Well ladies and gents, I've been home for a little over a week now. Although I miss being able to pop into a pub for curry and a pint or exploring hidden streets to find a real foodie gem, I've eaten well since I've been home and had time to reflect on my experiences. Between Christmas baking and savoring holiday roasts, one of the things that initially struck me about leaving London was that I no longer had a pretense to blog and I was going to miss it. So, I decided I'm going to continue blogging about restaurants, recipes, escapades, and culinary mishaps at school in DC, home in St. Louis, and anywhere else I go.
My time in the states so far has been filled with a trendy eatery in Chicago, rich Italian food in Louisville, and decadent surf and turf in St. Louis. I'm excited to try several places on my list at home in the next few weeks before returning to DC where I have an extensive list of restaurants and recipes to try. I can't wait to share my forthcoming culinary experiences with all of you and thank you for your loyal support during my time abroad this past semester! Happy eating in the new year!
Friday, December 30, 2011
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Tea at Harrods
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of enjoying afternoon tea at Harrods and it was quite the experience. The Georgian Restaurant, where tea is served, is a very large room resembling a catering hall or country club dining room. One stumbles upon this oasis of bourgeoisie decor after wading through the children clothing section. The incredibly large room was covered with silver balls and Christmas decorations, and trees heavily adorned with silver ball ornaments. Upon being seated, we were asked to choose which tea we wanted. I settled on the Moroccan mint while my friends chose the classic Georgian afternoon tea. The mint tea had a strong tea flavor but the mint kept it very refreshing with particles of mint still in the brew. The Georgian was also good, although slightly more traditional. Then our food arrived! We were served, in the traditional fashion, a large silver three-tiered serving platter. The lowest tier contained a variety of delicious sandwiches, the second scones, and the top level desserts. The first sandwich I tried was a delightfully mini lobster roll. The roll had the appropriate crustiness for a lobster roll and the lobster mixture was great: I could taste the lobster but also several seasonings, celery, and several other additions. The lobster rolls were, not surprisingly, my favorite sandwich and we all proceeded to ask for and eat a second round of them. The next tea sandwich I had was some sort of ham sandwich with ham, rocket, and a seasoned mustard. It was really good because the ham was fresh, as was the bread, and the mustard was very delicious. The third sandwich I had was smoked salmon and cream cheese and I obviously loved it. The other two sandwiches weren't really my favorites. One was a mix of I'm not really sure what, possibly pear and goat cheese with a little watercress. It had too many flavors and an unfavorable texture. The other one I didn't really care for was a curried chicken salad on little toasts but I thought it had a little too much curry powder.
The scones were easily one of my favorite parts of the tea. We were served raisin scones as well as plain scones, with clotted cream, rose petal jelly, and strawberry preserves. The scones themselves wee crumbly and moist with a lot of flavor! The clotted cream was like a sweeter, less salty butter so it was definitely a hit. The strawberry preserves were great with big pieces of strawberry and went excellently with the scones and cream but the real knockout was the rose petal jelly. The jelly was runny, with a much thinner consistency than the jam and an equally delicate flavor. Yet, despite it's delicateness, it was full of subtle sweetness and was very nice. The final part of tea was the dessert! We were faced with a plate full of intriguing, colorful, beautiful, and unique looking sweets, most of which I tried. The first sweet I tried was the fruit tart with orange creme. The fruit on top was colorful and fresh and the orange creme filling was delicious! It went perfectly with the fruity flavors of the topping and kept the tart from being too rich. The pastry shell was also flaky, buttery and ideal. Next, I tried the chocolate and cherry Financiere. This treat was shaped almost like a circle cookie but then had layers of rich chocolate, cherry, and nuts. It had a very interesting flavor, possibly due to a small amount of anis, and I wasn't originally a fan. Yet, as I continued powering through, it grew on me, probably due to the chocolate. After my fluctuating feelings about the last dessert, I decided to try something I knew I'd like next: the white chocolate and cranberry delice. This was a scrumptious little pastry bite with incredibly creamy white chocolate followed by a layer of cranberry compote and finally a crunch of ground nuts. It was really good and had the perfect texture balance! Finally, I had the gingerbread and toffee macaroon and I definitely saved the best for last. The top and bottom layers were soft and chewy with a full toffee flavor while the middle was almost like a mousse it was so light. The "mousse" filling was an incredibly flavorful blend of cinnamon, gingerbread, and nutmeg that worked so well with the sweet toffee taste. It was great! We were also served a Brandy Dundee cake which I didn't try because 1. it looked like a fruit cake and I don't like fruit cake and 2. I was full/wanted to save room for a second plate of sandwiches.
