There was a time, when that bright yellow cheddar cheese from Tesco was in my weekly shopping basket.  If I was feeling really special I would reach to the top shelf for brie, but that was as far as my cheese sophistication went!  Times have changed! Every meal I have had in Italy has been accompanied with a carefully selected cheese.

I recently came across a great cheese deli Miracolo a Milano, in Milan. My eyes and stomach were telling me to buy every kind of cheese in this deli. So fresh, so creamy and so white. The fact that I had not been to the gym for now over 6 months, limited me to buying just one cheese. So I went for the best: most creamiest and buttery burrata, (fresh Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream).

When I cut the burrata there was a little river of milk and cream oozing out of it. I really have never tasted such a delicious burrata. A slice of burrata on bruschetta with olive oil and basil, and I was in heaven.

How can this burrata be so light, creamy and fresh? Miracolo a Milano use raw milk from Baronchelli Borgo San Giovanni farm a few kilometers from Milan, where the cows  live well without being forced into production. Miracolo a Milano gets the milk immediately after the cows have been milked and they work quickly to turn it into products that are on the bench in the morning.

If you want to buy a good fresh cheese, Miracolo a Milano is a must. Next time I will try the ricotta or the mozzarella di bufala.

Miracolo a Milano, Via Stendhal 47, 20144, 0039245473059, Milan – Italy

I love this time of year in Milan. The sun is out, my sandals are on and there is a fresh and energising feeling in the air. I seem to be coming across new and interesting places that seem to have been in hibernation in the winter. The latest find: L’Hub 

L’Hub is a beautiful laboratory for the average person to learn about textiles, sewing, block printing, dying, and even creating your own masterpiece from a handbag to a dress.  I never considered myself a designer or one who would want to spend her free time learning how to sew. But after spending ten minutes at L’Hub I was planning all my free time around the workshops L’Hub offers. To start off with you can do a six hour basic or full license sewing course for 100 euros.

There are also courses with artisans, ranging from block printing to learning how to make a Furoshiki handbag. “Remise en forme” stood out for me. Bring your old clothes to the laboratory and work with artisan Rosanna Pagliarini to transform them into beautiful garments. L’Hub is a great concept, offering technical and creative textile courses, the opportunity to work on your own creation and use the lab outside course hours. It is not just for adults or designers. L’Hub also has courses for children, who perhaps want to knit a dress for their doll.

 I am looking forward to my first class! I already have my eyes on some fabric at L’Hub which I want to create into an indo-western outfit. I will let you know if the class lives up to my expectations.

L’Hub, Ripa di Porta Ticinese 69, 0039245548183, Milan – Italy

(Pictures – courtesy of Pilgio)

I always find it fascinating when someone can makes something beautiful out of nothing. Antonio Piluso, a true artist and owner of Pilgio does just that. Inspired by his father who was a bricklayer, Antonio uses materials like cement, bricks, nails and pieces of tools to create statement jewelry.  Antonio carefully combines his earthy bases with more precious stones like diamonds, rubies and emeralds.

Prices range from 200 to 20,000 euros. Of course I fell in love with pieces ranging from 500 – 1000 euros. I am now waiting for a surprise bonus or my future husband to take me shopping! If  you are willing to splash out and you are looking for your unique showstopper, then Antonio is your man!

Pilgio, Via Caminadella, 6, 00392804812, Milan – Italy

(Picture – courtesy of Verger)

A beautiful space that made me curious and reenter the day after showing off my new find in Milan to my friends. Verger, that opened only three months ago is a modern, spacious and multifunctional space exhibiting creativity through fashion and food.

On entering Verger I felt like I was on Via Savona during Milan’s design week.  In fact on the top floor, Christian and Enrico Verger have showcased Wendy Plomp’s  design collection from Milan’s 2009 design week.

Although Verger’s design collection is interesting, my budget would not permit me to come back to Verger for its collection alone. For me, Verger is a great place for a creative lunch or a catch up with friends over coffee in a funky environment.

Leaving Verger I was reminded what the Milanese are best at: design and innovation.

Verger, Via Varese 1, 003902 86998276,  Milan - Italy

I was one of those girls who used to get bored going to the kitchen section in John Lewis with my mum. However when I was in Kitchen, a beautiful cooking and kitchenware boutique on Via de Amicis in Milan, I could not resist touching practically every utensil. From German non-stick aluminum to Japanese ceramic knives, this place has it all.

Kitchen’s cooking book selection is also great and includes some top Italian chefs in the food industry. I picked up two excellent cookbooks: Diario di un Cuoco by Pietro Leemann who is the chef of Joia a Michelin star vegetarian restaurant in Milan and Tiramisu  e Chantilly by Luca Montersino and Roberto Sammartini.

After looking at Kitchen’s cooking courses (which range from  50 to 70 euros) and flicking through pictures of Tiramisu  in every shape and form I had to leave Kitchen as my mouth began to water. Luckily just next door to Kitchen is  Viscontea which serves some delicious pastries and delicacies. It is so rare to come across a cafe in Milan where you can  sit down, sip a cup of tea and watch the world go by. Viscontea  also serves lunch and aperitivo.  I highly recommend it, especially if you are in the area.

