Wednesday 29 March 2017

Phinexi Phone Charging Case Review

Hey!

Welcome to another blog post! Today, I am talking about charging cases. Phinexi sent me a charging case to use which was fantastic as I always need one due to blogging, being a blogger and always using my phone.



The Phinexi charging battery case is powerful and protective. Are you like me who is tired of your iPhone only lasting half a day? Are you one of those people who constantly carries a charger around with you for those just in case moments? The Phinexi is the slimmest charging battery case ever! A revolutionary patented smart charging case. The Phinexi really is a powerful battery extending, protective iPhone Skin. Did you know the iPhone 6S contains a 1715mAH battery built-in? The Phinexi adds an additional 2400mAh. Even when it comes to things like emailing, music play, Bluetooth and texting all day. As long as you have a Phinexi, your Phone will not need charging for at least 16 hours.

Some of the features of the phone case include:


  • 140% longer battery life: 2400mAh capacity provides an extra 48 hours standby, 5 hours audio, 15 hours 3G talktime, 12 hours video, 11 hours web browsing or 4 hours 3D gaming to your iPhone 6 or iPhone 6S
  • Keep your iPhone charged throughout the day and night or just recharge when battery is low
  • UV coated rear cover to protect your iPhone from the harmful sun rays
  • No ned to remove your case to charge your case and phone
  • The world's slimmest power caseAdds just 2mm to the width and 4mm to the depth
  • Adds only 73g in weight 
  • Durable - Protect your iPhone from wear and tear
  • Aluminium alloy perfectly matching the iPhone colour ways 

I used the case for over a week for many things such as emails, music, wifi, photos and other things and honestly my phone was still on a high amount of charge left. The case had a luxurious boutique feel to it especially with the slim design and the deep colour of the product. The silver accents made the case pop. The product was very light as well which meant that it didn't add that much bulk to the phone which I liked as sometimes you can feel the bulk of the case in your pocket and think that its something different and not your light phone and then you end up in a frenzy. I don't know where I would be without this case whilst I've been testing it out. 9.75/10.

If you click on Phinexi in this post then it shall send you to their website where you can check them out.

Have you used a charging case before? Let me know down below!

I hope that you have enjoyed my blog post!

Thanks for reading!
Jamie x

Tuesday 28 March 2017

Prepping Foe Spring | My Beauty Tips For Spring

Hey!

Welcome to another blog post! Spring is coming into bloom via the clocks changing, flowers come into their season and many other things so I thought that today I would talk to you guys about some beauty tips for the spring as you never know what the weather will be like in Spring which can affect your skin in many ways!

Cleansers

This amazing beauty product can do so many great things for our skin but I think that we definitely all need to be using one when it comes to Spring because it can go from boiling to freezing within the space of 24 hours and your skin won't know what's going on. Cleansers will get rid of all the impurities that will happen from weather, change of diet and many other things. Garnier do some wonderful cleansers but I am mainly loving 2 cleansers at the moment.  Herbalism from Lush which contains Nettles, Rosemary and Rice Bran which sounds weird I know but they get at the skin to get rid of all the dirt and bad things that are in your skin. Herbalism has such a fresh scent which is great for Spring as scents such as fresh cut grass and herbs come into their trend. The second cleanser that I absolutely love is Honey & Propolis 2-in-1 Cream Cleanser from Bee Good. I love this cleanser from the smell alone. It's sweet but slightly fresh. I also love it due to the thick texture as it is a cream cleanser. This one gets rid of dirt and impurities like most cleansers do but it also exfoliates your skin without drying it out which I love!



SPF

Okay, yes it might be spring which means it might not be bright Summeresque weather that you find in a holiday brochure but the sun is still out no matter what so I would ensure that I have a beauty product that has some sort of good coverage SPF in just to ensure that your skin is in top form because it can be absolutely raining and there's still a chance that you can get sun damage! I would suggest two products from Kiehls. Ultra Facial Moisturizer SPF 30 which sinks into the skin quite quickly so it's great for those days where you want something but you don't have the time to wait for it to sink into the skin.


Toner: 

Toner's are mainly about balancing the skin. I know that a lot of people don't know what a toner is or decide not to use them but I think that toners are amazing for most skin types as they just make your skin that little bit more better. I've found that personally they help with things such as acne post eating lactose and for when my skin just feels a bit poop which happens quite a bit during Spring. The two that I will be focusing on are the Breath Of Fresh Air Toner Spray from Lush and Simple Kind To Skin Soothing Facial Toner. 




