Friday, August 19, 2016

London: 5 Things To Eat This Weekend

So, I'm off to a wedding this weekend (yay for getting dressed up, watching my friend walk down the aisle and crying all the good, happy tears when she does!) in Norfolk, but if you're around in London, you might want to grab a bite to eat at one of these five fabulous places ...


Brisket fries at The Old Crown Public House, Holborn

Slow braised beef on fries, topped with melted cheddar cheese, served with The O.C.'s (that's how they refer to themselves - I'm from the West Coast, where that phrase conjures up a whole other kind of meaning. You CA kids know what I mean.) special sauces. I tried these with a bunch of friends after work on my way to another event and I was pretty sad to have to leave these fries behind. Share or have all to yourself: they're worth it.


Brioche French toast for lunch at The Black Penny, Covent Garden

The Black Penny's breakfast menu is served well past traditional "lunch time", so I came here with Julianna Barnaby of Barnaby & Co. (check out their amazing homeware!) and did not regret ordering the brioche French toast with stewed rhubarb, vanilla ricotta, salted pistachios and honey. Not one bit. It looked so tasty, the well-to-do ladies at the table next to us leaned over and said, "Excuse us - we don't mean to be rude, but that looks absolutely marvellous. What is it?" Fact.


Burger, crinkle-cut fries and a shake (and a concrete) at Shake Shack

John and I went on this insane shopping spree at Westfield Stratford a few weekends ago. As if that wasn't gluttonous enough, we stopped at Shake Shack on our way out and had the dreamiest burger and fries, washed down with a Black & White milkshake for me (vanilla frozen custard hand-spun with chocolate fudge sauce) and a concrete (dense frozen custard ice cream with goodies like peanut butter, chocolate, etc. mixed in) for him. I don't know what took me so long to try Shake Shack, but it lived up to the hype. Completely. "What the hell were we doing before Shake Shack?" John exclaimed as we left. I don't know, husband, I don't know.


Cotton candy-encased matcha and hojicha soft serve ice cream at Milk Train Cafe, Covent Garden

I posted this photo in a local foodie Facebook group I'm part of and the observations were: "Looks like someone sh*t on a cloud" and "A good way to ruin candy floss. Smells of hipsterism to me". Oh the poor, sad souls who feel threatened by new food inventions. Too bad their tastebuds will never be tickled by something that isn't a sirloin steak or bag of salty vinegar chips. I cry for them, because this ice cream was one of the tastiest soft serves I've ever tried, and the cotton candy was fun (albeit a bit messy) to unravel from the cone it was attached to. Worth a visit.


For those who are frightened by anything more exotic than vanilla ice cream, however, there's always spaghetti bolognese at Spaghetti House, which, despite being a chain, ranks high on my list of London haunts for one reason: tradition. Every month, I have lunch there with a friend from work and we always order the same thing: spag bol for me, a simple spaghetti with pecorino and olive oil for her, a side salad, garlic bread to share and - if we're feeling celebratory - a glass of red wine each. It's our "comfort" lunch, really, where we catch up on life outside work and talk about everything we can't at our desks. The food isn't Michelin-starred or trendy and not much more can be said about the service or the atmosphere, but it does what it says on the tin.

Where have you been eating (or cooking) lately? I'd love to know!

(p.s. a really weird thing just happened: I typed in the title of the post and suddenly realized, I live in London? That's so crazy/totally cool!)
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30 comments

  1. I went to a wedding in Norfolk a couple of weeks ago :) I the crinkle fries at Shake Shack look amazing!

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  2. Have fun in Norfolk! All this food looks so good especially the chips and meat and the candy floss ice cream thing!

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    1. Thanks, Hannah! I loved those brisket fries - NOM.

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  3. That brioche French Toast must be mine soon. MINE.
    Cx
    Charlie, Distracted

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  4. MMMN. Delicious. All of it. Another great post Jaime!

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    1. Thank you, Julianna! It was so fun to finally meet you and to chat with you over that delicious French toast!

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  5. Yay hope you have a fantabulous weekend! I keep Milk Train popping up on insta, and I'm super intrigued... I'm not a fan of candy floss. Though do their soft serve match up to good standards?! I love that they have hojicha option because y u m (I'm so asian :') )

    Cherie | sinonym

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    1. Thank you! I LOVED their soft serve. It was so, so good. I actually thought it was standout - better than Tsujiri, in my opinion. The hojicha was delicious - really refreshing and not too sweet.

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  6. I'm not a huge candyfloss fan but that one certainly looks temmpting!

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    1. They have a lot of other delicious flavor combinations too, Suze! A great place to try if you're a fan of matcha and hojicha, like I am!

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  7. LOL at those Facebook comments 😂

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  8. Great options! I really miss the variety of food in London, you can eat anything and everything you want, mmmmm! :D

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    1. There are some crazy food trends popping up lately, Marcella - usually I'm too lazy to try them, but because Milk Train was near where I had dinner with my friend, we decided to take the plunge! No regrets. :)

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  9. Ahh these look delish! I still haven't been to Shake Shack, been wanting to go for ageeees. Those ice creams look amazing too!

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    1. GO. GO, GO, GO. The milkshakes will blow your mind.

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  10. You're food posts always make me so hungry. I want a Shake Shack near me but I'm fairly sure the chances are very slim now I live in Devon :') Enjoy the wedding!!

    K.

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    1. Haha, sorry! It might not be long before Shake Shack makes its way near you ... they seem to be opening more locations all the time!

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  11. Oh sweet Jesus those brisket fries! Paradise comes in chip form. And I'm screaming at the comments on that candyfloss soft serve (unicorn poop on a cloud!) xx

    Tamsin / A Certain Adventure

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  12. That cotton candy ice cream looks so decadent, like it should be banned in certain parts of the world for indecency. I have to try it! I love the sound of the first two meals - especially a later-than-normal brunch.

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    1. HAHA! That's definitely one way of describing it, Mandy! It was messy to eat but really fun and delicious.

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  13. LOVE the Milk Train! Also I can't believe that I've walked by Black Penny umpteen times on my way to work, without stopping by for the brioche French Toast. Sacrilege.

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    1. Me too, Ayushi! We should meet at The Black Penny for lunch sometime!

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  14. I NEED to go all of these places, and I blame you Jaime! :D

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