Indian Food and More at the Bricklane Market

September 3, 2012August 31, 2013 by ericmistry ♥ 1 Comment

We went to Bricklane Market today and it was an amazing experience. (Read more about it in the previous post!) One of the tougher choices of the day was what to eat… There were about twenty different food stands, with each one serving mouth-wateringly good food. In the end, I chose to get a steamed pork bun and some Indian food. It was a great choice. I started with the steamed bun.

It was one of the most interesting eating experiences of my life. It wasn't complex, it wasn't served on a fancy plate, but this simple steamed bun was one of the best things I had ever eaten. Fresh from a woven basket into a napkin, it was still extremely hot to the touch. I waited a minute to dig in, and was greeted by the amazing taste and smell of the pork as the the air pocket inside was pierced, and the pork-infused steam rolled out from within. I added some sweet chili sauce and some soy sauce to the now-open bun, and let the flavors soak into the pork and bun a little. It was a delightful treat to eat it. The pork was juicy and deeply flavorful and almost melted with the bun with every bite. It was so very simple, but so utterly delicious.

Next came the Indian food. I opted for a variety plate, which included two curries, a dish with chickpeas, some mint and yogurt sauce, and rice. Chutneys were on the side for added flavor. (Or, if you prefer, flavour.) The dishes were so hot and intensely flavorful, delivering the tastes and culinary experience that only Indian food can. They all melded together and released the most fantastic smells into the air. Eating this dish of Indian food, surrounded by the noise and chaos of the busting market, I felt oddly calm and at home. These dishes are the same as the ones my family makes, and the strange little bit of comfort and home each bite delivered made the dish all the more satisfying. Food is about more than just taste, it is about experiences, memories, the stuff of life itself. It's a universal factor of the human race. We all have our own foods that, no matter where we are in the world, will always bring us home. Enjoy the pictures below.

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Bricklane Market

September 3, 2012August 31, 2013 by ericmistry ♥ 4 Comments

Today my flatmates and I ventured over to the area known as Bricklane to visit the Bricklane market. It's open on Sundays only, so this was our first real chance to visit it. We reached the market by taking the tube to Aldgate East station, and then walked about five minutes through an Indian and Bengali neighborhood lined with incredibly-smelling restaurants and little sweet shops. (Both of which I will be returning to soon to try!) It still blows my mind how a quick tube ride and walk can completely transport you to a new world of sights, smells, and sounds. The people that define a neighborhood change from block to block, and the level of diversity is truly astounding.

In any case, we reached one of the indoor markets, and were immediately overwhelmed with a blast of heat and delicious smells. The market reminded me of the Des Moines Downtown Farmer's Market, but placed inside an old warehouse and with Indian/Thai/Chinese food dominating the scene.) There were some great clothing booths and lots of amazing little art stands.

At the market, I managed to accomplish three of my London goals in a matter of minutes.

Buy some quality loose tea. (Great chai from a tea vendor who shared his favorite teashops)
Eat delicious Indian food. (Yum! See next post!)
Find a brown leather bomber jacket. (Not only did I find one, but it fit me like it was made for me, and the vendor gave me a twenty percent discount when I bargained. #winning?)

It was an overwhelming, awesome experience. We didn't manage to make it all around the market areas, but will return soon! As we explored the area, we also found some great street art. Enjoy the pictures below!

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Fish and Chips at The Golden Hind

September 1, 2012August 31, 2013 by ericmistry ♥ 3 Comments

Ed Senn and I were hungry and looking for a good meal. I pulled out my phone, opened the Yelp application, and ran a search on restaurants. The nearest of them with a good rating was The Golden Hind. We thought we were on track, albeit with a slightly off name, when we walked into The Golden Eagle. We asked the bartender for a good fish and chips place nearby, and without hesitation, she recommended The Golden Hind.

We walked in doors adorned with stickers from the various food rating services (Zagat, Yelp, etc) and found ourselves in a fairly crowded restaurant. We were seated almost immediately and service continued to be prompt and efficient throughout the meal. Although the tables were crammed close enough that an errant fork could gain you a bit of a neighboring table's meal, it made people-watching all the better. Ed and I noticed the crowd was very local-heavy, a good sign that the food is authentic and delicious. As we saw the food being delivered to tables around us, I began almost salivating at the sight of such delicious fried fish. We each ordered a fried fish (cod) with the traditional sides of mashed peas and chips for a very proper fish and chips meal. Ed ordered a Greek salad for us to share as well.

The food, arriving quickly and fresh from the fryer, was as fantastic as expected. The fish, being the center of attention, was quite incredible, definitely the best fried fish I have had in London. It was perfectly white and delicate, with each stroke of my fork flaking off beautiful pieces of hot, fresh fish. The breading was also quite unusual. It was substantial and deeply flavorful, yet light and not oily at all. It added a perfect crunch to the fish and chips, with the peppery breading infusing into the fish and soaking up the malt vinegar I was adding. The generous portion of fish was a good-sized amount, but with flavor like that, I could have easily eaten another few pieces!

