Delhi Grill, Angel

Delhi Grill is an Indian Canteen style restaurant (known as a dhaba) spicing up the food scene in Islington. They offer grub outside on a tempting stall as part of the daily market, or indoors in the quirky eatery. It is a feast for the senses, on entering you are hit by an amazingly strong aroma of smoky incense, immediately transporting you far away from London. The restaurant has a relaxed atmosphere with the bright colours and newspaper collaged walls giving the place a very individual character.

I really appreciated the simplicity of the menu, Delhi Grill offer a small selection of slow-cooked, delicious dishes. The service was friendly but not overly intrusive – I can’t bear it when waiters ask if my food is okay more than once throughout the meal, at Delhi Grill we were left to enjoy and savour the food, which is exactly how it should be.

The menu offers recipes from the Tandoor and from the Pot, with the addition of a few daily specials. We chose the intriguing Mango Mojito to drink, a secret concoction that involved mango, mint, and a spirit of our choice, it was refreshing and a delicious alteration of the classic mojito cocktail.

The food was exceptionally fresh and fragrant, not too oily or salty as Indian food can often be. From the epic array of dishes we tried, a few things stood out as being special. Firstly the naan bread, which as an accompaniment to the main meal rarely seems important, Delhi Grill produced the most appetising, light, fresh crispy and yet soft bread, unlike anything I have ever tried before. The rice and condiments were also top notch.

From the specials board we tried the adventurous goat curry. I’ve tried goat before, but this was more meaty with a rich marinated flavour. We also loved the Chicken Makhani, a mild curry with butter chicken in a yoghurt based sauce, this was very creamy and particularly nice paired with the pilau rice. The lamb Rogan Gosht was less exciting, strong in flavour but not as dynamic and varied in taste as the other curries we tried. My favourite dish was the delhi grill, a sizzling stove arriving with an assortment of juicy grilled meats: chicken tikka, sheekh kebabs and lamb chops, and despite usually preferring chicken I was blown away by the tender lamb chop and the herby rich marinated flavour. Finally we tried Bhindi – okra stir fried with onion and plenty of spice, I was surprised to find I really liked this unusual vegetable, which looks a bit like a cross between an aubergine and a chilli.

Delhi Grill is a lovely, authentic feeling restaurant and I envy the Islington crowd who can pop in whenever, this Indian Canteen is a real asset to the area.

Brighton Fashion Graduates Show 2011

It’s one thing knowing what you ‘want to be when you grow up’ at the age of five, but eighteen, not so easy. Schooling finishes in a flurry, and suddenly it is time to decide what you want to do for the rest of your life... time to get on the never ending career ladder... the whole thing is terrifying, and of my school friends only two were really ready to embark on adult life and get started on their careers. One of these ambitious friends is Elena Crehan, a creative creature with fiery orange hair and a vitality for life that never ceases to astound me. Having just finished her fashion degree at Brighton, I was invited along to the graduate show to see the final collections and creations.

The show took place in a kooky venue in Angel, called Candid Arts. My friend and I instantly felt painfully out of place, surrounded by hip fashion students wearing outfits that in some cases barely resembled clothes, but instead a drape of material arranged effectively around their body. Our El was barely to be seen, darting all over the place organising the hoards of guests, models and press people. On entering we were greeted with a tall glass of Pimms, and then took our places in the buzzing press area, neighbours of the frantic photographers. Our position meant we were on the receiving end of the model’s piercing stares and glaring poses.

After a brief welcome and introduction the music pumped and the models began striding confidently towards us. Eighteen students were exhibiting, each with about six different looks – so about 108 entrances in 108 unique outfits. Each student’s collection seemed to have a theme, a certain thought that united each of the garments into a team. Along with the clothes many of the models were adorned with fabulous stick on eyebrows and eyelashes, accentuating an androgynous or quirky look.

I was instantly amazed by the sheer quantity each designer had produced, and the incredible attention to detail - obviously each garment had taken a painstaking amount of time to construct. For me, as a keen fashionista, but by no means an expert, I was fascinated and impressed with everyone’s work. Not one collection disappointed. There were a few pieces that I particularly liked, either for the reason that the clothing was so beautiful, an artwork in itself, or because I thought to myself ‘I would really like to wear that.’

First up was Sophia Messina who presented an interesting men’s collection. Experimenting with materials each model came out with unusual straw platform shoes. Rachel Brooks utilised the girl’s slim line figures with slinky long trousers and a fabulously droopy hat, that I would love to borrow for holidays in the sun. I adored Lucy Fisher’s passionately red series, tent-like sporty hooded jackets paired with bright white chunky trainers. Adele Ahrens showed off a very wearable collection of bright floaty tops and a stunning full length gown. John Holt’s gold jumper caused quite a stir, a fluffy sparkling top that he modelled himself on the catwalk!

Eventually it was time for El’s showcase, an arresting collection of texture crazed garments, cleverly named ‘Do You Think Shesaurus?!’ In describing her spring/summer capsule collection El said: “The hand worked Stegasaur pleating technique has been used obsessively throughout to create a geometric silhouette while remaining true to original research in Mexican dolls, corn dolly’s and the proportions of children’s wear as well remaining fresh and above all things fun!”

I particularly loved the potato printed legwear - black Miro-esque shapes mark the white material to create an intricate and funky pattern. All of it was breathtaking and could easily be mistaken for the work of a fully established designer.

I was sad when it was all over, the swarm of models and designers all clapping their way round the catwalk circuit, displaying for one last time the magical designs that had fully occupied these talented graduates for so long. I left knowing there were certainly a few names to watch from the Brighton class of 2011.

London Art Fair at The Design Centre

The London Art Fair returned to Islington Design Centre this week (open until Sunday), with over 100 galleries showcasing the work of their best 20th and 21st century artists. You may have noticed the advertisements that are peppering tube stations and bus stops, or perhaps read about the event in a magazine. It certainly seems to have gained interest since last year, I don’t think I have ever seen Angel station so frantic and busy.

I worked at the fair in 2009 and 2010 with England & Co; it was a little strange visiting this year, solely as a spectator. The space is expansive; a building that is normally rather bland becomes a techni-coloured patchwork of creations. This year tickets are selling for £15 on the door, or £11 in advance. I was delighted to find I received a free sparkling drink with my ticket, and I could have easily had more than one as waiters wandered amongst the guests all evening.

Considered by many to be the premier art fair in London, I always like to check it out. The crème de la crème of the art world is usually there mingling and not just for the art . The visitors and gallery owners seem to excitedly check out each other too, who is wearing what? Who is displaying what? And which coveted pieces have been brought along for show?

Prices range enormously from small prints for under a hundred pounds to valuable pieces reaching hundreds of thousands. I am always astounded at how much people will pay for some particularly unattractive pieces. The London Art Fair has its fair share of rubble to sort through before you find the gems. Some stands are proudly displaying works that honestly look so repulsive you wonder if it can even be called ‘art’. But I guess that is part of the fun, there is something for all tastes.

My dad’s work is on display (see third picture above), as it often is; a beautiful selection of pieces that seem to really create a buzz at the England stand. Magically meticulous and thought provoking I never tire of seeing them.

Visit website here, and book your tickets now.