Lush's Breath Of Fresh Air Toner is amazing for several ways. First of all, it has a spray which means if you're not keen on cotton pads like me then you can use this without needing them. The spray also means that you can use this as a cooling mist if you get warm quickly. It's animal friendly which is another reason on why I think it is amazing. The other reasons include its scent and what the ingredients can do for your skin. To start off it contains Fairtrade Organic Aloe Vera Gel which soothes irritation and calms down redness. It also rehydrates the skin. Rose Absolute which helps soothe the skin again and Carrageenan extract which doesnt do much skin wise but it makes the texture of the product the way that it is so if you're looking for something soothing then I would suggest this. I love the Simple Toner due to it being kind to skin so its good for all skin types. It's alcohol free and just makes your skin feel amazing. It doesn't have all the fresh ingredients of Lush or the spray bottle but if you want something cheaper then I would suggest this!

Body Sorbets

No, I don't mean the fruit sorbets that you can eat like Ice cream! I mean body sorbets which are kind of like a gel version of a body butter which means that they are lighter and sink in more quickly compared to a body butter/think body moisturiser. They just save time and if the weather does get warm then there's less chance of anywhere being slippery from body butter. I love the Fuji Green Tea Sorbet from The Body Shop as it has such a bright yet light Spring scent which just makes you want to have a Japanese inspired Picnic in a picturesque field. They're easy to shove in a bag and are amazing to apply if frozen when the weather does end up being warm for that one day a year.


Have you tried any of the above? Do you have any staple beauty tips for Spring? Let me know down below!

I hope that you have enjoyed reading this blog post and I hope that you are enjoying Spring to the fullest!

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x 

Wednesday 22 March 2017

Jamie Spills The Tea | We Don't Get Cute, We Get Drop Dead Gorgeous | Haus Of Edwards

C'mon Jamie Spills The Tea, let's get sickening! We're back, back. back again!

Oops... 

Hey! 

Welcome back to another Jamie Spills The Tea. The series where I try to educate you all on people within the LGBT+ community. Today, I'm talking about the Haus Of Edwards if you didn't realise by the title or the catchphrases at the beginning of the post. 



Haus Of Edwards is a drag family that was formed together by RuPaul's Drag Race contestant, and winner of many gay pageants, Alyssa Edwards. From my recollection via Alyssa's web series via the WOWPresents YouTube Channel, Alyssa met her eldest drag daughter (Shangela) via a gay pageant. Alyssa also has four other members in her drag family. They are Vivenne Pinay also known as Miss Vivi, Laganja Estranga and Gia Gunn. All members of Haus Of Edwards are RuPaul's Drag Race alumni. 

As I mentioned above, Alyssa adopted her first daughter back in 2003 via when she needed a back up dancer for a pageant and ended up getting to know Shangela. After a while, Shangela admitted that she wanted to start performing in drag and the rest is history. Shangela is also an actor, comedian and reality television personality. 

Vivienne Pinay 

Alyssa met Vivi via the both of them being on the same season of Drag Race. Although Pinay was eliminated quite quickly from Drag Race, they both stayed in touch and now Vivienne splits their time via performing and helping Ms. Edwards out on her webshow 'Alyssa's Secrets'. Alyssa refers to them via many nicknames but the main one is Miss Vivi or Vivianna. Pinay means girl from the Philippines.  

Laganja Estranga

Laganja Estranga means The Strange Weed. Laganja became a member of the Haus Of Edwards via working at Alyssa's dance studio 'Beyond Belief'. Laganja admitted to Alyssa that they wanted to partake in drag and after some persuasion Alyssa slowly helped Laganja become who they are today. Except for their values on marijuana, Laganja is also known for being able to deathdrop and for their catchphrases that were shown in S6 of Drag Race such as 'C'mon Season 6, let's get sickening', 'Yes Gawd', 'I feel very attacked' and many others. Laganja now has several songs that you can listen to via Spotify/iTunes/other streaming services. 


Alyssa Edwards 

Back rolls? Beast! Always and forever, Alyssa Edwards... Alyssa is known for participating in S5 of Drag Race and S2 of Drag Race: All Stars. Alyssa found her way via gay pageants. She has won many of them and came up as a lovely alternate in some of them too. Alyssa is the mother of the Haus Of Edwards and is amazing. If you haven't watched Alyssa's Secrets then do so! 

