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Just spent the day at London Regent’s Park for the Taste Festival– such a good day! There were so many dishes to sample, wines to taste, chefs to watch and goodies to try and buy!

We purchased a bunch of ‘crowns’ – the currency of the festival which is just confusing – why can’t you just pay with ££’s, and studied the menu guide to see which sample dishes from some of London’s top restaurants we would try.

Prepare yourself…this may make you salivate!

First up was char-grilled chilli garlic black cod and prawns from Dinings. The black cod was so tender and juicy and the chilli and garlic flavour packed a punch – such a good combination!

Next we tried the ‘Cape Sante’ from Theo Randall– Scottish scallops with rocket, chilli, parsley, datterini tomatoes and lentils di Castelluccio – AMAZING! So many people saw us enjoying this one and asked where it was from – such a winner! The scallops were so juicy – something I only ever eat if I know it’s going to be good and this didn’t disappoint!

Something I have been wanting to try ever since I saw that episode of Jamie’s Kitchenwhere he grows and cooks his own courgettes/zucchinis, is a courgette flower. Salt Yardwere serving one up stuffed with goats cheese and drizzled with honey. I wish I could cook these babies and maybe one day I will try, but after stuffing the flower with the goats cheese, they are dipped in a light batter and fried so when you bite into the flower the goats cheese is all hot and runny and then you get the hit of honey to top it off  – awesome!

The aroma coming from Kai Mayfairdrew us to their stall where we saw they were cooking up wasabi prawns – tiger prawns with a spicy wasabi mayonnaise served with little cubes of mango and Thai basil. These were little gems! I wonder how many you would get if you ordered it as a main in the restaurant?

While we were in the Thai section and on a roll we gave into some all-time favourites from Blue Elephant… raw mango salad made of green mango in a crushed peanut, roasted brown coconut and tamarind sauce; and a green chicken curry – both pretty good and confirming that Thai cuisine is a sure fire hit!

Now in the mood for some sweetness, we opted for a strawberry and hibiscus bellini which was served with a warm strawberry and vanilla doughnut from The Ledbury. The creamy layer on top then turned to juicy chunks of strawberry and was perfectly matched to the warm doughnut – unbelievable!

The festival is such a good day out – you can grab a drink (there was a stand making giant mojitos!) and just chill on the grass in the sun for a bit…

There was also a bunch of exhibitors selling their goods and letting people ambush them for samples…

In search of a chocolate fix, but wanting to try a selection we decided on two! First up was the chocolate crumble with cocoa bean custard from The Grill at the Dorchester. The top layer was really creamy, then there was a chocolate mousse and on the bottom was a firmer chocolate layer. The crumble on top was nice and crunchy!

And then came the winner of the day – ‘Le chocolat sensation’ – au chocolat araguani glace au chocolat ivoire et biscuit oreo from L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon- this delight had smashed up oreo cookies on top of chocolate ice cream with a chocolate sauce all around it and some white chocolate edible props! Defo #1 of the day – such an indulgence! Maybe one day I will get to dine in the actual restaurant!

In an effort to support some of the exhibitors I purchased some souvenirs – a spice meal kit for paneer veg and masala chicken (which seems like a super business idea) from The Meal Kit Company, and a small box of choccies from Ooh La La Chocolaterie …

So pretty aren’t they?!

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