This Week The Mice Have Mostly Been...

There's only one way to start this post, and that's...

 

So another week of being cooped up in the office whilst the sun shines on proudly...punishment yes, but at least it held out so we got to enjoy a few early evening rays! (HK Mouse: ahem - at least you have sun over there, we're currently being battered by a Typhoon...).

 

In not so great news, the weekend doesn't look so cheery - boo hiss - but let's look on the bright side, whatever the weather, you have two luxurious sleep-ins ahead with 48 hours of pure YOU time! 

 

When we haven't been itching to wriggle into a bikini rather than work wear, this week the Mice have mostly been...

 

Springing out of bed and into our early morning makeup routine just so we can use our new Naked Urban Decay eye palette! There's nothing quite like opening a brand new piece of make up especially when it's a beautiful array of bronze hues. 

 

 

I've been on the hunt for the perfect eye palette for a while now, one that I can use for everyday and jazz up a little more from office to cocktails. Well this bad boy is your answer - with 12 shades to pick from it ranges from a milky cream base to gentle golden tones, almond essentials and deep chocolates with a sprinkle of pizazz. A mix of matte and metallic shades gives you the option of day to evening and it comes with a double ended brush to make application a smooth operation. 

 

At £37, the palette's a little bit more than your Rimmel trios (remember those?!) but with 12 shadows in one neat box it works out at a mere £3.08 a colour - bargain!! Pretty perfect I'd say! 

 

Ummm'ing and Ahhh'ing with every lip smacking mouthful on our recent trip to Raw Duck. 

 

I often stroll past the bustling Duck Soup in Soho and always make a mental note to get it in the diary ASAP. However, whenever I've tried, the booking policy always seems to be my barrier, requiring a minimum number of diners for bookings (which my table for two never meets). As a result, the walk-in tables are my only option...a tasty restaurant in the heart of Soho = constantly packed...so it's still firmly on my to-do list! 

 

However the sister restaurant, Raw Duck, is a different story all together. You can make a booking for any party size easy peasy, so on that basis this is now my favourite sibling! Having said that, it's not the easiest location to get to. The nearest station is Hackney overground however, located just a trot from London Fields, it's a great brunch / lunch option to pair with a day nosing around Broadway market. 

 

Once you spot the neon raw duck sign, you've reached your destination and there are only good things ahead! 

 

 

Decor is simple yet quirky with blackboard walls for wine lists, bookcases crammed full of knick- knacks and long sharing tables divided by a line of pot plants to give you a little more privacy! 

 

 

 

Recommendation number 1 - order cocktails they are immense! We opted for the Sparking Shrub (A fizzy fresh rhubarb and vanilla party in your mouth) and a Provence 75 (a light citrus lavender gin delight). So far so good...

 

The menu is a mixture of small and large plates from all over the world to share with your dining companion - they advise 3 small and 2 large which was the perfect amount for two hungry tummies! We were a little daunted by the menu so to avoid missing out we asked for recommendations. 

 

First up a simple dish but oh so delicious - basically a Greek yogurt dip with a punch of amazing flavour from Israeli spices...

 

 

We went for a few trusty favs ,super creamy mozzarella and thick authentic prosciutto - both delicious with the homemade sourdough bread...every scrap was devoured...

 

 

 

For the large plates we went for the rare hanger steak, shaved radish, salted ricotta and cicorino leaves...delicately flavoured meat cooked amazingly rare paired perfectly with the creamy ricotta and crunchy radishes...

And finally, after a rave review from our waitress we went for the buttermilk chicken...unfortunately this is where the experience fell down a little, our drinks took twenty minutes to come and arrived with our small plates - not ideal when you've had the day from hell in the office and are gasping for anything stronger than water! However, once we took our first sip all moaning was soon forgotten...that was until we noticed the chicken dish was missing. Fifteen minutes after finishing all our plates we enquired and were informed that the kitchen was very busy but it would be on it's way shortly. At this point we were already late for our next date so cancelled our order of the much hyped buttermilk chicken booo! 

Despite the slightly slack service I would venture back again in the hope that it was an off Wednesday at Raw Duck...everything we got to taste was super, bursting full of flavour evidently using the best quality ingredients. And besides, the brunch menu looks pretty tasty and I'm all for second chances...!
 

On that note I am now ridiculously hungry and must go and kick this weekend off in style...with some delicious food, a strong cocktail and of course some fun!!!