Gia Gunn 

Gia is definitely an absolutely amazing person who loves their Tilapia but when it comes to the Haus Of Edwards, it feels a bit like shes that one Kardashian sister who's doing her own stuff most of the time so she seems like she doesn't fit the Kardashian ethos if you get what I'm babbling about? Gia can kill it with the dancing but it just feels a bit like that. I think that Gia is an absolutely fabulous person but I'd just like to see a bit more when it comes to the family. 

I am also going to include a performance by Haus Of Edwards in case you want to see them in action. Click here to watch it. 

I hope that you have enjoyed this Jamie Spills The Tea episode and I hope that you come back for another blog post.

Always and forever, 
Alyssa... 

Oops! 

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x

Monday 20 March 2017

Can You Keep A Secret When It Comes To Smelling Good | Secret Scent Box March Edition

Hi!

Welcome to another blog post! Today, I'm talking about colognes. The wonderful guys over at Secret Scent Box sent me their March box to try out so I thought that I would tell you guys all about it.

Secret Scent Box is a 30 day supply of 3 designer and brand name colognes that are delivered through your letterbox every month for just £15. SSB do a male and female box so everyone can be pleased.




Each monthly box contains things such as 3 x 3ml travel friendly fragrance sprays (9ml in total which might sound like such a scant amount but they do last you a month in total.) 3 x accompanying fragrance note cards which give you descriptions of each cologne such as base, mid and top notes. Designer and brand name fragrances therefore you learn about both ends of the cologne industry. They are also delivered in letterbox friendly packaging so if you're like me and you're not at home a lot due to being busy then you'll be fine as there is no need to be home to receive the boxes.



Now it's time to talk about the scents that I received.

Lacoste Eau de Lacoste L.12.12 Noir Eau de Toilette

A fragrance for every mood. This fragrance offers the feeling of a warm summer evening, underlining your elegant but casual appearance.

Top Notes: Watermelon
Mid Notes: French Lavender, Egyptian Basil
Base Notes: Dark Chocolate, Patchouli

This did remind me of a warm summers evening but I think it was due to the mixture of Egyptian Basil and Watermelon. The Watermelon wasn't as full on in my opinion and just added a cool sort of scent to it all. I was wondering about the Dark Chocolate and to this day I think that it just made the Patchouli a bit deeper when smelling it straight away. Something different but very Summery. I don't think I would have tried it due to the Dark Chocolate. 8/10. On offer for £25 for 50ml.


Paco Rabanne 1 Million Prive 

1 Million Prive becomes more intimate and insolently powerful. Its woody oriental trail is the reflection of serial seducers. More irresistible than ever.

Top Notes: Mandarin, Cinnamon
Mid Notes: Myrrh, Tobacco, Narguile Accord
Base Notes: Patchouli, Tonka Bean

I am already a little bit biased as I love anything by Paco Rabanne as I think they create scents that you don't really expect to be anywhere within the perfume/cologne industry. I love the mix of Patchouli and Tonka Bean as it creates a sort of sweet and spice combo that is to die for. Personally, I get mainly Tobacco when it comes to the mid but I think that the skin reacts different and so does the nose so you might get a completely different thing when you smell it. I also loved the little whiffs of Mandarin and Cinnamon, I love Cinnamon so when I could smell Cinnamon with an acidic kick on myself I was just loving it, 9.5/10. £41.95 for 50ml.


Ted Baker M

An understated fresh fragrance with a spicy blend of Black Pepper, Amber, Vetiver and Musk.

Top Notes: Tonka Bean, Musk, Vetiver
Mid Notes: Coriander, Amber
Base Notes: Fir Resin, Guaiac Wood

After the last few weeks, I have found out what Musk is made from so I'm already unsure with this one on the ethical side of things but that's just me but as I am reviewing it then I might as well as use it otherwise I can't tell you guys about it. I think with this one you instantly get the freshness from the Fir Resin. I think that the Coriander, Amber and Tonka Bean make up most of the scent for me to create that slightly sweet but fresh scent that this fragrance is evoking. I think that this fragrance would be best for between Spring and Summer as it fits both quite well via the Fir Resin and Vetiver. 9/10. £12 on offer from £19 for 30ml.


All in all I think the Secret Scent Box is an amazing concept as you get three completely different scents to try each month and it makes you try and maybe want to buy scents that you might have never done before such as the Lacoste and Ted Baker fragrances. I might have just walked past them when looking for a new fragrance but now that I know about them my scent palate has widen slightly and I'll now look at a few more fresh or different fragrances.

