If you’re a foodie and you’ve eaten in a lot of Japanese restaurants you definitely will have tried these Octopus Takoyaki balls. While you can make the takoyaki balls from scratch, we don’t think it’s worth it unless you’re making large quantities and quite regularly. To make the balls from scratch you need to cook the octopus, make the batter, cook it using a special single purpose pan and it can be quite messy. You can buy the frozen takoyaki balls from Oriental/ Japanese supermarkets, which you reheat either microwaving deep frying or popping them into the air fryer. Ingredients 1 Bag Frozen Octopus Takoyaki One bottle of Kewpie mayonnaise One bottle of Takoyaki sauce Bonito Flakes Shichimi Togarashi Sansho Pepper Nori, cut into fine julienne Method Heat up the Takoyaki balls by which of a method that you choose as per packet guidelines. Cover the hot ball with the Takoyaki sauce and the kewpie mayonnaise. Sprinkle with the Shichimi powder and sansho pepper Finish with some Bonito flakes and the Nori Julienne and enjoy If you'd rather have an experienced chef cook for you, then contact us now. Fill in the form with a few event details and we'll get back to you to discuss a sample menu & put together a quote.

In this post, we'll go over a quick & easy recipe to make delicious Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwiches. So, if you want to make a Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwich, you'll need a few specialist items, but most items can be found in any supermarket. While you can make the bread yourself, and there is a slight difference in the traditional bread making to a regular baguette, we'd definitely reccomend you buy a pre-baked or bake at home baguette from a local supermarket. Where's this Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwich recipe at then? Ingredients (makes 2 sandwiches) 2 Small Baguette-style bread 2x Pork Loin Chops 50g Thai Oyster Sauce 2x Teaspoons Jimmy's Sate Marinade 75g Water 50g Distilled Malt Vinegar 25g Caster Sugar 2x Red Chillis 1x Carrot, sliced thinly into Julienne 1x Pickled Mouli, sliced into Julienne (available from Oriental stores) 20g Coriander 1/3rd Cucumber 1x Pack Smooth Pate Method Warm & crisp the bread up in the oven or air fryer. Meanwhile, marinade the pork loins with the oyster sauce & sate marinade & drizzle with some oil. Roast in air fryer on 200 degrees Celsius for around 15 minutes until coloured & cooked through. Boil the water, distilled malt vinegar & caster sugar. Add the julienne carrots into the boiling liquid and switch off the heat after 15 seconds. Cut the bread in half horizontally & spread with the pate. Slice the cooked pork loin steaks and spread between the sandwiches. Add the pickled vegetables, cucumber & coriander. Finely chop the red chillis and add to taste. Enjoy! What are Vietnamese Banh Mi sandiwches? Banh Mi are one of our favourite sandwiches. With delicious Asian flavours, rich meat balanced with fresh vegetables & pickles, they're a real crowd pleaser and always go down well. Originally coming from Vietnam, they're a fusion of the culture of French bread baking left by the French colonial days with some Asian flavours, techniques and ingredients. They're most commonly made with pork, often using marinated fresh pork, luncheon meat or spam. The bread is also often spread with pate. They're then often filled with pickled carrots & mouli, cucumber & coriander. Where do Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwiches come from originally? These tasty sandwiches originally became popular in Saigon, now known as Ho Chi Minh City, South Vietnam. They're popularity spread around the world after the Vietnam War. Where can I try a Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwich? If you're looking for one of the best Banh Mi sandwich joints in London, then read our guide here. They're popular all over the world, especially in larger cities with any Vietnamese population. If you've enjoyed this recipe, please share & follow us on social media so we can continue to make more of them :). Thanks!

