All good things...

They have to come to an end. And so did my London eating spree. It’s a shame that it's taken me a year to complete this series. As far as being lazy and the eternal procrastinator is concerned, I stand guilty as charged! There's another series of posts coming up about my trip to Kuala Lumpur in March this year and the pledge to complete those by September is my get-out-of-jail card...:)

It was an eventful trip to say the least. From postponing tickets after the London riots erupted to seeing Plan B and Artic Monkeys live at the V Festival.  From being stranded at Dubai airport due to a delay in the connecting flight and landing in London at an odd hour to being questioned by the immigration folks for what seemed like an hour. Cycling in Hyde Park and chucking Madame Tussauds to go visit the god-awesome British Music Experience museum at the O2 in Greenwich.

Food-wise, the aim of the trip was to try one cuisine from each of the six continents in an authentic restaurant. Sounds pretty easy to do in London rite? Well, if there's one thing I've learned from all this traveling in recent years, it's that you can’t do all the things that you thought of when you planned the trip. Some things are dropped coz your travel buddies are not on board, some are logistically difficult, some don’t fit into your budget and so on. I think it’s obvious by now that I didn't manage to complete the 'circumnavigation' that I'd set out for. So let's just focus on an awesome meal that marked the end of the 'voyage'.

It was my last evening in London - a Sunday - and six of us were wondering how to spend it. I was of course thinking of dinner plans i.e. what cuisine and which restaurant. The choice was between Ethiopian and Ecuadorian and both options sounded equally tempting to me as well as the other five. However, we finally settled on Ethiopian since the restaurant in question seemed easier to get to.

 Addis Ethiopian Restaurant is located conveniently near the King's Cross-St Pancras metro station in central London. It claims to serve authentic Ethiopian cuisine in an authentic setting and even has Ethiopian beers and wine on its menu. To its credit, it seems to be run by Ethiopian immigrants and draws a sizable Ethiopian and East African clientele.

The concept of a 'starter' is absent in traditional Ethiopian meals. However Addis restaurant has made an exception keeping non-Ethiopian patrons in mind. We got ourselves some sardines stuffed with herbs and spices. They were fresh and well-seasoned, a good start to the meal.

An ever-present feature in any Ethiopian dinner - one that literally holds the meal together - is the traditional bread called Injera. It is made from fermented flour of a grain called 'teff' and is somewhat similar to a Neer Dosa but slightly sour in taste. All the food is actually served on top of the Injera and is eaten like the Roti/Naan/Neer Dosa is with the curry. The best thing about this style of serving is that the porous Injera soaks up the flavors of the curries. By the time you work your way to those parts of the Injera on which the curries are served, you're left with the best part of the meal.

The Injera was undoubtedly the star of the meal, but the curries and stews were not bad either. We ordered Tibs Firfir, which is cubes of lamb meat fried with onions and spices, Kitfo- minced beef prepared with Ethiopian butter, Doro Wot - Chicken cooked in a spicy pepper sauce and a vegetable curry. All of this was pretty good and ended up looking like this.

We had three Germans in a group of six and I was initially skeptical of their enthusiasm. Ethiopian food is known to be heavy on the spice, a bit much for the bland European palate. Would the Germans regret this?
Well not only did they like the food, when we desis started feeling stuffed, they brought on their A-game and polished the grub off to the last piece of Injera!

Ethiopia is known for its coffee and most Ethiopian restaurants have an elaborate coffee ceremony which is an absolute can't miss. Addis restaurant is no exception and the ceremony began with freshly roasted coffee beans being brought to our table, so we could first take in the aroma. The beans were then ground and brewed and served in a pot and small cups made of black ceramic. The coffee was good and the elaborate ceremony made it especially worthwhile.