Have you tried any of the above scents? Do you have a favourite fragrance? Would you keep it a secret if someone asked you how you smelt so good if you were using the SSB? Let me know down below!

If you want to save 15% off your first box then enter JAMIESOWDEN15 at the checkout.

Thanks to the wonderful guys over at Secret Scent Box for sending me their March Box, I hope that you have liked this scent based post and I hope you come back on Wednesday for another blog post.

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x

The products mentioned in this post were sent in exchange of a post. All opinions and ramblings are my own. 

Friday 17 March 2017

Rey and Rufus T Shirt Review

Hey!

Welcome to another post. The wonderful guys over at Rey & Rufus sent me a wonderful tshirt over to review and take some pictures of. Sadly, I've been slightly ill so I've mainly done Instagram shots when possible.

Rey & Rufus sent me the wonderful 'Alpha' Unisex tee in White which has an amazing wonderful but different design on it. I love it instantly because it's so different and I think that it catches anyone that you walk past eye just like something that has a bright colour to it would.

When they sent me the tshirt, the first that I automatically thought of was the softness. Due to the item being made out of 100% ringspun Cotton, it felt so so so soft which made me feel amazing as I love it when clothes are ultra soft. I also think that if a top is ultra soft then it is an amazing pj/lounging top. It felt like a hug in wearable form.



I got mine in the largest size possible just so I knew that it covered my belly and such but doing so meant that I felt that I could get on the problems of my day and still kick butt in this clothing item as when they say a size they deliver on that and thats what I absolutely love in clothing business!

I think that this top goes well with everything but I love to wear it with anything that has a deep colour to ir such as dark jeans or a bold red shirt or a dark black hoodie. I just think that it makes the top pop and makes it just stand out that little bit more.



I would give this a good 9.8/10. There's nothing wrong with the tshirt even when it comes to things like prices but I just think that this brand needs a couple more designs and a lot more people to talk about them so their name is on everybody's lips.



If you want 10% off any of the Rey & Rufus products then use code JAMIE10 

Do you have a particular clothing item that you're loving at the moment? Let me know down below! 

There is a picture in this post containing myself that has a filter on top of it which consists of makeup and a septum piercing. This filter is via Snapchat.

I hope that you have enjoyed this little post. Don't forget to check Rey & Rufus out!

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x

This product was sent to me in exchange of a blog post. All views in this post are my own. 

The Festivals That I'm Looking Forward To This Year

Hey!

Welcome to another blog post! I thought that today I would talk to you guys about all of the festivals that I'm looking forward to. This doesn't necessarily mean going to but instead this means more seeing clips of or seeing people talk about the said festivals on social media and what not.

Live At Leeds Festival 

I know that Live At Leeds may not be the biggest festival compared to ones like Leeds Fest but Live At Leeds is still an amazing festival that happens around the May Bank Holiday. LAL is actually celebrating 10 years this year which is amazing in my eyes especially with an amazing line up Rag 'n' Bone Man, Nothing But Thieves, Slaves, Lewis Watson and many more. I hopefully will try and go and celebrate ten years of Live At Leeds in style but if I can't then I will definitely be seeing all of the amazing clips via social media. If you want to look at the full lineup or buy tickets for the festival next month then click here. I also wrote a post on last years Live At Leeds so if you want to read that then click here.



Slam Dunk Festival 

I went to Slam Dunk in Leeds last year and had such a blast so I can't wait to see what happens this year especially with a line up which includes Enter Shikari (who are celebrating 10 years of their debut album Take To The Skies, Bowling For Soup, Beartooth, Boston Manor, Neck Deep and many more. Slam Dunk is such a great festival for those who are into more alternative than mainstream music. I shall try and go to Slam Dunk if possible but I know that I can't wait to see the things on social media in the run up to the festival and on the day itself. If you want to look at the full lineup or buy tickets for the festival next month then click here.



Coachella Festival 

Coachella isn't in London I know but I always check the social media of this event and it always looks amazing so I definitely can't wait to watch the clips and see what goes down at Coachella. This years prestigious line up includes Lady Gaga Radiohead, Kendrick Lamar, Martin Garrix, Bastille, Two Door Cinema Club, Lorde, Tove Lo and many more. If you live in America and you can go to Coachella then please do and tweet me everything that happens over at @thejamiesowden.



