Blog on the Block LABS

Anything that’s not WEMBLEY, HARLESDEN, KILBURN or CAMDEN

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We climbed 5 flights in pitch black with our hot coffee and toast.

Staying in San Francisco for 2 nights, from August 3rd - 5th, led me to one of the few centrally located and affordable hotels in the city, Hotel Fusion. Unfortunately, this review focuses on the poor experience we had during our stay, which left us thinking that Hotel FusiOn should change its name to Hotel Fuse-Off, after its poorly managed power outage incident.

Having woken up to no electricity and hot water on our last day, we spoke to the hotel manager, who informed us that they were aware that the power outage would be taking place the night before but failed to let us know about this in advance.

Apparently, they had placed letters under everyone’s room door to inform them beforehand, but I didn’t receive one and neither did my friends who were staying in a different room.

After querying why neither of us had received a letter, the manager then went on to say that anyone who had checked in on the 4th had been informed, but anyone who had checked in before may not have received a letter.

This meant that on the morning of the 5th we woke up unprepared to deal with having no hot water, no electricity, no elevator in a big hotel we know nothing about. This was especially bad news for us as we were staying on the top floor. Breakfast at the hotel is collected from the lobby and must be eaten in your room; so due to the power outage, we had to walk down to the ground floor lobby where the breakfast buffet was, load up our tray and then climb all the way back up to the 5th floor in a pitch black staircase to eat our breakfast. I ended up helping an elderly couple down the stairs using the torch-light on my phone. Guests looked at each other in amusement as they passed each other on the staircase, balancing a tray full of breakfast buffet pastries and juice.

We would have checked out of the hotel and stayed somewhere else on the 5th had we been informed in advance. So not only did we have to shower in cold water, but also pack our suitcases in the dark (as the blind was broken which meant our room was practically pitch black). After checking out of the hotel we had to spend the next hour in a coffee shop charging our phones, which meant we had to change our plans for that day due to the knock-on effects.

Hotel Fusion is a centrally located, no frills and affordable option for short stays in the city, just hope nothing goes wrong on your stay because this example shows that staff are incapable of managing all of their guests expectations.

Address: Hotel Fusion, 140 Ellis Street, San Francisco, CA, 94102 United States of America

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Pharoahe Monch shows North London, ain't a damn thing changed

Pharoahe Monch, masterfully rocks out at north London venue, The Garage.

These days it’s usually mainstream rap acts playing in London so I was surprised to hear that a legendary Hip Hop act from the 90’s was in town. This doesn’t happen often enough, it’s like a rare whisky to Hip Hop connoisseurs needing a tipple to stimulate their boom bap taste buds, while they still can.

Pharoahe Monch, who clearly is all about climate change used a locally sourced band from London called Ezra Collective. This young talented church band gone bad, who Pharoahe mocked “They’re only ten years old!” comprises of a drummer, guitarist and keyboardist. Pharoahe’s DJ for the night was none other than DJ Boogie Blind, from the NYC turntablist crew, The X-Ecutioners.

The audience fell into one of three groups. Old faces, who grew up listening to Organized Konfusion and the Rawkus Records roster; new faces, who are well researched Hip Hop geeks and know enough of Pharoahe’s music but discovered him from the anthem ’Simon Says’; and mainsream rap fans, who came to see the only two songs of his that they know, 'Simon Says' and 'Oh No' feat. Nate dogg.

Political discussion has roots that date far back to the beginning of Hip Hop and tonight was no different as Pharaohe did his bit to raise awareness of America’s problem with police brutality. The protest anthem against police brutality followed, ’Sound of da Police’ by KRS-One had us all singing along. The MC told the audience of his dismay with how the US elections are going but chose not say any names. Though the audience helped him out when Trump’s name was called out in chorus with booing.

Emotional strings were pulled with 'Broken Again’, showcasing Pharaohs ability to take the audience on a journey to a low point, you could hear a Rizla drop.

Endless fun was had as we were in the presence of an MC who can conjure up a satisfying call and response or two. The audience was encouraged to shout OH!, OH NO! LIVE!, LOVE!, SHUT YO MOUF! Which leads me onto his anthem, ’Simon Says’.