Banh Mi are one of our favourite sandwiches. With delicious Asian flavours, rich meat balanced with fresh vegetables & pickles, they're a real crowd pleaser and always go down well. Originally coming from Vietnam, they're a fusion of the culture of French bread baking left by the French colonial days with some Asian flavours, techniques and ingredients. They're most commonly made with pork, often using marinated fresh pork, luncheon meat or spam. The bread is also often spread with pate. They're then often filled with pickled carrots & mouli, cucumber & coriander. Banh Mi Keu, Soho If you're in the West End, then Banh Mi Keu is definitely the place to go. There's seating available inside as well as more substantial meals, broths & rice bowls available. The classic Banh Mi are always delicious & prepared fresh to order, so the bread is always warm and crunchy & the fillings are always delicious. Banh Mi Hoi An, Hackney If you're based in East London, then be sure to check out Banh Mi Hoi An. Banh Mi Bay, Holborn If you're in the Holborn area, Banh Mi Bay is well worth a visit. They serve Banh Mi as well as more substantial Vietnamese dishes, summer rolls etc. Banh Mi Keu, Shoreditch & City of London Branches If you're in Shoreditch or the City of London, then you'll find alternative branches of Keu Banh Mi. We really think their Banh Mi are some of the best in London (and easily as good as the ones we've eaten in Vietnam!) so would recommend anyone to try. Hire a private chef from Yuzu Private Dining We are a private chef & event catering business & we also love Banh Mi! If you don't have time to get to any of the locations or are hosting a special event, you could always hire one of our private chefs to come to your home or office & cook some Banh Mi for you. We're a small boutique agency, working with a small number of Michelin-background private chefs to host corporate functions, canape parties, intimate luxury weddings and bespoke catered events. If you're a Banh Mi fan, contact us now to schedule an initial consultation and price estimate.

If you're planning on visiting the Cotswolds, you might be wondering which towns and villages you should visit on your trip. Read on below to find some of our local tips. Where are the Cotswolds? The Cotswolds is a region of England in the South West. It is the country's largest area of natural beauty (AONB) & covers 800 square miles across Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Somerset & Wiltshire. It's mostly farmland, and is an ideal retreat from anyone working in London, Bristol or Birmingham as it's only 1-2 hours by train or car from any of these. Nearby towns include Bath, Banbury, Oxford & Cheltenham. What are the best towns & villages to visit in the North Cotswolds? The North Cotswolds are home to many pretty old villages, many dating back to the 17th Century. Here's some of our favourites. Cirencester Broadway Stow-on-the-Wold Bourton-on-the-Water Chipping Camden Stanton Snowshill What are the best places to visit in the South Cotswolds? The southern end of the Cotswolds is located close to Bath & contains many beautiful villages as well as Westonbirt Arboretum, which unmissable if you're visiting in the Autumn as you'll get to see the trees in their amazing changing colours. Badminton Westonbirt Castle Combe Kemble Lacock Nympsfield Tetbury What are the best places to visit in the Cotswolds with dogs? The Cotswolds is a great location to visit with dogs. With plenty of footpaths, streams & woods for them to exercise, there's really not any area of the Cotswolds that isn't dog friendly & most pubs will be more than happy for you to bring your dog with you. Just keep in mind that dogs can harm livestock & animals so keep them on a lead where appropriate. What are the best places to visit in the Cotswolds in Summer? The summer in the Cotswolds will be the best time to visit most locations, with better chances of good weather to get outside & explore. Some of the more popular villages like Broadway & Bourton-on-the-Water can get really busy & a bit overcrowded in summer, so it might be worth visiting one of the lesser known villages, which are still well worth a visit! What are the best places to visit in the Cotswolds in Winter? In the winter the Cotswolds will be a lot quieter, with reduced tourists on foot & in their cars on the small roads. Blenheim Palace at Christmas could be a good choice, with a Winter festival taking place, or a winter walk up to Broadway Tower.