Download Festival 

I've never done Download but I've always loved looking at all of the footage that has been shot at the festival and with this years lineup I'm lusting over the festival as a whole. The lineup includes Aerosmith, Biffy Clyro, System Of A Down, Five Finger Death Punch, Alter Bridge, Northlane, Alestorm, As It Is and many more. I'm going to be so jealous of anyone who goes. If you want to look at the full lineup or buy tickets for the festival next month then click here.



Are you going to any festivals? Are you going to any of the above? Let me know down below! 

I hope that this has put a slightly brighter step in your murky morning and I hope that it has made you feel slightly interested in looking at festivals this year. I hope that you come back next time for another post.

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x

This post isn't sponsored at all. It's just a post about some festivals rthat I love and hopefully you have a look at them as I feel that festivals especially smaller/alternative ones get a bad reputation. 

Wednesday 15 March 2017

Hoppity Hoppity Hop | Lush Easter Range 2017

Hey!

Welcome to another blog post! Today I am talking about Lush's new Easter range that came out last week. This is more of a first impressions than anything else as I went into the store to smell and demo everything out so I could get this up as soon as possible as I believe that having someone else's opinion on a full range may educate you and might help you when it comes to choosing products from Lush and if you're still stuck when you're iu a Lush store then you can always ask a staff member.

Bunch Of Carrots

I am starting off with the products that have came back from last year. Bunch Of Carrots is a reusable bubble bar that comes around every year to mark the beginning of the Easter season. You get three carrots in each bubble bar which means that you can get a good 4-5 baths out of each carrot. The price is £6.50 but you do get three carrots for that price. This product contains Buchu, Sicilian Lemon and Bergamot Oils which creates a deep zesty scent that runs throughout the whole of the Carrot/Snowman family so if you love any of the Snowman products that Lush have had out or love anything zesty and bright then I would definitely make sure that you try these out. The bubbles that this bar makes are so fluffy and light it makes you feel like you're an actual bunny living the high life! If you also love Alice In Wonderland then try these out as the colours and the bunch of carrots pays homage to Alice In Wonderland.



Golden Egg

I can not vouch enough for this product but I would warn that Golden Egg isn't for those who aren't the biggest fans of lustre. I love this bath product for many reasons from the scent to the fact that it is a bath bomb and melt in one./ As I mentioned, the scent is to die for as it is Bergamot and Brazilian Orange Oils which means that this is within the Scrubee/Honey I Washed The Kids/It's Raining Men family. This product also contains a lot of nourishing things such as Fairtrade Colombian Cocoa Butter, Almond Oil, and Fairtrade Olive Oil so if you have dry skin or need some moisture then you will love Golden Egg. I also think that its a great thing to use in case you're not keen on chocolate but you still want an egg shaped treat!



Which Came First?

Lush have finally decided to answer the infamous question and if you want to find the answer out then you better get one of these bath bombs. This bath bomb contains Grapefruit and Sicilian Lemon Oils and Vanilla Absolute. Personally, I think that the Vanilla is the main scent in this bomb but this is the beauty of having a nose things will smell different when it comes to individual people sniffing the product. It is a pricey bath bomb but you get three via cracking the egg open (which is 2/3) then theres a little bath bomb hiding inside the egg. It comes in two different colours. Priced at £6.95.



Chocolate Lip Scrub 

I love a good new lip scrub so when I heard that Lush were releasing a Chocolate Lip Scrub I knew that I had to try it. This lip scrub contains Dark Chocolate, Cocoa Absolute and Cocoa Powder which makes up the Chocolate in this product. The scrub also contains Sweet Orange and Tangerine Oils and Vanilla Absolute which when mixed with the triple chocolate mix creates a sweet Chocolate Orange flavour. The lip scrub base is Caster Sugar and Organic Jojoba Oil which give the lips a good exfoliation with a bit of moisture. I'd definitely try it out when you're next in a Lush store. Priced at £5.75.



Chick 'N' Mix

Chick N Mix has the same concept as Which Came First but this one comes apart via the head. You pull the head apart which becomes its own bomb, the bottom becomes another bomb and the little egg inside becomes another bomb. This bath product contains Labandium Resinoid (which is an animal friendly alternative to Musk), Tonka Absolute and Bergamot Oil which gives off a very sweet but deep scent. I think when you first sniff it you get a big hit of sweet Tonka Absolute but that's just my opinion. It also contains some Lustre and Vegan Dark Chocolate for the eyes on the bomb. Priced at £6.95.



