Bonoo Indian Restaurant in Hampstead, Surprising Decor and Surprises For Adults & Children

 

Bonoo Indian Restaurant, flower-filled frontage. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Bonoo Hampstead restaurant in Hampstead has an amusing and amazing  flower-covered exterior, plus inside walls and ceiling to match.  A touch of class, elegance, romance.

What does the name mean? It is not the owner, but a word evoking an Indian chef's  philosophy, an instinct for natural harmonising flavours. Their website explains. A bit abstract, and I don't know if it is Sanskrit or Hindi, so to remember the restaurant's name I think bon, which is French for good, and OO - amazingly different.

We saw a chef wearing a white hat.

This restaurant is a favourite of other members of  our family because the restaurant staff are willing to discuss the spiciness of the dishes and get food made up less spicy which is what most of us want.

My favourite dish was the potato starter, Aloo tikki chaat. I also liked the Crunchy mango salad. And the pumpkin seeds and coconut naan.

They have another branch in Muswell Hill, which they told me has the same food but different decor.

They gave our small child a toy at the end of the meal.

The Surprise

I wondered whether the Kindersurprise really was from the famous company. I checked the leaflet which I had saved. I found the company website. You can buy the Kinder surprise at several UK supermarkets including Tesco.

Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

 The toy is cheaper than I expected. Under two pounds. One pound forty. And a pack of three is under three pounds. So you could use them in a party goody bag, or for your own family's child, or a visitor's child, when you travel to any restaurant to entertain your child and want to keep them entertained and to stop them running around.

Address

675 Finchley Road

London NW2 2JP

Tel (020) 7794 8899

Useful Websites

www.bonoo.co.uk

kinder.com

For more details about the restaurant food and drinks see my post on my other blog 

wineanddine angel.blogspot.com

Please share links to your favourite posts.

USE SEASONAL EVENTS TO MAKE HOLIDAYS AND CLUB MEETINGS MORE EXCITING: SURPRISE COSTUMES, DECOR AND EVENTS - From Tennis With Strawberries to Hanukah and Kosher Factory Tours

Problem
Somebody in Singapore asked me to suggest how to spice things up at their meetings. This group, above, really got int the spirit of things at Xmas, all dressed in red or white or black, and given Santa hats by the organizers (or asked to each bring their own). You can see me, the blonde, top left. What a jolly group. Not just one person dressed as a Santa, but everybody. You ask everybody to dress the part, but keep a few spares from one year to the next for those who forget.

SPICE AND FOOD THEMES

I can spice up your meeting just by being there. Meanwhile, spice up by making:

 A potluck at every meeting, on a theme, and print out a flag, and add a quotation, 

Display a year plan, which you show every meeting of all the upcoming meetings themes and the flag and food to be featured. Note national holidays through the year, especially those of your members, Chinese, Indian, Malay, Indonesian, Spanish-Venezuelan, and so on, and have food potlucks asking everybody to bring suitable food.

I do not think knowing what food is coming spoils the surprise. It adds to the anticipation. Let people to plan for a potlucks weeks ahead. On Holidays and business trips they can look for and buy traditional foods. In foreign countries and second homes, they can check their attics for funny hats and t-shirts and traditional costumes.

MUSIC
If music be the food of love, said Shakespeare. One of the most entertaining meetings I went to was organised by the staff of Singapore Airlines. They had a song to suit every person who came up on stage. The birthday girls and boys had a happy birthday. The music suddenly blared out from a laptop, set off by a clicker, so the music started as the person approached the stage. You could have music by Nationality. For example, Spanish music, Indian music, Chinese Music. A couple who had got engaged could have Congratulations.

Ask each speaker what is their favourite football team. Their country. Their city.

MONTHLY EVENTS

AUGUST
August - PEACHES & POTLUCK PICNIC.
Peach month - failing all else, tinned peaches, but somebody can go to a wet market and use club funds to buy peaches or if generous just buy them to donate to the club. Divide leftovers up, for the committee as a reward or if enough offer to visitors to take home as a party bag gift.

Aug CLOWNS
1-7 International Clown week - adding humour to speeches -

AUG WATER
Water quality month 

AUG PICNICS
National picnic month - potluck picnic food at meeting; speech on picnic places in Singapore; mosquitos; humorous speech on picnic from an insect’s point of view, litter, compare a typical British picnic with a Chinese picnic and a Malay and an Indian picnic, ask two local shops what they think about picnics - you might get a supermarket suggesting food on special offer, a restaurant angry about people bringing their own food in and pointing out perfectly good place to eat in a local park, and another saying we are happy for people to bring in their own sandwiches so long as they buy one drink an hour.

SEASONAL EVENTS - PARK PICNIC - DISASTER STORY

I have a humorous story about a disaster picnic in the park organised in England by Harrovians Toastmasters. It rained. We ran to the shelter where we gave our speeches, until we were forced to leave when we were constantly interrupted by a drunk who wanted us to believe in Jesus, and his dog wanted to eat our sandwiches.

