Wednesday 10 August 2016

London foodie adventures

It already feels like a lifetime ago (two days back in the office will do that to you) but we headed down to London at the end of last week to catch up with friends and family and, of course, to do some eating.

We spend much of the year reading articles about all the wonderful places opening up in London and suffering serious food envy as a result. So when we're there we try and fit plenty in which is neither good for wallets nor waistlines but balm for the soul.


First stop on Friday morning was Borough Market which we both adore. Already, before 10am, the air was rich with smells and we must have looked like the Bisto kids as we wandered round led by our twitching little noses. But I was on a mission on this occasion and that was to try a Bread Ahead doughnut. The Standard included them in their round up of the best doughnuts in town with, I suspect, excellent reason. We both sampled the creme caramel flavour with salted honeycomb and it was so yummy that a) I had no compunction getting my face covered in sugar and custard while out in public and b) I didn't take a photo because I was too busy making inappropriate noises. Accompanied by a coffee from Monmouth (totally worth the queue) and a shaft of August sunshine, this was a very pleasing way to start the day.

D has been wanting to visit Bone Daddies, a hipster ramen joint in Soho, for ages and this time we finally made it. I am never particularly convinced by the idea of ramen - I like noodles and I like soup but not necessarily together. But I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. I went for kimchi ramen which came topped with fat prawns in a spicy-sour broth that was lurid with chilli.


Fortunately, they provide plastic bibs because this stuff went EVERYWHERE. We also shared a portion of Korean fried chicken wings - which in retrospect may have been a mistake given that we rolled rather than walked out of there. They were very tasty though - again, a real sour note in with the heat which is a flavour profile that I find very appealing.



Our final stop of the day (after plenty of walking around to work off those noodles) was actually a revisit - Burger and Lobster. This is one group who have tried to branch out further afield than London but with limited success which is a shame because we really like it. The menu is simple - lobster, burger, lobster and burger or lobster roll all with fries and salad and an amazingly addictive garlicky buttery creamy sauce that I would quite happily sup through a straw.



I am not a lobster roll expert, so maybe their version wouldn't hold up in the heartlands of New England, but I love it. The roll is sweet, buttery brioche, the lobster meat is blushing and juicy and then you have the sauce for dipping - sheer heaven. If they ever decide to try a branch in Leeds (assuming their experience in Manchester hasn't put them off) I promise to do my very best to keep them in business.

5 comments:

  1. I loved both these restaurants. I really want to go back to Bone Daddies and try one of their other soups. And I want to try their sister restaurant too! I've decided that I like Jam Doughnuts better than creamy ones but I love Bread Ahead's Jam Doughnut. Have you tried a St John Doughnut yet? You really have to when you come back to London.

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    1. Oooh no, I haven't, but will add it to my to try list next time I'm down! Thanks :)

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    2. You'll find them at Maltby Street market, not far from Borough Market. I think there are other places too but Maltby Street Market has lots of other yummy street food stalls too.

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  2. I'm with Nicola on the St John's doughnut. I briefly liked the Bread Ahead but decided it was the novelty- and once the shard of honeycomb dissolves (which it does unless you eat it immediately) it's just a bit greasy. But the best? The Pump Street Bakery's rhubarb (jam) doughnut- the sweet and sourness of the jam against the fluffy doughnut is incredible. But you have to go to Suffolk for that I'm afraid!

    Px

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    1. Well, I will definitely make a point of checking out St John's doughnut. And I would definitely consider a trip to Suffolk for the sake of rhubarb doughnuts - rhubarb is one of my favourite flavours!

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