For a value-for-money, authentic Ethiopian dining experience in London with the added bonus of a flamboyant coffee ceremony, look no further than Addis Ethiopian restaurant. For further details, here's their website...http://www.addisrestaurant.co.uk/

Garden of Eden

Outdoor food markets around the world are known as some of the best places to eat local food. Not surprising, considering the availability of fresh ingredients. No wonder then, that every food-related show worth its name usually features a local food market in each episode. Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo and Rue Montergueil in Paris are notable examples.

But when it comes to a megacity like London, the definition of 'local' must be revisited. With almost every nationality represented adequately, there are markets in London with strong representation from various immigrant communities. Brixton with its Caribbean flavor and Brick Lane in the middle of Bengali territory are two of them. There is one market however, that brings artisanal food products - mostly organic - from all over the world and combines it with restaurants and food stalls right in the heart of London.

Borough market has been in existence since as far back as the 11th century, though the present location (across the street from the London Bridge tube station - Borough High Street exit) has been in use since the 13th century. What started originally as a gathering of traders selling grain, fish, vegetables and livestock, today serves as a venue for innovative restaurateurs and producers of artisanal foods to showcase their products. It is also a haven for all those people who care for good food and great ingredients - chefs, restaurateurs, passionate amateur cooks or just people who love to eat and drink! And as far as the vendors are concerned, it’s a diverse group of remarkable individuals from all over the UK, Europe and the rest of the world.

I don't remember when and where I first became aware of its existence, but I soon stumbled upon Borough Market's website and not surprisingly, it didn't take long for the YouTube/Wikipedia style browsing to begin. All vendors and restaurants are listed on Borough Market's website and most of them have their own websites as well. What's more, the timing of the find was just right, as I was to visit London in less than a month. Browsing the Borough Market website was like finding oneself in a toy-store as a child. The sheer variety of products on offer, especially in cured meats section meant that planning a visit became a daunting task. Moreover, the market is primarily wholesale and the retail sections are open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays only. Nevertheless, Borough market had been ticked as a must-visit during my time in London.

Thankfully, Borough Market is not difficult to find. The London Bridge station is on the Jubilee and Northern lines of the London Underground and one of the gates to the market is bang opposite the Borough High Street exit of the station. The market is divided into three broad sections - Jubilee Market, Green Market and the Middle Row. While some traders are open for business on all three days, some set up shop only on Thursday/Friday/Saturday.

My first stop was one of the most popular shops in the entire market. Brindisa was started in 1988 to bring high quality Spanish ingredients to the UK. Today it stocks the best Iberico ham, Manchego cheese and a wide variety of sausages and other cured meats made in Spain. They also have Tapas bars at three locations in London. I was here for their chorizo sandwich, which is served at a small stall right outside the main shop. It's served in sliced Ciabatta bread, stuffed with grilled chorizo from the shop, sweet Piquillo pepper and crisp rocket leaves...brilliance in simplicity...nuff said! While I was there, I also went into the shop and bought some Manchego cheese. Brindisa has a very wide range of artisanal Spanish food products and a killer chorizo sandwich! To find out more, visit http://www.brindisa.com/.

Next up was a small shop called Hobbs Meat Roast that serves fresh baguettes with a variety of fillings.  These are quite popular and the shop regularly draws long queues for lunch. I went for the roast loin of pork with stuffing and apple sauce, which was pretty good. Other fillings include turkey breast with stuffing and cranberry sauce and salt beef with dill pickle and mustard.
http://www.boroughmarket.org.uk/page/hobbs-meat-roast-2.

I wanted to pick up some cured meat to go with the Manchego cheese and found a great stall in Jubilee Market. This one sold sausages from southern Italy and I picked a great-tasting sausage made from wild boars indigenous to the region. Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of the stall.