Tea was a fun and delicious way to spend a few hours with good friends on one of my final days in London. Although it was a bit expensive, I think it was a great value because we were served so much food and you're able to ask for endless amounts of anything. I understand now why tea in London, especially somewhere with a long-standing reputation like Harrods, is a must-do for every visitor to the city. I only wish I'd known sooner so I could have enjoyed afternoon tea more often, although I'm not sure how many times my wallet could have.
The scones were easily one of my favorite parts of the tea. We were served raisin scones as well as plain scones, with clotted cream, rose petal jelly, and strawberry preserves. The scones themselves wee crumbly and moist with a lot of flavor! The clotted cream was like a sweeter, less salty butter so it was definitely a hit. The strawberry preserves were great with big pieces of strawberry and went excellently with the scones and cream but the real knockout was the rose petal jelly. The jelly was runny, with a much thinner consistency than the jam and an equally delicate flavor. Yet, despite it's delicateness, it was full of subtle sweetness and was very nice. The final part of tea was the dessert! We were faced with a plate full of intriguing, colorful, beautiful, and unique looking sweets, most of which I tried. The first sweet I tried was the fruit tart with orange creme. The fruit on top was colorful and fresh and the orange creme filling was delicious! It went perfectly with the fruity flavors of the topping and kept the tart from being too rich. The pastry shell was also flaky, buttery and ideal. Next, I tried the chocolate and cherry Financiere. This treat was shaped almost like a circle cookie but then had layers of rich chocolate, cherry, and nuts. It had a very interesting flavor, possibly due to a small amount of anis, and I wasn't originally a fan. Yet, as I continued powering through, it grew on me, probably due to the chocolate. After my fluctuating feelings about the last dessert, I decided to try something I knew I'd like next: the white chocolate and cranberry delice. This was a scrumptious little pastry bite with incredibly creamy white chocolate followed by a layer of cranberry compote and finally a crunch of ground nuts. It was really good and had the perfect texture balance! Finally, I had the gingerbread and toffee macaroon and I definitely saved the best for last. The top and bottom layers were soft and chewy with a full toffee flavor while the middle was almost like a mousse it was so light. The "mousse" filling was an incredibly flavorful blend of cinnamon, gingerbread, and nutmeg that worked so well with the sweet toffee taste. It was great! We were also served a Brandy Dundee cake which I didn't try because 1. it looked like a fruit cake and I don't like fruit cake and 2. I was full/wanted to save room for a second plate of sandwiches.
Tea was a fun and delicious way to spend a few hours with good friends on one of my final days in London. Although it was a bit expensive, I think it was a great value because we were served so much food and you're able to ask for endless amounts of anything. I understand now why tea in London, especially somewhere with a long-standing reputation like Harrods, is a must-do for every visitor to the city. I only wish I'd known sooner so I could have enjoyed afternoon tea more often, although I'm not sure how many times my wallet could have.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas
Not only is it beginning to look a lot like Christmas here in London, but it's beginning to feel like it, and I don't just mean the weather! Each area or street in London comes together and organizes street-wide Christmas lights. They range in style from blue icicles in Covent Garden to giant stars and snowflakes on Oxford Street. The lights were hung in early November though, so that's not what's making London so Christmasy. Nor is it the incredible store windows! All of the stores here, particularly the large department stores, spare no expense on their window displays and it definitely shows! One of the corner displays at Selfridges is a giant fan blowing fake snow all around (the theme for all of their windows is white). Harvey Nichols' is decked out in a fantasy theme with large model animals and mystical colors while Harrods is simply opulent. Each display reveals something about the store's character while giving the onlooker quite the spectacle. What's really making London seem like a fairy-tale Christmas is Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park.