What is Chaat? Chaat refers to a family of snack items, popular in India and often served from street stalls. Some popular examples of chaat are pani puri, dahi puri & kachori chaat. What are Kachori? Kachori are deep fried, flaky pastries originating from Rajasthan. They're stuffed with a slightly spiced moong dal mixture, which gives them their flavour and seasoning. What is Khasta Kachori Chaat? Khasta Kachori chaat refers to a dish made from Kachori chaat. The kachori are hollowed out, stuffed with a potato and lentil mixture and coated in sweet yoghurt, tamarind chutney & green chutney. Some Kashmiri red chilli powder, pomegranate, chaat masala & crunchy sev might also be added for some colour and texture. What is Kachori Chaat made from? Kachori chaat is made from all-purpose plain flour, often known as maida. The filling is made from spiced lentils, with dry mango powder (amchoor), Kashmiri chilli powder. Where can I eat Kachori Chaat? If you're looking to find Kachori Chaat in the UK, hiring one of our Indian private chefs is one option. It's bit of a specialist niche so isn't easy to find in a restaurant. Who does the best Kachori Chaat in London? One of our professional private Indian & Gujarati chefs can make you the best Kachori Chaat in London. With decades of experience cooking in private estates & restaurant, they will be able to deliver a memorable experience. Are Kachori Chaat vegetarian? Kachori Chaat are totally vegetarian, as is a lot of Indian street food. There's a huge number of vegetarians in India, so they have a highly developed cuisine revolving around vegetarian food & Khasta Kachori Chaat are one of those vegetarian dishes.

The Cotswolds is one of England's most popular locations to visit in the summer. If you're visiting from London or further afield, then read on to discover some of the Cotswolds best AirBNBs that are available to rent in this area of the UK. The Cotswolds is home to some charming properties, including some available on AirBNB In this post we'll share some of our favourite AirBNBs in the Cotswold district, all of which are suitable for hiring one of Michelin trained private chefs. What is the best AirBNB rental in the Cotswolds? Bolthole Retreats, Cotswold Water Park Hoo Cottage, Chipping Camden Barn in Barton-on-the-Heath The Little Barn, Lower Slaughter Barn Conversion, Leigherton How much does it cost to hire an AirBNB in the Cotswolds? Hiring an AirBNB in the Cotswolds will vary significantly depending on the time of years, the size of the property & the location of the property. For a larger house with some good facilities for a special occasion or family holiday, you could expect to pay from £100 per night upwards, with some of the top properties, costing from £250 per night. How much is a private chef per day in the Cotswolds? The Cotswolds is a great location to hire a private chef, with restaurants & country pubs often being far away from your accommodation. If you book a private chef on a day rate with Yuzu Private Dining, you can expect to pay from £250 per day, depending on the chef's experience, proximity to the venue & the expectations of the booking. This can often work out cheaper than going to a restaurant once you factor in travel costs, childcare etc. so can be an economical choice if you're in a group. If you're looking to host a multi day event or larger party or wedding, then contact us to discuss an estimate. Can I hire a chef to come to my house in the Cotswolds? You can always hire a private chef to come to your house in the Cotswolds if you're a local or second home owner. Our private chefs have extensive experience in all types of kitchens, from commercial restaurant kitchens to private estates & domestic kitchens, so are able to adapt to any surroundings. We'll just need some confirmation from you that there's some equipment & crockery in place, otherwise we'll need to charge a rental fee. What are the best towns & villages to stay in the Cotswolds? Bourton on the Water Tetbury Bibury Broadway Lower & Upper Slaughter Castle Combe