Hip Hop also has deep roots in narcissism and braggadocio. This genre of music has allowed artists to have their own individual anthem as a nation would; Pharoahe Monch is one of these artist, his anthem is called ’Simon Says’.

This song has escalated Pharoahe Monch’s presence worldwide and famously jokes about the stereotype that all rap music is misogynistic. Whether intentional or not Pharoahe Monch performed this song on International Women’s day which celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievement of women. From what I could see there were no issues with this. Either that or no one at the gig knew it was International Women’s Day, which is hard to believe in the age of social media.

The obligatory encore brought the MC back on stage where he treated the ‘old faces’, educated the ’new faces’ and marginalised the mainstream rap fans with a short set from his early Organized Konfusion albums.

The days are now long gone where venues regularly have Hip Hop gigs, so when they do come along it really is like taking out a rare whisky and getting a taste of a good thing that gets even better over time.

Address: The Garage, 20-22 Highbury Cres, London N5 1RD

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Diamond D'Angkor - Siem Reap, Cambodia

Having landed in Siem Reap, our visas upon arrival were sorted in no time. We'd arranged transport with Diamond D'Angkor Hotel in advance, so they had sent a driver to collect us from the airport, which is a 15ish minute drive to the hotel.

On arrival, we were greeted by friendly staff and shown to our room. The hotel itself was great, with a spacious room, though outside the balcony some construction work was in progress but it didn’t affect our stay. Each day, breakfast offered a variety and was always fresh. Diamond D'Angkor is extremely well-located; just a 5 minute walk from Pub Street, with a selection of Cambodian, French and Indian restaurants nearby, we were spoilt for choice! I definitely suggest going to Maharaja's Indian restaurant which was about 5 US dollars for a massive (and delicious) fish thali.

We arranged to see the main sights through the hotel who supplied us with the same tuk tuk driver for all 4 days. Our driver, Mr Rin, took us from sight to sight including Angkor Wat, Bayon Temple, Ta Prohm, Kbal Spean and pushed his little Tuk Tuk to the limit by taking us all the way to Kompong Phluk floating village.

All in all, we had no complaints about this hotel, in fact, we loved it! If I ever return to Siem Reap I will 100% be going back to Diamond D'Angkor. The staff were outstanding during our entire stay; they were most efficient and made us feel at home from beginning to end.

Tuk tuk tip: Ask for Mr Rin

Address: Diamond D’Angkor Boutique, Sok San Rd, Krong Siem Reap, Cambodia.

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Hotel Kapok review

After avoiding being ripped off by illegal taxi drivers (only just!) who freely operate at Beijing airport, we arrived at the impressive Hotel Kapok which is encaged in a dark jade facade of squares.

On reception we were greeted by Eric who due to our lack of Mandarin, was a helpful source of information for our first time to Beijing. All of our tours including the Great Wall of China, Forbidden City, palaces tours and The Legend of Kungfu at the Red Theatre were discussed in detail and booked with discounts through Eric.

Our room came with a private outdoor court yard, which provided serene moments away from Beijing's much populated streets and the constant sound of throat clearing which may sound disgusting but is a socially acceptable thing to do out there.

On entering our room a tall floor to ceiling panel of glass stood between the corridor and bathroom. First impression was that it's unapologetically modern, minimal but lacked a layer of privacy as a result. This openess could lead to awkward moments.

However the room came with an incredibly firm mattress which was most comfortable and was spacious enough for 2 people. Although the room was cleaned everyday, our bedding was not changed during our entire stay (4 nights) which was slightly odd.

Breakfast was varied, with a choice of both Asian and Western food. There was so much to choose from - stir fries, pastries, omelettes, cereals, fruit… One thing which they did lack was a good old English breakfast style tea.

All in all, I enjoyed my stay at hotel kapok and would definitely recommend it.

TIP -

1. Avoid being charged 5 TIMES THE COST BY ILLEGAL TAXI DRIVERS who lurk at the airport. We almost fell for this after a smartly dressed man in a suit intervened with an agenda to swindle any foreigner he preyed upon. But when he started to walk us away from the taxi rank, it became clear that he must be ripping us off… Stick to the taxi rank who charge by the meter. When we reached our hotel we were so gobsmacked when the Receptionists first Q was “how much did you pay for your taxi?”. According to him, this happens all the time at the airport.

