Among the multiple pleasant dining surprises I had in London was the discovery that St. John, famous for its subdued celebration of meat dishes from nose to tail, also impeccably pairs and prepares vegetables.
The vegetables bring brightness and color to bold meat and seafood dishes, which are simply and elegantly named: Braised Veal, Butterbeans & Green Sauce, Roast Chicken & Chicory, Rabbit Saddle & Courgettes, Ox Heart, Braised Carrots & Horseradish, Tripe, Bacon & White Beans.
Still, offal reigns, and it’s all very good. But at risk of diminishing your appetites, I’d like to confess that one dish in particular temporarily diminished mine — and I could frankly only get so far into it without needing to try again another day: the braised ox tongue. It was challenging.
I believe that for those more accustomed to tongue than I / the very hungry, that particular tongue’s flavor and texture would have been about as good as it gets — a very succesful dish. But me, I have a little acquiring to do.
Next, the renowned River Cafe.
I was in London last week for a wedding, and managed to fill several days sampling the once food-uninterested city’s now inspired food scene. It had been almost ten years since I’d been to London, so I was excited to see how things had changed — and ultimately came back inspired myself, with bunch of new ideas for cooking.
My first day there started off strong. On the 7-hour flight from Charlotte to London all I had eaten was a handful of dried fruit and almonds, so by the time we landed I was hungry for a full English breakfast. After we unpacked, we took a short cab ride to Tom’s Kitchen in Chelsea.
Tom’s website describes its cooking this way:
All our produce is British, fresh and, wherever possible, seasonal. Familiar and comforting dishes make up the menu; featuring everything from the best breakfast in London (as voted for by Time Out) and classic British Fish and Chips to one of Tom Aikens’ more signature dishes, the 7 hour braised shoulder of lamb – all of which are long-standing favourites with locals and regulars.
They didn’t disappoint. The English breakfast was simple but high quality and perfectly done: two fried eggs, bacon, sausage, grilled tomato, grilled portobello mushroom, fried brown bread and baked beans, along with a healthy dose of brown sauce and a sturdy cup of coffee. It was flavorful and filling, and ultimately helped me get through the always-tricky attempt to stay up for most of the first day abroad.
More on my next stop — St. John — soon.