U.K. food so far

London:

     Fish and Chips are one of "the things to eat" in the U.K. and I'll admit, I've tried them in a few places for comparison and look forward to try them in a few more places. With one exception, Tim orders something else and we share. I haven't had bad chips (fries) anywhere. The fish is a different story. I've had two experiences where the breading was so gooey with grease that I had to scrape it off the fish and just eat the fish (one was more server than the other, but neither was good). However, our first night, the Fish and Chips at St. Ermins was great, probably my favorite chips as they were well-seasoned and the fish was cooked perfectly with a light breading and not greasy. My other favorite would have to be the Chips at Eagle and Child in Oxford. The fish filet was huge, the breading light and tasty and the chips were good too. I would definitely eat Fish and Chips at either of these places again.

     Meat Pies: I had a Chicken Chardonnay with Pancetta one, Tim had the Steak and Ale one and both were really good. The crusts were about the best I've had to that point. (I've had even better since!) The fillings were well-seasoned and the flavor combos were well-thought through. It challenges me to make my pot-pies even better after I get home.

     Pasties: I've finally had one! Actually halves of two. One was Steak and Ale, the other Chicken. Both were quite tasty and very filling. I can see why they were created to send as lunch for workers. Easy to hold for eating, filling doesn't fall out, one will fill you up and tasty to boot!

Other meals that are notable: one I mentioned in a previous blog - Goats Cheese and Spinach Quiche from The Royal Quarter Cafe - delicious! Roast Pork dinner this past Sunday (8 March) evening at Head of the River in Oxford was yummy-ness.












Quilon Southern Indian Cuisine in London: the pictures don't do it justice. The flavors of each dish were delicate, intricate and divine on my tongue. While pricey, I would highly recommend this one if you're in London with the time and money to spend on a wonderful food experience.





















Full English Breakfast Buffets, many options: Scrambled eggs, fried eggs, baked beans, grilled tomatoes, potato cakes, sausage, bacon (ham), melons, citrus fruits, yoghurt, porridge, cereals, patisseries (croissants, chocolate croissants and other pastries), cheeses, deli meats, toast and other breads, coffee, tea and fruit juices. You might be surprised how good baked beans and grilled tomatoes go with eggs, sausage/bacon and toast. Seriously, I'm spoiled.

Full Afternoon Tea. The best pot of tea we've had since we arrived, and we've had some really good tea every day. The 3-tiered serving tray was filled with finger sandwiches (salmon, egg and cress, cucumber and cheese), Raisin Scones with butter, cakes with jam and whipped cream, and biscuits on the tea saucer. Neither of us cared for the salmon sandwiches, but everything else was very good and the biscuits (cookies) were the best little shortbread/butter cookies ever and it was satisfying yet disappointing to learn that the hotel baker makes them fresh here and I won't be able to find them anywhere to purchase and bring home.

When we ate at Eagle and Child, Tim had the Pork and Blood Pudding Bangers and Mash with gravy. The sausages were savory, the mashed potatoes were creamy and the gravy was the perfect addition to this dish. And yes, I did taste the sausages. And yes, I even liked them. The thought may be yucky, but the flavor was tasty.

That catches us up to today's supper: Tim had Burger and Chips with Coleslaw and I had a Grilled Salmon Nicoise Salad. Tim said the burger was delicious (I didn't get a sample) and the chips were fine though not as good as other places we've had them and the coleslaw was creamy with a nice mild flavor. My salad was quite good, with the salmon cooked a little overdone for me, but probably about perfect for most people. There was no salad dressing, but was served with oil and vinegar and lemon. Add the oil, lemon and salt and pepper and the salad was fully dressed.

We'll be trying out a new restaurant tomorrow night. I wonder what will be on the menu. Eager to find out!