It's a well known fact I've been obsessed with Christmas lights well, since forever but this is something completely different. Winter Wonderland is a Christmas market modeled after those common in Europe, a theme park, and a foodie's wonderland. Rows and rows of small vendors sell a variety of items including ornaments, hand-carved wooden utensils, candles, jewelry, handmade clothes, and London trinkets. The amusement park is pretty cool with a range of kid rides, haunted-house style attractions, carnival games and several larger rides. Of the larger rides, I've only been on one: the drop. It was one of the rides that goes straight up very high and then drops you fast back down and up again and down and up until it just starts getting fun, and then it's over. This drop was cooler than some because from that height and location at night, I felt like I could see all of the lights in London. The best part of Winter Wonderland though is, in my opinion, obviously the food. The most common type of food vendor is "Bavarian pubs" and German eateries offering sausages and potatoes. I tried the potato pancakes from one and despite being slightly overfried, they were good. I always thought they were a Hanukkah food but apparently they're really German: who knew? There's are several vendors selling tantalizing flavors of homemade fudge, colorful candies, and marshmallows a meter long! Another staple of the Christmas market is the drinks: hot chocolate with baileys, mulled wine, and German beer. The hot chocolate is rich and creamy and when it's served sans alcohol is topped with a generous amount of fresh whipped cream and chocolate powder. Yum! It's pretty good with the Baileys too. The most unique and interesting thing I tried at the market however was the mulled wine. Mulled wine is a traditional European winter treat, goes by a few different regional names, and has a taste difficult to describe. Imagine a winter beer full of spices and warm seasonings such as cardamom and cinnamon. The mulled wine was sort of like a hot version of those flavors, in wine. The initial sip just tastes like heat followed by the aftertaste of red wine. Yet, the next taste gives you an idea of the full range of spices and flavors in the wine. It's incredibly interesting but I haven't decided yet whether I actually enjoy drinking it or not. Verdict to follow. Other vendors boast exotic burgers like ostrich while a few others, such as "Santa's Pub" serve more traditional British grub and pies.
The best thing I ate a the market though was, not surprisingly, my dessert. Choosing between waffle carts and crepe stands proved too difficult so I went with the wildcard and it worked out almost as well as the Cardinals' wildcard position in the MLB playoffs this year. I got a chimney cake, an old German cake. The chimney cake was made of dough which was placed vertically surrounding a column and then rotated as it bake to a lovely golden color. It was then brushed with a little butter and rolled in whichever topping you chose. I got half rolled in chocolate sprinkles and the other half rolled in a cinnamon sugar mix. It was awesome! The cinnamon sugar bites were sweet and the topping melted in your mouth and into the cake. The chocolate side was also sweet and gave a nice crunch. The cake itself was really unique. The outside was crisp with a crunch almost like a wafer-thin cookie and then there was about a quarter inch of more pastry textured soft dough before the hollow center. And it was healthier than funnel cake since it was baked!
And to make the night better, I saw Bill Nighy there! I love the Christmas market and how perfectly they put you in the mood for Christmas. Not to mention all of the sweets, goodies, drinks, and inviting food choices. I'm definitely going back again this week.
