A relatively pleasant martini was let down by bad service and poor value for money. It wouldn’t take much to perfect their martini but some of the fundamentally poor elements of the restaurant will be more difficult to rectify. Nestled under a railway arch in Borough Market, I had high hopes for this Levantine restaurant. However, the service wasn’t particularly attentive, the portions … Continue reading Bar Arabica, Borough Market, 2/5
This is a simple snack item consisting of ground nuts, herbs and spices served with bread and some good quality oil. I’ve always been drawn to Egypt, old and new. It’s such a fascinating country with both grand and tumultuous history and I am delighted to include it in my blog with a contribution to the martini world. I wanted to write about duqqah, which … Continue reading Egyptian Duqqah to accompany a martini
Flying back from a brief work assignment in Dubai, I decided to have a gin and tonic to help me relax. I happened to be flying over Iranian airspace at the time, while it was also 7am in London. Thus two rules were very thoroughly broken. However, I think an early drink is acceptable when one is flying. It helped me sleep for much of … Continue reading A breakfast gin and tonic in the Middle East
It’s a thing now. What do Thais and Texans have in common? A penchant for spicy food. I have a good friend, currently in Texas, who recently announced his addiction to Sriracha hot chilli sauce, a fiery concoction from Thailand. A US national and an Arabist, he has a very interesting career and academic background, with some very intriguing (and often hilarious) tales from London … Continue reading The hot hot Sriracha martini
While attending an ‘event’ in a certain Middle Eastern city, I was introduced to a charming gentleman from, shall we say, one of the ‘Alphabet Agencies’. While our discussion covered subjects including politics, diplomacy and turmoil in the region, it settled upon the subject of martinis, of which we are both fond. When one works in the business of ‘international affairs’, a strong martini is … Continue reading The man from the Alphabet Agencies
The Martini Socialist 