Muswellian?

I have been a guest of Muswell Hill over the last year and I have to say that the place has thoroughly grown on me. I was brought up on the South Coast in a modest sized town with woods and open spaces on the doorstep and although living in a northern city during my uni years I never imagined that I would enjoy living in London.

I have to say that I considered London to be a busy, noisy place, slightly nervy and when going out at night could put you in harms way. I considered it built up, grey and somehow cold. Moreover the community spirit was non existent. 

How wrong was I? Having experienced N10 and its surroundings I have to offer a sincere apology. There are woods and large green spaces on the doorstep. The main roads can be busy but no more than anywhere else. I have been out at night and have yet to feel concerned for my safety and strangely although part of a giant capital city there is a tangible village feel about the area. 

Photo - http://www.homesandproperty.co.uk/area-guides/greater-london/spotlight-muswell-hill-property-area-guide

In addition to all my concerns being ill founded the area has a huge number of advantages. Firstly it has its own cinema, the odeon in Muswell Hill has that feeling of going to the cinema 35 years ago, this nostalgia enhances the whole experience. Secondly the local shops are a revelation. Walking through Muswell Hill a few weeks ago I saw what looked like smoke billowing out of a shop front.  As I neared I became aware of a delicious roasted coffee smell. As I came up to the shop front I discovered that that was exactly what was happening the shop, it felt like stepping back in time. Further along a fantastic wet fish shop with a greater selection than you might find one minute from the sea in Lyme Regis. Then there is a flower shop manned by the most obliging of shop owners. A few shops up, what might be the narrowest cheese shop in England but still managing to stock an impressive range of delicious dairy goods is simply a delight as well as dangerous for a 40 something trying to keep to a 32in waist. Then there are the restaurants, my love for lamb sis has definitely increased since spending time in Muswell Hill not to mention Gelato Mio's delicious ice cream treats. 

The question I need to ask is if you live in Muswell Hill are you are Muswellian or a Muswell Hillier?

Whatever the answer this part of North London certainly gets under your skin.

A New Years Resolution Worth Keeping

According to Forbes magazine only 8% of people achieve their New Year's resolution. This seems a very small number and would suggest that either the general populations resolve is just a bit rubbish or that the average resolution is dull.

Anecdotally a straw poll of the most common resolution amongst my friends reveals a litany of trials involving the absence of alcohol, more exercise, less chocolate and weight loss. No wonder January is such a depressing month.

Well my beautiful girlfriend and I decided that this year our resolution would be about having fun and enriching our lives by doing something that we like - going out for dinner to eat delicious food. More specifically we decided that we should try food from different cultures. To that end we resolved to visit a restaurant each month of a new and interesting world cuisine.

This evening was our first dinner date. For January we decided to start with South Korean. We did not really know what to expect, thinking that it might be a fusion between Chinese and Japanese; what we experienced was infinitely better.

After some research we decided on a Korean restaurant in Station Road, Finchley Central called Yijo. It had good reviews and from the pictures on its facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/YijoKoreanBBQ looked very fun.

On arrival we were greeted by a fragrant BBQ smoky smell and a warm welcome by the staff. The menu was clear and the waitress helped us to choose our food. We opted for a couple of starters; prawn tempura and battered chicken in a sweet chilli sauce followed by barbecued rib eye steak and spicy chicken accompanied by fried rice and various pickled vegetables.

The food arrived promptly and then the BBQ pit in the centre of our table was lit. This immediately added a different dimension to our meal as we cooked the steak and chicken ourselves. The heat of the BBQ was just the ticket for a cold January night. The food was simply delicious. A fusion of spicy, chilli and sweet marinades with juicy chargrilled meat accompanied by the delicious pickled taste of onions, seaweed and potato all washed down with a bottle of white wine. The price a very reasonable £30 a head including service charge.

We had our table as long as we wanted and were greeted by the manager and then were presented with some delicious traditional ice cream desserts prepared for us by the owner and chef who also came out into the restaurant to greet us.

Yijo is a gem of a restaurant and well worth a visit to Finchley, conveniently placed next to Finchley Central station. A fantastic start to our New Years resolution. The other cuisines have a lot to live up to.

 

 

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