2. If using the subway watch out for pick pockets. NEVER KEEP YOUR WALLETS IN YOUR BACK-POCKETS. The subways get so busy and there is often lots of pushing which can make anyone an easy target.

Address: No.16 Donghuamen Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100006, China pin icon Name/address in local language Hotel amenities

Web: Hotel Kapok

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ABCs and Rice

Today I cried whilst filming children scavenging in a sewage pipe outside their slum. They proudly showed us their haul of a few tiny fish and frogs which they will eat later. Support ABCs and Rice to give kids like these an education and sack of rice to take home each month...

They are an amazing charity, I can vouch for that. Spent 3 weeks seeing first hand the impact they have. 50 cents buys one of these kids breakfast at school so your money will go a long way:

Nourishment for the Children of Cambodia, ABCs and Rice differs to most NGO schools in Siem Reap. In addition to providing a much-needed free education in English and Khmer, we offer various food programs to nourish the children’s bodies as well as their minds.' Please donate on their website ABCs and Rice

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Review: On The Bab

Yet another London restaurant I keep hearing that is on top of their game; so in anticipation for authentic Korean street food I joined the queue at On The Bab, Shoreditch.

Being the only pair we were fast tracked past groups of finance-bros and huddles of hipsters spilling off the pavement on to Old street waiting for tables to free up. We were shown to our tiny square wooden table, space-poor, we took off our coats and bags and harpooned ourselves with enough precision so that our elbows did not knock the couple next to us.

Comfortably squidged-in we went in firmly on the Soju, a Korean spirit similar to rice vodka. Our soju's were delivered in the form of popular mixers, such as a Sea breeze and a J&T generously filled with slithers of cucumber. Ignoring the limited space we had to eat from, we ordered 2 'On the Babs’, which is Korean for ’Served on rice’, we backed up these beds of babs with 3 small dishes to share.

The bulgogi beef salad, which was similar to kabab meat, on a cold bed of salad was first up. Sharply followed by 'Pan jeon', pretty lil' crunchy pancakes speckled with spring onions. The peak eating moment came from the Korean fried chicken sprinkled with crushed nuts stuck to its bright chilly glaze; this arrived together with the 'On the Buns' with more of that bad ass bulgogi beef served in the ever popular hirata buns. Our minds were blown at this point so much so we kind of ignored the last dish to come; On the rice, the spicy chicken option with clumps of fibre-thin shredded cabbage, chicken strips on top of sticky rice.

We’re not saying anything was wrong with the last dish, it’s just that the quality of the everything else before it was some of the best street food we’ve tasted.

'On The Bab’, lives up to the Shoreditch hype and we will be back on their block again very soon.

Address: On The Bab, 305 Old Street, London, EC1V 9LA

Tel:[phone]

Web On The Bab

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L'Angolo dei Sapori

Family run restaurant, where the locals go, Agerola, Italy.

We arrived a bit early before the family establishment were ready, so we popped to the town square in Bomerano to a cafe.

On our return, we were the first customers to arrive and we asked if we could sit in the bright conservatory away from the low light deli area.

We got the impression the family restaurant were slightly unprepared for customers but after they doused us with their delightful local wine we forgot any initial hiccups while they got their act together.

With Agerola being known for mozzarella we had to sample it, together with some local tomato the quality and freshness made a wonderfully simple starter.

Our mains were spinach with sausage pizza and catch of the day fish with aubergine and more mozzarella.

We were satisfied with our meal but it was impossible to not be conscious of the change in weather during our time there. A sudden downpour followed by thunder left the restaurant staff rushing to pin down the hatches in the conservatory to avoid any form of flooding.

The storm continued throughout our meal which also resulted in the electricity (and lights) repeatedly switching on and off. Staff remained calm throughout all of this, even though customers (including us!) were slightly on edge apart from the couple taking selfies when the lights went out. I was thinking, at any moment a flash flood was going to run through this joint. The owner kindly offered us a complimentary dessert, which helped us take our mind off the severe weather.

L'Angolo dei Sapori, is the go to restaurant in Agerola, just don't turn up too early, give the large family time to settle.

