With so many Japanese restaurants in London all offering high quality Japanese food and sushi, the bar is set so high that there are probably restaurants in native Japan that would fail to make the grade in London. However, Matsuri’s good quality teppan-yaki has set it apart from its rivals in London, although it comes with a steep price tag too.

Christmas, a time of love and care for our next of kin, of harmony and kindness, of loving words and… naaa… It’s the peak time of housing envy more like. It’s never easy to walk past all those nice houses, still owned as one (rather than having been split into several neat little “holes in one”), but now the proud owners are really rubbing it in. They simply can’t help but showcase their beautifully decorated Christmas trees in immaculately clean bay windows.

Used in the 19th & 20th centuries as a commercial waterway linking Paddington to the River Thames, Regent’s Canal is now a reminder of London’s industrial past. Nowadays, it serves as a nearby retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city, with a few canal boat tours plying their trade up and down these historical waterways.

This main branch of Yotam Ottolenghi’s network of good artisanal food in London has piles of his world famous meringues and a deli counter to tempt you inside. While the presentation of the food definitely deserves a Michelin star, the food however was not as orgasmic as one would expect from the carefully crafted plates of food, and the bill is a shocker for the portions that you get.

A big series of events aimed at promoting Azerbaijan culture and arts has already started in London and will run till March 2010. This is an excellent opportunity to find out more about this country that is undergoing rapid change in today’s modern world, and to witness a glimpse of the fantastic culture, music, and art from this amazing country.

If your definition of Indian food means chicken tikka and balti curry, it’s time to get a reality check at Saravanaa Bhavan. They serve up truly authentic Indian food at authentic Indian prices. Saravanaa Bhavan is a must visit for vegetarians and is one of those places where non-vegetarians wont miss the meat.

It has been raining a lot recently, but I’m sure no Londoner – native or temporary – will need to be reminded of that; and please don’t mention those shots of sunshine purely designed by some higher force to trick you into leaving your umbrella at home!

Increasing numbers of Londoners are taking up cycling as a means to get to work, and recent figures from TfL confirm this rising trend. Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, has pledged to implement an ambitious bike hire scheme due to start next summer.

I had a very forgettable experience at this Korean restaurant a few years ago, and hence was surprised when I decided to go here thinking that I was trying out a new Korean restaurant in Chinatown! My forgetfulness was soon explained by the very below average meal, that although fulfilled food’s primary criteria of making one full, is a place I would never go back to again in the future. If I remember it.

The Christmas festive shopping season is stressful, which is why London cabbies are predicting record number of phones to be left or lost at the back of their cabs this December. Over 10,000 mobile phones are lost every month, as well as bizarre items like toilet seats and pork chops.