishoom, A Traditional Bombay Café (LDN)

by Sakura Gooneratne

Although I’ve been writing for Umami Mart for almost three years, I have yet to meet any of my fellow writers as most of them live across the Pond. But a few weeks ago I received a lovely surprising. Anders, a Danish designer who writes the Skankynavia column for UM and was crucial in designing […]

January 29, 2013

Slightly Peckish: Omiyage from Japan: Placenta C Jelly Supplement

by Sakura Gooneratne

Yup, you read it right. This is a present from one of my Japanese friends who visited London last year: a seven day supplement for young and puru-puru (plump and quivering) skin. Although placenta in skincare has been around in Japan for years, it’s only recently that I’ve begun to see them appearing in the […]

January 15, 2013

Slightly Peckish: Omiyage from Japan: Shonan Cheese Pie

by Sakura Gooneratne

There is something about Japanese confectionary and pâtisseries that pushes sweets to a level of sophistication I haven’t found anywhere else. It’s not the purely Japanese examples either. They excel in transforming desserts from all over the world into something less sweet, less heavy and more palatable. And it’s no coincidence that sweets are HUGE […]

December 25, 2012

Slightly Peckish: Roganic (LDN)

by Sakura Gooneratne

It’s not very often I go to fancypants restaurants but that doesn’t mean I don’t love the excitement and taste sensations that often accompany these forays into high end dining. I love them and I wish my pockets were deeper. For Christmas this year, we went to Roganic, the two year pop-up restaurant that’s been […]

December 4, 2012

Slightly Peckish: Euphorium Tea Salon (Colombo)

by Sakura Gooneratne

  On a combined wedding/tour/family holiday in Sri Lanka in mid-November, I had two days in Colombo with my parents. One of the things I’ve been trying to do for the past few years was to visit Euphorium Tea Salon which supplies Ceylon tea to Lanka, a Japanese pâtisserie in London. But each time I’ve […]

November 13, 2012

Slightly Peckish: Chirashizushi at Sakana-tei (LDN)

by Sakura Gooneratne

I always thought chirashizushi was the large, family-friendly tub of vinegared sushi rice studded with a variety of colourful ingredients such as shiitake, cooked seafood, and what ever else you like — all sprinkled with thinly sliced Japanese omelette and cucumber. My mother would often make it at home and it was an easy way […]