Flopsy Face Wash Jelly

This is a brand new product for this year's Easter range. Flopsy is a cute rabbit that lathers up and becomes a face wash. I think that Flopsy reminds me of the angry rabbit filter from Snapchat. This lovely rabbit consists of Fresh Carrot Infusion, Buchu, Bergamot and Lemon Oils which gives the product a wonderful citrus scent, Kaolin which helps to cleanse and exfoliate, Almond Oil and Carageenan Extract which makes this a face jelly. Priced at £7.95 for 200g



Chocolate Easter Egg Soap

This soap as a whole is meant to look like a massive easter egg hence it's name. This soap has a base of Coconut and Rapeseed Oils which ensures that the soap is nourishing to the skin. This soap also contains Extra Virgin Coconut, Grapefruit and Sicilian Lemon Oils, Vanilla Absolute and Vegan White Chocolate. All of these ingredients give the product a creamy scent due to the Vegan White Chocolate and Vanilla Absolute but you get a subtle citrus hint from the Grapefruit and Sicilian Lemon. I think its great for when you want a soap that has a bit of citrus but isn't too bright that it's off putting in the Winter months. Priced at £4.20 per 120g.



Wash Behind Your Ears Shower Gel 

A shower gel at Easter at Lush?! This is a brand new item for 2017. This shower gel consists of Fresh Carrot Infusion, Neroli, Rose and Sunflower Oils and Jasmine Absolute which gives this product a sweet yet deep scent mixed with citrus. That sounds weird, I know, but the best way to sum it up is to mix Bunch Of Carrots or the Carrot Soap from a few years ago and mix with Prince Charming. I think the sweetness comes from the Rose Oil. I tried this in store and when sniffing it I'm not sure what to think but when having it on my skin I can tell why Lush have decided to put this in the range so I'd definitely recommend trying it in store if possible. Priced at £5.95 for 100g.



There you have it. The Lush Easter 2017 range that is available to everyone (there is a couple of online exclusives like the normal products reformulated into eggs but if you want to find out more about them then you can check out the Lush website here.

Have you tried anything from the Lush Easter 2017 range yet? Let me know down below!

I hope that you have enjoyed this blog post and I hope that you come back on Friday for another blog post. Please do go into your local Lush store and have a good sniff of their products.

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x 

A mixture of the photos in this post are via Lush and my own. The ones that are by Lush did not affect this post when it comes to opinions or views and this post has been created because I love Lush and want to promote their new range via my own back. 

Monday 13 March 2017

Having An American Dream In Asia | Bar Soba Leeds Spring Menu Review

Hey!

Welcome to another blog post! I was invited by the wonderful guys over at Bar Soba in Leeds to go and try a couple of their dishes from their new Spring menu. I obviously said yes, can I come now? So I thought that I would start your week off about talking to you about the wonderful establishment and their delicious dishes.

Long strips of Dark Brown Steak with White Sesame Seeds on topp with flecks of white, green and red. 

Myself and Luke started off weaving in and out of the commuters that were heading their way home via the city centre to make our way to Bar Soba. As it is a five minute walk from the heart of the city centre, it didnt take too long to find it. I placed Luke in front of the logo of the restaurant so I spent a good ten minutes trying to find it before stupidly realising that we were there all along.

We made our way up the stairs and sat in a wonderful little corner which had an amazing aztec design running on the wall that we were sat in front of. The manager (who I sadly couldn't remember the name of for my life) came and talked to us about the background of Bar Soba which is all about how Asia can influence anywhere in the world such as France (which they show via their Duck Confit inspired Curry), Thai (via their Thai fries) and even Yorkshire (via showing honest Asian dishes with a spin on them to the residents of Leeds.)

Black intricate designs with silver beams across it on a white background

An intricate Aztec design shaped as a diamond with a design of a white man at the side of it on a blue background.

White rectangular windows with beams across to make smakker windows in a row.

Dark blue seats in a row with tan long rectangular tables with various coloured accents on the walls with a white bar at the end. 

A rectangular blue poster with a woman with red lips on the front of it with white font saying Happy Hour and details about the offer on a tan background. 

White windows with darker beams to create smaller windows in a row with a dark beam, a silver glass circular chandelier and a pale orange lamp/


We then ordered two drinks, we also ordered some water just because it was weirdly warm to say that it is March. I ordered a Jangshi Zombie which contained Appleton's White Rum, Don Pappa Rum, Myers Dark Rum, Pineapple Juice, Papaya Juice, homemade Kaffir Lime leaf syrup, Lime and a Goslings 151 (Overproof Rum) float. Although the drink contains a lot of rum, you can't really taste all of the rum in the drink. You can tell that it has some alcohol in it but it doesn't instantly make you think that you're drinking a lot of Rum due to the fruit juices and syrup. I love the Kaffir Lime Leaf syrup as it adds a deep citrus hint to the drink. This drink instantly transports me to a night on a tropical island. Sadly you can only drink up to two of these.

