July 2026 Favourites list

Hello my foodie friends! Summer is continuing to surprise us, and here in London there have been 20 plus days without rain. The heat this summer has meant some days of cooking, and others of working out how not to work over a steamy stove or pull things out of a burning hot oven. So this month I am sharing some ideas for salads, dips, and cool dishes.

My photos this month are from a visit to Yi-Ban restaurant situated at the Royal Docks. Across the river is London City Airport, so if you or someone you go out with loves plane watching, this is a sound pick (there are floor to ceiling window views of the airport which is just across the river). The restaurant itself is one of the biggest in London, I would guess. This is for good reason, as it is enormously popular for its dim sum, which is served from 12pm (opening time) to 5pm (when the dinner menu comes in). In fact, the dim sum lunch is so popular, there are queues at peak time, and a deli counter style numbered ticket system to ensure no pushing in.

 

I had read about this restaurant on the Evening Standard website, in an article about Hidden London, and I was ready to feed my dim sum obsession. When I arrived to see the queue of ticket holding punters eagerly waiting their turn, I wondered why I had only heard of this place a couple of months ago. Especially since it opened in 2003!

I visited in the weekend, which means I saw tables of 8 to 10 people, often with three generations sitting together enjoying the delightful steamed dumplings and savouring the crispy fried treats. It always gives me an uplifting feeling to see this sharing of food, of love, of life experience. Yi-Ban gave me an authentic Cantonese dim sum experience, as I tucked into some of my favourites, along with a couple of dishes which were new to me. It was something of a far cry from my home in South East London, but well worth the journey.

Food articles

Mieke, who lives in south west France, shares her Things to buy at the French supermarket just in time for the summer holidays. The Brets chips (crisps) are one purchase I can vouch for. Have a read before you travel! https://www.dorothy-porker.com/things-to-buy-at-the-french-supermarket/

 

Cheung fun

 

Kavey has put another new cookbook through its paces. Read her review of Mushroom: 80 Recipes Celebrating Remarkable Mushrooms by Claire Thomson with her impressions about the structure and usefulness of the book, plus recipe testing: https://www.kaveyeats.com/mushroom-claire-thomson

So many people from the Indian diaspora have felt embarrassed about the smell of our food. We didn’t want neighbours to smell it, or to go to work or school with clothes smelling of it the next day. But the smell of spices cooking is also one of the best aromas in the world. Hearing successful restauranteur Nisha Katona express her previous embarrassment about curry smells reminded me of my own experience: https://www.the-independent.com/life-style/food-and-drink/recipes/nisha-katona-curry-bible-cookbook-indian-food-recipes-mowgli-restaurant-b3006555.html

 

A depressing but useful read (mainly for US people) about how cookware has gotten worse quality wise and intentionally so, with a helpful list of makes you can still trust. It seems that ensh*ttification has made it into the kitchen too: https://www.worseonpurpose.com/p/your-cookware-got-worse-on-purpose

Food and culture

British fishermen, whose catches go to South Korea, eat Korean seafood dishes for the first time. Heartwarming to see them embrace the Korean food culture. https://youtu.be/kAaQafKGF7U?is=N-hB-8Oq4VzaJInM

 

Kitchen tips

If you prefer no-recipe cooking, this from Anna Jones, is on how to build a salad, breaks it down into layers. A liberating way to think about weekday dinners. https://observer.co.uk/food/recipes/article/how-to-build-a-perfect-salad

Six tinned foods nutritionists say deserve a comeback; sardines, lentils, cannellini beans, mackerel, corn, and crab: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/health/tinned-foods

Recipes

Some ideas of what to cook when it is too hot. Who wants to be stood over the hob in the heat? https://www.the-independent.com/life-style/food-and-drink/recipes/heatwave-recipes-quick-dinners-too-hot-to-cook-b3010344.html

Eight delicious weekend lunch recipes using chicken: Brick roast chicken and braised chipotle cabbage, Blackened chicken with caramel and clementine dressing, Romanian Pilaf cu Pui – chicken pilaf with potatoes and garlic courgettes, Malaysian/Singaporean Curry leaf chicken legs with salted egg yolk sauce, Harissa and lemon roasted chicken thighs, Herby chicken, leek and mushroom casserole, Crunchy chicken Caesar dip, Chicken with pineapple and ‘nduja: https://www.the-independent.com/life-style/food-and-drink/recipes/chicken-recipes-spring-roast-salad-ottolenghi-b2932542.html  Archived here: https://archive.is/9yZBB

