During my week-long trip in London, I did the unthinkable...instead of going all out and dining at fancy, fancier and Michelin starred restaurants, I wanted to go to a few "regular" establishments to eat some of my favourite dishes. I had a long list of places that I wanted to go to, but with so many places and so little time, I had to pick and choose the most convenient ones to get to.
We went to:
Wagamamas: a girl needs to get her number 42 fix every few years...and no, there is no equavalent here. I miss those thick just-made noodles with all the super fresh ingredients - mmmm I'm imagining the taste...divine!
Number 42 - mmmmmm
Nando's: (a South African Portuguese-style chicken take-out chain that has a few branches in the UK). I actually think that Nando's in England is better than in SA. Its more of a restaurant set-up instead of take-aways, you can order wine (mmm...Spier Sauvignon Blanc), and there is nothing about this food that makes you think that you can/want to/should compare it to McDonalds/Burger King/KFC.
Nandos
Spur: (another South African restaurant group) I had to get my Spur Burger fix, okay. The sauces were exactly the same, but unfortunatley the meat is ground very fine, so the burger pattie is pressed together too tightly. I miss a good SA-style Cheddamelt Spur burger (a burger with cheese and a creamy mushroom sauce - mmmm yum)
Cafe Rouge: Oh how I've missed Confit duck and pomme dauphinoise. You do get duck served in a few restaurants in Colorado, but it can be very few and far between.
Braai: Off course, thanks to our friends, I did have a good few braais during my visit in London. (Braai is a BBQ in Australia or Grilling in America - you can braai with wood, coals or gas)
Nando's lemon and herb chicken and chips
Yes everyone, stop the sniggering and put away the shocked expressions...even a self-proclaimed foodie, goes to the odd restaurant chain every now and then. Afterall...not all chains are created equal. (plus I'm no milionaire)
We didn't only visit chains, but this blog is in honour of my trip down "food-memories" lane. There were quite a few more restaurants that I wanted to visit and some of my top picks that I missed out on are: L'Escargot (and a few of my other favourtie Soho eateries), Criterion, Carluccios, Ask, Pizza Express and Tapanco's in Wimbledon...next time. (there are a few more that I can't think of right now.)
Biggest food shock...I didn't visit any Marco Pierre White restaurants (my ex-employer and food god)
Even bigger food shock...I didn't eat a single Curry! Not exactly sure how that happened, but oh well...next time. (In the meantime, Patak's cooking sauces will have to do)