Last stop on Thursday was a shop in the middle row called Mrs. King's Pork Pies. The pies are made with fresh pork and jelly stuffed in pastry. I was stuffed by now and had to get these packed. They are to be had cold (the jelly melts if you heat them) and were pretty good.
http://www.boroughmarket.org.uk/page/mrs-kings-pork-pies-2

An hour spent in Borough Market and there was a lot left to try/buy/eat. So I came back there with my friends on Saturday. There was one stall I really didn't want to miss and it operates in the Jubilee Market only on Saturdays. De Calabria offers a variety of products from the Italian region of Calabria, located at the southern tip of the peninsula. Two notable products at the stall are Soppressata - the region's most popular salami - and N'duja - a heavily spiced spreadable salami made from pig's cheeks, lard and belly. The soppressata was out of stock, but the N'duja tasted fabulous and I got some packed to get back home.
http://www.decalabria.co.uk/

Another Saturday-only stall at the market is Rainha Santa Portuguese Foods. They source their products from the Alentejo region of Portugal and the list is truly impressive. From marmalades and preserves to honey to cured meats and cheese, these guys do it all and it all comes from a single estate. I wanted Serra da Estrela cheese which was out of stock, so I ended up buying their chourico, which I got back home.
http://www.rainhasanta.co.uk/

Two visits to the Borough Market and I couldn't even scratch the surface. The number of stalls and sheer variety of products on offer made it impossible to cover it in greater detail given the shortage of time. So, if any of you are headed to London anytime soon, I'll have a list ready...:)
Till then feast your eyes here....http://www.boroughmarket.org.uk/

Nam Veteran??

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Had to be done

When you visit a country for the first time, some things have to be done. You may not expect it to be the highlight of the trip, it may be overpriced, overhyped or you may have to stand in a long queue. But you still have to do it, because it's that symbolic of the place. Like you have to go see the Eiffel Tower in Paris and The Statue of Liberty in New York. Throw the coin in the Trevi fountain in Rome and shop at the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul. And when it comes to eating, every destination has its own local icons. Pizza in Naples, the Croissant in Paris, Ramen in Tokyo, Chili Crab in Singapore...and the list goes on. But when in London, its gotta be Fish & Chips.

 The dish is simple and doesn't need much explanation. Just batter-fried fish, usually cod or haddock, served with chips. The dish became popular throughout Britain in the second half of the nineteenth century, when trawl fishing developed rapidly. The first fish-and-chip shop opened in Oldham near Manchester. This was followed by several similar establishments that came up throughout the country and made fish-and-chips ubiquitous in Britain, and especially in London.

There are plenty of Fish-and Chip shops in every locality in London, so trying to find the best one is a futile exercise. Every Londoner will have a different favorite and the argument will never end. It's like trying to find the best Vada Pav vendor in Mumbai. So I didn't bother finding the best fish-and-chips in London. I simply included fish-and-chips in one of my sight-seeing trips into the city.

 It was Thursday morning and I was to visit the Tower of London. So I searched Google for good fish and chip shops nearby, and sure enough, there was one right next to the tower. It was highly rated, was a hole in the wall, served only the item in question and had no name. In other words, the kind of place discerning food-lovers look for.

Now European and especially British food tends to be a bit too bland for the Indian palate. This had been my experience with Pie and Mash - the chili vinegar wasn't enough. But that's not a problem when it comes to fish-and-chips. Coz condiments are plenty. There was ketchup, chili sauce, barbeque sauce, vinegar, mayonnaise and more. The fish was fresh, and though I'm not a big fan of things fired in batter, I liked this. The portion was pretty big too and at less than £3, it's good value for money in an expensive city. Everyone knows what it looks like, but still...

The Pubs of London

When it comes to things to do in London, this one's a no-brainer. Especially if you like beer. Any travel/food show's London episode is sure to feature the host visiting at least one old-fashioned pub with wooden interiors and beer-on-tap.
While I had put hours of painstaking research into what cuisines to try and which restaurants to visit while in London, I had not given much thought to which pubs I should go to. That's where having friends who've lived in the city for a while and are borderline alcoholics helped.