If you're thinking about booking a corporate event, you might be wondering which types of events are tax deductible. Is a company Christmas party tax deductible? Accounting firm BDO have published a handy guide detailing what corporate events can be tax deductible. In short, there are few rules about what can be claimed & the amount per employee. It's important that you don't spend over 150 per employee. This is considered a threshold, not an allowance, so if the amount is over by 2 per employee, that means that the whole amount cannot be claimed back against your company's annual tax bill. It's also important that the event is available to all members of staff. Will hosting a corporate event mean we pay less corporation tax? If you're able to stick within HMRC's guidance on annual parties, then your company will pay less corporation tax. Claiming your annual corporate event, summer retreat or Christmas party will mean that there is a lower amount of taxable profit on which to pay corporation tax. What are the other benefits of corporate catering events? Hosting a corporate event or staff party can be a massive morale booster & improve your team's working relationships. This might mean greater productivity & teamwork in future and can lead to greater employee retention & morale in your team. Are there any limits on how much we can spend? HMRC's website tells us that you can spend up to £150 + VAT per head on your annual company Christmas or Summer party. The party must be open to all employees to be tax deductible. Is client entertaining tax deductible? Entertaining clients is specifically not considered tax deductible by HMRC. This means it's important to confirm that your corporate event or Christmas party is not considered to be entertaining, or you might end up with an unexpected tax bill. Summary If you're not 100% sure, check with your accountant to confirm if you're able to write off your annual or Christmas party against your business tax bill. If you're thinking about hosting a Christmas party, then contact us now. We'll put together a sample quote & an estimate of the cost involved.

Wondering where to get the best Vada Pav (Pao) in London? If you're an Indian street food lover, you'll be sure to enjoy Vada Pao. Read on below to find out some of our top recommendation of where to eat Vada Pao in London in 2024. What is Vada Pav (Pao)? Vada Pao are a popular Indian street food snack from Maharashtra state. The vada or wada is made from mashed potatoes, flavoured with chilli, curry leaves, mustard seeds rolled into a ball and fried in a batter. This is served in a soft fluffy roll with green chutney and spicy garlic chutney. Where can I get the best Vada Pao in London? If you're looking for some of the best Vada Pao in London, there's many different options available. Hire an Indian private chef from Yuzu Private Dining. Shree Krishna Vada Pav, available Harrow & Wealdstone, Hounslow Dishoom, multiple sites in London & Edinburgh. Where can I find Vada Pav near me? If you're in the London area, you can be sure to find some Vada Pav near your location. Both Dishoom &Shree Krishna Vada Pav have multiple sites across the city. What goes well with Vada Pav? Vada pav can be quite spicy so it can be worth having something cooling to drink with it. It's normally served with all the necessary accompaniments, like green & garlic chutneys, diced onions & lemons, so you shouldn't need to order any other accompaniments. What is Misal Pav? Misal Pav is a similar dish, closer to Pav Bhaji. It's a toasted white bread with a curry made from moth bean sprouts. This is topped with farsan or nylon sev, onions, lemon & coriander. You can check out a great recipe for Misal Pav on Dassana's Veg Recipes.

Where can I find authentic Chole Bhature in London? Another super popular Indian street food, Chole ( or Chana) Bhature is a saucy chickpea curry, with a fried Bhature bread, made with self raising maida (wheat flour). Originally from the northern area of India, it is often eaten as a breakfast dish or as a quick lunch from a street vendor. The curry is a tangy & saucy vegetarian curry made from chickpeas Where can I get the best Chole Bhature in London? Where can I try it? If you're looking to find the best Chole Bhature in London, here's some of our favourite options you could try; Dishoom , multiple sites in London & also availble in Edinburgh Attawa , London Bombay Bustle , Mayfair Taste of India , if you're looking for a pure vegetarian restaurant, this would be the one for you Yuzu Private Dining , book a private chef to come and cook it for you in your home. If you love Indian food, contact Yuzu Private Dining and we can book you an experienced private Indian chef, who specialises in cooking Indian Street Food. Can I make myself Chole Bhature? If you're a confident cook, you could always make it yourself. You could pickup all your supplies in Southall's Indian grocery shops, where'll you'll easily be able to find all the ingredients. We'd recommend you try VB & Sons , with shops in Harrow & Kingsbury or Quality Foods  in Southall. Chole Bhature Recipe If you're looking for a recipe for Chole Bhature, then 2 of my favourite websites for Indian cooking have great recipes. You can follow the link to them below; Dassana's Veg Recipes Swasthi's Recipes