Address: Via Principe di Piemonte 29, 80051 Agerola, Italy

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Villa Greta hotel review, Sicily

You won't regretta Villa Greta.

Exhausted from the flight from Naples and the bus journey to Taormina, immediately after arrival at the bus-terminal we decided to take a taxi.

Despite the fiery-tempered taxi driver stopping to blow his top at jaywalking locals we were eventually dropped off at a staircase too steep for our fragile luggage lugging state.

This would be the first of many stair climbing escapades during our wonderful stay in Taormina, being that it's a town embedded on the contours of a mountain hundreds of meters above the sea. The hotel manager vertically greeted us from a window overlooking the 2nd flight of stairs while we were in mid-climb. After being through with the stair climbing madness, the owner was waiting at the top to show us around (yes, this involved even more stairs).

For the next few days we hated stairs but had an open terrace with panoramic views of Taormina and the ever-smoking Mt. Etna to ourselves. Which more than made up for the basic but acceptable room, bathroom and the stairs.

Breakfast was beneath our apartment in the lounge with all the essentials and seen to by a fatherly figure who pulled off a one man show each morning (grazie papa').

The lounge area provides free WiFi so connectivity in rooms isn't an option. Although, as our room was directly above the lounge we could connect as long as we were on the terrace.

The location of Villa Greta meant that we could reach the attractions above or below from the cliff-embedded hotel. Attractions upwards such as the Madonna della Rocca Church and Castelmola the village in the clouds, were walkable or could be reached by public transport from the bus stop conveniently located outside the hotel entrance.

A 10 minute walk downwards would take you to the town centre where you can find the relaxing parks of Giardini della Villa Comunale, Corso Umberto for shopping, the ancient Greek theatre 'Teatro Greco' and an abundance of impressive restaurants such as Vecchia Taormina, Trattoria Don Ciccio & Villa Zuccaro, there’s too many to mention.

The on site restaurant at Villa Greta was handy if you wanted a break from climbing the stairs of Taormina; although the service seemed under staffed they do really good food, can't wait to visit again.

Contact details: Via Leonardo Da Vinci 46 Taormina ME 98039 Italy

020 3564 5165

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Difficult journey to Haidi House but worth it

After 2 nights in Sorrento we made our way to Agerola by public transport.

From Sorrento station we took the Circumvesuvia to Castellammare di Stabia, to take the Sita bus upwards to Bomerano, Agerola.

We found that buying a ticket for the Sita bus wasn't straight forward, shops selling tickets are expected to have a Sita sign displayed. We tried a few shops near to our bus stop but were told there were no tickets left so we had to try further afield.

We continued to seek tickets, walking from shop to shop in an area known for having one of the oldest football teams in Italy, SS Juve Stabia.

Eventually, we were overcome with joy to find a shop with tickets to sell. The place was called 'the Bar', a small coffee shop next to a post office.

Back at the bus stop, aware of conflicting Sita bus time tables; from off the Sita web site, a pdf from a link we found and suggestions from nearby shops. We had about 3 different arrival times for our bus to Bomerano. Yet, the bus didn't arrive at any one of those times.

We persisted, during the wait taxi drivers tried their best to persuade us to pay for a cab.

Looking back, it wasn't so bad waiting and watching Neapolitan life whizz by in Castellammare, a part of Italy with zero tourists in sight.

After 2 hours went by, the Sita bus arrived, we rushed on as if to embrace the driver but to our horror were told we had incorrect tickets and could not get on.

Super-generous locals who were also waiting for the bus clearly sensed our desperate situation. They had 2 spare tickets and offered them to us, I tried to give them €10 for their generosity but they wouldn't accept. I had some change equaling to the exact amount for the tickets and gave them it (around €4). We could not repay them enough for their generosity but this was better than nothing.

We were finally on our way up the winding roads to Bomerano, the views were spectacular and worth all the hassle. When we arrived, Haidi House B&B was a down hill walk through a quiet village, just past a small cheese factory.

We sat down in the quiet reception area and waited and waited but no one turned up. When we tried calling, the phone in front of us would ring. Fortunately, we didn't have to wait as long as we did for the bus; eventually, mum and son combo woke up from their siesta and found us in the reception.

