London is well and truly one of the world's biggest melting pots. Britain's colonial legacy and London's constant rise as a global business and financial centre means that each and every one of the world's nationalities are probably represented here in good number. Get on the tube here and you'll know. You'll see South Asians and Latinos. You'll hear Russian and Chinese being spoken. And you'll think the white guy in the suit is a brit till he whips out a copy of La Gazzetta dello Sport!
All this diversity guarantees one thing - you can find good quality authentic cuisine from almost any country in London. Filipino, Somali, Ecuadorian...you name it and London's got it! Obviously, the possibility of trying cuisines that would take decades (or more) to appear on the menus at restaurants in India got me very excited. Being spoilt for choice isn't always a good thing though. At last count, there were more than 190 countries in the world. Assuming that at least half of them make their presence felt in London's culinary scene, two weeks is too short to even scratch the surface.
The solution was simply broadening the categories from countries to continents. Only six of them (unless you count Antarctica) and now the task looked easier. One cuisine from each of the six continents had to be sampled in my two weeks in London. Target finalized, it was time for planning. This meant that in the weeks before my trip, I spent hours in office trying to pick a cuisine from each continent and then searching London-centric food-related websites for highly rated restaurants. The list was ready and I was raring to go. Now, whether I was entirely successful in this endeavor, is something we'll leave for later.
Like I said, I was looking for cuisines not easily available in restaurants in India. Within Asia, that would be Vietnamese. Anthony Bourdain has done several Vietnam episodes, Andrew Zimmern has been there for Bizarre Foods and so have most food and travel shows. All that television coverage got me intrigued. The cuisine seemed like a collision of influences from China, the rest of South East Asia and France, which makes it unique in the region. Moreover, there aren't many Vietnamese restaurants in India, only a few unimpressive Vietnamese dishes on menus in 'Pan-Asian' restaurants.
The restaurant I had found online was simply called 'Pho' and was actually a London-based chain with 6 branches across the city. But my friend Anu suggested a stand alone place called Cay Tre in Old Street. The place had good reviews and when we got there at 8 pm, it was full and we would have to wait for 30 minutes. Also, the staff and a lot of the patrons seemed to be Vietnamese. The signs were good.
So, after a few beers at the pub across the street, we finally got our table and I couldn't wait to get started. My previous experience of Vietnamese cuisine consisted of mediocre summer rolls and disappointing Pho at the aforementioned 'Pan-Asian' restaurants. I had high expectations from Vietnamese food and I had a feeling that this dinner would really raise the bar as far as oriental food was concerned. I was right. This turned out to be an epic meal in which we devoured four of the classics of Vietnamese cuisine. Certainly the best meal in London and one of the best restaurant experiences ever. Now that that's out of the way, let's go through each dish in detail.
First up, we had the summer rolls, called Goi Cuon in Vietnamese. These are spring rolls that are neither steamed nor fried. They are rolled in soaked rice paper and filled with shrimp, lettuce, bean sprouts and rice noodles. Served with a mixture of fish sauce, lime, sugar and garlic called nuoc cham and hoisin sauce, it has a guaranteed presence on the menu at any Vietnamese restaurants. The ones at Cay Tre were fat, tightly rolled and a far cry from the mediocre imitations found in restaurants back home. Forgot to take a picture though.
Next came a salad of raw mango and dried squid. Unlike the other stuff we ordered, this is not a well-known classic of Vietnamese cuisine. I have grown up eating dried fish, but had never tasted dried squid. The dressing of lemon, sugar and fish sauce made this order worthwhile and the rice wafers on the side was a nice touch.
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After the salad, it was time for another classic. Banh Xeo are Vietnamese crepes made from turmeric flavored rice-flour batter. The filling consists of chicken, shrimp and bean sprouts. This is one dish that represents the uniqueness of Vietnamese cuisine more than any other. Firstly, the crepe is a French import, but this version is nothing like the Galettes and Crepe Suzettes of Paris. The rice-flour batter makes the texture different and turmeric seasoning and the filling are anything but French. And it's eaten differently as well. A piece of the crepe is sliced off, then wrapped in the accompanying lettuce leaves, dipped in some nuoc cham before being chowed down. This is what it looks like.
.jpg)
Pho (pronounced 'fuh') is called the national dish of Vietnam - and not without reason. It's the first thing that comes to mind when ones thinks of Vietnamese food. It has been made popular throughout the western world by Vietnamese restaurants on whose menus it's sure to be present. It is a soup that consists of a broth made from meat, bones and bone marrow which is poured over meat (usually beef) and noodles and seasoned with lemon, chillies, mint and fish sauce. Before this meal, the Pho I had tried in restaurants back home had been disappointing. Not surprising, because making a good Pho requires painstaking effort, and a broth that must be simmered for hours. Fortunately we were in a Vietnamese-run restaurant. These guys got it just right. Have a look at the big bowl of Pho and my friend Anu looking suitably happy with it.
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The last course was something I had tried to make at home and failed miserably. Ca Kho To is Mekong Catfish caramelised in anchovy fish sauce and simmered in a clay pot. The presentation is flamboyant and the clay pot was even flamed from below at table side. As for the taste, the caramelised sugar and the salty fish sauce work perfectly together and this whole thing was great with sticky rice.
