London, Part II

Onward with the tour!

On the top of my list of food I HAD to have while in London was Fish and Chips.  Although A Salt & Battery in Greenwich Village is good, it was just missing something...British.  I'm not sure how to explain it but I think I've been spoiled ever since Jeanie Weanie took me to the local Chip Shop in Newcastle and introduced me to the best seafood I've ever had, let alone Fish and Chips.  And the fact that no one in America seems to understand what mushy peas are is also insanely frustrating.  So being my best friend, she researched Chip Shops around London to take me and came up with...

The Golden Hind

The Golden Hind, which has this incredible ambiance.  It is this old school posh neighborhood Chip Shop in Marylebone that is renowned for having amazingly fresh seafood.  I also loved that the shop has a board that shows all the previous owners and their ethnicities.  We got some classic fried cod, fish cakes, chips and of course, mushy peas for me!  The cod and fish cakes were a bit fishy but Jeanie Weanie didn't really taste it so I chalk it up to me always getting extra sensitive when I'm travelling.  Either way, the batter was great.  Just thick enough to have a great crunch but thin enough to gently envelop the cod instead of drowning it.   The chips were good as well but what really made my day were the mushy peas.  Simple I know but there is something awesome about getting something that simple right.  And don't you love the little condiment bowls?

Traffic Jam in a Jam Shop next to The Golden Hind.  HILARIOUS!

The next day Jeanie Weanie took me to one of the food meccas of London, Borough Market, their version of our Smorgasburg, although I'm sure Borough Market has been there forever and our Brooklyn Smorgasburg is still relatively new.  Anyways, we were on the hunt for more less traditional fare as we more than gorged ourselves on the Fish and Chips so I opted for Cafe Brood's famous Paella.

Cafe Brood's Paella Pan.  Delicioso, no?

Cafe Brood's Paella with Catalan Stew

The Paella was a tad under seasoned for my taste and the Catalan Stew refused to blow my mind as others have promised but the stew and the paella together in one bite was indeed delicioso.  Since the paella wasn't as flavorful as expected, the acidity and brightness of the stew really rounded out the rice without covering up the wonderful brininess of the seafood.  The real disappointment was the actual meatballs in the Catalan Stew, which I felt was too dry despite being cooked in the stew, and did not contribute much to the flavors of the dish as a whole.

Game Sandwich from The Guildable Manor.  YUM!

Jeanie Weanie felt like a nice sandwich so she popped over to the next stall and got a wonderful Game Sandwich from the Guildable Manor.  The sausage is made of wild boar and venison and combined with the cabbage, this sandwich is SPECTACULAR.  I love me some well made sandwiches and they did GOOD.  The sausage was grilled perfectly, baguette soft, cabbage tangy and crunchy and with their homemade sauce, this sandwich was easily one of the best offerings at the market.  Next time I think I'll go for their lamb sandwich.

My last night in London I had planned to go over to the Mandarin Kitchen to visit my uncle who runs the restaurant and to have their absolutely delectable Lobster Noodles as my last meal before I leave.  Funny sentiment since if I had to choose a last meal in life, this would be it.  These noodles are that good.  Thai dignitaries regularly stop by and the last time I was there the Thai prime minister was 2 tables away.  Now despite my strong feelings for this dish, I can tell you right now I still believe I am underselling it to you.  The heft of the noodle perfectly handles the gooey sauce and holds its own with the lobster, whose essence has gleefully penetrated the noodles and the absolutely delicious out of this world sauce.  ARG!  I am drooling everywhere just thinking about it!  But alas, it was not meant to be.  My uncle received word too late of my presence in London and we just missed each other.  Until my next trip then, my darling darling lobster noodles!

Heaven. (Courtesy of Christina About Town)

If you are in London I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend you stop by--no, MAKE SURE you get these wonderful noodles.  They are worth every pence and trust me, this dish isn't cheap.  Although I didn't get to go, I found some photos from the blog Christina About Town, who echoed my sentiments about this absolutely SPECTACULAR dish.

Yum.