Burger and Lobster | Restaurant Review

Burger and Lobster

The name speaks for itself. Burger and lobster are offered alongside chips and salad! 

With restaurants located in London, Manchester, Bath, New York, Stockholm, Dubai, Kuwait, Jeddah, Burger and Lobster is a global restaurant chain. 

Burger and Lobster do not usually take reservations but we were able to get a booking luckily for the 9 of us and were sat in an isolated / private area to the rest of the restaurant on the top floor which was very great!

The Menu & Pricing

The menu is quite limited. There are no starters or desserts or I wasn't aware of any starters and desserts... Just burgers with fries and salad for some options then lobster with fries etc. as you can see from the photo below. 

Lets talk pricing. It is relatively expensive for the portion you get. I ordered 'The Mayfair' burger which is a small burger with fries which cost £10. However, I wanted to add cheese to my burger which cost an extra £1. If I wanted to add bacon to it too, it would cost another £1 but I decided against it. The burger and fries was enough for me but if I wanted, I could definitely eat more. Usually, when I order a burger elsewhere, it would come up bigger and I would struggle to finish it. An original sized burger with fries costs £18 but lets not forget the service charge that they add on top which is typically 12.5%.

My burger was served in exactly the way a burger should be served - pink medium-rare! The patty was sandwiched inside a soft and sweet brioche bun and I chose to add cheese to my burger because I LOVE cheese. In a way, I wish I added bacon to my burger! The burger also comes served with crunchy pickles, thin sliced red onion, burger lettuce, tomato and burger sauce.

I really enjoyed my burger and it definitely satisfied my craving for a nice burger! The meat was good quality and the bun itself was nice. I usually try and avoid eating the bun but it was too tempting to avoid! I left half of it though as I usually try and finish the meat in case I get too full and let's be honest, the meat is the best part of the burger... Also, I try and avoid bread in general. I have nothing to fault regarding the food. I thought the chips tasted good too and again, satisfying enough!

Half of our group ordered lobster which looked really good and they all enjoyed it so do not be afraid to try the lobster!

Service

Everyone is allocated a 2 hour slot for their tables.

The service we received was efficient and our waitress was polite and patient given it took a while for everyone at our table to arrive promptly. 

The only issue we had during our visit was unfortunately to do with paying the bill. Everyone had paid their part of the bill and included the service charge on top so overall we would be paying more than the total bill including service as everyone rounded up their part. 

Unfortunately, our waitress could not calculate properly and suggested we hadn't paid enough as the last person to pay she was trying to charge over £50 to cover the rest of the bill when her part only came to around £35. This resulted in our table doing the calculations from everyone's receipts which then did not match the waitress's figure. We calculated for a second time for the figure to come to the same amount therefore we argued the case to her. The waitress then calculated the receipts and eventually came to the same total as us and we were able to sort out the bill.

However, this was time-consuming and unnecessary given it was her error in calculation. However, it ruined the mood of some people on the table as it resulted in our table staying for an extra 10 minutes sorting out the bill when all of us had plans after the meal which meant we were delayed. It isn't a massive issue but it could have been easily avoided.

The Atmosphere / Decor

I visited the Burger and Lobster in Bank (Threadneedle Street) and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised! I didn't expect the restaurant to be so spacious and decorated so well. I have heard mostly good things about Burger and Lobster, mainly about the food rather than the decor! 

I found the Burger and Lobster's seating arrangement very American in the way of booths etc. which really added to the funky vibe of the restaurant. 

The atmosphere in the restaurant was very positive. Good music playing and honestly, there is nothing to fault.

Would I Recommend?

Burger and Lobster are one of those places where you have to go at some point to try. I had a very positive experience and I really enjoyed my food and I can definitely say I will return at some point. Not exactly sure when as I would like to try other similar restaurants!

My Rating

I would rate the restaurant 8/10. 

Good food, great atmosphere and decor and good service in general. There was only a minor issue that occurred but it wasn't enough to ruin my experience!

Gaucho | Restaurant Review

About Gaucho?