 |
| Food vendors and stalls fill several festive rows. |
It's a well known fact I've been obsessed with Christmas lights well, since forever but this is something completely different. Winter Wonderland is a Christmas market modeled after those common in Europe, a theme park, and a foodie's wonderland. Rows and rows of small vendors sell a variety of items including ornaments, hand-carved wooden utensils, candles, jewelry, handmade clothes, and London trinkets. The amusement park is pretty cool with a range of kid rides, haunted-house style attractions, carnival games and several larger rides. Of the larger rides, I've only been on one: the drop. It was one of the rides that goes straight up very high and then drops you fast back down and up again and down and up until it just starts getting fun, and then it's over. This drop was cooler than some because from that height and location at night, I felt like I could see all of the lights in London. The best part of Winter Wonderland though is, in my opinion, obviously the food. The most common type of food vendor is "Bavarian pubs" and German eateries offering sausages and potatoes. I tried the potato pancakes from one and despite being slightly overfried, they were good. I always thought they were a Hanukkah food but apparently they're really German: who knew? There's are several vendors selling tantalizing flavors of homemade fudge, colorful candies, and marshmallows a meter long! Another staple of the Christmas market is the drinks: hot chocolate with baileys, mulled wine, and German beer. The hot chocolate is rich and creamy and when it's served sans alcohol is topped with a generous amount of fresh whipped cream and chocolate powder. Yum! It's pretty good with the Baileys too. The most unique and interesting thing I tried at the market however was the mulled wine. Mulled wine is a traditional European winter treat, goes by a few different regional names, and has a taste difficult to describe. Imagine a winter beer full of spices and warm seasonings such as cardamom and cinnamon. The mulled wine was sort of like a hot version of those flavors, in wine. The initial sip just tastes like heat followed by the aftertaste of red wine. Yet, the next taste gives you an idea of the full range of spices and flavors in the wine. It's incredibly interesting but I haven't decided yet whether I actually enjoy drinking it or not. Verdict to follow. Other vendors boast exotic burgers like ostrich while a few others, such as "Santa's Pub" serve more traditional British grub and pies.
The best thing I ate a the market though was, not surprisingly, my dessert. Choosing between waffle carts and crepe stands proved too difficult so I went with the wildcard and it worked out almost as well as the Cardinals' wildcard position in the MLB playoffs this year. I got a chimney cake, an old German cake. The chimney cake was made of dough which was placed vertically surrounding a column and then rotated as it bake to a lovely golden color. It was then brushed with a little butter and rolled in whichever topping you chose. I got half rolled in chocolate sprinkles and the other half rolled in a cinnamon sugar mix. It was awesome! The cinnamon sugar bites were sweet and the topping melted in your mouth and into the cake. The chocolate side was also sweet and gave a nice crunch. The cake itself was really unique. The outside was crisp with a crunch almost like a wafer-thin cookie and then there was about a quarter inch of more pastry textured soft dough before the hollow center. And it was healthier than funnel cake since it was baked!
 |
| Chimney cakes being made and decorated. |
And to make the night better, I saw Bill Nighy there! I love the Christmas market and how perfectly they put you in the mood for Christmas. Not to mention all of the sweets, goodies, drinks, and inviting food choices. I'm definitely going back again this week.
Haggis, Tatties and Neep
Ok so I didn't actually have a traditional Scottish serving of haggis, tatties, and neep (haggis, mashed potato, and turnips) but I did have haggis and several other traditional foods on my trip to Edinburgh this weekend. I surprisingly enjoyed it very much, which makes me a little reluctant to tell those of you that don't know what haggis is, but I guess I can't live in denial. Haggis is basically several different parts of a sheep, namely organs, mashed up with oatmeal, onions and spices, and then prepared in a casing. For my first haggis experience, I ordered fried haggis balls from a nice little pub and they were really good! Once you get past thinking about what you're eating, the breading gave a nice crunch but wasn't overpowering and the haggis was creamy and incredibly flavorful. The oatmeal and some sort of thickening agent, probably a stock, gave the filling a consistency almost like a rice ball. The haggis balls were a great start to the meal and I am happy to be able to say I have now tried haggis, and liked it! (Oy! Me a year ago would have died to say, or even think, about something like that!)