 

I enjoy sprouting seeds, particularly pulses and beans, primarily to use in chaat dishes. But I stumbled on this mung bean recipe which is from Henry Chung's cookbook from his Hunan Restaurant in San Francisco. There are a lot of ingredients, but unused dressing can be kept in the fridge for a few days, and you can make the salad more substantial by adding shredded cooked chicken and noodles: https://sproutpeople.org/blogs/recipes/hunan-mung-beans-in-outrageous-dressing-1

Across east Asia, cool noodle salads are a way of keeping your internal temperature down and avoiding spending a long time in a hot kitchen. Here is a sesame noodle recipe New York Chinese restaurant style which you could add and fill out to a full meal very easily: https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/chilled-sesame-noodles

 

Dips and sauces are life savers when you don’t want to cook and just want to assemble a salad or light meal. Here is a Courgette and feta dip for when you get bored of supermarket houmous: https://theweek.com/culture-life/food-drink/courgette-feta-dip-recipe And here is a Dill mayonnaise for summer salads: https://www.olivemagazine.com/recipes/entertain/dilly-mayonnaise/

Please note: as with every monthly Favourites List, all of these items have been selected by me simply because I love them. I do not receive any money, benefits in kind or other incentive for posting these links or recommendations.

June 2026 favourites list

Welcome to this month’s favourites list. Last month I was posting in the middle of a heatwave, and the same is happening this month! I had a ropey nights sleep last night, so if any typos creep in, be forgiving!

This month’s photos are from a Japanese Afternoon Tea at the Sanctum Hotel, London. Tucked in a backstreet in Soho, the Sanctum Hotel looks like a cool place to base yourself in Central London. But of course I wasn’t staying in the hotel, so I headed over to the Wild Heart restaurant at Sanctum (accompanied by Him Indoors, of course). Run by three-time Michelin star awarded Chef Garry Hollihead, the restaurant has a classic rock theme, with memorabilia and a wide collection of rock and music books on display. Hardly surprising, since when I entered the hotel reception area I was greeted by a painting of Jimi Hendrix, and a stained glass artwork of many Hendrixes. If you know me, you will know I love Jimi Hendrix, so I arrived with a smile on my face. 

Stained glass art with lots of Jimi Hendrixes

 

The afternoon tea displaces the usual sandwiches with gyozas, sliders, aubergine, pickles, and tataki, all in cute little portions. We enjoyed these with a glass of prosecco. The different flavours and textures made this part of the tea experience highly enjoyable. Next up were the desserts, headed up in afternoon tea tradition with a scone. I am not litigating the endless “debate” on cream first or jam. That has been done to death. The homemade raspberry jam and the rich clotted cream complemented the raisin scone beautifully. There is a knack to making a good scone, despite the apparent simplicity of the ingredients and method, which was demonstrated here. Then onto the mochi, panna cotta, and the tiny pies (pecan and chocolate and caramel) – wonderful little sweet indulgences, enjoyed with a green tea. I arrived as I left, with a smile on my face.

[We paid for our afternoon tea with prosecco, and we note there is now a Japanese afternoon tea experience with a flight of cocktails which can be enjoyed either in the restaurant or on the rooftop.]

But now, onto my collection of food inspiration, recipes, and kitchen tips. Enjoy!