It was the day after I landed that my friends took me to my first London pub. It's called 'The Gun' and is located in the Docklands area close to where they live. Docklands is home to London's banking district and the erstwhile Port of London, so I wasn't expecting a 'public house' that is so atmospheric and has so much history.

There has been a pub at this location for more than 250 years and apparently Lord Nelson visited The Gun frequently and had rendezvous with his mistress Emma Hamilton here. The two-storeyed whitewashed structure has an indoor section with the bar as you enter and then the large veranda that is right on the edge of the Thames. During the summer, The Gun's outdoor section turns into an al-fresco restaurant with a Portuguese theme called A Grelha. Super Bock beer and Portuguese specialties like Cataplana and Piri Piri Chicken are served. The London pub tour couldn't have had a better start. For more on the history of The Gun and some great pictures, go to http://www.thegundocklands.com/

The next pub came on the Sunday after the V Festival, when my friends went to watch the India vs England test and I didn't have much to do. So, I joined one of their friends and her German husband at what claims to be the oldest public house in London. It's called The Prospect of Whitby and is located in the area of Wapping. The origin of the pub apparently dates back to 1520 and in earlier times, it was called 'The Pelican' and 'The Devil's Tavern'. The latter is due to a sketchy past reputation as a meeting place for smugglers and pirates. The current name comes from a ship that was once anchored nearby.

The entrance leads to the main indoor bar, with typical wooden interiors, while the outdoor section is a balcony overlooking the Thames. From here, a creaking staircase leads to another rooftop terrace, which overlooks the river too. Beers from England, Belgium, Germany and Holland along with Guinness and Strongbow cider means there's plenty of choice in the drinking section. The Prospect of Whitby is also known for its pub-grub and one can get very good Bangers and Mash, Shepherd's Pie and Fish and Chips here. Unfortunately there is no website, but for information and pictures, visit http://www.taylor-walker.co.uk/pub-food/prospect-of-whitby-wapping/pid-C8166.

Not that I needed an excuse to continue the 'pub-crawl' but meeting an ex-colleague near London Bridge on a Wednesday evening called for a few beers. We were looking for a good pub when we wandered into the St Katherine Docks area and found The Dickens Inn. The Gun and The Prospect of Whitby are places with history, while The Dickens Inn is certainly one of the most atmospheric public houses in London. The location definitely helps - St Katherine Docks is home to luxury housing estates and is the place where the rich park their yachts. The ground level serves as a tavern, while the first and second floors have a grill house and a pizzeria respectively. The tavern has an indoor bar and seating area, while the balcony has oak barrels that serve as table tops while you enjoy your beer with a view of the marina. For more information and pictures, visit http://www.dickensinn.co.uk/.

The last of the pub visits was a short one and came while waiting for a table at a Vietnamese restaurant across the street. The Reliance is on Old Street and is smaller than the other pubs I've described so far. But it has a good selection of ales, Belgian and Czech beers and cider. It’s also known to serve good pub grub. Worth dropping in if you happen to be in the Shoreditch area. http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/pubsandbars/the-reliance-info-13128.html

It's possible to turn any trip to London into one endless pub-crawl. Well, I managed four very traditional pubs, places with great atmosphere and history attached to them. Check them out, when in London.

Second time Lucky

After the 'Butcher's Breakfast' at the Cock Tavern, I was keen on following the Anthony Bourdain trail in London. And the next item on his list was Pie & Mash. Pie & Mash houses have been around in London for a long time, some say even before Fish & Chips made their way into the capital from the north.

The main dish sold in these establishments is, as the name suggests, Pie & Mash. The filling in the pie is most often minced beef, though other fillings like pork and chicken might also be available in some shops. The pie is served with a generous portion of mashed potatoes and, more often than not, a type of parsley sauce called 'liquor'.

