Happy Birthday To Me!

Happy Birthday to me! I woke up this morning not really feeling any different--it's strange not seeing my Mom though. Olly offered to take me for lunch to celebrate, so I met him at his office near Victoria station and we went to this cute place called Bumble. I tried lamb meatballs with spaghetti (SO not a fan), and tried to order a mimosa but discovered they don't exist in England. Olly was very amused. After that, I went back to Gavin's and just relaxed for a bit before heading to Gordon Ramsay's York & Albany restaurant for a birthday dinner. He has seven different restaurants in London, but this one was the closest (and most affordable--Savoy for $300 each? Maybe after I head to Mumbai and  become a famous Bollywood star. It's obviously going to happen. Can't wait to write that post). It was, in a word, disappointing. 

Gavin had the asparagus for an appetizer, and I had the warm goat cheese salad, which wasn't warm at all.  For some unknown reason I decided to be adventurous and order the "fish of the day", which was haddock with braised cabbage and mustard-egg ravioli. I thought, why not try some true English cuisine? 

Should've known it would  be terrible. The fish was overcooked and unbearably salty, and the egg ravioli...well lets just say I hate eggs for a reason. Gavin had the pizza, which he actually enjoyed, but I was so disappointed. Also, our food didn't come out to the table together; I was waiting about 10 minutes for mine. I've watched chef Ramsay yell at his contestants on Hell's Kitchen when this happens, so I just assumed he would require the same standards of service at his restaurants. GUESS NOT. I definitely will not be returning, I should have gone to Nobu instead. Maybe in October. I do think it's funny that the worst meal I had while in London was:  -on my birthday -supposed to be the best meal I had in London

After dinner, my friend from home Chris and his girlfriend Jen came by Gavin's flat, and we all headed out to go dancing. I had no idea Chris wasn't 18 yet, so he couldn't get in to the places we wanted to go--they ended up parting ways with us, and Gavin and I wandered around endlessly because he was SURE there was a great "hidden club, very posh" that he was at earlier in the week. Problem was, every time we used our GPS to locate it, its location would move. Walk to one spot, it jumps on the map. Walk again, it's no longer where it said it was. Damn you, Blackberry!

After a quick pit stop at McDonalds (.99 chicken burger, unreal--I would definitely be obese if I lived in London), we took a rickshaw (those tricycle things that the guys bike us to where we want to go? Not sure if this is the right term) to G-A-Y Late, one of London's best gay clubs. I'd never been to a gay club before, but I honestly had the time of my life there! It is definitely strange being on the outside of what's going on...no one cared what I did while I was there haha but at the same time that's what made it amazing! I could dance and just have a good time celebrating my birthday and the fact that I'm in London, for goodness' sake! We were also celebrating Gavin that night, as it turns out, he was named one of Canada's Top 40 under 40--so congrats Gav! So proud of you!

The night ended with a wander into Leicester Square, and finally a taxi home, none of which Gavin remembers. Good thing someone's responsible on her birthday :)