The stereotype is that British food is disgusting at worst and bland at best. While it might be harder to find spicier food here than in the States, it’s pretty flavorful. And I’m just talking about the traditional British food. I haven’t mentioned the international food all over London.
I just got back from a Greene Knight pub earlier. They’re a small chain that serves excellent fish and chips. They’re savory and flavorful and not too dry. You can tell the chips come from really high quality potatoes. They come with some funny sauces though. I’m not a big fan of tartar sauce and I’m not sure what the vinegar sauce is for…
Today I had this chicken sandwich with vinegar and “rocket” which I believe is arugula. I didn’t really like how acidic it was. I also tasted the strangest drink. I took a sip of Margaret’s pineapple cider. It didn’t taste like pineapple though. In fact, it didn’t taste very sweet at all…
The most interesting traditions about food here are differences in service depending on where you go. Generally, if you go to British restaurants, you have to demand your service since they don’t work for tips here. However, if you go to restaurants that serve Mediterranean food the service is entirely different. Grason, Leah, and I went to a Lebanese restaurant and the service and food were brilliant. It was easy to get the waiter’s attention and he was eager and charismatic. So much so that he was the only server I tipped on this trip. Later on, Grason and I went to an Italian place. I ordered this fish with a sauce. A waiter brought it out to me without the sauce, but I didn’t mind too much because it was so delicious. However, another Italian waiter passed by, took a good look at my meal and exclaimed offendedly “where’s your sauce?” For some reason I felt like I should’ve apologized for not having the sauce. She was very offended. In less than a minute she came back with the sauce and aggressively dumped it on my fish. It’s my understanding that the south of Europe values food differently than the rest. Many take pride in providing a good food experience where the people up north don’t as much. This explains the differences in service.
I’ve had shawarma for the first time here and I have no doubt Callie would love it. It’s so savory and acidic. At the Lebanese restaurant I also had a peach beer for a couple quid that tasted fantastic.
I went to a fancy restaurant with Isaac and some others a couple weeks ago. It had a brilliant atmosphere, but the service was definitely sub-par. I had this gnocchi which wasn’t really interesting, but the lemon sorbet dessert was one of the best I’ve ever had. One of the best desserts, not lemon sorbets… That was my first lemon sorbet.
I appreciate the cheap Tesco meals. All the bread here is really high quality and makes whatever you’re eating taste amazing and feel very filling. I don’t quite understand sweetcorn in sandwiches though. Also, hard-boiled eggs as a side dish is unusual, but still good.
I’d never had gelato before I came to the U.K. It’s Italian cold cream that’s produced differently than normal ice cream. I got a gelato with a great waffle cone at a place in Spitalfields called Bubblewrap. It was the best thing I’ve ever eaten.
Overall, the food here exceeded my expectations. The biggest disappointment is that it’s hard to find restaurants that you can always sit down at, especially in the city.
Theatre in London U of A 