The Pie & Mash shop featured in the London episode of A Cook's Tour is F. Cooke Pie & Mash in Broadway market. It’s located in Haggerston in the East London borough of Hackney. It was established in 1862, which makes it one of the oldest Pie & Mash houses in London.



After Friday at Smithfield and Saturday attending the awesome V Festival, Sunday was the earliest that I could make a trip to Broadway Market. So I took the tube to Bethnal Green, which was the nearest metro station and walked more than a mile, only to find that the place remains shut on Sundays. So I kicked myself for not checking this on the web and settled for a Doner Kebab instead. Fortunately the day was salvaged later by a visit to one of the oldest pubs in all of London. More on that later.

Not ready to give up on this, I returned on Monday and sure enough, F Cooke was open for business. The place is not very big, with spartan interiors and wooden benches. What to order is not a problem here. The Pie and Mash with liquor comes for less than four pounds and looks like this.



The stuff is admittedly bland, but there's enough malt vinegar and white pepper to add some taste. And although this was not the best food I had in London, it had to be tried for how quintessentially London it is, if nothing else.

Most Pie & Mash shops also serve jellied eels with liquor. In fact the liquor served with the Pie and Mash uses eel broth. Those who've read this blog before would know that this one's right up my alley. But the Pie & Mash was a big portion, so I had to give the eels a miss.

While Fish & Chips steals the glory when it comes to typical British food, it apparently comes from the north. Pie & Mash on the other hand, is traditional Cockney grub that was created, perfected and is enjoyed to this day in London. And now that you've read this, you know where to get it!!

Heart Attack on a Plate

I have always wanted to follow the Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations trail....that is, go to a destination and try the food and visit the restaurants shown in the episode. Couldn't do it in Europe, because I had not seen many episodes then. Couldn't really do it in Morocco, coz I did not have access to rich Riad owning families of Fez or the Berber tribes of Sahara.

But in London, it suddenly became possible...to an extent at least. Hunting in the countryside with Marco Pierre White would have to wait. But certain other joints featured on the No Reservations London/England episodes were more accessible. And I wasted no time getting started.

My first stop was at the Smithfield meat market in the Farringdon area. An unlikely place to go hunting for breakfast, you would think. But this was not just any breakfast. Ever heard of the Full English Breakfast?? What I was about to eat (read confront) took the concept a step further.

The Cock Tavern is located in the basement of one part of the Smithfield wholesale meat market and has been an iconic institution in the area for several decades, especially among the butchers working in the market. It's a routine for them to have breakfast with a pint of Guinness early in the morning at the tavern every day after their shift ends. It was on one of the early episodes of No Reservations that I saw Tony eating at the place while chatting with some butchers - their white coats stained with blood.




While the place serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and has quite a menu, what it's famous for is the Butcher's Breakfast, named after the men in the blood-stained white coats who frequent the place. You can call it a version of the Full English Breakfast. A quick comparison. The English Breakfast has...Bacon, black pudding, fried eggs, grilled tomatoes, hash browns, baked beans and bread. The Butcher's Breakfast has...Black pudding, white pudding, four pieces of steak, devilled kidneys, bacon and fried egg. In short, it's the baap of the English breakfast sans the veggie stuff and loaded with more meat. No wonder the butchers like it.



When I got to the place, I knew exactly what I wanted and went straight for it. However, I wasn’t sure if I wanted the traditional pint of Guinness with it. I knew that was what the butchers did, but hesitated. Drinking in the morning?? Alone?? On my first day in London?? In the end, I opted for the tea. A decision I wouldn't regret. Oh, this is what the breakfast looks like, in case you're wondering.



The meat was top quality and not a surprise considering the place is in the basement of the largest meat market in London. I started nicely and till the halfway point, I was quite happy with myself for having come to the place. But then I started getting full. Sips of tea now and then helped and I finally managed to conquer the mountain of meat. At the end of it though, I felt like keeling over and dozing off.
Thank god I didn't go for the Guinness...:)