Thinking about booking a private chef in London? Read on for guide to some of the available services Booking a private chef in London can be a minefield with a wide variety in the price and quality of the chefs available. There's a wide range of quality and it there's no real upper limit to what you could spend if you so chose to. In this post, we'll quickly go over some of the available services and what you can expect from them. When hiring a chef for the perfect at home celebration, AirBNB booking or in a private household or residence, you want to make sure you are hiring a professional with a wealth of experience. Other factors that are of critical importance are the ease of booking, ability to communicate directly with the chef, the quality of the food & the sourcing of the ingredients from their local area. 1. Yuzu Private Dining Using a small private chef agency means you can book a totally bespoke experience, and you are free to make suggestions & prepare a detailed brief for us, which we will discuss in our initial booking enquiry consultation. As a small company run by former colleagues and with minimal overheads, we're able to be more flexible & responsive to our customers than larger companies & booking platforms. We're also able to ensure our chefs are able to earn a fair wage (something famously difficult for chefs to get even in this day and age). At Yuzu Private Dining, we pride ourselves on providing a bespoke service to discerning clients, only providing chefs with a Michelin Star professional background & who have completed a DBS check. We're experienced in creating bespoke initimate weddings, canape parties & dinner party celebrations, as well as multi-day private chef bookings, whether that's over Christmas for an at home celebration, AirBNB booking or in a private household or residence, you want to make sure you are hiring a professional with a wealth of experience. 2. Yhangry Yhangry is a relatively new startup, having been founded in 2019 by 2 former finance professionals in London & having been featured on Dragon's Den. It's essentially a large booking platform with many chefs who are setup their own profiles & do their own menus while the platform take a large commission from the chefs. As such, the quality can vary drastically, and you can never be too sure that you'll be hiring a chef with an extensive professional background. 3. Take a Chef Take a Chef is a large company, founded in Madrid in 2012. It works in a similar way to Yhangry, as a self-managed marketplace to book a chef, taking a significant commission from the chefs available budget for materials & to earn a living. 4. La Belle assiette Once a popular private chef booking platform, it seems in 2024 that La Belle Assiette has no gone bankrupt. Their website states they are no longer taking bookings. 5. DineIndulge Dineindulge is a British company founded in Bristol by former chefs & caterers from the industry. They are available to book far & wide, accepting bookings in multiple countries and in all regions of the UK. They typically outsource their work to "self-employed" chefs with minimal background checks & professional vetting. These chefs aren't given the opportunity to create their own menus so there's limited scope for receiving a bespoke service as per the client's requirements or requests. The menus don't seem to change very often, so once you've had it once there really doesn't seem to be much reason to use them a second time. They've now branched out into meal prep services as well as these fixed menu offerings, so might be good for this if that's something you'd be looking for. Conclusion There's many ways to book a private chef in London in 2024. With many chefs having left the restaurant trade post COVID & the hospitality industry in dire straights, many talented chefs are now available to take on this kind of work & draw on their extensive previous experience in professional settings to cook directly for customers in their homes, private households & for holiday lets. Whatever choice you decide to make, you won't regret hiring a chef to cook in your home if you make an informed decision.

