The Broadway Market - East London

Welcome to the Broadway Market, a cornerstone of East London since 1888. As I rode the bus toward another food adventure at E5 Bakehouse, my friend and I passed the street above. She told me about the market's varied vendors and stalls and said I needed to visit. When she heard I was coming back to London Saturday morning, I was urged to hurry to the Broadway Market. And hurry I did! Considering I just landed from Zurich, I made remarkable time.

Let's welcome East London's unusual denizens. The vintage and used clothing racks attract the wild and free to the staid and frugal. Clothes ranges from brightly knit threads to sturdy Barbour jacket to denim Levi jackets. Further up there was even a stall selling vintage ties and mens bathing suits. I may have even spotted a vintage 40s bathing suit from Jantzen (made in England).

However, food was my mission. It's always my mission. It's true I was hunting for my friend, but why let a small thing like that sidetrack me from what matters? Here's a colorful stall from Gujarati Rasoi advertising traditional indian food. Bhujia, a fried treat consisting of gram flour, spices, and vegetables, were £1, so I grabbed a quick snack and kept hunting.

My friends were waiting for the above to happen. A band was promoting an event next Saturday using Swing Patrol London dancers. They were taking their sweet time moving to Broadway Market and I was getting antsy. There was so much to be explored here and I was waiting for some sort of parade (note: it wasn't a parade).

At the topmost point of Broadway Market, near London Fields, hang a right for more stalls. My hunger could be sated and I was close enough to the road to hear the band coming. I headed straight to Don Arancini for their risotto balls. Two flavors especially caught my eye - the chorizo, saffron, and chili and the goat's cheese, sun dried tomato and basil. However, there is a deal. If you buy three, it's £3.50 where as one is £1.50. What a great deal! I asked for a suggestion and he went with a new selection, the feta, olive, and spinach. I left happy with my three arancinis and more red onion jam.

It's easy to get sidetracked by Olympic fever and a sign boasting that Usain Bolt ate here. My hands were rather full with arancinis, but they were advertising plantain. I hadn't had those in a while, so I inquired about getting those as a side. This option isn't advertised, but I was informed it would be £2.50. Once agreed, they took a small takeout box and loaded it up with plantain. They were sticky, slightly sweet, and could be eaten with my fingers. I was very happy.

Whereas the parade was lame, the ice cream wasn't. Chateaux Gelato appeared with their bicycle toting frozen sweets. I had to have the orange zest, rosemary, and honey ice cream. A bit of citrus, but something lurking beneath, something herbaceous. Rosemary added a great balancing touch.

I was slowly filling up on savory and sweet morsels. Then this pie shop temped me with their inexpensive mini-pies. One apple and blackberry pie was inhaled.

The Northfield Farm allowed me to stand in front of the grilling hamburgers and sizzling bacon smoke. I would have loved to sample their menu, but I was too full.

Same thing here. I loved Scotch Eggs and they even had a Thai Red Curry Pork Scotch egg, but I passed. I want to consume immediately and not wait. The food was meant to be enjoyed willingly and the full stomach dost protest.

Slices of wild board, venison and blue goat's cheese hard cured meats don't count.

Roast Hog was at the market.

Musicians were playing the blues on the street corner. One of them works at Passing Clouds.

So the market comes to an end. It did wonderful work- providing me something sweet, something savory, and something to keep away drafts (Harris Tweeds, etc). If you're in London, definitely check out this market.

Jamie Oliver's Fifteen - London, England

Striding from Old Street Station to my friend's London apartment, I always passed Fifteen. I was struck to find out that Jamie Oliver's flagship restaurant was five minutes walking distance from me. His restaurant quickly got onto my "London To Do" list. I've seen his face on cookbooks and The Huffington Post. Who was this man and what was he capable of?

We had a reservation for four persons. I was excited. As the only one Fifteen newbie, my friends ordered the Antipasti Board with seasonal vegetables pictured above. This featured large green olives, creamy mozzarella with olive oil and spices, mortadella, salsami, pickled beets and charred butternut squash. My favorites were the mozzarella, mortadella, and charred butternut squash.

The delectability of the mozzarella drove me to the mozzarella starter. This featured mozzarella with citrus fruit, almonds, and rocket at Fifteen. The creaminess provided the perfect base for the acid and bitter flavors from the rocket and citrus fruit.

While I was enjoying the first of my two starters, one of my friends was enjoying this dish featuring pan seared scallops.

Here is the wood smoked salmon with potatoes, greens, and capers. It was an utter revelation. Nearly two months later, this dish has the longest lasting impression on me.

Dessert time was upon us. There were four of us and we had a troubling time deciding, so we ordered four desserts. This is one of my favorites, the basil pannacotta with strawberries.

The British cheese board, my second favorite dessert. Mix and match, it's such an enjoyment.

Our third dessert. There are no tasting notes.

Our fourth dessert. There are no tasting notes.

Fifteen
15 Westland Place
London, N1 7LP

Nightjar - London, England

Welcome to the Nightjar, one of London's finest speakeasy-style drinking establishments located a 7 minute walk away from my friends' apartment. I recommend calling and reserving seats. Depending on the day and time there may or may not be a doorperson checking your name against a list. 