Kitchen, Via E. de Amicis, 45,  00390258102849, Milan – Italy

Pasticceria Viscontea, Via E. de Amicis, 39, 00390239430081, Milan – Italy

I was hoping for a quiet Sunday afternoon in Istanbul. Somehow I managed to get stuck amongst a political protest of 1000 students marching down Istikal street. Luckily I came across a bistro, that to my surprise once I entered was also a book  shop. Upon entering Ada I felt like I was on another street in a different city, and far far away from the political mayhem a metre outside the doors of this stylish modern book shop come bistro.

A perfect place for a single traveler, a kitap club (book club), friends catching up, or a family out for a Sunday brunch.

The food at Ada is great, especially if you have had enough of mezze and kebabs! I had a delicious vegetable noodles dish.

Note that the majority of books are in Turkish. So if you are looking to pick up a book to read, I suggest you go a few doors down to Robinson Crusoe 389 and pick up a book on Turkey in original language, and enjoy it at Ada.

What better way to spend a sunday afternoon, reading a good book whilst enjoying an Anatolian wine, eating some international food and relaxing against the back drop of jazz. Ada is all about the full experience, don’t just go there for the food or just the books. Enjoy both and you will not want to leave until you have finished your book!

Ada, Istikal Cd No: 158-A, Beyoglu, 00902122514728, Istanbul

Quick, tasty and cheap. And for that reason, every time I have been to Pizza Biagio there has always been a queue outside the restaurant, even when its raining!

Biagio is a Napolean pizzeria, rustic and small, with tables covered with traditional red and white checked tablecloth. Its one of those places that is so good that you will find a mix of locals, international students and even models.

The pizzas made in a wooden oven with fresh ingredients are excellent, but the service is not the best. Note – Biagio do not accept cards.

For desert, I suggest you walk a few metres down to Chocolat on via Boccaccio, 9. One of the best gelaterias in Milan.

Pizza Biagio, Vincenzo Monti, 28, Milan - Italy

Serendipity in Milan is a world apart from the Serendipity on East 60th Street in New York. Corso di Porta Ticinese home to creative fashionistas  in Milan, homes a vintage shop with a twist.

Nicolo Mazzetti converted a once music shop into a place where one can get their hands on some vintage clothes, accessories and music from the 60s to 90s.

I do not normally go into vintage shops, but there was something very compelling about this one. From the window I could see Andrea Verdura making his signature handmade leather shoes and boots.

From afar Andrea’s work looks very artistic and creative. Take a closer look and some of his pieces look like the front cover of Hanif Kureishi’s “Something to Tell You.”

Don’t get me wrong his work is fantastic, but you have to be ready to showcase  an orgy that represents “love, spontaneity and the joy of living” on your feet!

Andrea also does some more classic designs for the less adventurous. To get a shoe or boot in your size that is already designed takes 3 days. If you wish to design your own shoes/boots Andrea normally takes 5 days. 30% deposit of the price of a shoe or boot is required at the time of order. Andrea’s work ranges from 130 – 800 Euros.

A very refreshing change compared to the high end designer shops Milan is known for. Serendipity has some great pieces at relatively affordable prices.

Serendipity, Corso di Porta Ticinese, 100, 0289400420, Milan - Italy

Why are we stopping at Bungalo Eight? I am on a mission to buy sarees for my cousin’s wedding, I really don’t want to stop at a club! And I can’t believe Carrie’s Sex and the City Bungalo Eighthas opened in Mumbai!

Unlike the name suggests the Mumbai Bungalo Eight is not a club, but instead a chic and eclectic  designer store, spread over three floors in a 19th century building next to Wankhede stadium in Colaba.

In a city inundated with malls and shops that are cluttered with goods, Bungalo Eight is a very refreshing museum of merchandise. To call Bungalo Eight a shop or a store is an understatement.

From the outside one could easily miss it. From the minute you enter you really question where in the world are you? As two steps back onto the street you are surrounded by the  Colaba mayhem, worlds apart from this avant garde home.

In fact Bungalo Eight reminded me of the chicness of 10 Corso Como in Milan, the earthiness of  Anthropologie in New York and the layout of  some of my favourite boutiques in Paris. Individual items are a real mix of East meets West: high quality Indian artisan products with a Western elegance.

The three very unique floors of this 4000sq ft building are divided into: living & dining, sleeping and dressing. Every item on each floor is unique, inspired by tradition and  hand picked from different parts of India and East Asia.

Though it is the collection of these individual items that makes each one look so good you are compelled to buy it. When you take the individual goods out of the perfect lighting,  the soft Norah Jones music and the 19th century tall ceiling building with rustic walls, it can look some what different in your rather simple home.

Its like buying a Valentino bag and then wearing Clarks shoes. You have to have the whole package for it to look great!

Bungalo Eight is all about the experience, absorbing what Mumbai modern new age artists are up to. Though some what expensive, especially for Mumbai standards, I highly recommend you check out this beautifully thought out unconventional space.

Bungalow 8, 8, Carmichael Road, Vasant Vihar, 0091 22 2351 6103, Mumbai - India