AUG 3-27 EDINBURGH FESTIVAL, SCOTLAND, COMEDY
Largest arts festival in the world. Comedy awards, and street theatre, and pay what you like 'free' pass the hat performances in pub meeting rooms.
NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL, LONDON, ENGLAND

September 24, 2018, Mid CHINESE MOONCAKES & Autumn Festival 

This is Chinese, Malay, Vietnamese, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Chinese restaurants worldwide and online. Don’t keep it a secret and a surprise - get everybody excited for a month in advance, researching and asking friends and family, for recipes, photos, stories. 

OCTOBER
October - AUTUMN COLOURS & HALLOWEEN Pumpkins

All month meetings and speeches on Hallowe’en giving people time to use the ideas elsewhere. Party shops and supermarkets sell loads of goods and multipacks. Lucky dip topics on spiders, pumpkins, ghosts.  USA teachers’ websites have inexpensive paper cut-outs of ghosts to cut out, or spiders to print, and recipes to share on your smartphone. Decorate the room.

31 Hallowe'en and carved pumpkins, apples and apple bobbing, ghost stories, ancestor stories. For the practical person, a speech on apple varieties: Cox, Granny Smith, Giant Japanese apples.

NOVEMBER

November - DIWALI LIGHTS

Nov 7 Diwali - the festival of light

November 10th 2018, Lord Mayors Show, London. See on TV.

Nov 11 Armistice Day UK, WWII.

DECEMBER

December - XMAS CAKE & HANUKAH

Dec 2-10 Jewish Hanukah - make a giant h a n u k i a h - eat Chanukah foods.

 https://www.thespruceeats.com/traditional-symbolic-foods-for-hanukkah-1808125 - One of the modern USA surprises on this website is cake or bun cut to reveal the blue pattern of six-point star or a spinning top called dreidl.
New Year's Eve, fireworks and Champagne.

Xmas - mince pies, Xmas cake, Xmas pudding, French y u l e log, German stollen, European carp, Xmas poems. The Toastmaster should be in a seasonal outfit, Xmas carols and Karoke. Write your own hymns and Xmas greetings. Plus, the essential food. A mystery Santa. Ask everybody to wear red, green, or white. Those who don't can choose a hat to wear.

Plan a year ahead.
JANUARY
New Year's DAY and New Year Resolutions and Beginnings.
New Year's Day concert from Vienna televised.
JAN 25. Burns night with a Burns supper, Haggis and neeps (turnips), and readings of Burns poetry. Wear your kilt or tartan.

FEBRUARY
Valentine's Day theme of love. Red hearts.

Valentine's day. All things heart-shaped, banners, table decorations, food, cakes, sandwiches, pancakes.

MARCH
St Patricks; everything Irish, Irish songs, the colour green. Talk and slides on celebrations around the world.

April EASTER eggs, chocolate, bunnies, and religious events.
(April 7 Saturday in 2019 Oxford and Cambridge Boat race, watched on TV by 15 million people, plus 250,000 last year in person along the riversides.
Easter Sunday in 2019.

MAY
May Day, May 1st.
As somebody said, Labour Day, a day celebrating workers when nobody does any work.


Here are the JUNE dates from 2018, update them for 2019 and later years:

JUN 2018

Battle of Waterloo re-enactment, Waterloo, Belgium.

Sand sculpture Ostend, Belgium.

17 Father’s Day UK.

Royal Ascot Ladies Day (horses and hats!)

Jun 21 Music festivals throughout France

28-30 Haro wine festival, Haro, Rioja, Spain.

JULY TENNIS
July 21, 2018, Longest Day.
 Wimbledon Tennis, London, England - traditional food is strawberries and cream.

HERE ARE THE DATES FROM 2018 - update from for 2019 and later years>

JUL 2018

Father’s Day and Ladies Day at Ascot - all in hats.

Photo of Father’s Day free drink offer from 2017 by Angela Lansbury.

Early July, one week in Pamplona, the capital of Navara, Spain, bulls in streets, 7-14 July in 2019, also Google search for: Pamplona Bulls, Spain.

1 Belgian Independence day, celebrated countrywide.

Ghent Festival, in Ghent, Belgium.

Bayreuth, Germany. Wagner festival. 25 July-29 Aug 2018.

Wimbledon Tennis.

Just for Laughs, comedy, Montreal

If you have any other suggestions, please let me know.

EVENTS
Some clubs have two seasonal parties, a summer outdoor picnic of barbecue, and a Christmas lunch or dinner in December, or in January after members are back from holidays and restaurant prices are down.

At least one Toastmasters club in Singapore organises one of two group holidays for members to a nearby country in Asia, visiting archaeological and historical sites. Singapore's Friends of the Museums does the same. So do the ex-pat associations which include American, British, Canadian, Japanese, Dutch.

You could also organise group visits to sporting events, such as football, rugby, cricket, Ascot (horse racing), tennis, golf, table tennis, Olympics, rowing races such as the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race in England and the Dragon Boat Festival in Hong Kong (was in June in 2018).

