Ginger & White Hampstead

Hopped on the bus 268 for a 20-min journey of my cafe crawl, I have found my perfect cafe here at Ginger & White in Hampstead.

Upon stepping into this cosy cafe, I was immediately greeted by the friendliest barista, it must be the Hampstead gem!
The way the barista engages with the customers is just so cute and charming. 
Thumb up for that.

No sign of the city hassle and bustle, only the lovely local vibe oozing from the chit-chat between staff and customers.
Regular customers constantly popping in for their on-the-go caffeine boost and post-workout bites, MacBook users sipping their cappuccino, and two French families paying a visit (giving me the opportunity to revising my terribly-rusty French), Ginger & White seems as well one of hubs for Apple users. Even the wifi password, 100cupcakes, gives me a reason to pay another visit.
Sat for another hour with a pot of green tea because I would like to stay longer to enjoy the atmosphere and it is just so perfect to work on your laptop.

I had my cappuccino with soya milk as usually and ordered scrambled eggs on 2 slices of sourdough bread topped with roasted tomatoes.
The locally-sourced egg was literally the best I have ever had, perfectly cooked, not greasy at all. 
I am coming back for their home-made salad for sure!

Theme song: All I Want Is You by Barry Louis Polisar


Ginger & White Hampstead
4a-5a Perrins Court, HAMPSTEAD NW3 1QS
http://www.gingerandwhite.com/

Albion

The official day 2 of my cafe crawl embarked today.
I am stepping out of my comfort zone and exploring new areas.
Been lingering around Marylebone neighbourhood, Covent Garden, and South Kensington for too long.

Well technically, it is not a cafe crawl because most of the spots that I'd pay a visit must have healthy food and lovely decor. 
The availability of soya milk is a must too.

Anyway, this is my second time in Shoreditch.
Having heard people raging about this place many times, I decided to hop on the overground for 40-min commute and gave Shoreditch another go (I am just not a fan of Brick Lane.)
The first stop has to be the famous Albion and early weekday morning means no queue!
Got asked anything to drink upon sitting, hadn't got comfy at my seat yet, a cup of soya cappuccino was already served. 
Coffee was nothing special to be honest, but the freshly-made toast and the grilled sweet potato with spinach were not bad.
I have to say the decor is lovely, a mixture of American, British, and a bit of Parisian maybe?
Red seatings, white walls and ceilings, wooden chairs and floor.
Let me put it this way, imaging the song, Why Do You Let Me Stay Here by Him & Her as a decor theme and you would get what I mean.
I can totally picture Zooey Deschanel brunching here.
Yep, that's it.
Overall, it'd be a lovely spot for brunch meet-up.



Albion
2-4 Boundary St, London E2 7DD
http://www.albioncaff.co.uk/

Le Pain Quotidien

I have a confession to make.

FYI I don't kid on a regular basis and I am very picky when it comes to food.

I don't mind having Le Pain Quotidien everyday.

I know it is chained and omnipresent in London, blah blah blah,

but what's wrong with treating yourself with yummy freshly-made, well-decorated organic food.

You may be so surprised that there so many vegan options on the menu as well if you care.

My fav has to be the Marylebone one.

No bias, but it is literally the yummiest.

Most of the branches are located near those tourist spots, which means that it can be really busy and noisy.

Marylebone high street has everything but the hustle and bustle of the city.

My affection for avocado on the toast has gone viral since my first avocado taste there.

It was love at first bite.

Well-smashed avocado spread on their signature bread with the perfect amount of seeds and seasoning on the top.

Splendid. 

I hope this seasonal special will go on forever.

FYI 2, Marylebone serves larger proportion of the avocado toast than the one in Covent Garden and South Kensington.

Now I am on the hunt for more avo toasts

My perfect day would start with a cup of organic cappuccino with soya milk and avocado toast. 

I always have the illusion of being in Paris there, but they are Belgian, arent they?

Impromptu Trip

Having submitted 4 papers and taken 4 courses at UAL, this summer is a real hectic, but achieving one for me.

Been caged in this urban jungle for this long can be suffocating, though city break in the city has been arranged on a weekly basis. Been to several up-market cafés for causal brekkies. Sounds pretty spendy, but a table for one is unforgivable.

Holding a passport allowing traveling in EU zone freely without using it is defo not forgivable.

After revising my wanderlust list, Amsterdam seems like the perfect place for a city girl to relax and rewind. 

Amazed again by how handy it is to live in a West Hampstead, where it is the transportation hub to underground, overground and train station. 

Less than 3 hours, you get to devote the authentic Dutch pancake, an hour direct train to Gatwick Airport, 1 1/4hr flight to Amsterdam, I feel so very privileged.

4 days 3 nights, a carry-on tote, Birkenstock sandals, Google map, and soy latte, I am good to go.

Upon landing the Netherlands, I was immediately greeted by the exotic language. Dutch sounds like Irish German to me. It took me 3 days to learn thank you in Dutch, dunky-ver?

But it doesn't matter as Dutch people are all fluently in English, which is also a reason why Amsterdam topped the list of my summer break destination.

When in Dutch, instead of munching on Dutch caramel waffles, you gotta look chic and bike aimlessly around the canals. That's why they do. Causal outfit and a blazer is the standard attire for a bike ride.

Windmill, cheese factory, and other tourisy things were not on the agenda, I was looking for surprises in a strange land. 

Dutch aesthetic has been showcased through concept stores, vintage shops, cafés, and the Dutch (of course!) Dim light, muted colours, and industrial bricks are the norm for the effortlessly interior design. Dutch boys and girls do know how to pay attention to details in their simple outfit. In the city of bikes, utility seems more essential with just one statement piece to make a theme. I have seen lady carrying 

a Birkin on a bike, and her outfit can not be more layback.

People watching then soon became my fav thing to do in Amsterdam. 

Caffè il Momento is a perfect spot for caffeine and the peeping mission.

Great coffee, served with a bite of Dutch waffle, and friendly baristas made me pay 2 consecutive visits.

Oh their plain croissant was so so good. 

Antidote: I do notice that Dutch latte is usually served in a gigantic glass, even a small one.

The size of the latte in De Koffie Salon, where much adored by Andy Torres, gave me a fright, it was the size of venti Starbucks.

If to visit Amsterdam on an impulse again, Caffè il Momento is the culprit to blame.

The architecture alongside the canals were built to be Instagrammed.

Gentleman Canal is said to be the wealthy residential waterfront.

It is so adorable that houses love to lean forward for more space to house more pieces of furniture. 

To be honest, I had hard time finding proper food at first. What I mean by proper food is simple sandwiches and salads with natural ingredients, but it is pizza-kinda-of place everywhere I went. Thank god I was lucky to spot 3 eateries for healthy food and juice.

I am glad that I chose Amsterdam over Lisbon and Paris.

But I missed London on the second day.

London is the place that I can call and feel home away from home.

Amsterdam Shortlist

Caffè il Momento

http://www.caffeilmomento.nl/

De Koffie Salon

http://dekoffiesalon.nl/

Juice & Salad Café

http://juiceandsalad.nl/

Dr. Blend

http://www.drblend.nl/en/

Soup en Zo

http://soupenzo.nl/