Bonjourno! The welcoming Italian family showed us to our room which was spacious, simple and had a balcony with a scenic view of the mountains. There was also a garden to relax in with a couple of hammocks thrown in.

The location couldn't have been better as it was less than 10 mins walk from the Path of the Gods hike, which led us to Bomerano in the first place.

Breakfast was fine, attended to by the eager to help son each morning. Staying on level 2 we had our own entrance, which was useful for not having to disturb the family whenever we returned to our room late.

Address:

Via Villani Ponte 3 - Bomerano, Agerola, NA, 80051 Italy

Tel: [phone]

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Conveniently located off lively high street - Palazzo Abagnale, Sorrento - review

Leaving Naples on the scenic ride of the Circumvesuviana train, I was comforted by the thought that our next hotel was less than 10 minutes walk from Sorrento station.

This boutique hotel was extremely convenient, close to the street markets on Via San Cesareo, great restaurants, the beach and beautiful views from the towns cliffs.

On arrival we met the owner who was friendly and showed us to our room which was very clean, stylish, spacious with the balcony overlooking a lively high street.

The only downside was a tour to Capri we booked through the hotel, as the transfer was frustratingly late which delayed not only us but also the rest of the group who were waiting for us (nightmare)!

Would definitely recommend this hotel just wouldn’t recommend the Capri tour as it was poorly organised.

Address: corso Italia 164, Sorrento, NA, 80067 Italy

Tel: [phone]

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2 NIGHTS IN NAPLES? MUST SEE POMPEII AND MT VESUVIUS

We were recommended this tour by our Naples hotel; Piazza Bellini.

A charismatic driver picked us up on time, he was very informative about every landmark we drove past in Naples. He could have pass for a tour guide, Which made the pickup journey of other tourist all the more bearable, while we stopped off at one hotel after another.

Eventually the tour guide hopped onboard and after introducing herself she conducted a nationality roll-call, anyone from America… Spain… India… London? (yes, some might argue that London should seek independence).

Oddly, the tour started at a tourist trap novelty shop, where we were abandoned. This was frustrating as we were here to wonder around Pompeii not a limoncello shop.

In order for us all to participate in the tour we were strapped-up with headphones and receivers enabling the tour guide to have an omnipresent status inside our ears. Being a large group this was required but resulted in lots of us waiting around to get us all set up.

FOLLOW THE YELLOW UMBRELLA

As the tour finally got on the way the guides omnipresent voice reminded us to follow the yellow umbrella throughout the tour. The multi-linguistic guide took us through the town of Pompeii broadcasting in our ears in 4 languages.

Our guide was informative with clear explanations as we roamed through the crumbling complex. Highlights for the group included the easy to miss phallic street signage and Pompeii’s famous brothel ‘The House of Pleasure’ both summoning oohs and aahs from the group fascinated by the sexual symbolism.

Lunch followed where we were directed to a nearby Naples family restaurant, purpose run to feed the big groups who come far and wide to see these ruins.

A waiter somewhat long in the tooth visited each table reading out a fixed 3 course meal which was part and parcel with the tour.

There was some confusion as the hasty hard of hearing waiter missed half of our groups order. When our food arrived not everyone was counted for leaving us to re-order, leaving said waiter clearly getting hot under the collar and blowing his top.

MOUNT VESUVIUS

Following the Pompeii portion of the tour, the group split into different excursions, with the relevant driver waiting to take you to your followup destination.

Our transport to mt Vesuvius downsized to a minibus because it was a smaller group going, thankfully.

This portion of the tour was without a guide and we were given about an hour and a half to explore the volcano responsible for burying Pompeii in 79 AD.

Much of the route was clearly laid out with fences and stairs making the journey to the top, effortless.

Despite it being an easy trek, doing it in summer meant it was hot up there, for us it was about 45 minutes to reach the summit.

We came across stalls with refreshments offering freshly squeezed lemon juice over grated ice, a delightful reward as we progressed to the top.

When you reach Vesuvius’s summit, its scale will blow you away, the paradox that the worlds most dangerous volcano is overdue an eruption yet inside was one of the most peaceful sights I’ve seen.

We attended this tour on 4th, August 2015 with Napoli City Vision.