ADD PHOTOS TO YOUR WEBSITE

Your Chengsan Toastmasters International 'meet our members' webpage has only one member, and no photos of them or anybody else. Add some photos. If you want to be incognito, wear a hat or mask or microphone in front of your face - not a good photo but anything is better than nothing, eg stand back view holding a map of the country you come from, or your national flag, or Toastmasters ribbon, or a group photo of the committee without saying who is who. Better still, list all the committee. 

USEFUL WEBSITES
visitbritain.org
visitengland.com
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/41527965 (You can see 2018 events, compare with 2017 to see what is recurrent in each month)
https://www.gov.uk/bank-holidays

All good wishes from

Angela Lansbury ALB ACG

Secretary of Harrovians, London.

Visitor Friendly Historic Houses and Hotels? Four-posters and one honeymoon couple's surprise.

I have spent 48 hours trying to work out what I like and dislike about venues. Some people like natural venues, no signs, discover it for yourself. I like visitor friendly venues.

Some people are outraged if they go to a beauty spot and see a sign to the toilets, photo spot or car park. the same goes for stately homes.

I like either a friendly person who greets me and tells me where to find food, toilets, sights, gifts. Or signs.

That was why I was unnerved and felt unwelcome at Brocket Hall and Auberge du Lac. I could not find the way. We were all arguing with each other and phoning each other with directions.

On arrival I felt as if I were intriguing by sitting by the lake. I felt like an intruder going upstairs and looking for the toilet. I've been in places where there are no signs to toilets and when you go the wrong way by mistake the staff are there to bar your way and tell you which areas are off limits.

I like a shop, a postcard, a book on the history of the property, something about the venue in the menu. Rooms named after guests or ancestors.

Staff happy to tell you the history of the building.

Yes, I can see that too much questioning could be seen as intrusive. Happy birthday - how old are you. Goodness you are older than you look. Where did you come from, different directions, so you are not married but having an affair? Anybody close to you died, on drugs, divorced? I see you've been in trouble recently.

The way to avoid this is to talk about neutral topics. But showing an interest in the person you are addressing and being positive.

For example, 'Welcome to ...(historic house, whatever). ...Enjoy your stay/evening/meal.'

You have a lovely day/evening for sailing, sitting by the pool/lake).

Yes, you booked online/ I spoke to you on the phone earlier / my colleague / our manager, Simon/name told me you booked a table for three.

Would you like a table by the window  with a view of the park / lake ? Now you've had cocktails by the lake we have a quiet corner for you, secluded in a nook.

I'll be back with coffee later. If you want anything just raise your hand and wave and I'll be right over.

If the venue is running fancy dress party, some people will have not had the time or money or inclination to buy or make costumes, or work out what fits the theme. It took me days to work out what to wear for a fifties party, the right skirt length, neckline, shoes, jewellery, hairstyle.

The venue/ organisers should off a cheap paper hat for those who are willing but don't have cash to splash, as well as some really fancy costumes available as last minute purchases for last minute guests, those who have more money than time, or missing luggage!

If you don't want huge banners ruining the yesteryear atmosphere your historic stately home, nor blocking the view and smiling photos, a discreet plaque which is smaller and therefore cheaper. Please save your desperately looking-for-the-loo guests from running up and down four flights of stairs, taking lifts down to spooky basements, down endless corridors, into private bedrooms interrupting outraged couples, hit on the head by falling objects in broom cupboards, walking onstage in piano recitals or worse.

(I've experienced most of these. The entrance door used to send latecomers who couldn't get taxis on rainy days into the museum, alongside the speaker at the former museum in Singapore. Lifts in hotels and shopping malls taking you down to deserted basement car parks. The stairs at the far end of the corridor from the sports centre into the Tanglin Club take you into the Car Park (the loos are hidden behind reception in the lobby).

The manager of a hotel in Lisbon, Portugal once took a group of camera-wielding journalists into the supposedly unoccupied honeymoon suite, to find a honeymoon couple in bed. A 'do not disturb sign' or occupied sign operated from inside might have helped warn. The punchline to this true story is that the manager went back to reception and said, send a note of apology and a bunch of flowers up to the honeymoon suite, not now - later!

Large Beds - The Great Bed of Ware, V and A
If you want to see the four-poster above, it's the Great Bed of Ware, in the Victoria and Albert Museum. (If you are going specially to see it, ask if it's on display.) It supposedly slept three couples. Or was it more?

Honeymoon Hotels and Anniversaries in the UK
If you want your own four-poster, look for any old inn in the centre of a British city, check if they have a four-poster, and if it's free on the date you choose. (Usually a suite at a higher price.)

Lake District
Or try the Lake District.  Some hotels have two or more four posters. Many hotels have several. At least one hotel all the rooms have four-posters.

Grimsdyke Hotel
In North West London try the Grimsdyke hotel.  The main house has at least one grand old style room. Old beds might have posts, with or without drapes, a covering above, or just a half-tester like a tray over the pillow, with or without a curtain to conceal the face of the lady (or the lord's ladyfriend).

Angela Lansbury, BA Hons, travel writer, author, raconteur, humorous speech winner and speech trainer.
See 'Angela Lansbury Author' and 'Angela Lansbury Poet' on YouTube reading comic poetry and explaining grammar, spelling and restaurant etiquette.