Besides haggis, probably the most well-known Scottish food, Edinburgh has very good seafood because of its proximity to the water. My second night, I had a very fresh serving of salmon accompanied by hearty leeks and potatoes. I feel like the dish was very characteristic of Scottish food with its hearty nature but fresh fish. I also had mussels which were perfect! Each one tasted fresh and was well cooked while the sauce was a to-die-for concoction of butter, white wine, and garlic that I proceeded to soak up with bread after enjoying the mussels. And I had all of that from a pub! What also made the meal so great was the local beer I enjoyed alongside the food. The Caledonian Brewery is a landmark in Edinburgh and has been since it was founded in 1869. As soon as I stepped out of the train station, I could smell the beer brewing in the nearby brewery and I knew I was going to love this city. Their most famous beer is the Deuchars IPA which was a great brew and the perfect accompaniment to my meal. Caledonian's second-most popular beer is the Caledonian 80/- which is much darker but still very good. Many of the pubs and bars in Edinburgh served more unique, locally-brewed beer than I have seen in the rest of the UK and so I made sure to try a healthy sampling of Scotch Ales.
Another really cool place I went in Edinburgh, although not quite as Scottish, was Elephants and Bagels. This is a smaller and more food-oriented restaurant run by the same people that own Elephant House: the famous coffee shop where JK Rowling wrote much of Harry Potter. Elephants and Bagels was cozily tucked away in a little square and offered a unique menu of bagel sandwiches including the classic cream cheese and salmon to a homemade pesto chicken. Being a traditionalist, I opted for the cream cheese and salmon and was not disappointed. Later in the day, I walked past the original Elephant House and saw how the warm inviting atmosphere, combined with the spooky, old surroundings definitely gave JK Rowling inspiration for the epic series.
I had a wonderful time exploring all the winding streets and closes of the beautiful old city and wish I'd had more time in Edinburgh. I do feel like I accomplished some of the Scottish musts though: beer, salmon, and haggis.
Besides haggis, probably the most well-known Scottish food, Edinburgh has very good seafood because of its proximity to the water. My second night, I had a very fresh serving of salmon accompanied by hearty leeks and potatoes. I feel like the dish was very characteristic of Scottish food with its hearty nature but fresh fish. I also had mussels which were perfect! Each one tasted fresh and was well cooked while the sauce was a to-die-for concoction of butter, white wine, and garlic that I proceeded to soak up with bread after enjoying the mussels. And I had all of that from a pub! What also made the meal so great was the local beer I enjoyed alongside the food. The Caledonian Brewery is a landmark in Edinburgh and has been since it was founded in 1869. As soon as I stepped out of the train station, I could smell the beer brewing in the nearby brewery and I knew I was going to love this city. Their most famous beer is the Deuchars IPA which was a great brew and the perfect accompaniment to my meal. Caledonian's second-most popular beer is the Caledonian 80/- which is much darker but still very good. Many of the pubs and bars in Edinburgh served more unique, locally-brewed beer than I have seen in the rest of the UK and so I made sure to try a healthy sampling of Scotch Ales.
Another really cool place I went in Edinburgh, although not quite as Scottish, was Elephants and Bagels. This is a smaller and more food-oriented restaurant run by the same people that own Elephant House: the famous coffee shop where JK Rowling wrote much of Harry Potter. Elephants and Bagels was cozily tucked away in a little square and offered a unique menu of bagel sandwiches including the classic cream cheese and salmon to a homemade pesto chicken. Being a traditionalist, I opted for the cream cheese and salmon and was not disappointed. Later in the day, I walked past the original Elephant House and saw how the warm inviting atmosphere, combined with the spooky, old surroundings definitely gave JK Rowling inspiration for the epic series.
I had a wonderful time exploring all the winding streets and closes of the beautiful old city and wish I'd had more time in Edinburgh. I do feel like I accomplished some of the Scottish musts though: beer, salmon, and haggis.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Fish & Chips: the winner
I FINALLY had great fish and chips this weekend! As I mentioned in one of my first blog entries, my first famous chippie visit was tremendously disappointing. Since then, I've had fair fish and chips at a few different pubs and several weeks ago, I had good fish and chips at the Golden Hind in Marylebone. I was beginning to get discouraged and was considering either giving up the search or going back to the Golden Hind for a second tasting and to possibly declare it the winner. Yet, just in time, no settling was necessary; I had really great, can't-get-enough fish and chips.
