Once again I was awoken in the early hours by torrential rain and winds.  But, to my complete delight, at sunrise the sun did actually rise.  I was relieved as we had a day out planned in London that involved quite a bit of walking.

First though, came breakfast.  I have been enjoying this recently, rose Harissa paste.

I really like the flavour of this but it is very spicy so I only need a little bit.  5 g is 20 calories and it adds a lot of flavour for those calories so it is well worth it. Today I added some to brown Basmati rice, 2 boiled eggs and some cherry tomatoes and a red onion I had baked in the oven for 15 minutes.  No oil added and no milk in my tea meant breakfast was a very acceptable 311 calories. It was delicious and with the aid of a couple of black coffees, kept me going until we had supper.  We did eat breakfast late and supper early.

I was incredibly strong willed today.  We went to London for our family Christmas present to ourselves – a trip to see Charlie and The Chocolate factory.  We were early so stopped for a coffee.

It was around 1:30 pm when we arrived in Central London so the others had a bite to eat with their coffee.  I had a black coffee while they enjoyed a chocolate tart and a latte. Or a toasted goat’s cheese sandwich with a cappuchino.  I sipped black coffee and felt virtuous as I had absolutely not even the tiniest taste of their food. Theatre time 🙂 The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is a beautiful theatre.  Charlie and The Chocolate Factory is a brilliant production and an excellent choice for a family outing.  Do go and see it if you can. We enjoyed a stroll through a crowded and chilly London to our restaurant. Tucked away behind Regent Street is Ottolenghi’s fabulous restaurant, Nopi. I am completely in love with it.  Everything about it was completely fabulous.  It is pared down and simple but very comfortable and pleasant.  No fancy tablecloths and unnecessary adornments in here.  This restaurant is all about the food which is sensational.  I apologise for the photo quality.  I had a problem with my camera and half the photos didn’t come out which is a shame but here are some that did.

I stuck to my January resolutions; no alcohol, no dairy, no sugar and no wheat !!! I am not sure how but I did.  When I have lost 3 stone, I am going back to Nopi to eat and drink whatever I like!

We shared mixed nuts, olives, bread with olive oil and tzatziki with Lavosh (a flatbread).  I didn’t eat the wheat and dairy bits so I just enjoyed some nuts and olives with my mineral water.The food here is like tapas.  Lots of small servings that you can share round.  You could order a main meal but there is a small choice of main meals and we all wanted to try so many different dishes we all chose from the section of the menu that had dishes to share.  I ordered beans, sugar snaps and edamame which were delicious.
This tasted much better than my picture suggests – twice cooked half a baby chicken with a spicy tomato sauce and lemon myrtle salt. This dish was one of the VERY BEST THINGS I HAVE EVER EATEN !!!  Truly, it was amazing.  Worth going to Nopi just for this.  3 out of 4 of us liked this best and we all liked everything.  It is venison with blackberries and an aubergine cream.  Simply, the best.  I can not put in to words quite how amazing this was and how well all the flavours went together.

We also shared cod on a bed of dal,  roast pork  on a bed of sweet potato, tenderstem broccoli with almonds and a mustard vinaigrette and a lovely sweet potato dish, similar to the one I made form Ottolenghi’s Jerusalem cookbook earlier.

The others all had cocktails and puddings and I had mineral water and a mint tea.  I would have loved to try everything but I am pleased I didn’t.  I will go back when I have lost 3 stone – a definite incentive.

Nopi is one of the best restaurants I have been to for a very long time.  The food is different, interesting and surprising.  This is not one for the person who likes traditional restaurant settings and familiar food on the menu.  This is a food lovers restaurant.  A very, very, good food lovers restaurant.

On the way home we walked past a Wholefoods Market in Picadilly.  It was open and I couldn’t resist a quick shop.  I bought some nutritious treats, including a Bounce Ball so I had a semi healthy sweet treat that did not break any of my rules.  I also have some healthy goodies in the larder to enjoy in the coming weeks.  What a great day out in London we all had.