• Gaucho is an international Argentinian steakhouse.
• It has 13 restaurants in London and a restaurant in Dubai, Hong Kong and Buenos Aires

My Experience (Gaucho in Canary Wharf)

That evening, we had plans to go to Royal China in Canary Wharf and enjoy some Chinese food but little did we know that Royal China would be closed due to a private function (a wedding). That meant my parents, my sister and I had to find an alternative restaurant to dine at. Along the row of restaurants sat Gaucho. 

Gaucho has always been a restaurant I wanted to try as a number of friends have always mentioned how great their experience has been in Gaucho. My dad loves steak as do I therefore it was an easy choice for us to go and try Gaucho out and seeing as it was my big day moving to London, my parents wanted to treat me. 

Upon opening those doors to Gaucho, I didn't expect the decor to be so incredible and high class. You can instantly tell that Gaucho don't mess around. They want to impress their customers. 

Lets talk service. The waiters and waitresses were very polite, helpful and attentive. I sometimes find that this is rare when I dine out in London therefore it was a very pleasant experience.

We were presented with a board of different types of uncooked steak and then the waitress talked about each piece and offered her recommendation on how it should be cooked. 

My sister and I chose to share 600g of sirloin steak with a side of fries each as did my parents. The price of the steak is £7.25 per 100g. Sides cost £4.95 each. It isn't an extortionate amount but it's more than say Flat Iron which I've done a review on. Available here

Would I Recommend Gaucho?

Absolutely. If you are after a wonderful dining experience and you love steak, it is certainly a place you should try! Great service, fantastic food and an amazing atmosphere.

I'd also highly recommend this place for a date as it is pretty impressive in terms of its decor!

If I was to give Gaucho a rating, I would give it 8.5/10. 

I had a really pleasant experience and would 100% return. 

My Protein Pancakes Recipe - 3 Ingredients

Protein Pancakes Ingredients

• 1 scoop protein powder (I usually use PhD Diet Whey in Belgian Chocolate because it tastes nice)
• 1 large egg or 2 medium eggs
• Splash of milk 

Method

• Blend all your ingredients. I use a nutribullet which takes about 10 seconds to blend up because it is so powerful but any blender will do.
• Make sure your mixture is a medium to thick consistency because when it comes to cooking the pancakes in a pan, it is a lot easier to cook (you won't burn your pancakes). If the consistency is too runny, add more protein powder (a little bit at a time). If your mixture is too thick, add a tiny bit of milk until you come to a consistency you are happy with.
• Heat up your pan. Use a non-stick pan if possible! 
• Add a bit of coconut oil or use a bit of spray oil
• Pour your mixture into the pan
• Cook one side until the mixture starts to form lots of bubbles and then you know its time to flip the pancake. Cook the other side for 30 secs to 1 minute or until it is ready.
• Repeat the process for the remainder of your mixture.
• Add your toppings - I usually go for a selection of berries and a whole banana.

Felt naughty so added some nutella...

Added a Special K Biscuit Momenet and a Reese's Peanut Buttercup Bar along with some berries and Yeo Valley yoghurt.

I promise there are pancakes under this... Nutella and fruit 

A more healthy option. Selection of fruit and a tiny bit of fruit syrup by Sweet Freedom

Hair Stroke Eyebrow Tattoo (Semi Permanent) - My Experience (Before, During, Recovery and Full Review)

Hair Stroke Eyebrow Tattoo

Hair stroke eyebrow tattoo is a form of semi permanent eyebrow tattoo but is a more natural type of eyebrow tattoo whereby the strokes are hair like so it very much looks like your natural hairs.

For more information on hair stroke eyebrow tattooing, visit Pretty Permanent Makeup

AFTER

Why I Decided to get my Eyebrows Tattooed

It was an impulse decision really... I see Pretty Permanent Makeup nearly everyday and thought why not go check it out and have a conversation about the possibility of getting my eyebrows tattooed. After my consultation with Mary Ann, I really liked the idea of getting my eyebrows tattooed and she reassured me of any pain issues that I had. Also, I saw getting my eyebrows tattooed as a way of decreasing the amount of time I spend getting reading everyday and it would be a good investment.