A Zombie Cocktail consisting on Red and Pink liquid layers with white bubbles and half a purply black Passion Fruit in a clear tall glass and black straws on a black and slightly bright backgtound. 
A close up containing a clear glass, pink liquid, half a black Passionfruit and a black straw with white bubbles on a white background.

Luke ordered a Pineapple and Basilito. I had a sip of it and loved it but I love anything that has Pineapple in it. I'll link Luke's post at the bottom in case you want to read more about what he had. 

We had a look throughout the menu and instantly wanted everything. I was thinking of having items such as the Balinese Chicken Sate, Vegetable Gyoza Dumplings and Thai Red Duck Curry but we ended up ordering a plethora of interesting dishes.

A White rectangular menu with bold Red writing that says Street Food with chinese accents with Soba in a corner on a tan background. 

The small plates came and we decided to have the Cheeseburger Spring Rolls with a Spicy Ketchup and Mayo Dip and Crispy Shredded Shanghai Pork Geisha Buns with Apple and Spring Onion/.

The Cheeseburger Spring Rolls were definitely different but delicious at the same time. I would never put America and Asian food together but it works so well. The deep meat flavour mixed with slight sweetness from the pastry is so good. The dip was amazing as it had a slight Kimchi sort of feel to it. I can imagine people that have never tried Pan Asian food before loving this dish and I can definitely imagine myself going back to have a good cocktail or two with these and some good friends to chat with. I also tried the Geisha Buns. The dough of the bun was so soft and the filling was absolutely to die for. As I have said, Luke has more details on these.

Tan Spring Rolls with green leafy decoration with a white small circular bowl with white and red sauce on a black rectangular board on a white background.

Red sauce next to White Mayo in a white circular bown on a black board on a white background.

White Bao Buns with White Strips of Apple and White Circles of Spring Onion with Dark Brown Meat in a tan Bamboo steamer on a bright background.


We then ordered Teriyaki Beef Noodles and Buttermilk Fried Chicken Katsu Bun.

The Teriyaki Beef Noodles consisted of Seared Bavette Steak, Wok fried Hokkien Noodles, Asian Vegetables and a spiced Teriyaki sauce. I loved the Steak being thinnly sliced as I dont think having something that needs to be sliced up by your own knife and fork works so well with noodles. I think that it also added some texture against the soft noodles. I loved the addition of tender vegetables as it meant that you got a bit of crunch and a punch of freshness. I think that the sauce worked really well against the meat. The sauce does have a bit of heat so if you're not a massive fan of heat then this might not be for you. You might prefer something like the Katsu Bun but this is an amazing dish and the amount that you get is more than enough to fill any greedy person up including myself! I tried a tiny bit of Luke's dish as I was dying to try the Thai Fries! They were crispy with a warm edge. So good. The bun was so gorgeous it can't be summed up in words and this is coming from someone who is picky with their Chicken Burgers/Buns. If you want to find out more about what a Katsu Curry Bun includes then go and check Luke's post out when it goes up.

Long strips of Dark Brown Steak with White Sesame Seeds on topp with flecks of white, green and red. 

Strips of Dark Brown Steak with Flecks of Green Vegetables, White Spring Onion and White Noodles underneath in a black wide oval bowl on a white background.

Fried Yellow Fries with tiny speckles of Red in a black circular bowl on a light background.

We drank up and decided that it was time to say thank you to the wonderful staff that looked after us and waddle our way down the stairs and out of the building. I know that it doesn't sound like a lot of food but Bar Soba ensure that you're filled up with their portions so if someone had pushed me down the stairs I would have probably rolled.

Have you been to Bar Soba? Have you ever tried Pan Asian food? Let me know down below! 

Thanks again to the wonderful staff at Bar Soba who invited us to come along and try their food and thanks again for taking such good care of myself and Luke. I hope that you have enjoyed this post and the wonderful photos that I took. I hope that you come back next time for another post.

Thanks for reading! 
Jamie x

Saturday 11 March 2017

Selezione Wine Tasting At Veeno Wellington Place With Michelle

Hey!

