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FOOD / #HullFoodie … Tapasya*
Think you’re an Indian food connoisseur? Think again. Unless you’ve tried fine dining Asian style, you’ve only tasted the tip of the iceberg!
I was recently invited (along with some of my best girls) to try out the brand new menu at Tapasya Beverley Road, created by their brand new chef.
This is restaurant I used to pass every single day on my way to work since it opened a few years ago – I always thought it looked beautiful (and smelled Devine) and vowed I’d give it a try one date night, but never got round to it. So a girly night out it was!
The restaurant has lots of beautiful and ornate touches – from the floating flowers and tea lights to sultry dark wood finishes and sparkling chandeliers the scene it set for class (and of course, great shots for the ‘gram).
As well as a cloakroom (classy) and car check-in (high-tech and comfortingly secure) there’s a ridiculously well stocked bar – whatever your tipple of choice is you’re likely to be in luck; however I was driving so no alcohol for me this time. I’m not a beer drinker but I opted for a non-alcoholic Cobra…a gal’s gotta get into the spirit!
We kicked things off with a cheeky amuse bouche – vegetable samosa with tamarind dressing encased in the most delicately crunchy and golden pastry I’ve ever eaten (I’m a prolific lover of pie, so I’ve tried a few!)
Starter – Purani Dheli Ki Aloo Tikki
I’m gonna skip to the good bit – it tasted as good as it looks! Cumin and potato cakes wrapped around moorish soft cheese drizzled with tasty chutney. This is an amazing combo of comfort food with fine dining. For me, it doesn’t get much better.
Main course – First class railway lamb curry
I ordered this purely because it has an interesting colonial heritage behind it – this dish is served on first class railways throughout India and used to be pretty spicy; until a British official found it too hot and asked for it to be toned down. That’s pretty much talking my language! I adore food that’s rich in flavour but struggle with food that’s too spicy.
I was really surprised at the presentation of this dish when it arrived, it looks more like a posh Sunday lunch than a curry. The sauce is in the little jug at the back of the plate (which made a great Boomerang for my Insta-story. Of course.) and was the perfect combination of mild and flavoursome without being ridiculously on the creamy side. Absolutely perfect.
On the side – all the things
That’s the only way to describe it – can’t decide? Just order it all to share out family style! As well as the Saag Makai (creamy spinach and corn. If you like Saag Aloo, you’ll enjoy this) and Dal Tadka (yellow lentils; a house speciality) pictured we had a selection of naan breads and basmati rice. Aside from saying it all tasted good (may sound like a cop out but true story) everything complemented my main course, and everyone else’s, perfectly.
To finish – Kala Jamun
These ‘mini oodles’ of reduced milk soaked in sugar syrup were the perfect way to round off a beautiful meal – dusted with a coconut and served with creamy vanilla pod ice cream, the portion is big enough to satisfy your sweet tooth without being sickly.
I’ve not had the best experience with Asian-inspired desserts in the past, so I’m pleased that I’ve been introduced to some different (and wickedly delish) options on Tapasya’s menu.
As you may have gathered, my overall verdict is that I really rate this menu! There’s plenty of choice for carnivores and veggies to enjoy, the menu is pretty inclusive so I think even those who would say they don’t like curry would find something they’d really enjoy. It’s just great food! The price point makes it somewhere you may not be able to head every weekend – but if you’re looking for a fine dining experience in East Yorkshire, this is somewhere you should plant firmly on your radar.
Thanks for reading,
J xx
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BEAUTY/ I tried the Primark ‘Nudes’ collection
I’m not usually a ‘do a review on a current beauty product’ kind of a girl, in fact I usually go out of my way to avoid being that girl. However, I’ve been seeing some chatter online about the new Primark ‘PS… Nudes’ collection and decided that actually, this time I am going to be that girl! I’ve jumped on many a beauty bandwagon over the years but this time I’ve done so purely in the name of finding out if a product was worth the hype, rather than because it was something I was desperate to get my mitts on. Bit of a game changer for me, but I hope you like it…Firstly, let’s talk packaging and overall concept. It’s obvious that this collection is positioning itself as a high street alternative to the KKW Beauty and Kylie Cosmetics – the products within the collection, shade names and neutral-coloured packaging, it’s all there. If any of the products end up being as good as their higher end counterparts this will be great news for the gals in the UK and Ireland, as it’s trickier (not to mention more expensive with exchange rates and customs charges) to get this side of the Atlantic.
