Tag: Food

Classy Coffee Class and The V&A

Classy Coffee Class and The V&A

by ericmistry ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Today for my Cultures of Empire class, we met in a rather fun setting, a Belgian-style coffeehouse/bakery! We spent the first half of the class discussing the reading over some coffee, tea, and breads with spreads. It was a wonderfully different way to start our day, and the location made it easy to stroll over to the V&A (the Victoria and Albert Museum) one block away for the second half of class. We spent the second half of class looking at some archival pieces, prints from the Exhibition of 1851, which we had read about for class and spent the previous hour discussing. It was incredible to hold these antique, yet perfectly-preserved documents and study their details and ideas firsthand. The archive room is amazing, and I cannot wait to do some preliminary research on my free days for my potential MAP. Enjoy the pictures below!

 

A Quali-Tea Way to Start Class

 

Claire Cares for Coffee

 

A Unique Classroom Setting

 

The Archived Collection Cover

 

Detail From a Print

 

The Class Studies the Prints Firsthand

 

Lunch Thali at Malabar Junction

Lunch Thali at Malabar Junction

by ericmistry ♥ 1 Comment

Today, after a long workout session with a personal trainer at the Y, I walked down the street to Malabar Junction, an Indian restaurant a few doors down from the teaching site. I opted for a Thali, which is a collection of dishes served in small portions in little bowls on a larger tray.

This Thali included: a masala dosa (pancake stuffed with potato), avial (vegetables cooked with coconut, cumin, & spices), rasam (a blend of peppers, tomatoes, tamarind, & spices), sambar (curry of lentils and vegetables in tamarind), curried green banana, Malabar chicken curry, Kerala fish curry, poori, basmati rice, yogurt, pickled mango, and payasam (vermicelli cooked in cardamom milk with raisins and cashews.

It was absolutely delicious and a wonderful treat to indulge in. I really enjoyed the broad range of dishes that getting a Thali allowed for. Malabar Junction also presented it so beautifully and with wonderful service (including a hot towel at the end of the meal!). I shall be returning for more!

 

The Cheswick Garden Tour + Lunch

The Cheswick Garden Tour + Lunch

by ericmistry ♥ 2 Comments

This past morning, we went to Cheswick (way to the west of us) for a tour of the Cheswick Gardens. These were an impressive set of grounds. The original owner/designer was nobleman with a great love for the classical style. We wandered the grounds, seeing tons of interesting architecture, statues, and natural features. It was a great way to spend the morning, especially when we followed it with brunch! (Adriyel and Aniela had crepes, whilst I had a breakfast sandwich.) Enjoy the pictures!

My Brunchfest Sandwich

Happy with Her Crepe!

 

The River Thames Festival: A Night of Good Food, Good Fun, & Good Fireworks

The River Thames Festival: A Night of Good Food, Good Fun, & Good Fireworks

by ericmistry ♥ 1 Comment

Last night, a large group of we Grinnell-In-Londoners adventured down to the banks of the River Thames for the Lord Mayor's River Thames Festival. It was a wonderful atmosphere, taking place from sunset until late at night. We enjoyed some great food, saw an incredible parade, walked around, and watched one of the most impressive fireworks displays I have ever seen.

 

 

 

 

Of the various options available, the fish and chips called out the most strongly to our group, as both Teddy and I are on quests to find London's greatest fish and chips. The fish and chips we had at the festival were freshly fried and hot, slathered in delicious vinegar, and just the perfect food to eat while watching the sun descend over the River Thames. While delicious, the fish and chips did not stand out in any particular way to win the honor of best fish and chips. We did enjoy our feast, and as the pictures below may indicate, we are already major fans of the iconic British dish.

Teddy, Joe, & Greg Enjoying Food & Fun

Next, we headed back to the streets to watch the parade. The crowds were enormous, but we managed to get a great spot streetside to watch the elaborate floats, incredible dancers, and outrageous costumes go by. Check out the crowd and some choice parade pictures below!

 

 

 

 

Post-parade, we persisted in plodding around until we procured some paella. (Awesome alliteration, eh?) In any case, we found a great Spanish stand selling paella, which Teddy and I split. It was intensely flavorful, the result of cooking in that massive pan for so long, and the chicken practically fell off the bone, infused with flavor and so delicious. Claire opted to get an incredible chorizo and chicken wrap from the same stand, an excellent choice which she so graciously let me try. The chorizo was so powerful and scrumptious, its inherent smokiness leaching into the chicken and giving it a spicy touch as well.