Ed and His Fish

The sides were also incredible, with the Greek Salad really standing out. It was perfectly proportioned, with a generous topping of feta. Its vegetables were all very crisp and fresh; the tomato was absurdly delicious and a deep red to its core. It was a refreshing option to cleanse the palate between the fish and chips and mashed peas. Speaking of those classic sides, they were scrumptious. Both had a perfect texture and consistency, the fries with their crisp outside skins and the peas with their firm-yielding-into-soft texture. Combined with the fish, the triumvirate of fish, mashed peas, and chips is quite unbeatable.

The Greek Salad

The Fabled Fish and Chips

Overall, The Golden Hind has provided a worthy benchmark for my quest to find the Best Fish and Chips in London. It was so kind and generous of Ed to treat me to such a fantastic meal. The combination of a perfectly crusty fish with the well-executed sides make it the fish and chips to beat!

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Lunch Munch at Home

August 30, 2012August 31, 2013 by ericmistry ♥ 1 Comment

I got home from class today and decided to treat myself to a nice, healthy little lunch after a good class, some long walks, and another morning of working out intensely. The special treat of the day was market-fresh strawberries I got at a nearby market. They were ripe, red, and totally delicious.

Strawberries, Utterly Delicious Strawberries

The lunch was rounded out with some low-fat yogurt, some pita strips I warmed up, celery, Brie cheese (surprisingly inexpensive here), a few tea biscuits, some pepper hummus, and of course, a nice cup of Assam tea, with two toffees for dessert. It was delicious and quite enjoyable. The simple food was a nice change of habit from the rather more extravagant flavors of late.

My Mini-Feast

Tea, Glorious Tea.

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Sushi Lunch From Wasabi

August 28, 2012August 31, 2013 by ericmistry ♥ 1 Comment

We started our first day of classes today. My first class was with Professor Prevost, a history class entitled Cultures of Empire. It seems like it will be a really engaging and interesting class. It is designed so we have to venture all over London and immerse ourselves in the historical sites we are reading about. Tomorrow we have to visit the Bank Junction (an area where seven major roads converge, and also the site of the Mayor of London's home) on our own, and then write a 1-2 page response to some discussion-provoking questions about it. I am getting really excited, and can't wait to dive into this class head first.

In any case, post-class, we were really hungry and wanting a good lunch. I had seen a variety of interesting and inexpensive places for lunch on Holborn Street on my way home the other day, so Claire, Hannah, and I headed that direction in search of nourishment.

We found it in the delightful sushi from a small, clean place called Wasabi. I had seen this chain and was impressed by how orderly and beautiful and inexpensive their food options were. Trays of sushi lined a wall cooler, and individual pieces could be bought for two pieces for £1. I went for a combo plate, the better value, and was excited to dig in!

Wasabi, a great little sushi place

I had to wait a few minutes to dig into my sushi, as we decided to save money by taking the food to go (or takeaway, as it's called here) because many places charge more to eat in, as that uses space. We ventured over to the nearby Bloomsbury Square, a nice patch of green grass, gardens, and benches, a perfect spot for lunch. There was a cool breeze and warm sunlight, giving our little park bench some great lunchtime atmosphere.

Our Lunch View

The sushi, once we finally dug in, was phenomenal! It was outrageously fresh and absurdly delicious. I had been expecting decent, but distinctly packaged sushi, but this was amazingly good. It was all tightly packed by an obviously practiced hand, and had perfect proportions. It was beautifully organized and accompanied by a delicious edamame salad. The thing that stood out the most though, was the tantalizing texture of the sushi, the rice, seaweed, and fish all stood distinctly apart. No sushi I have had in Iowa can even compare. The cool breeze, the superb sushi, and the feeling of accomplishment that came from completing my first class in London made this a supremely satisfying meal.

Awesome, clean food packaging

DELICIOUS Sushi

Sushi Detail

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The Garden Party

August 27, 2012August 31, 2013 by ericmistry ♥ 1 Comment

After an amazing time at Westminster, we hopped onto the tube to ride out of London to Professor Vinter's home for a garden party. Though the skies looked threatening the whole way there, the large storm held off until we were all safely inside. We had a great time navigating the tube as a group, and all are feeling very accomplished for learning a new transportation system.

The Tube Masters

Professor Vinter had laid out a wonderful spread in our honor. Multiple quiches, amazing side dishes, and some scrumptious cheeses were all offered to us. Some amazing cakes and soul-warming tea followed the main course. Though the food was already marvelous, after a long morning of touring Westminster, it was nearly divine. It was also so comforting to just be fed and taken care of after a few days of fending for ourselves and fighting off jet lag. After sating our hunger (and then some), we sat around, chatting with one another and sharing tales and tips from our first days in London. It was a great atmosphere, and with all the Grinnellians and good food surrounding me, it truly felt like home.

A Feast Fit For Westminster

Say Cheese! (Quite Literally)

The Happiness That Good Food Brings

Claire in the Garden

The Effects of Good Food and a Comfy Couch

Let Us Eat Cake!