As a recent graduate going into the banking industry, my hours could be long and lets just be honest, waking up early in the morning to do your makeup sometimes becomes a bit of a chore. That extra 5-10 minutes in bed would be ideal especially if you get back late the night before.

Waking up with perfect brows is just the ideal situation, not needing to fuss over correcting the shape of your brows with eyebrow product...

BEFORE (no eyebrow makeup)

BEFORE (eyebrow makeup)

AFTER (1 day after the procedure)

AFTER (7 days after the procedure)

The Procedure

The whole process took approximately two hours. When I walked into Pretty Permanent Makeup, I had numbing cream applied instantly and it was left on for approximately 40 minutes. During the 40 minutes, I had a nice chat with Mary Ann about the procedure and I filled out forms which was basically just signing the agreement that I was happy for the procedure to go ahead and that there could be side affects such as swelling, redness etc. Also, in that 40 minutes, I selected a colour with Mary Ann.

I was then led over to the bed where I sat on it whilst Mary Ann drew my eyebrows on with an eyebrow pencil so that we could agree the shape of the brows before the actual procedure began. As my eyebrows are sisters, not twins, it was a little tricky to even out my eyebrows so they were the same height and had the same/similar arch. Mary Ann had to pluck my eyebrow hair out, especially on my right eyebrow where naturally, the eyebrow is slightly higher than my left eyebrow.

Once the shape was agreed, the actual procedure began! I laid down and Mary Ann made me feel very comfortable throughout. There are three rounds of tattooing and in between each round, numbing cream was applied. After each round, Mary Ann sat me up to double check the shape.

The whole tattooing process took approximately 45 minutes.

At the end of the procedure, vaseline was applied and I was given information regarding the aftercare.

Finally, a follow up appointment was booked for a month later to check the eyebrows and get any necessary touch ups done!

Day after the eyebrow tattooing

My Experience

I had a really positive experience with getting my eyebrows tattooed. Initially, I was afraid of the pain I might experience but if I were to rate the pain out of 10, I would give it 3.5/10. The only discomfort I experienced was mainly on my right eyebrow towards the tail end on the first round of tattooing where I could feel the needle dragging through my skin to create the hair stroke and even that was bearable. I am certainly one of those people that are afraid of needles, really any sharp objects.

I didn't experience any bleeding after the procedure and Mary Ann said I was not much of a bleeder. I'm not sure if there was any blood during the actual procedure as I didn't see...

I felt a slight tingling/burning sensation after the procedure for approximately 30minutes which is very normal but it was fine.

Honestly, I had a really good experience with getting my eyebrows tattooed and I love the results so far. I am going back in 3 weeks for a follow up appointment where Mary Ann will check my eyebrows and make any necessary adjustments/touch ups where there may be patches. I am looking to get my eyebrows ever so slightly thicker and the height of my eyebrows corrected as I think one is still ever so slightly higher than the other.

Price

The hair stroke eyebrow tattoo cost me £540 which is quite expensive. However, I knew Mary Ann was going to take care of me and I had done some research on her website and seen the before and after photos which I thought looked amazing! I would highly recommend finding someone that you can trust and seen evidence of good stories because as they are semi-permanent, they last 2-5 years and the last thing you want is to have uneven, poorly tattooed eyebrows for that amount of time and to also spend a lot of money on a procedure that you're not happy with!

Recovery

It takes 7-10 days for the eyebrows to fully recover from the procedure. During that time, it is recommended to apply vaseline to the area 4-6 times a day and avoid contact with water, especially chlorine. Also, it is recommended to stay away from the sun since the skin is essentially opened up and still healing.

For me, the recovery process was fairly simple. I applied vaseline daily around 4/5 times a day but it really varied. There was one day I went out in London and only applied one round of vaseline on for around 8 hours which isn't ideal but I didn't want the whole shiny eyebrows look! Otherwise, I made sure to keep them vaselined up!

