The food of London



Red velvet cupcake from the Southbank food markets



My short stay in London has come to an end, I have packed up my life into a suitcase once again, shipped two (very full - how did I manage to accumulate SO much stuff in 1 year!?) cartons home and I couldn't be happier.

Poster warning of injury on the tube




London didn't win me over. The tube - is it really necessary to push people out the way or risk having your arm crushed in a closing door when there will be another train in ONE MINUTE??? Rush hour just seems to make people lose their decency - a good friend of mine told me that one morning an elderly lady was getting out of her seat when the train movement made her fall. My friend watched in horror as 5 people scrambled for the elderly lady's seat, not one of them stopping to help her up or ask if she was OK. My friend actually asked these peole out loud what was was wrong with them, only to be met with blank stares.






Wicked at the Apollo Theatre

The London slang makes me cringe - INNIT just sums it up - learn to speak properly people, you just sound stupid.  I will not miss the crowds everywhere, ALL THE TIME. I will not miss the rare sunshine or the morgue like environment of the office where I spent long, uninspiring days.




Victoria & Albert Museum

I WILL miss seeing my lovley friends regularly, the local pub trivia every Tuesday, being able to go and see a theatre show or the ballet any night of the week, the fact that all the museum's are free and large glasses of wine (beware, 3 of these is a whole bottle!).

Singin in the Rain at the Palace Theatre

I will also miss the outstanding variety of fresh, tasty ready meals at Sainsbury's, the Friday lunchtime food markets at Southbank and the following amazing eateries that I have discovered or been introduced to over the past 3 months:

Dehesa in Soho (25 Ganton Street W1F 9BP) – Spanish tapas, get the pork belly and tortilla. The chargrilled bread is also delicious! The cheapest red wine by the glass (£4 for 175ml – not cheap but cheapest there) is also fantastic.

Cha Cha Moon in Soho (21 Ganton Street W1F 9BN) – Asian, they do a £10 starter & main lunch deal from 2-5pm – get the chicken gyoza (grilled dumplings) and Szechuan chicken soup or Sinapore noodles mmmmmmmmmmm

Dim T – you can print 2-4-1 main course vouchers from their website for the Charlotte Street (No. 32, W1T 2NQ) branch Mon – Thurs and the Crispy Duck Pancakes are sensational. London Bridge branch also has awesome view of the tower bridge but you can’t use the voucher there

Atariya – Sushi in Ealing Common (opposite tube entrance) – bit of a trek but well worth it, they are fish wholesalers also so it is super fresh and they make up your order right in front of you – prices are good too

Carmen in Clapham Common (next to tube entrance) – Spanish tapas, the beef filled red capsicum and the marinated anchovies are great

Kettner’s in Soho (29 Romilly Street W1D 5HP) – divine Sunday roast and PERFECT bloody mary’s to go with it

Abeno Too in Covent Garden (17-19 Great Newport Street WC2H 7JE) – Japanese pancakes that they cook on a hotplate at your table – you can choose what types of deliciousness that you want to include inside them