Slicing the Cake

Professor Vinter's Husband Serving Cake

The Birthday Girl Having Her Cheesecake

Sharing Food and Conversation

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Orientation Day

August 24, 2012August 31, 2013 by ericmistry ♥ 2 Comments

Today we had our first (and only) day of orientation. It was a long day (9-5 solidly packed with meetings and such) but also really fun. We started the day with a nice walk from our flat to the teaching centre. It's about twenty-five minutes, but really relaxing and a good way to wake up. It is nice to start to getting comfortable in the city, and feel totally confident walking without having to check directions.

The morning was filled with a large amount of information, thankfully accompanied by a nice breakfast of tea and scones and fruit. A police officer also came to give a presentation on safety and good advice to follow regarding ATM scammers, pickpockets, and bag snatchers. We also each received personal alarms and a small emergency kit for each flat. After that, we went out to Lunch at Munchkins. (More on that here.)

Post-lunch, we went on a walking tour of the neighborhood, led by Professor Vinter. First, we walked around a bit of the streets as Professor Vinter showed us the Georgian style architecture that many of the buildings share. The British Museum was next on our tour…

Professor Vinter Giving a Tour

The Group

Walking Up to the Museum

It was an awe-inspiring building. The immense columns framed the entrance and seemed to recall a bygone era, when British imperialism reigned supreme. We wandered inside, and the building became even more impressive. The incredible ceiling just took my breath away.

The Ceiling

The surrounding neighborhood provided even more ingrained history and astounding architecture for our group. Professor Vinter showed us one particular building that I couldn't pull my eyes away from… The building that inspired George Orwell's 1984 and its infamous Ministry of Truth.

WAR IS PEACE – FREEDOM IS SLAVERY – IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

It is becoming a little surreal, walking these streets that are so rich in history and culture. It seems like one can barely walk a block without running into some amazing artifact that lies hidden in plain sight. The city is a living, breathing museum, where time flows, yet never moves. Londoners reside in the past, present, and future. I can't help but think that Orwell would find it amusing that one of his most famous novels has almost become prophesy; as shown below, Big Brother Is Watching.

We continued to tour around the city, seeing more architecture and taking a tour of the International Student's House. (The school paid for our membership, and it looks awesome! Great activities, facilities, food, etc. Also, it looks like an amazing opportunity to meet fellow students from around the world.) More architecture pictures below:

After a long day of touring and walking, we were ready to get home and just relax! However, we first had to navigate the streets to our grocery store, pick up some more supplies, and then figure out the bus route. We successfully completed that, and arrived home pretty exhausted. However, I made some homemade pesto and garlic Mac and Cheese. It was a pretty big hit with that flatmates and was exactly what we needed after a long day!

Mac and Cheese

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Lunchkins at Munchkins

August 24, 2012August 31, 2013 by ericmistry ♥ 2 Comments

Midway through our orientation day, we were set loose for lunch in the local neighborhood. We set out and found a fairly touristy, but reasonable place called Munchkins. We sat down, ordered a few plates of Fish and Chips, and waited!

It was a decently eloquent affair for lunch. The fish was fried in a thick crust that I soaked with some malt vinegar and broke into. The fish was warm, hot, and delicious, if a bit overcrusted. It was kind of a good thing that Munchkins was so touristy, as it somewhat intensified that this was my FIRST English fish and chips! I was struck with a new mission: to find the greatest fish and chips in London. Stay tuned for that adventure in upcoming posts. The fish was accompanied by chips (or fries as we Yanks/Americans call them) and a kind of mashed peas dish. The chips were quite tasty, especially with a bit of vinegar and ketchup.

We then rushed back to the school building and had a long walk around the area for orientation. That post comes next!

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The first Tube ride and more!

August 23, 2012August 31, 2013 by ericmistry ♥ 2 Comments

We survived (actually thrived) with another beautiful day in London. Temperatures were in the 60s-70s Fahrenheit, with a slight breeze rolling around the city. We did not have any school plans, but had a fair amount of goals to accomplish throughout the day.

Find a wok/frying pan and knife
Find hangers and a set of doorstops
Get Oyster Cards (London Public Transport pre-pay cards)
Eat somewhere cool for lunch
Explore the city a bit

Not only did we manage to do all that, but we also accomplished some other awesome (baby-steps, but awesome) tasks on our third day in London.

We also:

Successfully took the Underground, even changing lines!
Adventured all over SoHo and Chinatown
Found a delightful costume shop that amused us and was the source of our new proud Union Jack dining room decoration.
Had some phenomenal bubble-tea!
Navigated to a open-air market on a local's “English-language” instructions… (left, right, left, right, right, down an alleyway…)
Purchased mangos, kiwis, asparagus, and more at the aforementioned market.
Cooked an awesome dinner of stir-fried garlic chicken and veggies with rice noodles.

We are having an amazing time adventuring together, and are heading to orientation tomorrow! Enjoy the pictures below!