I was invited a good few weeks ago to visit Veeno's new Wellington Place branch with myself, Luke and Michelle to try the Veeno Selezione wine tasting at the bloggers event that they were holding

Veeno, the Italian wine cafe, have a new bar in the new Wellington Place business park in Leeds City Centre. They already have one branch on Greek Street (which myself and Luke call Food District due to the amount of bars and restaurants that are around Greek Stret.) The Selezione experience includes 2 white wines, 1 rose wine, 2 red wines and 1 sweet dessert wine along with the matching authentic spuntini (appetizer platters) to match each wine with which includes a sweet treat with the sweet dessert wine.


The three of us walked from the train station to Veeno which didn't take too long as the Wellington Place bar is a slightly hidden gem but it is still in the city centre so you don't have to travel too far to get to this beautiful bar. You definitely know when you reach the excellent establishment as the building has a glass front but also has terrific twinkling lights in the window.

We arrived inside the vibrant Veeno and was lead to a table with high seated chairs and tables which I was uncomfortable on to start off with but as the night went on I got used to then towards the end my back started to ache due to having no support from the chair. A woman came up and asked us if we wanted anything to drink as none of us really knew what was going on we said no and waited for someone to come across and tell us how the night was going to go which happened a couple of minutes later.



We were told that we were going to be tasting five wines (2 red, 2 white and 1 rose) which would come with matching sputini (canapes to go along with them) and then we would be trying a sweet wine at the end of the night which would be matched with an Italian Tiramisu.

The first wine is the Timpune Sicani Grillo, a dry Sicilian White Wine. This is served with Mozzarella Di Buffala (Buffalo Mozzarella) with Lettuce and bread sticks. The mozzarella was delicious and was the perfect accompaniment to the wine. I do think that pairing it with Lettuce was a great idea to catch any milk that came from the Mozzarella but ours oozed milk out as soon as we bit into it which meant that the Lettuce wasn't really a vehicle after that first bite. This was my second favourite wine of the whole night. If you're not the biggest fan of wine then I think that you will still love this one.



The second Wine is the Corte Ferro Sicani Zibibbo, A White Wine that Cleopatra apparently drank! This is served with Pecorino in Grotta, (Sheeps Milk Cheese.) This was served with baked bread sticks. The food was delicious with a slight bitter edge/ I didn't mind this one but it was very sharp so I could only drink so much of it. Michelle thought this one was nice.




Number three! This one is the Tasari Syrah, the house Rose Wine. This is paired with Speck (Smoked Ham.) The rose wine was delicious and slightly rounded. I only drink Rose from time to time but I could definitely imagine drinking this and chatting away just like myself, Luke and Michelle were at Veeno. The ham was delicious especially with that smoky edge. (Sorry about none of the accents being on the e's.)




The fourth one is the Sachia Sicani Perricone, A Red Wine with Liquorice and Spices. This is served with Bresaola (Beef) with warm slices of Bread. I loved the Bresaola as it was tender yet slightly chewy and sweet but savoury. It sounds so weird but it was amazing because it covered all aspects of what you want in a good piece of cured Meat. I do love a good tender piece of cured Meat. I liked this Wine because it was so different but I couldn't finish the glass as the Liquorice gave it such a rich flavour so I gave the rest to Michelle who loved it! (There's no pictures for this one as we were having too much fun!)

Fifth stop on the Wine train! This stop is the Cutaja Le Selezione Nero d’Avila Riserva. A rich Red Wine served with Gorgonzola cheese on small Crackers. I loved this one. The slight sweet Red Wine paired with the slightly bitter/salty Gorgonzola beautifully and I just loved this one.



Stopping for the last time! This Wine is the Tagos Grillo. This one is a sweet dessert wine. This is served with homemade Tiramisu. This was my first time trying a sweet wine so I wasn't sure what to expect but it was lovely! I was also trying Tiramisu for the first time and I want it all right now whilst I'm writing this please! Tiramisu means pick me up and this Tiramisu can pick me up any day of the week. It was just delicious!




Do you have a favourite wine? Let me know down below! 

There you have it, my opinions on the wine and food that myself and Michelle tried at Veeno Leeds - Wellington Place. Luke is doing his own post about the wine tasting so check it here when it goes up. Thank you to Michelle for taking the photos and joining us for the wine tasting. Thanks to the staff at Veeno Wellington Place for inviting us and putting on an amazing night.

Thanks for reading!
Jamie x