akandpa (Alan King)

akandpa (Alan King)

Having been interested in cooking from an early age, I often cooked at home as a child.  My first job was as a trainee chef at The Ritz Hotel in Central London. However, split shifts and unsocial working hours were not for me, so I left and took up office work. I entered a career in the Civil Service, where I worked until late 2008, when I took early retirement.  I now have the privilege of working on things that I enjoy. Food and its creation has remained a passion throughout my life and I have been writing about it for some years now, originally as a house reviewer for london-eating, I moved to foodepedia at its launch. I write under the akandpa name as it is more distinctive than Alan King – there are a lot of Alan King’s out there!

  • A touch of the Mediterranean by the Thames…

    Wednesday May 27th, 2009

    A stone’s throw from Vauxhall Cross (where our secret service hang out) Nar Restaurant and Bar sits on the Albert Embankment occupying the space created by two of the arches on which the trains to and from Waterloo station serve the west on London and beyond.  I was invited to attend its official launch party recently and of course was happy to do so. 

  • Forever young at the Royal Garden Hotel

    Tuesday May 19th, 2009

    The Royal Garden Hotel will remain forever young this summer thanks to being the official hotel partner for the inaugural performance of Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens. 

  • Sam's Brasserie

    Monday May 18th, 2009

    Our visit to Sam's Brasserie in Barley Mow Passage, Chiswick, which is situated just behind Chiswick High Road, had us wandering out of Turnham Green tube station, and along the High Road.  It quickly struck us that the locals have a huge choice of places to eat, and that Sam's must have its work cut out to stand out from the crowd.

  • Browsing Brindisi

    Thursday May 14th, 2009

    I was invited to an event at Brown’s Hotel in Dover Street, W1, hosted jointly by the Brindisi Chamber of Commerce and Antonio Tomassini, a Brindisi wine and food promoter, recently. The purpose was to promote the produce from this area of Puglia in southern Italy and together with other food and drink writers and some importers I was able to sample some of them.

  • Awana

    Monday May 11th, 2009

    You walk through the entrance to Awana and you are immediately aware that you have stepped into a stylish, well designed space. Deep honey coloured wood is the main decorative feature, from the cladding to the walls, the tables, chairs and even the flooring

  • El Faro

    Monday April 20th, 2009

    if you want to have a taste of authentic Spanish cuisine, without jumping on a plane and then having to seek out the right place, it is well worth a trip to El Faro.

  • Caldesi creates love with Dolmio

    Tuesday February 10th, 2009

    Dolmio ‘Taste of Italy Flirting with Flavours’ was a one-off  put together specially  to give a demonstration of how to use Dolmio’s newest, range of products to prepare interesting dishes, devised by Giancarlo Caldesi, for their loved one at home on Valentines day.

  • The Avalon

    Monday November 24th, 2008

    The launch of The Avalon, at 16 Balham Hill, was a very impressive occasion.  A ten minute walk from Balham Station, and a stone’s throw from Clapham Common, this newly refurbished bar restaurant is quite imposing externally but when you walk inside, the Victorian style lighting throughout and minimalist, almost utilitarian white brick tiling to most of the walls makes the place look even bigger.  The dining area has two magnificent chain chandeliers suspended from the ceiling and copies of Victorian press cuts set into the tiled walls.  Named after the Isle of Avalon, from Arthurian legend there is an eclectic mix of seating and décor including a wallpaper mural depicting an Arthurian scene in the bar area.