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...:)

Jaipur

I thought it would be Hyderabad. Or Lucknow. Or Chennai. Or Bangalore even. Two years back, I went to Delhi with two friends and got the idea of going to other cities in India in search of the best food they had to offer. The plan never took off, though I did keep going back to Delhi for some reason or the other and managed to eat well every time.

Jaipur was never on the list. Not because I thought it did not have good food to offer. It just got hidden behind the more famous/hyped Lucknow and Hyderabad. But as fate would have it, Jaipur found me before I could find Jaipur.

A friend had moved into an awesome house there with his parents and called me over for a weekend. This was April and it would be scorching hot, but I had nothing better to do with my weekend, so I decided to go anyway.

I always make a mental list of things to eat whenever I go to a new place and this time was no different. Spicy meat dishes and the famous Jaipur sweets were on the top of my list.

So I landed on a scorching hot Friday afternoon and headed straight to my friend's awesome house. I couldn’t escape the family dinner (vegetarian) as that would be impolite, so the 'hunting' would have to start the next day.

Laal Maas is probably the most famous Rajashthani meat dish. And Spice Court is the place to try it in Jaipur. It serves good Rajasthani non-vegetarian fare and there's a good feel to the place with lawns, the option of outdoor seating and the famous Rajasthani hospitality.

There were other options on the menu but I knew what I had come for. So Laal Maas it was. My friend pointed to Kheema Bati, which is like a non-vegetarian version of Daal Bati with minced meat in it. It sounded very interesting and was apparently the most sought after item on the menu at Spice Court. So we decided to come back for it later. The Laal Maas was very good and very spicy indeed. Thank god for the chilled beer.

In the evening, my friend insisted on taking me to this omlette place he kept talking about. I wondered what the big deal was, but decided to go along anyway.
Sanjay Omlette is a small shop located in a square in Jaipur that somewhat resembles Delhi's Khan Market. Apparently, it’s been doing business for a few decades and has quite a reputation. We ordered cheese omlettes and they came with not only bread but also, green chutney, red chutney, ketchup and onion salad. Good omlettes and great value for money considering the variety of accompaniments.

The next morning, as planned, we returned to Spice Court to try the Kheema Bati. But my luck had run out and apparently they did not have any. So there was little choice but to go for the other Rajasthani meat dish on the menu - the Jungli Maas. Only one problem...it's the hotter spicier version of Laal Maas...:) Even the waiter called it 'super duper spicy' and told me it was against house rules to make it any less spicy!!

With the other choice being a repeat of the Laal Mas, I decided to brave it and called for a nice chilled beer to take the edge off the deadly Jungli Maas. When the damn thing arrived on the table with the Rotis, I said a short prayer and tucked in. The waiter was right. It was the hottest, spiciest thing I had ever put in my mouth, barring the odd accidental green chilly. But it was also very delicious. Dilemma?? Catch 22?? I don’t know what to call it, but one the one hand I liked it very much and wanted to have the next morsel, but the bloody thing was scorching my palate and I was damn sure it would scorch my digestive tract later. In the end, I managed to fight the heat and almost finished the plate of feared Jungli Maas. I conquered the Jungli Maas!! Or did the Jungli Maas conquer me?? I'm not really sure.

The last items on my list were the snacks and sweets. So, on my last day in Jaipur, we headed to Rawat Mishtan Bhandar. This place is known for its Onion Kachori and Mirchi Vada and both were really good and very filling. The Mirchi Vada is just like the Batata Vada but with a large milder green chili inside the batter. It was time for the sweets next and there's no better place in Jaipur for that than Laxmi Mishtan Bhandar. And when in Jaipur, one must try the Ghewar. There are several types and it comes in many sizes, but most 'exotic' varieties are available only in winter, except for the standard Paneer Ghewar. And LMB as it’s called is the best place for it. So I ended my Jaipur sojourn by savoring the famous Ghewar and packing boxes of it to take back home.

Spicy meat dishes, Omlette stalls, snacks and sweets made a good Jaipur trip. I'm sure there's much more to Rajasthani food than just that and I'm looking forward to coming back in winter to Rajasthan to eat much more in much better weather. As far as the idea to go to other cities is concerned, it's time to get cracking...wish me luck!!

Merci Beau Coup, El Dayaa!!

I write with a lag. Always. I don't sit at a restaurant taking notes in the middle of a meal. And I don’t rush back from dinner or a trip and write about the blogworthy experience immediately. It’s all stored as a memory in the head and I typically take one or two months to finally get down to writing about it.

But 3 1/2 years is a huge lag. One that owes an apology followed by a good post. So here goes...

During my 3 months in Europe, I was based in Toulouse, France, a great place to eat no doubt. Its home to French classic Cassoulet, has a Sausage named after it, and is also the birthplace of the Entrecote steak. But being on a tight budget, I had to restrict my culinary adventures to times when I was travelling to different parts of Europe. When in Toulouse, my batchmates and I mostly cooked at home. Which is why all my posts from Europe were about the stuff I ate in Italy or Spain or Portugal. Maybe that’s how this one was missed out.

El Daaya is a Lebanese Cafe on Boulevard Lascrosses in Toulouse, right opposite ESC Toulouse, where I studied for a 3 month term, five minutes from where I lived. But this was not just any Lebanese restaurant. It was run by Lebanese immigrants and was frequented by Toulouse's sizable North African/Middle-Eastern community. The owners/cooks were a cheerful lot, knew a lot of their patrons by name and were always eager to entertain. We used to drop in for a mid-day snack and whenever we were too bored to cook.

The spread at El Dayaa was pretty huge. From the standard Shawarma to Keftaa and Kibbeh to the ubiquitous Hummus and Falafel and a never-ending list of salads, dressings and other accompaniments including the ever present Baba Ghanoush. But a favorite with the crowd were their sandwiches. These were wrapped in Durum Bread which resembled a large but thin Roti, like in between a Chapati and a Roomali Roti. And the fillings were....onions, Lettuce, tomato, Sauce Blanche (White Sauce), a spicy red Lebanese sauce called Harissa and your choice from the following: Shwarma/Keftaa/Kibbeh/Chicken Kebab/Falafel. And that’s not all. The sandwich always came with fries and you could choose to either have them put inside the sandwich or served by the side. An El Dayaa sandwich filled with fries could set you up for a day's hard work. What's more it was really, really good.

Shawarma/Doner Kebab places are everywhere in Europe and are probably the most common street food joints on the continent. So, it’s no surprise that I ate a lot of these sandwiches on my travels. Especially after I'd spent a bit too much on the last meal. I can remember Paris, Amsterdam, Munich, Barcelona and Rome, but I'm sure there were more. But none were as good or as elaborate as the ones at El Dayaa. During my last few days in Toulouse, I was bored of cooking and ate almost every meal there. No wonder, an ode was long overdue.

So, Merci Beau Coup El Dayaa, et je suis très désolé pour le retard!!