Eyeshadow palette
It has a good range of the neutral colours I use on a daily basis – pinks, browns and some highlighter shades – which in theory means I’d find it very wearable. I tried out a pink smoky eye (in the same kind of style as I do my everyday makeup) using three colours on the lid and a really pale pink underneath. I was pleased with the result (no photos because I haven’t learnt the art of taking a good photo of my makeup. Tips welcomed) although it’s a little too bright to be referred to as a ‘nude’ shade, and after about 4 hours out and about it’d creased quite significantly. However, I forgot to apply primer before the shadow, so I gave it another shot.
Next I tried out some of the brown shades for a natural yet slightly smoky look, after applying my trusty Urban Decay primer. This time the shadow lasted longer and only creased a tiny bit towards the end of the day. The colours are nice and the payoff is as good as some of my more expensive palettes, which is amazing.
Lip liner and matte liquid lipstick duo in ‘Fling’
The liner seems to have a nice consistency but I just couldn’t see any proper colour payoff when I applied it Me lips. The liquid lipstick is a lovely consistency and wasn’t too drying but the colour was awful – instead of the nice pink shade indicated by the tube, I can only describe it in real life as ‘neon nude’. Its not a wearable colour and I can’t imagine a natural fit for anybody’s skin tone. The liner/lip colours also aren’t an exact match, so a bit of work needs to be done if they want to compete with Kylie; there are already plenty of other high street rip-offs trying to do just that.
Matte eye collection in ‘Girl Code’
The liner is the same kind of creamy consistency and finish as the lip liner (I suspect it’s exactly the same formula but passed off as an eye product) and the shadow dries down in a very similar way. It’s a really nice colour, but my concern is the durability of both – the liner is pretty soft and may slide, the shadow could crack when it gets too dry. I haven’t quite made up my mind about them yet.
Body shimmer dust
I think this is my favourite of all the products I’ve tried, and I’d go as far as to say a hero product of the whole collection. It has amazing colour payoff, a little bit goes a long way, and I’d say it’s a pretty great dupe for the BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector in the Pearl shade….which is kind of annoying, given that I just bought that very item a few weeks ago. Take my advice – buy this one and save yourself £28; it won’t quite fit as nicely into your handbag but you’ll get just as many compliments.
Contour stick duo
I thought with the sponge and brush ends this could make a decent tool for ‘on the go’. The brush end is pretty soft yet firm enough to buff in a good contour
Overall verdict: I think Primark have been clever to develop a product that taps in to the cult beauty/social media market, and they’ve definitely captured people’s interest. Some of the products work fine for regular use, others less so, which is probably about right for a budget high street range. The Body shimmer dust was a surprising highlight, no pun intended! I hope that Primark carry on developing and expanding this range, as I think it could become something pretty decent.
Thanks for reading,
J xx
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FASHION / Fashion Favourites – February 2018
There’s a definite colour scheme among my favourites this month! Completely by accident, but it all seems to work pretty well together.
1. Beret, Topshop
Not gonna lie – originally I bought this to annoy the Mr, who thinks they look stupid. I, on the other hand, think they’re cute and chic AF (I also have it in red, which you can see in my last post) as well as covering a gross hair day.
2. Skinny jeans, Topshop
If you’ve read my blog for a little while you’ll know that these are a long standing favourite on mine, however you’ll also know I’ve flirted with other styles of denim lately too. These have been really easy to throw on to head into work as they’re both comfortable and tidy. Plus, it allows me to be a bit more oversized with my top and not feel quite so bulky.
3. Stripe tee, Topshop
I’m obsessed with stripe tees lately, including this one I’ve bought three in the last month! This one is really simple and feels quite put together when I wear it without trying too hard, and it goes with almost everything in my wardrobe right now.
4. Cardigan, Topshop (sold out online)
It feels like Topshop is also a consistent theme at the moment too! I go through waves in most high street brands of either loving or disliking everything, and the moment I’m crushing hard on TS (Topshop, not Taylor Swift.)
I stalked this Cardigan for weeks at the end of last year before it finally came into stock, and I’ve not been disappointed. It’s oversized enough to be cool yet cosy, and the colour has been a great standout on the chilly winter mornings.
