Down From London in Brighton

I was visiting my Brighton-born friend Vicky in her territory yesterday, and finally got around to taking some food snaps. There are so many amazing food places to choose from, from all around the world and catering for every dietary requirement, and in particular has a great variety of choice for vegans and vegetarians. Cliché as it sounds, there really is something for everyone in Brighton when it comes to food.

In the three times I've visited my friend in Brighton, we've always started off the day in the same way: by having a cup of coffee at The Coffee Counter.

This place is pretty much the height of hipster cool. A tiny place tucked out of the way and surrounded by arty things for sale, books to read, games to play (including an old Atari), and really good coffee, cakes and treats (including gorgeous vegan sweet treats that you wouldn't even guess were vegan if you tasted them).

For lunch, we went to a little Korean restaurant called Namul. Look at the cute bunny!

Their main speciality is bibimbap: a rice bowl with various toppings of your choice, for example bulgogi (marinated grilled beef), kimchee and veggies. When you opt for bibimbap, you choose the type of rice you want (I chose black sticky rice), the fillings, and the sauce.

I promise, it was beautifully presented when it came to the table: each colourful section placed in its own section. Alas, I was so hungry and eager to get stuck in I mixed it a little before remembering to take a picture! I'm more used to it in the Malay dessert pulut hitam, but it was lovely in savoury bibimbap too. Here's a pic of the black rice up close: it looks black when uncooked, but turns a lovely deep purple colour:

Later on, we had cream tea at Blackbird Tea Rooms. The inside is a real treat in itself: just the right amount of retro kitsch and shabby chic.

The real treat though, was the cream tea itself. The scones were generously sized, with a fluffy but satisfying texture, and served with clotted cream and raspberry jam.

Phoar.

They also had some very, very tempting-looking cakes, and of course a full afternoon tea on offer.

I didn't take many pictures of this next place, the Twisted Lemon (or as I keep mistakenly calling it, the 'spinny lemon'), but it's definitely worth a mention as a pretty awesome cocktail place. They have a great menu, and really seem to know their stuff. I had a cocktail called a killer zombie: as I remember it, it had Captain Morgan Rum, spiced rum (can't remember which label), pineapple, orange and pomegranate juice, and it was garnished with lime, a brown sugar cube and SET ON FIRE. I wish I took a picture of it when it was aflame, but I was too entranced (it didn't mention being set on fire on the menu, so I got a nice surprise).

I ate the sugar cube before taking the picture. It had been soaked in rum, set on fire and caramelised. Of course I was going to eat it straight away.