 

Teddy Displays Our Choice

 

Quality Assured

My Half Serving of Paella

Chorizo & Chicken

Happiness and Silliness

After our second snack of the night, we had to kill a little time before the fireworks. A few of us decided to go down a slide attached to the outside of a temporary lighthouse. It was presumably intended for little kids, but the majority of slide-riders were our age or older. We felt incredibly mature and dignified… Kind of.

 

Finally, the forays of fireworks flew into the skies, an incredible sight to behold. Some boats in the river were loaded up with fireworks, and they lit the sky beautifully. They made the riverbank, packed with thousands, glow as if it were day, and left our ears ringing and hearts pounding. It was an amazing sight to behold, and seemed a perfect cap to the atmosphere of happiness and celebration. I managed to get some pretty nice shots of the fireworks, so enjoy them below!

 

 

 

 

Exploring Bricklane Again (Plus Gözleme for lunch)

Exploring Bricklane Again (Plus Gözleme for lunch)

by ericmistry ♥ 1 Comment

Today, Tracey and I ventured back to Bricklane market and its surrounding streets stuffed full of stands and of shoppers. It was another exhilarating, interesting experience. We explored countless stands, browsed designer sample racks, and ducked into little food halls to check out the best meal. We saw hundreds of stands, and looked over thousands of items. Prize find of the day? Russian Cold War Era medals for extremely cheap prices. I picked up some Olympic themed pins from the '73 Olympics in Moscow, while Tracey opted for some more military oriented pins. We also got a few presents for people back home, but I won't be naming what they are, because I know they read my writing here. We also saw some phenomenal graffiti and antiques, featured after the food descriptions below.

 

For lunch, I had a dish known as Gözleme at a stand inside of one of the markets. It is a Turkish dish that consists of spinach and feta cheese being cooked inside a dough crust and topped with various vegetables and sauces. My Gözleme was accompanied today by cabbage, lettuce, tomato, and hummus, all with a creamy garlic dressing drizzled on top. The hummus was particularly outstanding, with a strong tahini taste that accented the feta cheese in the Gözleme quite well. The Gözleme itself was also incredible. Fresh off of the griddle, it was incredibly hot and filled with tons of fresh spinach and reasonable amount of feta. I feasted in total delight upon the hot Turkish food. It was familiar to me, as it was like the Turkish version of a Salvadoran pupusa, yet totally unique in its combination of flavors by including the incredible hummus and garlic sauce. I love being able to travel the world, eating all its wonderful food, without ever leaving London. It is truly the world within a city.

Gözleme

 

Graffiti 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fish & Chips at Fish!Kitchen

Fish & Chips at Fish!Kitchen

by ericmistry ♥ 2 Comments

This morning, after my exploration of Borough market, I was pretty exhausted and overwhelmed, and in dire need of food! I ended up choosing to go with Fish!Kitchen, a nearby takeaway place whose line stretched for ages. I figured it was a good bet that they would have some pretty incredible food, given that they had a huge line outside of one of the best food markets I had seen yet.

Fish!kitchen's fish and chips were simple , efficiently made, and utterly delicious. Fresh from the fryer into a narrow, well-designed box, the fish was golden and the chips were steaming hot. The cooks then asked me if I would like my fish and chips topped with vinegar and salt, which was an obvious yes. I grabbed my box, and went in search of somewhere to sit. The fish and chips exceeded my expectations once I finally sat down in the nearby church's courtyard to enjoy the spoils of my questing. It was a phenomenal batch of food to eat.

First, the fish. The beer-batter encrusted haddock was a substantial piece of fish, and fried perfectly. I would say this was the best batter I have encountered so far, perfectly delicate and light, yet crisp and flavorful. The fish tied The Golden Hind for freshness and flavor. It was cooked perfectly, pure white, and incredibly flakey. The vinegar and salt soaked in nicely, adding a nice aftertaste to the meal.

The chips were the best I have encountered thus far in this quest of mine, just edging out The Golden Hind's offering. They were nicely crisped, fresh, and the ideal amount of vinegar and salt made them simply pop with flavor. Paired with the fish, it was an incredible side. Sadly, it was the only side I got this time, as adding mushy peas was a relatively costly endeavor, and I didn't want to waste money if the food was not high quality. A return trip will see me getting them to fill out the experience.