 

Japanese style afternoon tea

Food articles

Kavey has been looking forward to food author Mandy Yin’s latest cookbook “Simply Malaysian: Everyday Dishes to Cook at Home” after loving her first cookbook, Sambal Shiok. Her review, as ever, takes in cooking from the recipes, checking the structure and layout, and looking at overall usefulness: https://www.kaveyeats.com/simply-malaysian-mandy-yin

On the Malaysian food theme, Chef Julie Lin shares the food items she always brings back from a trip to Malaysia: https://www.cntraveller.com/article/ive-been-a-chef-for-more-than-10-years-these-are-the-things-i-cant-live-without-when-i-come-back-from-malaysia

May, the seasoned traveller and passionate foodie, is the go-to person for advice on food and travel. Here she provides an invaluable guide for the foodie traveller in 2026: https://www.eatcookexplore.com/the-essential-digital-toolkit-for-the-gastronomy-traveller/

How to improve your mood through what you eat, with consideration of the research: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/health/wellness/mood-diet-plan

The best instant noodles available in the UK: https://www.standard.co.uk/shopping/esbest/food-drink/all-food/best-instant-noodles-buy-uk-b1278067.html

The desserts

 

Kitchen tips

12 top cooks (including Michelin starred chefs, chefs and food writers) share the best kitchen tip they've ever been given: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/news-trends/best-kitchen-tip

Andi Oliver, host of the BBC’s Great British Menu, and former musician, shares how she finds the best food on her holidays: https://metro.co.uk/2026/06/14/andi-oliver-i-always-find-best-food-holiday-asking-one-question-28740195/

Going out in London

The 15 Chinese restaurants in London serving up the best noodles: https://dailydish.co.uk/15-chinese-restaurants-in-london-serving-the-best-noodles/

Where to get the best Dosa (lentil flour pancakes) in London: https://www.standard.co.uk/going-out/restaurants/best-dosa-in-london-tamil-cuisine-b1278138.html

I am not arguing about jam and cream, OK?

 

Recipes

Laura Goodman’s recipe for date butter: https://observer.co.uk/style/food/article/your-buns-deserve-this-date-butter

Archived here: https://archive.ph/ozrGi

Scone with raspberry jam and clotted cream

 

Georgina Hayden shares three lesser-known Greek and Cypriot dishes for summer cooking and eating; Pappa al ratatouille, one-pan moussaka, and churros Dutch baby from her new book MEDesque: https://www.the-independent.com/life-style/food-and-drink/recipes/georgina-hayden-greek-cypriot-recipes-summer-b2971223.html

Archived here: https://archive.ph/qcyLu

Joo Won is chef/co-owner of London’s Calong restaurant shares two Korean vegetable recipes; Asparagus and courgette pajeon (Korean pancake) with soy-vinegar dip and Green vegetable and vermicelli japchae: https://www.theguardian.com/food/2026/jun/23/pajeon-japchae-recipes-korean-style-vegetarian-starters-joo-won

Replica Dalek at the Sanctum Hotel

 

Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipe for rice salad with nuts and sour cherries from his cookbook More: https://www.seriouseats.com/rice-salad-with-nuts-and-sour-cherries-from-plenty-more  

Romy Gill’s recipe for Thoran (a South Indian cooked salad style dish) and Indian style chaat, both with asparagus: https://www.theguardian.com/food/2026/may/06/thoran-and-chaat-indian-style-asparagus-recipes-romy-gill

The menu

 

Please note: as with every monthly Favourites List, all of these items have been selected by me simply because I love them. I do not receive any money, benefits in kind or other incentive for posting these links or recommendations.

May 2026 favourites list

Welcome to my favourites list for May! 

 

I am writing this at the tail end of a heatwave here in the UK. We have not been coping well with the heat. We have been simultaneously boiling and frying, we have been failing to sleep. We spend all year looking forward to the “better weather” and then when we get some sunny days, complain. Of course, I am not alone in this, and it may well be true that I spent much of the long weekend at the end of this month trying to keep cool in minimum levels of clothing/decency.

This month’s pictures are from a very lovely, relaxed, and delicious dinner I had at one of my favourite restaurants in all of London, the very excellent Babur in Brockley, south east London. Their “Taste of Babur” five course menu was £59.95 for food only (and with matching wine was £90.95). It was my birthday, so I opted for the menu with wine pairings. No regrets, it was a special day! (Him Indoors paid for our meal in full). 

Swordfish tikka and Kasundi king prawn

 

I have written about Babur twice on this blog. My first in depth review can be found here: https://snigskitchen.blogspot.com/2013/09/babur-honor-oak-indian-restaurant-south.html. My second, as their guest, focussing on their Indian Muslim food menu is here: https://snigskitchen.blogspot.com/2013/11/baburs-indian-muslim-cooking-menu.html. (Babur run frequent themed menus which are worth checking out!).