I experienced some itching after the third day which was bearable but at the same time, a little difficult to avoid itching. I accidentally itched my eyebrow in my sleep once but I got up straight away at 3am and applied vaseline! I was recommended to take antihistamine for the itching which I did after the 5th day and it really helped! I experienced far less itching.

In terms of scabbing, this happened from around the 3rd day and in small patches too as you will be able to see from my video diary. Now that most of the scabbing has come off, the colour is a lot lighter than what it was initially which I definitely prefer. It is less harsh and less scary! At first when I looked into the mirror straight after the procedure, it looked like someone had drawn my eyebrows on with a sharpie! I definitely was not after that look but now I absolutely love the shade of my eyebrows! They are soft enough to not be harsh when not wearing makeup and also a good shade so I don't need to apply any makeup on my eyebrows when wearing a full face of makeup. I also love the shape, obviously there will be a tiny bit of a touch up but if I didn't have a touch up, I would be happy anyway because it is definitely a lot better than the condition of my eyebrows before the procedure.

Would I Recommend It?

100% would recommend it. If you are after saving time then go for it! Before I got my eyebrows tattooed, I was getting HD brows which cost me £20 a visit every month and still having to draw and fill my eyebrows in every morning. If you think about the time that takes, so 30minutes per appointment each month + 5-10mins every morning, you can quickly work out how much time I am saving by having my eyebrows tattooed. Also, since I am moving to London, HD brows would cost me a lot more than £20 a visit!

Waking up to perfect brows and not having to touch them when doing makeup is an incredible feeling! I don't have to worry about the stress of shaping my eyebrows!

If you want to save time and have the funds to get the eyebrows done, I would highly recommend you do so!

My Fitness Journey (2)

I document my fitness journey on my Instagram page @misslaneyx

The Changes

So it has been a while since I have posted about my fitness journey on here! I can definitely say there have been some major changes with my gym routine!

3 personal trainers later, I have discovered that I love weight training! It has changed my body so much and made me far stronger and fitter than I was back in September 2015 when I made the decision to get fit and healthy! 

July 2016

At the start of my fitness journey, I weighed in at around 60kg and I am currently at 57kg with less body fat and more muscle! I still have a long way to go BUT I know it takes time! I also know that diet is such a huge part which is the only thing that is affecting my progress but I have to say, I am so much better with food than I was when I first started my fitness journey.

Left - September 2015
Right - 10th April 2016

In December, I met with a personal trainer in London after winning a competition and she introduced me to strength training and I instantly fell in love with strength training! I loved the challenge and it actually gave me so much satisfaction when I was able to lift a weight that I never thought I would be able to lift! I asked my current personal trainer then if I could do some strength training but he refused to incorporate that into our sessions and told me I wasn't ready! Let's just say, I really started disliking my personal training sessions because I was doing the same thing day in and day out and it was just so boring! I switched gyms after Christmas and got myself a new personal trainer.

In February, I started lifting weights properly with the help of a personal trainer! I would highly recommend seeking help from a personal trainer if you are new to the gym/ weight training! As I have had several personal trainers in the past who have taught me good form, I haven't had any injuries so far (luckily)!

I feel much more confident with my current body as opposed to before when I was holding a lot of fat, especially around the stomach area. I DO NOT have abs, I am still working on it!

My Gym Routine

I have started training legs/glutes twice a week because one of my aims is to build a bum as I currently kind of lack one...  I do loads of squats (different versions), lunges, hip thrusts, good mornings etc. I love using the Smith Machine too for legs! I do kick backs on them, squats, lunges etc. You can find so many different exercises to do on youtube and instagram! 

I train chest and back together doing supersets for 6 exercises. I then like to do other back exercises like single arm row using cables and lat pulldowns. I also like to throw in clean and press for my chest and back day! 

Shoulders, biceps and triceps I do together for one gym session! 

Lets not forget core and some cardio! I try and throw in a bit of cardio at least 3 times a week at the end of my sessions for around 10-15 minutes doing either a steady jog or HITT on the treadmill. I aim for 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off at 15kph-16kph. I try and increase the speed as much as I can but it really depends on how I am feeling at that moment in time because usually I am quite tired after my main workout. 