I'm sure you're all dying to know where so you can add it to your London bucket lists and join this chippy's cult-like following. Well ladies and gents, the best chippy in London is... Mickey's Fish and Chips by Paddington Station. The eatery is extremely unassuming, located just off a decently sized street only minutes from the buzzing train station. Mickey's itself is made up of two large shopfront style windows, roughly a dozen tables with seating for maybe 30 people, and a small counter and kitchen area. Since we were eating in (I'm thinking take away counts for a lot of their business) we were encouraged to sit down and look over the menu instead of standing to order. We ordered 5 medium pieces of whichever fish was freshest and two large orders of chips for the five of us. Our waiter told us he would check whether the cod or haddock was fresher and our food would be ready shortly. Minutes later, massive amounts of steaming, inviting food arrived at our table. The fish itself was a generous piece of cod but, not as grossly huge as many chippys offer. The breading had an incredible crunch to it and each taste was filled with delicious flavor and a bite of flaky, fresh fish. The fish was perfectly cooked which, combined with a delicious breading, gave the fish a perfect texture and flavor. The chips were good too, although I'm far less picky about those. The heaping plates of chips were made up of several different sizes so you could choose if you wanted a more potatoey or crunchy side dish. I opted for the medium-size cut chips so I got a bite of potato and some crunch with each chip, similar to the texture of the fish.
Another thing that makes Mickey's so great is the cult-like fan base. When we ate there, there were three other parties in the restaurant including a family and an elderly man. The third was another of our friends showing his visitors "the best fish and chips in London" just as I was. Beyond that, people that love Mickey's go all the time and tell everyone about it. Despite this being my first visit, I've listened to my friends rave about it since the first week in London. All my friends love it so much they insisted thats where I take my visitors and the next night, two of them got it take-away for dinner again. I'll definitely be making another visit before my time in London is finished. The chips were good, the prices ideal, the community vibe great, and the fish was excellent! Go to Mickey's now!
I'm sure you're all dying to know where so you can add it to your London bucket lists and join this chippy's cult-like following. Well ladies and gents, the best chippy in London is... Mickey's Fish and Chips by Paddington Station. The eatery is extremely unassuming, located just off a decently sized street only minutes from the buzzing train station. Mickey's itself is made up of two large shopfront style windows, roughly a dozen tables with seating for maybe 30 people, and a small counter and kitchen area. Since we were eating in (I'm thinking take away counts for a lot of their business) we were encouraged to sit down and look over the menu instead of standing to order. We ordered 5 medium pieces of whichever fish was freshest and two large orders of chips for the five of us. Our waiter told us he would check whether the cod or haddock was fresher and our food would be ready shortly. Minutes later, massive amounts of steaming, inviting food arrived at our table. The fish itself was a generous piece of cod but, not as grossly huge as many chippys offer. The breading had an incredible crunch to it and each taste was filled with delicious flavor and a bite of flaky, fresh fish. The fish was perfectly cooked which, combined with a delicious breading, gave the fish a perfect texture and flavor. The chips were good too, although I'm far less picky about those. The heaping plates of chips were made up of several different sizes so you could choose if you wanted a more potatoey or crunchy side dish. I opted for the medium-size cut chips so I got a bite of potato and some crunch with each chip, similar to the texture of the fish.
Another thing that makes Mickey's so great is the cult-like fan base. When we ate there, there were three other parties in the restaurant including a family and an elderly man. The third was another of our friends showing his visitors "the best fish and chips in London" just as I was. Beyond that, people that love Mickey's go all the time and tell everyone about it. Despite this being my first visit, I've listened to my friends rave about it since the first week in London. All my friends love it so much they insisted thats where I take my visitors and the next night, two of them got it take-away for dinner again. I'll definitely be making another visit before my time in London is finished. The chips were good, the prices ideal, the community vibe great, and the fish was excellent! Go to Mickey's now!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)