Overall, Fish!Kitchen offers a great fish and chips. An incredible beer batter and quality chips help it stand out. However, the overall fish and chips crown (which I decide based on food quality, service, atmosphere, experience, cost, batter, sides, appearance, etc.) still belongs to The Golden Hind.

 

Fish!Kitchen

 

The Fish and Chips

Flakey & Delicious Fish

A Charmingly Yummy Chip

The View As I Ate

 

 

Delightful Dessert from The Red Gingham Bakery

Delightful Dessert from The Red Gingham Bakery

by ericmistry ♥ 6 Comments

After my sushi and fresh raspberry lunch, I decided to explore a bit of London. I walked a fair amount until I found the Convent Garden market. It was phenomenal and filled with various food and clothing vendors. The smell of all the delicious food wafting through the air was driving me crazy, so I decided to get myself a little dessert. After walking around the entire market, I decided the treats at The Red Gingham Bakery were my best option.

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The next trouble, after deciding a vendor, was deciding what to get. As you'll see from the picture below, I was presented with a plethora of choices. All of the pastry choices looked amazing, but I ended up going with a peanut butter cake piece served miniature cake style and filled with creamy peanut butter.

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The cake was divine, perfectly soft and not at all dry. The frosting, while rich, was delicate and fluffy as well, holding a peanut butter cup piece on top. As the music and noise of the market swirled around me, I became engrossed in my delicious cake. Thanks to the wonderful, friendly service, and the incredible quality of the cakes, I will definitely be visiting The Red Gingham Bakery's stand again!

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Sushi Lunch in the Park

Sushi Lunch in the Park

by ericmistry ♥ 5 Comments

I had sushi again for lunch with a few classmates in a nearby park. Wasabi, the restaurant we picked the sushi up from, was cute and efficient as usual. The sushi was also phenomenal. There is something just so incredibly enjoyable about eating a great meal in the middle of a park on a beautiful day that just makes the world seem awesome.

…and if you factor in the fresh raspberries (picked up from a street vendor en route to the park) that served as the ending note to my meal, the experience is indescribable. Pictures may have to suffice!

 

 

 

Kebab Heaven at the Farringdon Grill

Kebab Heaven at the Farringdon Grill

by ericmistry ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

After a nice, long run along the Thames today, I returned back to the flat ravenous and craving a large amount of food. My flatmate Tracey and I decided to visit the nearby Farringdon Grill for supper. I had noticed the little spot earlier in the week and was impressed by the quality (and quantity!) of the ready-to-grill kebabs on display, as well as the friendly and detailed explanation of the menu by the young man working there.

 

So, post-run and post-shower, I found myself deciding what kebab to get. I opted for the large, which allotted me two kebabs in my pita with vegetables and sauce. I opted to try one each of the lamb and the chicken kebabs. They were then grilled right in front of me, with the aroma of the freshly roasting peppers, onions, and marinated meat drifting through the air, further inducing more hunger. The grilled meat and vegetables were then piled into a fresh pita, and further fresh vegetables (cabbage, cucumber, tomato, & lettuce) were added on top with spicy sauce and garlic mayo.

 

I bit into the massive stuffed pita, and was rewarded with tenderly roasted large pieces of chicken and savory lamb. The marinade had soaked into the meats so perfectly, giving them a juicy, flavor-filled taste. The vegetables helped tone down the intense flavor of the meat, and the pita helped keep it all together for the great meal. The Farringdon Grill provided a hefty meal for a phenomenal price point. It's nice to find a local family-owned restaurant with inexpensive food and friendly service.

The Massive Pita Stuffed With Vegetables & Meat

The Chicken, pre-grilling

 

The Lamb, pre-grilling

 

Churros With Hot Chocolate

Churros With Hot Chocolate

by ericmistry ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

This afternoon, while exploring the Camden Market area, I stopped to try some traditional-style churros and hot chocolate. They were quite delicious. The hot chocolate was not your watery cocoa water that Americans associate with hot chocolate. This was literally hot, thick melted chocolate. It. Was also delightfully fun to eat. I would dip the churro, pull it out to let the chocolate cool, then dip it again for a second layer of chocolate before chowing down on it. It was a rich indulgence, but I did extra work in the gym today and walked a few miles extra, so I felt it was well-earned. More food adventures are on the horizon, from Gastropubs, to kebabs, to Indian food, to a further exploration of market food! Stay tuned!