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Pizzeria Sorbillo review: best pizza in Naples, well worth the wait.

After our full day of excursions we visited Sorbillo, where there was a very long queue outside the popular pizzeria.

We put our names down and decided to wait for a table, despite being tired from walking around Pompeii and a Mt Vesuvius round trip. We had to enquire a few times to find out our position in the queue as the wait became unbearable.

We ended up waiting for an hour and a half before we were seated to our table, by which time we were both ravenous. Once in the pizzeria, the staff were friendly, extremely organised and the service was great.

We tried the pesto and also courgette pizza’s, which were the best we had in Naples.

Address: Via dei Tribunali, 32, 80138 Naples Campania, Italy.

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Antica Pizzeria e Ristorante Port’Alba - Has this pizza institution lost its spark?

Being regulars at some of London most popular or newest pizza offerings, we were excited at realising that the first ever pizzeria of Naples was around the corner from our hotel in the historic centre (Hotel Piazza Bellini).

Antica Pizzeria e Ristorante Port’Alba is a pizza institution dating back to 1738 and it’s still going strong. On arrival, we managed to nab the last available table at this al fresco restaurant, after which there were many people queueing for seats.

Unfortunately the waiters were rushed off their feet. Although they were friendly, service was very slow, so much so that we had to ask the table next to us to use their menus.

Whilst we were waiting to be served, entertainment was provided by a street opera singer whose voice echoed off the arch he performed under.

After a long wait, we weren’t blown away by this particular pizzeria, it was good, but nothing above average. Our side salad was an unimaginative offering of just iceberg lettuce and tomatoes; it didn’t taste particularly fresh and was served with no dressing.

Address: Via Port'Alba, 18, 80134 Naples Campania, Italy

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Hotel Piazza Bellini: central yet serene.

We wanted to stay in an above average hotel in Naples and that's exactly what we got.

Having arrived at Naples airport, it was fairly cheap and straight forward to get to our hotel. We took the ALIBUS (a 2 minute walk from the airport exit - close to McDonalds). The ALIBUS runs every 20 minutes and costs 3 Euros per person. We arrived at the train station of Piazza Garibaldi where we followed signs for subway line 1 towards Piscinola station and travelled 5 stops to Dante station.

Hotel Piazza Bellini is centrally located, and less than 10 minutes walk from Dante station.

To reach reception you walk through a serene court-yard away from the busy street. On arrival the staff on reception were both attentive and professional at all times. They also recommended a number of excursions and were quick to book us in for a day trip to Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius.

Each morning we looked forward to breakfast, as it was distinctly above average, with a selection of good quality fruits, meats, pastries and drinks.

The street is lined with baroque style buildings, so during your stay don’t miss the 16th century Church of Santa Maria di Costantinopoli (closed to the public) a few blocks down.

Our room was perfect for a 2 night stay, it was fairly spacious and had a border of coat hooks, so there was always something to hang your hat on.

Address: Via S.M. di Costantinopoli 101, 80138 Naples Campania, Italy

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Come In! Sit Down! MuJu Crew review

Muju Crew launched a barrage of comedy sketches last night with most hitting the target.

Folk with Muslim and Jewish backgrounds join forces to explore and take-the-piss out of Islamaphobia and Anti-Semitism.

Expectations of typical stereotypes are boldly met with no apologies.

Such as, the Jihadi bride who breaks into song with a version of ‘Let It Go’ from family favourite ‘Frozen’, when she…

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Wembley Idiot

Tower bridge, one of the world’s most recognisable landmarks, where people flock to travel across it, under it but not to jump off it. That’s not the case for Wembley teenage YouTube entertainer known as Carnage, he has jumped off Tower Bridge for his latest YouTube prank. <img…

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Weekend of Ed at Wembley

Weekend of Ed at Wembley #EdatWembley

Wembley market would not be open this Sunday, that is, if it still existed, but that’s ok, Ed and his guitar are in town. Ed Sheeran’s London tour plays 3 (sold out) dates this weekend, 10 – 12 July 2015 at Wembley Stadium. Highlights include a surprise guest appearance from Sir Elton John, a Stevie Wonder cover and the Stadium turned the iconic arch green for Ed. So what makes this…

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