I also like to dedicate one day to core and cardio at the end of the week. Unfortunately, my current gym doesn't have a TRX which is annoying as I love the TRX for core work. 

An example of my week at the gym:

• Monday - Legs/glutes
• Tuesday - Chest + back + 15mins cardio
• Wednesday - Shoulders, biceps and triceps + 15mins cardio
• Thursday - Legs/glutes
• Friday - Core + cardio
• Saturday & Sunday - rest days

Below is a video of some of the exercises I do!

Diet

I struggle with diet quite a lot! I try and keep it clean when I can but sometimes I can't help myself but eat a few pieces of chocolate.... 

For breakfast, I will usually have porridge with fresh fruit and some granola or crushed almonds. An alternative breakfast option is toast with scrambled eggs - I use 1 whole egg and egg whites from two chicks products (liquid egg white).

For lunch, I usually opt for rice, salmon, chicken and lots of veg.

For dinner, I have either chicken, salmon or steak and lots of veg. 

Examples of some of my meals below....

Breakfast example - omlette with lots of veg and some chicken

Salmon and chicken with lots of veg

Steak and veg

Breakfast protein pancakes with lots of fresh fruit and a drizzle of fruit syrup

Porridge with fresh fruit and and sprinkle of granola

Snack - Kallo rice cakes with peanut butter, fresh strawberries and crushed almonds

Porridge with lots of fresh fruit and crushed almonds

Protein pancakes with lots of fruit and some peanut butter cups... 

Supplements

I have a few protein powders that I use. For protein pancake making, I use Muscle Magpie in vanilla or PhD Diet Whey in belgian chocolate. 

For a protein shake, I use Scitec Nutrition in strawberry white chocolate as it tastes AMAZING!

I sometimes opt for a pre-workout and I use a variety of different ones from my sponsor Muscle Crate. Use code ELAINE20 for 20% off! 

I also have No Explode by BSN that I sometimes use for a pre-workout. 

I do not rely on pre-workouts as they are so high in caffeine which means they can't be too good for you if you take it often! I only really take pre-workouts between 2-4 times a month. I only take it when I need a kick which is usually for a leg/glutes session or chest and back session which involves lots of heavy lifting!

I take a protein shake after every workout to help with muscle recovery and also to help with my protein intake for the day! 

Muscle Crate Supplement Box - Use code ELAINE20 for 20% off

If you have any questions, feel free to comment or send me a message! 

Muscle Crate Fitness Supplement Subscription Box

Muscle Crate

Muscle Crate is a fitness supplement monthly subscription box that includes products from some of the top brands! click here

Each month you will receive over 10 fitness supplement samples which gives you the opportunity to try new types of protein powders, pre-workouts, BCAA's, fat burners and more.

Basically, it means you get the chance to try a load of products which gives you the opportunity to find your favourite products and avoid purchasing full size products you may not even like!

Muscle Crate supplement sample subscription box starts from £15 or $22.50 per month with free delivery but with my discount code, you get 20% off your order if you use the code: Elaine20

May's Subscription Box

I received 3 protein powders from Scitec Nutrition and I absolutely LOVE the taste of these! It is incredibly easy to drink unlike some other protein powders I have tried! Strawberry White Chocolate is my FAVOURITE flavour! It is so yummy :)

What was inside May's subscription box?

• Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Casein
• FA Nutrition Xtreme Napalm
• Scitec Nutrition 100% Whey Protein 
• BB Warehouse Pure Whey 80 Protein
• Cellucor C4 Preworkout
• Kevin Levrone Levropump
• USN Xedra-cut Slim Packs
• Optimum Nutrition Amino Energy
• BB Warehouse Lux Protein Bars

June's Subscription Box

What was inside June's subscription box?

• Biotech USA Iso Whey Protein Zero
• Scitec Nutrition Pow3rd! 2.0
• Nutrend Deluxe 100% Whey Protein
• Nutrend 100% Whey Protein
• Convits Vitamin Pack Box
• BPI Sports Whey HD
• Biotech USA Super Nova
• Gat Amino GT
• Venom Power Gas Mark 10
• Morniflakes Go! Protein Porridge Pot

Since my first Muscle Crate box, I have bought myself a large tub of Scitec Nutrition whey protein powder in Strawberry White Chocolate. This just goes to demonstrate that these monthly supplement boxes are an incredible way to try new products from different brands!