I hope you will enjoy my photos and selections for this month, and if you are struggling in the heat, you have my sympathies. 

Food articles and writing

This is a highly thought provoking read: is Italian food (as we know it) really about recipes passed down through many, many generations, or is it more recent, and actually shaped by the waves of Italian migration of the last 100 years? https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/dec/15/myth-traditional-italian-cuisine-food

 

Tulsi malai chicken tikka

Kavey reviews Ed Smith’s latest cookbook Peckish: An Inspirational Collection of Winning Chicken Dinners, which explores contemporary chicken farming, the different cuts of chicken, cooking whole chickens, recipes, butchery and preparation techniques, plus how to make stocks and deal with leftovers. As ever Kavey tests the recipes as well as casting her careful eye over the book as a reading experience. https://www.kaveyeats.com/peckish-cookbook-ed-smith

Some food and medication clashes are well known by the public, such as grapefruit and statins and angina medication. However, ginger, turmeric and cinnamon are also in danger of interfering with medication including anti-coagulants, antidepressants, blood pressure medications, chemotherapy drugs and certain antibiotics. If you are on any of these, read the article in full, don’t just read my summary: https://theconversation.com/why-eating-too-much-ginger-turmeric-or-cinnamon-could-interfere-with-your-prescription-medication-255527

 

Goat shoulder tikka

There has been comment in MAGA/MAHA quarters that seed oils are bad for you. While a heated extraction process can result in small amounts of hexane remaining in the oil, this can be avoided by buying cold pressed. Here are 14 facts about cooking oils to help sort the fact from the fiction. https://www.theguardian.com/food/2026/apr/26/the-truth-about-cooking-oils-14-essential-facts-for-healthier-cheaper-meals  

Masterchef winner Chef Tim Anderson has immersed himself in the food and cooking of Japan. In this helpful article, he suggests that five Japanese ingredients can transform the way you cook: https://www.the-independent.com/life-style/food-and-drink/recipes/japanese-ingredients-recipes-masterchef-winner-tim-anderson-new-cookbook-b2962415.html

Slow cooked mutton in clay pot with rice

Xueci, a Berlin based food writer with Sichuanese heritage provides a deep dive into Shaoxing rice wine, explaining the manufacture and many culinary uses of this hero ingredient: https://chillcrispbyxueci.substack.com/p/deep-dive-shaoxing-wine

Supermarket sausages taste tested in time for BBQ season, with surprising results, especially for a very popular brand name: https://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/food-drink/i-compared-five-supermarket-sausages-37081518

Chicken Chettinad with rice flour pancake

Recipes

Steph and Chris' Chinese cooking videos are full of so much inspiration. Here, very simply cooked fish is served with either hot and spicy or herby and hot dipping sauce. https://youtu.be/qUFFFT_379Y?si=024_ME-8kwUiDO5j

Here is their recipe in written form if you don’t want to cook from a video, Xinping dipping sauce tilapia: https://chinesecookingdemystified.substack.com/p/dipping-sauce-tilapia

Spiced apricot and fig crumble

Georgia Hayden recipe https://theweek.com/culture-life/food-drink/spring-meatballs-pasta-and-peas

Mieke, a Dutch-Indonesian food writer, whose Dorothy Porker site is one I enjoy a quiet moment perusing, shares how to make your own Chai Latte, so you don’t have to go to Starbucks. https://www.dorothy-porker.com/avoid-starbucks-make-your-own-chai-latte/#recipe

What you might have missed at Snig’s Kitchen

I was asked recently about how to sprout lentils, having posted a photo of a chaat dish I had made (a variant of a chana chaat) online. Here is my guide on sprouting seeds which works not only with lentils and other pulses, but with some spices, herbs and vegetables. https://snigskitchen.blogspot.com/2026/05/snigs-guide-to-sprouting-seeds.html

A Taste of Babur menu

 Please note: as with every monthly Favourites List, all of these items have been selected by me simply because I love them. I do not receive any money, benefits in kind or other incentive for posting these links or recommendations.