Food food & indeed more food

June 13th, 2022

After spending a few weeks in London, I have been lucky enough to venture over to Borough Market twice. The first time, I had a BBQ wrap and then a German dessert: Bienenstich. The second time, I finally achieved my goal of getting a toastie! It was definitely more than I expected, as the food stand put onions in with the toastie too. After eating that too quickly, I managed to buy not one, not two, but three desserts (yes I did over-do it, but do I regret it? No.) Both of these times were so much fun, as the food was delicious. I really think I am going to go back for a third time before we leave London and get the bienenstich one last time. The caramelized nuts on top made it absolutely incredible.

I will always remember the experiences I have had in Borough Market. I compare it to the overwhelming feeling you get at a mall food court where there are so many options in front of you that you can’t decide, but this is amplified to where there are swarms of people trying to decide what they want as well but shoved into a smaller space with more options to choose from. Overwhelming? Yes. Worth it? Yes.

I think it is absolutely incredible that within the city of London, one can find just about any type of food they want from many cultures around the world (besides cheese dip of course for reasons I have yet to figure out). It has been rewarding to go out of my comfort zone with different restaurants and try new foods that I normally would not have the opportunity to try back at home.

Last night, I went to Patinga and tried Nigerian cuisine. This was my first time trying this type of cuisine, and I absolutely loved it. I ordered a coconut rice dish that had shrimp and goat meat in it. Then for dessert we ordered fried plantains with ice cream and Nigerian donuts. (An aside: I am so sorry Taylor and Kath that I dropped one of the donuts on accident. I am a clutz.)

I have loved every second of the trip, as I am able to try new things: I am even trying Bao tomorrow in Chinatown. London is definitely unique in its own right, as their fish and chips are a local staple, but also for their plethora of food options that come from across the globe! It must be nice for the locals to have so many choices right at their fingertips, but it does make me wonder if locals try new restaurants regularly or if they have a few that they always go to.