Go get yourself a subscription box and to get £££ off, use my code Elaine20 at the checkout! You're welcome haha! 

Any questions, feel free to comment below and I will answer as best I can :)

MY GO-TO EVERYDAY MAKE-UP LOOK

I thought I would show you this really simple make-up look that I wear on a daily basis for the gym and running errands! I AVOID foundation when I know I am going to the gym as sometimes I sweat and there is nothing worse than seeing your make-up coming off on you and people seeing lines all over your face from where your sweat was! 

Most of the products used in this make-up tutorial are drugstore so they are affordable and some of these products are also favourites of mine! 

Another thing you will notice is that I do wear false eyelashes and there is a very good reason for that! I am not someone who is patient when it comes to applying mascara and because I am Chinese, I do have very short and thin eyelashes and they go straight down so they are the hardest thing to keep curled even when using eyelash curlers! If I was to apply JUST mascara on my eyelashes, it would take me a good 20 minutes which I simply don't have the time or patience for with the endless curling eyelashes after every application because they keep drooping and copious amounts of coats of mascara because one coat basically doesn't make a difference! 

Applying false eyelashes takes me 5 minutes and I don't have to apply mascara on my top eyelashes which saves about 15 minutes! Applying mascara on my bottom lashes does require about 5 minutes and around 3-4 coats to make a difference... 

My favourite mascara combo to use are:

- No7 Extreme Length Extend

- Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express

To complete my face make-up for this look takes under 10 minutes! It is so simple! 

Products used: 

- NYX Dark Circle Concealer (medium)

- Maybelline Fit Me Concealer (20)

- No7 Pressed Powder 

- Rimmel Natural Bronzer - Sun Bronze (022)

- Arbonne Bronzer

- Makeup Revolution Vivid Baked Blush (All I Think About is You)

- Wet n Wild Illuminating Palette (Catwalk Pink 320)

Let's talk eyebrows! Eyebrows are something that are quite personal for people and I have never been the biggest fan of my eyebrows! There is a huge gap between my eyebrows, they're thin and one is higher than the other! Oh well, people say eyebrows are sisters NOT twins! It just makes life a bit harder doesn't it... I get my eyebrows groomed by getting HD Brows which basically means I get them tinted, waxed and threaded and sometimes they cut my eyebrow hairs because I have really long eyebrow hair...

The make-up I use for my eyebrows is Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade in Chocolate. This is probably the best product I have come across for eyebrows because IT IS WATERPROOF and means if you sweat or whatever, it will not budge unlike powder which would come off throughout the day and leave you with patches of colour on your eyebrows! 

For eyelashes, I just buy mine from eBay because let's be honest, I do not have the money to constantly purchase expensive eyelashes.... they're also pretty good quality for the price I pay! I pay like £2 for 5 pairs of criss cross eyelashes... For ONE PAIR of Ardell eyelashes, they cost like £4-£5 and they don't even last a long time and I have been buying eyelashes from eBay for years and they have worked for me so I don't see a reason why I should stop! 

For eyeliner, I use Inglot (77 black) gel liner. This is an incredible gel liner and long-lasting! It does not smudge unlike some other gel liners. I apply my gel liner by using my synthetic eyebrow brush (BC490) by Royal & Langnickel and I would highly recommend this brush as it is really affordable (around £4) and great quality and most importantly, it does the job really well! 

Eyeshadow - I just use whatever I feel like usually but for this tutorial, I used Kiko long-lasting wet & dry use eyeshadow on my lid which is a really nice gold which some people actually use as a highlighter! For the outer corner, inner corner and crease, I used L'oreal Paris smoky eye palette in Marron Glace. 

For lips, I LOVE NYX lipsticks! They are so buttery and creamy and easy to apply! The one I used in this tutorial is in Tea Rose which is a beautiful pinky shade!