5. Hi tops, Converse
I’ve switched my allegiance from my All Star Chucks purely to keep my ankles warm! They’re hard wearing enough for driving and working in the heart of North Yorkshire whilst still feeling like ‘me’.
Thanks for reading, look forward to bringing more fashion, food and comedy posts your way this month!
J xx
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FOOD/ #HullFoodie … Francesca’s (2018)
Happy March to you all – wow; we’re on chapter 3 of 2018 already…I don’t know about you, but I’m ready! Kicking of the month with one of my most favourite things in the world: FOOD.
Myself and the Mr visited Francesca’s on a sunny Saturday afternoon (for what turned out to be a ore-celebratory meal – more on that another time) as part of a Groupon deal given to us by my younger brother for Christmas. We hadn’t visited for a little while (you can read my previous review post here) but we really enjoyed it last time so we already knew the food was nice.
The deal we had was a starter and main course for two for £19.95, which is amazing value even for Hull. The rest of the City clearly agree with me, because the restaurant was pretty full during our lunchtime visit! What I was most impressed by is that the restaurant had taken time to produce a dedicated menu for those using the Groupon voucher – it made the whole process a bit less awkward as we didn’t have to try and work out what was included or ask loads of questions of thenstaff that made us sound really cheap. The sides options and prices were also included, as well as the wine list. So far, so,good.
To accompany my glass of vino (upgraded from a small to medium as it was only 50p more, I’m such a sucker for an upgrade) I started with garlic mushrooms on sourdough toast – super flavoursome, tasty and not too filling before the main event. The Mr had wonderfully fresh and delicious bruschetta.
I wondered if the mains may be smaller or come without any usual accompaniments (the offer allowed dishes up to the value of £13.95) but as you can see this wasn’t the case! I ordered my absolutely favourite, pizza, topped with goats cheese, veggies and a generous helping of rocket consider myself quite the pizza connoisseur , and I really enjoyed this one. The based was very soft and doughy but on the thinner side which was an unusual combo, but one I’d definitely have again very soon. The Mr went with spinach and ricotta cannelloni which was a good size, packed with filling and im told hit the spot rather nicely. We. Ordered a couple of sides too – a salad and chunky chips, which for £2.95 each were fantastic portion sizes. The chips were lovely and golden on the outside with a fluffy centre, as they should be (the lady sitting behind felt the need to lean over and proclaim they were the best she’d ever had) and the salad was well presented and had lots of ingredients. I stole the olives and popped on my pizza; they made the perfect addition.
Not gonna lie though; all the food got the best of me. I ended up with no dessert and taking most of the pizza home in a doggy bag! But that meant I got to enjoy it again for dinner, so every cloud.
The food was definitely as good as the last we visited as full paying customers, the quality and size was not compromised on which was very impressive. The extra items we ordered (2 sides and wine) came to just short of £10, so they weren’t inflated to compensate for the cheaper cost of the vouchers. I’d highly recommend and am looking forward to going back already.
Thanks for reading,
J xx
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FASHION / She’s my cherry pie 🍒
My resolution for getting back into #ootd posts is in full swing! Even whilst I’ve not been feeling great about being photographed, I’ve still been making an effort with my outfits and caring about how I look every da, so I wanted to share that with the world again in the hope that it would help me regain some confidence, and through confidence spur me into action to complete my weight loss goal for the year ( I’m thinking it’ll be that whole ‘if I can do that, I can do anything’ kind of a gig).
I also think that making the picture taking a bit more fun and sociable is a great way to get back into the zone. – for this look I headed out with some of blogger besties (as well as a few other who I hadn’t met before) and had a photo and brunch sessio, which was lovely. We’re really lucky to have areas of Hull that look cool AF for us to shoot in!
(Photos by Violet Glenton)Top, Topshop / Jeans, Topshop / Boots, Public Desire / Hat, Topshop
There were tonnes more pictures I could’ve added to this post, but the ridiculous loud self critic in me means I’m not feeling quite confident enough to share them *yet*. Hopefully, surrounded by positive people and having positive experiences will mean I get a braver soon, any advice or tips on how to achieve this would be welcome!
Thanks for reading,
J xx
About Me
I’m Jenny, nice to meet you. I’m a thirty-something who likes fashion, holidays and wondering about life. A lot.
Jenny Chat 