The Boot Room Eaterie

I never imagined that I would have an excellent dinner in England.

The Boot Room Eaterie is well worth visiting if you happen to be in Leicester (Street address: 29 Millstone Lane).

For a starter, I had Ham Hock Terrine, Pineapple Chutney, Poached Egg (5.95 pounds). The terrine was beautiful done. As far as I remember, I never ever liked terrine. But this one was different. The chutney and the egg served the role of an excellent accent in taste.

My main dish was Scottish Beef Medallions, Diane Sauce, Dauphinoise Potatoes (18.95 pounds). I didn't know what Diane sauce and Dauphinoise potatoes are, but they are apparently among British home cooking recipes. Here at the Boot Room both were nicely done, enhancing the juiciness of the beef.

Although I was already full, I couldn't resist trying Cherry Almond Tart with Clotted Cream (5.60 pounds) for dessert. It turned out one of the best dessert dishes that I had in England.

Complimentary bread also tasted great. The service was good. The graffiti-like signage for the loos was cool. To my surprise, I had a pleasant dinner in the middle of England.

Economics changes the world

An example of how economics (more specifically, behavioral economics) changes the world can be found at a gym in Boston. (HT: Greg Mankiw)

Jambokula

In Stockholm, it's difficult to find a hidden gem. Every good place is well known to everybody, perhaps due to the Swedish idealism of equality.

But now I know one hidden gem in Stockholm: Jambokula.

At this restaurant in Kristineberg (an area of Stockholm just in between the city center and the suburban area), you can enjoy what I would call sophisticated Tanzanian foods. Even the dessert is gorgeous. You won't be disappointed.

Direction: Take the Green metro line towards Hässelby and get off at Kristineberg station. From there, walk 10 minutes by using this map. The opening hours are a bit erratic. So make sure call them at 08 631 0266 beforehand.

The basic facts about world poverty

In 1981, 52 percent of the world population were poor. By 2005, the number has been reduced to 25 percent. This reduction is mostly due to the achievement in China.

That's the summary of findings by two World Bank economists Shaohua Chen and Martin Ravallion. By "poor", they mean their daily consumption is below 1.25 US dollars, which is the amount of money you need to spend to satisfy the basic energy requirements in the poorest 15 countries.