Regardless, you'll be greeted downstairs. Notice the brick walls, dim lighting, antique devices. An antiquated charm fills the air.

Booth seating beneath swooping art deco birds?

Table seating facing the piano? Live music occurs a few days a week.

Bar seating underneath the tin plated ceiling?

We came for drinks, so without further ado let's begin. We were seated at the the farthest edged table facing the piano. We were waiting for 3 other friends, but we were on time and ready to begin. As I glanced through their menu, I was filled with questions. What is this liqueur? Why is this cocktail named as it is? Is this infusion for real? And I kept glancing back at the bar. Noting my wagging head, my friend just told me to begone. 

Even the little breads with chutney relish couldn't keep me from the bar. I asked a server if I could sit at the bar. Since I was in another country, I thought it best to ask. They asked a bartender and I moved seats. 

Switching seats did have benefits such as the those two matching delicacies of bacon and jelly. Please notice the playing card labeled "Moby Dick". This cocktail features whaleskin infusion, one item that struck my curiosity. You can also buy the Nightjar card deck for £4. They get their whaleskin infusion from Japan. 

Here are some quick Nightjar notes: 

1. It's difficult to understand some of the bartenders. 

2. Questions are brusquely answered by the bartenders.

3. The bartenders don't want pictures taken at their bar station.

Overall, this doesn't add to a fun experience sitting at the bar. Because questions are hurriedly answered, it was hard to fully understand them through their accents. I understand they have a job to do, but I enjoy this interaction as part of my cocktail experience. Not only am I there to enjoy my drinks and socialize with friends, I want to learn something new and capture these memories in detail.

This is why I headed back to my original table with my Arabic spiced rum drink, The Arrack Julab. Garnished with turkish delight and rose petals it was a headily spiced drink. Now it was a table of 5 which meant much cocktail sampling and pictures. I will try to label the following pictures appropriately, but some might slip through the cracks.

The Moby Dick

Mediterranean Shrub

Switchel

Bloody Mary

Millionaire

Bees Knees

Coalition

Ginza Cocktail

 Amadeus Flip

Chocolate Cocktail

The Nightjar

129 City Road

London

EC1V 1JB

Dinner by Heston - Mandarin Hotel, London

Welcome to the Mandarin Hotel, home to Dinner by Heston. I was staying in London with good friends, foodies and cocktail enthusiasts. I value people that value great dining and drinking experiences. It's not enough to just eat for calories, one must occasionally savor. We talked of Fat Duck, 3 Michelin stars, far away in distance and budget. Then we moved to Dinner by Heston, possessor of 1 Michelin star and ranked #9 on The World's 50 Best Restaurants. Through mild wrangling, my friend and I landed an afternoon reservation.

We were escorted through the lounge area, subtly lit yet eye catching to the color-ADD among us. I was excited. Meat Fruit was foremost in my mind. My friend could only describe it as pate that looked like fruit. To the internet!

Wow! Heston is a culinary artist! I was singing Meat Fruit all week leading to this event. When isn't an anticipated restaurant not an event? We ordered as if we were on a mission. There was mild debate about the second course, but went with Meat Fruit, Black Foot Pork Chop, Tipsy Cake, and Brown Bread Ice Cream.

While we waited, they served us bread and lightly salted butter. The wait staff here is charming, efficient, and their timing impeccable. They serve without hovering, charm with but an accent tinted phrase. Having finished the bread, they ask "Would you like some more?" And hem and haw, knowing I shouldn't, but the gentleman says "Why not?" Why not, indeed? More bread is in front of me and I continue carb loading waiting for my Meat Fruit.

Chicken liver parfait encased inside a mandarin jelly mold accompanied by grilled bread. The orange color is correct, it has the topmost dimple, yet there is something off about this mandarin. 

Discard the "stem" and gently cut open. The orange exterior reveals the creamy meat parfait lurking beneath. Spread liberally on your grilled bread and lustfully enjoy. It will leave you hungering for more.

Here we have the Black Foot Pork Chop featuring Hispi cabbage, lardo, ham hock & Robert sauce. The cabbage and lardo were a lighter airy side to the brash ham hock. I had expected the lardo to be much more decadent and rich, but the ham merely hinted. The Pork Chop was good, but not great. I suppose I did not fully appreciate that this came from the Black Iberian Pig.

While researching Dinner by Heston, I found a featurette video highlighting tipsy cake. It's a spit roasted spiraled pineapple with a custardy brioche (I'm borrowing from other descriptions here. I must inquire more specifically if there's a next time). The pineapple had been rotisseried, cooked and basted in caramel for 2-4 hours. Since my mind was occupied with whole pineapple images, it hard for me to fully appreciate this dessert. It was certainly a rich complementary pairing.

Here is my favorite dessert, the Brown Bread Ice Cream featuring Salted butter caramel, pear & malted yeast syrup. Our server advised that we cut through all three layers with our spoons. I appreciate the care they take with their presentation. Three textures, intertwined flavors, a savory marriage. 

Our palates were finished with an Earl Grey Chocolate Ganache and Caraway Seed biscuit. I enjoyed the biscuits and my friend enjoyed the two ganache.

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Room with a view - the kitchen.

Champagne service.

The menu.

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, 

Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park

66 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7LA