My recent four day trip to London turned out to be incredibly memorable! What made it this amazing was the fact that I was able to check off every item on my foodie-must-do list!

I have been to London a few times now, and each time I fall deeper and deeper in love with this vibrant city bursting with culture, flavors and experiences. It is such a great city to navigate on foot and via mass transit… just pick up a London Underground map and start exploring!

Like a good little foodie, I had done my homework - reservations, address look-ups, subway routes, menu-studies and all. So what was on my agenda this time around? Well! here are my trip’s highlights:

• When in London, you gotta have some tea! Right? This time, I decide to have tea at The Orangery (next to Kensington Palace). It was so delightful to walk around the palace grounds, visit it’s famous gardens and then just walk over a few more steps to The Orangery. With its sophisticated and grand interior and a table by one of the large windows overlooking the hustle-bustle of the palace- it was the perfect spot to enjoy teatime with some delicious finger-foods as I people-watched.

 

• Have you heard of Heston Blumenthal and his Michelin starred restaurants? At Dinner by Heston Blumenthal in London, chef Blumenthal and his team are creating incredible dining experiences using quality ingredients, modern technology and a deep rooted respect for the traditional. This restaurant boasts 2 Michelin stars and a spot on the the 2011 World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. It’s menu features dishes tracing Britain’s history dating all the way back to the 16th century…. all served with Heston’s modern and playful twists. Like the Meat Fruit (mandarin, chicken liver and foie gras parfait served with grilled bread). This recipe dates to circa 1500 - and it managed to stun and surprise me in its taste and presentation. Our server explained that Henry VIII loved playing tricks on his courtiers. He only ate meat and he hated fruits & vegetables but he would often ask his chefs to prepare the usual meat dishes and disguised them as fruits and vegetables. So when this dish came to our table, it looked like a clementine sitting next to a slice of bread. I assumed that the parfait was yet to be delivered to our table - but then something made me cut into that clementine - it was parfait!!! Incredible orange peel-like appearance and color on the outside with amazingly creamy parfait inside… wow! I am amazed at how much technique and talent must have gone into this simple-sounding starter.

 

• Now comes the highlight of my London dining adventure: NOPI Soho (a Ottolenghi restaurant). For months and months I have been dreaming of one day dining at one of Yotam Ottolengi’s restaurants. This man and his good friend Sami Tamimi are among the world’s most talked about and revered chefs right now. Featured on every major food-centric magazine, this duo has taken the middle-eastern cuisine to new heights and are instrumental in getting this food the respect it deserves. Dining experience at an Ottolenghi restaurant is sure to bring you flavors of fresh fruits and vegetables (picked and served in their prime), tender suuculent meats and seafood, intensely aromatic and flavorful spices, colors and flavors and so much more… Just close your eyes and point to anything on the menu - with delightful surprises at every turn, you wont be able to help but feel inspired, intrigued and amazed.

 

• Did you know that many believe that Indian food in London is better than most places in India? While this ongoing debate strives for a resolution, Indian cuisine lovers must make a trip to Southall, London (a vibrant neighborhood of people from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh). As soon as you hop off the train you will feel like you have been transported to the streets of India. Ah! the sights, the smells, the flavors … right down to the Jalebi Junction vendor who is frying a sweet, sugar-syrup dipped swirly confection in hot oil - ready for you to buy an pop in your mouth! Pure heaven! We visited Southhall during Ramadan…. and from our experience in India and visiting the Muslim neighborhoods of India, we knew that the Muslims in Southall will be feasting on a very special dish they make during this time: Haleem. It is a mouthwatering, flavor-filled luxurious concoction made of lamb, lentils, onions and ginger and other flavoring agents. Sure enough, we found Haleem on the local restaurants menu - and it was sooooo worth the trip.

 

• Finally, I must talk about a very neat aspect of London - the markets! There are tons all around London - but the Borough Market is an absolute must for any self-respecting foodie! This place is ginormous - and has anything and everything you can dream of: fresh meats, cheeses, veggies, ethnic food stalls, spices, flowers, wines, desserts…. It would take one a few hours to really take it all in. And of course part of that experience is trying out all the amazing prepared foods sold by tons and tons of vendors all over this market. I saw a Balkan food stall, a Croatian food stall, and even a Gujrati (a region of India) food stall! Incredible! By the way - if you have some room left in your belly - be sure to sit down and take a break as you enjoy delicious tapas at Brindisa (a restaurant at the outer edge of Borough Market).

 

Perfect rain-free weather, amazing food, bustling pubs, vibrant theatre scene - beautiful London stole my heart all over again.