Eating Out of Country

Macellaio - London

This place has a beautiful aging cooler that faces the road and is obvious and incredible to behold. So how we managed to walk by several times without seeing it is beyond me. This is actually the second time we’ve been here. The first, while we were in town for an exhibit at the V&A was the time we kept walking past on our way to and from our hotel. On our second trip we made the trek back across town to try again.

Beef tartar on roasted marrow, grilled chicken, steak and crisps, a bucket of chips. Last time was steaks and table side grilled beef heart. They also have charcuterie in a cooler that you can order like a normal deli.

I wouldn’t fly to London to go here specifically, but I wouldn’t miss it if I was there - 8.8/10

 

The Principal - London

We were a little skeptical when we were told that The Principal had some good food but decided to check it out anyway. It was a nice little walk on a beautiful night. We started out in Fitz’s, their jazz bar, and had some great cocktails. We didn’t manage to hear any music, as the band was setting up while we were at the bar, but the staff and bartenders were great and the ambiance is really nice.

We moved on to the Neptune restaurant as soon as our table was ready.  The look and feel of the room is that of a 50s supper club in the New England area of America. Lots of pinks and pastels with flourished trims everywhere. Fortunately the food didn’t taste as peachy as the room looked.

At Fitz’s we had

  • Enoki mushroom crudité, aubergine, red cabbage
  • Salmon Tolstoy, keta caviar, sour cream

In Neptune we had

  • Tomato wedge salad with creme freche 
  • Mussels in pasta
  • Braised lamb

All in all a fitting end to a lovely time in London 7.9/10

 

 

Ceviche - Soho London

When we got back from Peru last year she found a cookbook called “Ceviche” and was smitten with all the references to foods we had on the trip. Fast forward a month when I was going to London and she pointed out that the book was from a restaurant in Soho. I made the visit and was over the moon with the place. Nine odd months later we were in London and I insisted that we visit.

It hasn’t lost anything. She does not, ever, visit the same place twice when traveling. But we went back on this trip. 

Tempura buns, ceviche, grilled heart, it was all excellent. I haven’t been in the main dining room and don’t think I ever will. The bar staff are amazing and vibe is great.  I ended up discussing Mistura 2018 with one of the cooks; an event that we both attended in Lima in 2018.

Never a regret with this place - 9.9/10

Mews Hotel - Ossett England

Hotel food as I said in another post is often not great. And again, I’m happy to find an exception. The Mews Hotel is in an ancient building and, while the carving of the rooms and modernish decor made our room lack any of the charm of the building, shouldn’t be thought of as a hotel in that typical sense. At least not the restaurant.

We had dinner and breakfast and both were exactly what a person needs on cold rainy days in England. Dinner was a side of chips along with her salmon salad and my lamb casserole. Both hit the spot made us happy in that way that only an honest meal can. Nothing too fussy, nothing too simple.

Keeping warm and satisfied in the cold and rain - 10/10

 

Great Norther Hotel Bar - London

There’s nothing better after a long night than a hearty breakfast. We landed in London after what amounted to an exceptionally long day. By the time we made it to Kings Cross we had been going for most of 24 hours on little more than crappy coach sleep and airline food. We ducked into the Great Northern Hotel and found ourselves in the bar. I got a cappuccino and she a regular coffee. We shared the traditional English breakfast.

I love eating and traveling with her - 10/10

 

Borough Market - London

Borough Market is one of the great pleasures of London. On our first trip to the city she asked me what I wanted to do in London I said “take a walk on the South side of the Thames.” After that I made no effort to understand what was there and decided to let chance and adventure take control. On that trip we found the roast pig stand along with an overwhelmed feeling of awe. What a beautiful place to look… On my second trip I went there specifically and on this last one we spent several hours. Venison pie, roast pig on rice, Ibirico sandwich, dry cider, etc, etc, and on and on.

In the end there was no plan or menu. We just wandered around, at what looked good, and shopped for our lunch on the train to Amsterdam.

Borough Market - 9.3/10

 

Tonkotsu - Soho London

Ramen is our joy and on this trip all I wanted was some noodles to start the day. We stopped in front of the closest place and found a line that no soup, in my opinion, is worth. On the next block we found Tonkotsu and were able to get a table. We didn’t know it was a chain when we went in, though that wouldn’t have been a deal breaker, and sat down.

We had:

  • Tonkotsu ramen – Pork broth & sea salt base, enriched with lardo. Thinner-cut homemade noodles topped with roast pork belly, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, spring onions, burnt garlic oil and seasoned egg.

  • Seafood ramen – Chicken broth & sea salt base. Classic homemade noodles topped with softshell crab, prawn tempura, crab meat, bamboo shoots, spring onions, wakame and seasoned egg.

  • Gyoza - Pork, ginger & garlic

It was exactly what I was looking for even if it wasn’t the best I’ve ever had.

8.1/10