Things To Do In London Today: Friday 14 July 2017

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Things to do today is sponsored by Zest & Zing.

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HYPER JAPAN: Tobacco Dock is once again a hotspot for Japanophiles and Weeaboos as Hyper Japan returns with more food, fashion, shopping, and music. Don't miss out on the Sake Experience. Tobacco Dock, £15-£24, book aheadnoon-8pm (until 16 July)

GET STUFFED:Put a little more effort into eating today and navigate to Just Eat's Food Fest at Red Market for three days of food, music and fun. This year's theme is remote desert island, so who will you be taking with you to get stranded with? Red Market, free, just turn up,14-16 July

DEATH ON THE ICE: The mysterious fate of Sir John Franklin and his crew who set sail from the Thames in 1845 to finish charting the North-West Passage remains unsolved, as they were never heard from again. Their final resting place was only finally discovered in 2014, and 200 objects relating to their disappearance are now on display. National Maritime Museum, £12/£7/£11, just turn up, 10pm-5pm (until 7 January 2018)

CITY IS OURS: Cities are forever changing; they have to, to keep up with modern technology and meet the demands of the people who live in them. What are urban communities around the world doing to improve city life? Get hands-on to explore challenges facing cities around the world in this new exhibition. Museum of London (Barbican), free, just turn up, 10am-6pm (until 2 January 2018)

WELCOME THE WHALE: The Natural History Museum has replaced much-loved Dippy the dinosaur with a blue whale skeleton. She's called Hope and she's just been unveiled — why not go along and see her? The new Whales: Beneath The Surface exhibition opens today too, and is well worth a visit. Natural History Museum (South Kensington), free entry to museum (charge for exhibition), just turn up, from 10am

FREE MILKSHAKE: American restaurant The Diner is launching a shake cart at its Spitalfields branch, and to celebrate is giving away free milkshakes for one hour only at that branch. Free, just turn up, 11am-noon

Get yourself a free milkshake at The Diner in Spitalfields.

SEXUALITY AND SATIRE: Hear about how soldiers used song, satire and slapstick to entertain themselves during the first world war at this talk. National Army Museum (Chelsea), free, book ahead, 11.30am

IMMERSIVE CINEMA: Trade London for Mexico at the South Social Film Festival and watch Gueros, a film that tells the story of three students in the middle of a university protest, shooting a documentary while looking for a legendary folk singer. The Cinema Museum, £12-£30, book ahead, 6.30pm

COVENT GARDEN CURIOSITIES: Discover intimate details of notorious cinema sirens and cabaret curiosities, or craft an enchanting theatrical mask or hand-held fan at the London Transport Museum's Friday Late. Age 18+. London Transport Museum (Covent Garden), £15/£12, book ahead, 7pm-9pm

ARTISTIC CUISINE: Marylebone's Carousel is setting up shop in the Tate Modern for a three-week supper-club, beginning with Australian Chef Shaun Presland whose specialty and passion in Japanese cooking. Level 9, Tate Modern, £39.50/£50, book ahead, from 7.30pm


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Attention foodies! Pack a punch in the kitchen without breaking a sweat

Want to add instant flavour to your food? Ditch over-complicated recipes and pick up a jar of gourmet herbs and spices from London start-up Zest & Zing instead.

Tuck into flavoursome blends sourced from around the world. Check out the jars and website for simple yet delicious food pairing recommendations; sprinkle garlic chilli over fresh prawns, or impress dinner guests with harissa spice over halloumi. There's even a handy BBQ set for the summer months.

Unsurprisingly, these spice connoisseurs have been getting rave reviews. They are super tasty without the calories, and they won't clutter your cupboards — you'll have used the perfectly-sized jars up before they've had a chance to lose their flavour.

Add some spice to your kitchen at Zest & Zing or look out for its stall at Putney, Fulham and Chiswick markets, and at Olympia's Speciality Foods Expo in September. They're also now on sale at Battersea General Store (part of the Battersea power Station redevelopment).


Art review: screen glare

Copyright Brian Clarke

Brian Clarke has created vivid colourful stained glass screens and the effect is beautiful. Each one is based on a place with meaning to Clarke, from jellyfish in the ocean to stock prices. Brian Clarke: Summer Solstice Screens is on at HENI Gallery, 6-10 Lexington Street, W1F 0LB, free. Until 23 July  ★★★☆☆ Tabish Khan

Theatre review: square queen in a round hole

Image credit: Marc Brenner

Maybe TV series The Crown and Wolf Hall have spoiled us but this royal bio from the RSC is a pale shadow of what it could have been. Somewhere in here, a decent play is buried within a rather underwhelming mishmash of political satire, court intrigue, bawdy cabaret, lesbian romance and wartime drama. Silver screen star Romola Garai rarely sparks as arch manipulator Sarah Churchill but Emma Cunniffe is magnificent as the eponymous regent famously buried in a square coffin. Queen Anne, Theatre Royal Haymarket, 18 Suffolk Street, SW1Y 4HT, £15-£95. Until 30 September ★★★☆☆ Franco Milazzo

Food review: Dayrooms is a brunching dream

Say goodbye to jumping on the property ladder, because another restaurant has fresh avocado on sourdough toast on the menu, and it's actually worth the £10 price tag. The Dayrooms Cafe is well situated in its Notting Hill location, and takes its brunch and coffee inspiration from the Australian Eastern coastline. But what you really need to know is that they have a dish called Honeycomb Hotcake topped with honeycomb, raspberry, crème fraiche and miso caramel — yes please! The Bagel Royale is unusually sweet and a little on the heavy side, but the Sticky Sesame Chicken Roll is perfect for savoury tastebuds. A brilliant spot for lunch, or early drinks before dinner (as most days they close at 6pm — for now). The Dayrooms Cafe, 212 Kensington Park Road, W11 1NR ★★★☆☆ Eleana Overett

Good cause of the day: streak for tigers

Sign up now to get your kit off and run around ZSL London Zoo raising money for the charity's conservation work on 10 August. The Streak for Tigers is an annual event, with a £20 registration fee and £150 sponsorship. 10 August

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