.jpg)
Exotic cuisine in an authentic restaurant one of the experiences I looked forward to in London. Cay Tre Vietnamese restaurant fulfilled and exceeded my expectations. Check it out at http://www.vietnamesekitchen.co.uk/caytre/ and if you find yourself in London, be sure to drop in for a great meal.
All this diversity guarantees one thing - you can find good quality authentic cuisine from almost any country in London. Filipino, Somali, Ecuadorian...you name it and London's got it! Obviously, the possibility of trying cuisines that would take decades (or more) to appear on the menus at restaurants in India got me very excited. Being spoilt for choice isn't always a good thing though. At last count, there were more than 190 countries in the world. Assuming that at least half of them make their presence felt in London's culinary scene, two weeks is too short to even scratch the surface.
The solution was simply broadening the categories from countries to continents. Only six of them (unless you count Antarctica) and now the task looked easier. One cuisine from each of the six continents had to be sampled in my two weeks in London. Target finalized, it was time for planning. This meant that in the weeks before my trip, I spent hours in office trying to pick a cuisine from each continent and then searching London-centric food-related websites for highly rated restaurants. The list was ready and I was raring to go. Now, whether I was entirely successful in this endeavor, is something we'll leave for later.
Like I said, I was looking for cuisines not easily available in restaurants in India. Within Asia, that would be Vietnamese. Anthony Bourdain has done several Vietnam episodes, Andrew Zimmern has been there for Bizarre Foods and so have most food and travel shows. All that television coverage got me intrigued. The cuisine seemed like a collision of influences from China, the rest of South East Asia and France, which makes it unique in the region. Moreover, there aren't many Vietnamese restaurants in India, only a few unimpressive Vietnamese dishes on menus in 'Pan-Asian' restaurants.
The restaurant I had found online was simply called 'Pho' and was actually a London-based chain with 6 branches across the city. But my friend Anu suggested a stand alone place called Cay Tre in Old Street. The place had good reviews and when we got there at 8 pm, it was full and we would have to wait for 30 minutes. Also, the staff and a lot of the patrons seemed to be Vietnamese. The signs were good.
So, after a few beers at the pub across the street, we finally got our table and I couldn't wait to get started. My previous experience of Vietnamese cuisine consisted of mediocre summer rolls and disappointing Pho at the aforementioned 'Pan-Asian' restaurants. I had high expectations from Vietnamese food and I had a feeling that this dinner would really raise the bar as far as oriental food was concerned. I was right. This turned out to be an epic meal in which we devoured four of the classics of Vietnamese cuisine. Certainly the best meal in London and one of the best restaurant experiences ever. Now that that's out of the way, let's go through each dish in detail.
First up, we had the summer rolls, called Goi Cuon in Vietnamese. These are spring rolls that are neither steamed nor fried. They are rolled in soaked rice paper and filled with shrimp, lettuce, bean sprouts and rice noodles. Served with a mixture of fish sauce, lime, sugar and garlic called nuoc cham and hoisin sauce, it has a guaranteed presence on the menu at any Vietnamese restaurants. The ones at Cay Tre were fat, tightly rolled and a far cry from the mediocre imitations found in restaurants back home. Forgot to take a picture though.
Next came a salad of raw mango and dried squid. Unlike the other stuff we ordered, this is not a well-known classic of Vietnamese cuisine. I have grown up eating dried fish, but had never tasted dried squid. The dressing of lemon, sugar and fish sauce made this order worthwhile and the rice wafers on the side was a nice touch.
.jpg)
After the salad, it was time for another classic. Banh Xeo are Vietnamese crepes made from turmeric flavored rice-flour batter. The filling consists of chicken, shrimp and bean sprouts. This is one dish that represents the uniqueness of Vietnamese cuisine more than any other. Firstly, the crepe is a French import, but this version is nothing like the Galettes and Crepe Suzettes of Paris. The rice-flour batter makes the texture different and turmeric seasoning and the filling are anything but French. And it's eaten differently as well. A piece of the crepe is sliced off, then wrapped in the accompanying lettuce leaves, dipped in some nuoc cham before being chowed down. This is what it looks like.
.jpg)
Pho (pronounced 'fuh') is called the national dish of Vietnam - and not without reason. It's the first thing that comes to mind when ones thinks of Vietnamese food. It has been made popular throughout the western world by Vietnamese restaurants on whose menus it's sure to be present. It is a soup that consists of a broth made from meat, bones and bone marrow which is poured over meat (usually beef) and noodles and seasoned with lemon, chillies, mint and fish sauce. Before this meal, the Pho I had tried in restaurants back home had been disappointing. Not surprising, because making a good Pho requires painstaking effort, and a broth that must be simmered for hours. Fortunately we were in a Vietnamese-run restaurant. These guys got it just right. Have a look at the big bowl of Pho and my friend Anu looking suitably happy with it.
.jpg)
The last course was something I had tried to make at home and failed miserably. Ca Kho To is Mekong Catfish caramelised in anchovy fish sauce and simmered in a clay pot. The presentation is flamboyant and the clay pot was even flamed from below at table side. As for the taste, the caramelised sugar and the salty fish sauce work perfectly together and this whole thing was great with sticky rice.
.jpg)
Exotic cuisine in an authentic restaurant one of the experiences I looked forward to in London. Cay Tre Vietnamese restaurant fulfilled and exceeded my expectations. Check it out at http://www.vietnamesekitchen.co.uk/caytre/ and if you find yourself in London, be sure to drop in for a great meal.
