Now is about the time when New Years resolutions are starting to hover most of us like a nagging to-do list. We know we should keep at it, whether it’s more gym-time, less bar-time, or focusing on other goals, but the doldrums of winter have set in and man, nor woman, can’t go it alone, without any indulgences.
Restaurants like Busaba and Wahaca are some of the eateries hoping to be the little devil on our shoulders with enticing deals at Westfield’s shopping malls in Stratford and West London.
Wahaca will offer diners the chance to tour Mexico with the restaurant’s founder through a sweepstakes-style competition. A recent meal here had me begging for more of their sweet potatoes, wedges of soft, fluffy potato coated in a sauce of garlic, coriander and chili before being baked, then fried into rich, caramelized chunks of pure comfort food. Black bean tostadas were light enough to convince us we were sticking to our healthy eating regime. Green rice made of spinach, garlic and coriander (a winning combination) went perfectly with black beans, and a Friday night at Wahaca is buzzy but relaxed — the perfect way to kick off the weekend.
Other special events for February include an Instagram competition where foodies are invited to submit a photo of a dish from any of the shopping center’s restaurants, tag the picture #FoodExplorer and #WestfieldLondon or #WestfieldStratfordCity for a chance to win a meal for two.
Kids can get in the kitchen decorating cupcakes and gingerbread, while parents can take cocktail masterclasses or watch cooking demo’s. Other restaurants will be offering 50% off meals, kids eat free, or two for one mains.
February may be a month for battening down the hatches on the wallet and the calorie intake, but an around-the-world tour of restaurants, from Brazilian to Vietnamese, serves up plenty of guilt-free choices after a bit of harmless window-shopping. I will admit, though, a pot of honey-ginger tea with homemade coconut shortbread at Busaba’s Thai restaurant is a terrific way to finish.
