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Thursday 29 November 2012

Michelin Star Restaurant 'il Palagio' at the Four Seasons Hotel, Florence

On the exact day of our 10 year anniversary, we wanted to do something very special. Before we went away to Florence, I took the liberty of reserving my husband and I a table at the exquisite Michelin Star Restaurant ‘il Palagio’.

The Restaurant is set within the luxury Four Seasons Hotel in Florence, where the waiters set aside this wonderful table away from other diners in a beautiful part of the restaurant. 

The hotel itself is located in a former convent and the Renaissance architecture and grounds are nothing short of a fairy tale and spectacularly luxurious. Their attention to detail and service is impeccable and they carefully decorated our table with rose petals which created a beautiful romantic ambiance to the occasion. As we sat down to our table, the waiter swiftly placed a delicate foot stall for me to place my bag and coat. Outstanding service!

They took such special care of us, providing us with a personal waiter, Davide, who would wait patiently nearby to serve us as though we were royalty. Towards the end of the evening, Davide had arranged for us a fabulous anniversary chocolate cake lit with a single candle which was such a sweet and thoughtful touch ♥

Davide even waited for us to blow out our candle before whisking it away to be cut and served to us for dessert. We took absolutely ages to blow out the candle as we were too busy taking pictures of it and enjoying the moment! Davide was so sweet and patient and he fully appreciated our special occasion.

For dinner, we went for the tasting menu which gave us a chance to sample many dishes the Michelin chef created. At 95 Euros per head, this was certainly a luxury treat to mark such a special occasion. It was truly an unforgettable experience and the quality and service made the price utterly justifiable.











A course they served before the tasting menu began. Unfortunately, I do not remember what it is! Tasted like mushroom pate with a cheese sauce



Crabmeat tian with ricotta cheese and roe mullet



Another course they served before the first course. Mozorella cheese with cherry tomatoes. The cheese looks like ice cream =^^=


Cautarogni pasta with pheasant ragout and porcini mushrooms


Roasted Wild Sea Bass Fillet with Crushed Tomatoes Confit and Artichokes


Roasted venison with chestnut and pear ‘acquavite’ from Caporilla






San Rossore pine nuts ‘mattonella’ parfait with Vin Santo wine zabajone & our chocolate anniversary cake! ♥




Coffee and friandises


Selection of refined cheeses with a fine selection of wine














We hope you enjoyed our ‘dining experience’ with us and gives you a reason to try out Michelin Star food. We still love steak 'n' chips and dining in 'normal' eateries. This was a special treat to ourselves :)

Lots of Love, Jen xoxo

Monday 26 November 2012

10年爱情 ~ 10 Year Anniversary



Kevin and I recently celebrated our 10 year relationship (& 6 months of marriage) and it is truly a remarkable milestone for us.

To mark and remember this momentous time of our lives, we decided to take a romantic trip away to Tuscany, in Italy, Florence, where we embedded memories into our hearts and minds. Italy holds an extremely fond place in my heart as Kevin proposed to me in Rome. So it is no wonder we always jump at the chance of visiting Italy whenever we can.

Florence is a wonderful and historical city, where we wandered some of the oldest streets in the city, sampled some of the finest home-made gelato, visited historic and symbolic landmarks and seen fantastic architecture all throughout the city. It is absolutely breathtaking, even for the individual who doesn't have an appreciation for amazing Renaissance era architecture will appreciate it the moment they see it.

And then there is the food. The food is amazing because you taste the natural flavours without it being overpowered by spices. Kev and I enjoyed the most amazing steak which was cooked on a smoked chargrill BBQ we ever had in our lives (seriously!) and it is fair to say that the Florentine's really know how to cook a steak! Needless to say, we had so much fun in Florence and we cannot wait to return in the near distant future.

Anyhooo, I wanted to share some pictures of our holiday with you as I want you to have a glimpse of what Kev and I were fortunately enough to see..


Sneaky shot of the original 'David’ by Michelangelo housed in the Academia Gallery in Firenze

The Baptistery Doors aka Battistero di San Giovanni

A few samples of beautiful and Intricate Renaissance Art and Sculptures in Piazza Della Signoria Main Square



The Duomo, the Cathedral of Santa Maria Del Foire is the main church of Florence


View from Ponte Vecchio

Kev and I at the Ponte Vecchio Bridge

Panoramic view of Piazzale Michaelangelo


On our way to Chianti, an area in Tuscany..it is considered one of the most beautiful regions and is well known for its wine



We were lucky enough to sample a few of Chianti’s finest red wines

Cannot go to Italy and not sample the fresh extra virgin olive oil..!

Good for the heart, skin and also anti-aging!

Platter of Italian meats and sausages


Florentine Steak – BEST EVER! Cooked on charcoal

A vast selection of fine mushroom truffles, pasta and sweets. We also sampled a Gorgonzola cheese with prosciutto ham pancake...yum!


I hope you enjoyed snippets of our pictures!

More to come in future posts

Feel free to send me a link of any of your romantic holidays away that you'd like to share!

I love to read them!

Jen xoxo

Monday 29 October 2012

Casual Glitz

Hello my lovelies! After a casual night out with some friends, I quickly asked my husband to snap a few pics of me as soon as I stepped through the door. I received so many lovely compliments wearing this coat that I had to share with you my fabulous recent purchase.

The jacket oozes glamour without being too over the top, yet you can pair it with simple Tee and Jeans to really dress down the look yet appear effortlessly made up. The sequins really helps jazz up a plain and simple outfit. I love the hard military edge against the feminine features of the jacket.

I think my ceiling spotlights just emphasizes the spectacular sequins a way too much in the photos but nonetheless, it is a sexy coat and I absolutely love it!

Necklace: Forever 21

Bag: Korean Brand from boutique in Cambridge

Shoes: Old season, from Dorothy Perkins

Jeans: Gap

Vest - H&M

Jacket: Ebay - contact me for seller's details



















The jacket is very well made and doesn't look 'cheap'. All sequins are all in tact and doesn't feel like they will fall off anytime soon. Such a great addition to my Autumn/Winter wardrobe collection.

What do you guys think? I'd love to hear your thoughts



Jen xoxo