Thinking about booking a private chef in the Cotswolds? Read our guide to some of the available services Booking a private chef in The Cotswolds can be a minefield with a wide variety in the price and quality of the chefs available. In this post, we'll quickly go over some of the available services and what you can expect from them. When hiring a chef for the perfect at home celebration, AirBNB booking or in a countryside retreat in an idyllic Scottish castle, you want to make sure you are hiring a professional with a wealth of experience. Other factors that are of critical importance are the ease of booking, ability to communicate directly with the chef, the quality of the food & the sourcing of the ingredients from their local area. 1. Yuzu Private Dining Using a small private chef agency means you can book a totally bespoke experience, and you are free to make suggestions & prepare a detailed brief for us, which we will discuss in our initial booking enquiry consultation. As a small company run by former colleagues and with minimal overheads, we're able to be more flexible & responsive to our customers than larger companies & booking platforms. We're also able to ensure our chefs are able to earn a fair wage (something famously difficult for chefs to get even in this day and age). At Yuzu Private Dining, we pride ourselves on providing a bespoke service to discerning clients, only providing chefs with a Michelin Star professional background & who have completed a DBS check. We're experienced in creating bespoke initimate weddings, canape parties & dinner party celebrations, as well as multi-day private chef bookings, whether that's over Christmas or when staying in a holiday let, shooting estate or in a country estate. 2. Yhangry Yhangry is a relatively new startup, having been founded in 2019 by 2 former finance professionals in London & having been featured on Dragon's Den. It's essentially a large booking platform with many chefs who are setup their own profiles & do their own menus while the platform take a large commission from the chefs. As such, the quality can vary drastically, and you can never be too sure that you'll be hiring a chef with an extensive professional background. 3. Take a Chef Take a Chef is a large company, founded in Madrid in 2012. It works in a similar way to Yhangry, as a self-managed marketplace to book a chef, taking a significant commission from the chefs available budget for materials & to earn a living. 4. La Belle assiette Once a popular private chef booking platform, it seems in 2024 that La Belle Assiette has no gone bankrupt. Their website states they are no longer taking bookings. 5. DineIndulge Dineindulge is a British company founded in Bristol by former chefs & caterers from the industry. They are available to book far & wide, accepting bookings in multiple countries and in all regions of the UK. They typically outsource their work to "self-employed" chefs with minimal background checks & professional vetting. These chefs aren't given the opportunity to create their own menus so there's limited scope for receiving a bespoke service as per the client's requirements or requests. The menus don't seem to change very often, so once you've had it once there really doesn't seem to be much reason to use them a second time. They've now branched out into meal prep services as well as these fixed menu offerings, so might be good for this if that's something you'd be looking for. Conclusion There's many ways to book a private chef in the Cotswolds in 2024. With many chefs having left the restaurant trade post COVID & the hospitality industry in dire straights, many talented chefs are now available to take on this kind of work & draw on their extensive previous experience in professional settings to cook directly for customers in their homes, private households & for holiday lets. Whatever choice you decide to make, you won't regret hiring a chef to cook in your home if you make an informed decision.

If you're planning a trip to Borough Market and wondering what to eat, read on here Borough Market is deservedly popular, both with tourists and locals. While there's no denying that it can get too busy at peak times, there's definitely some great places to eat. 1. The Ginger Pig The Ginger Pig, other than being an excellent retail butchery, sell some outstanding sausage rolls. We went for the leek & Stilton, but I'm pretty sure you won't be able to go wrong with any choice. The Scotch Eggs also look pretty bang on, although I haven't personally tried one. 2. Brindisa Chorizo Roll Brindisa's Chorizo rolls have been a long standing favourite of mine (and many others) for years. Consisting of a grilled cooking chorizo, some sweet and juicy piquillo pepper & rocket leaves in a warm toasted bread, it ticks all the boxes. I've probably eaten more than 10 of them in my life, but keep coming back as they're good value, filling & totally delicious. 3. Bread Ahead Doughnuts Bread Aheads doughnuts are extremely popular, if you go on a Saturday morning about half the people you'll see will be carrying a bright blue box from Bread Ahead's doughnut stall. I actually enjoyed the honeycomb more than the viral crème brûlée doughnut, but pick any one and you're bound to enjoy. 4. Oysters & Prosecco at Dorset Oyster Bar I adore Oysters (once I eventually got into them properly) and being able to just grab a couple with a glass of Prosecco without it costing a fortune is an absolute treat. 5. Raclette at Kappacaesin Raclette is good anywhere, but it's generally pretty hard to find outside of the French Alps. If you don't fancy going all that way, you can just pop down to Kappacaesin and have their excellent Raclette with delicious hot cheese, potatoes & cornichons.