of breakfasts, and a hot whole-grain cereal porridge

it’s coming to nearly ten months now that I’ve left london – and I try very hard not to think about it: there were fantastic memories during fantastic years, with people who’ve made a big difference in my life. I came across this photo – below – in my archives, taken during one of my visits to le pain quotidien (my absolute favourite breakfast hangout in london) and it made me think very hard.

breakfast is my favourite meal – it dictates how the rest of the day is going to go – and though I head out to brunch regularly with friends, it’s my day-to-day breakfast of hot grain that helps remind me of the times in that glorious city. I’ve had this same breakfast every day since coming back, with variations in grain and stir-ins, but the recipe, and the idea is built upon mornings – and anytime, really – of hot oatmeal in gloomy (but so lovely) london.

whole meyer lemon cake

I used the last of my lovely meyer lemons in this cake – a damp, hearty but fluffy cake of almond meal barely bound together. it’s a simple, fragrant cake – and good for tea time. you whizz up meyer lemons with a bit of egg and almond, throw it all into a pan – and bare moments later, there’s a delicious waft of citrus in the kitchen.

recipease, london

pretty good breakfast in notting hill. this was the first breakfast I had in london since arriving, and it was more a convenience meal than a destination one – I hadn’t realized it was a jamie oliver establishment until we walked through the door – since it was only about 5 minutes away from where we were staying.

I’m not sure how to go about describing this place, but it felt very much like a british cafe, the like of which I miss in singapore – vibrant but calm, welcoming, and somehow feels like you’ll get a good cup of tea (only now do I realise how spoilt I was by the countless steaming cups of tea I had back in college) in there. it also fits with the impression oliver has been portraying these few years – it’s not something I can necessarily describe, but suffice to say that if you’ve been watching his shows and enjoy his aesthetic, you’ll feel at home here.