English Food
#6
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 4,734
#7
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 9,307
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: somewhere north of London, UK
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<mounts high horse after today's atrocities in London>
London is *THE* most cosmopolitan city you will find in the world. Asking what English food you can find in London is exactly the same as asking what American food you can find in New York.
Tastes have adapted hugely over the last seven decades or so. As noted up thread, Chicken Tikka Masala is now considered the national dish by virtue of the volume sold. It has no provenance in India, so is just a .......isation of other foods.
Few places in London will serve truly great fish & chips - for that you need to be by the sea. You might find some good fried chicken places, but the seem to be driven by fads. For 2* cuisine, London can nail it. With a weak GBP against the USD, lots of other high end places can probably also give you a good run, but as I said, your question is just like asking, "what's good in NYC".
<dismounts high horse>
London is *THE* most cosmopolitan city you will find in the world. Asking what English food you can find in London is exactly the same as asking what American food you can find in New York.
Tastes have adapted hugely over the last seven decades or so. As noted up thread, Chicken Tikka Masala is now considered the national dish by virtue of the volume sold. It has no provenance in India, so is just a .......isation of other foods.
Few places in London will serve truly great fish & chips - for that you need to be by the sea. You might find some good fried chicken places, but the seem to be driven by fads. For 2* cuisine, London can nail it. With a weak GBP against the USD, lots of other high end places can probably also give you a good run, but as I said, your question is just like asking, "what's good in NYC".
<dismounts high horse>
#10
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Argentina
Posts: 40,208
To be honest your best chance of finding true traditional food is not in a restaurant but in someones kitchen....probably as far away from London as possible.
#12
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: UK. BAEC AAdvantage
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Google "Modern British" for a new take on old classics.
Last week at the street markets in Rupert Street, Soho I had Yorkshire Pudding burrito. Meat, veg and gravy in a Yorkshire pudding, rolled up like a burrito and grilled for a bit.
Also, there are a lot of regional cakes that often get overlooked for mass produced nasties. Welsh cakes are one of my faves as well as a lot of the Northern drop cake type things. Of course, you have to have a proper Cream Tea, with fresh baked scones, jam and clotted cream. Then you can enter the debate should it be jam then cream or vice versa!
Last week at the street markets in Rupert Street, Soho I had Yorkshire Pudding burrito. Meat, veg and gravy in a Yorkshire pudding, rolled up like a burrito and grilled for a bit.
Also, there are a lot of regional cakes that often get overlooked for mass produced nasties. Welsh cakes are one of my faves as well as a lot of the Northern drop cake type things. Of course, you have to have a proper Cream Tea, with fresh baked scones, jam and clotted cream. Then you can enter the debate should it be jam then cream or vice versa!
#13
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 4,734
One thing I associate with British cooking is lamb. My first trip to the UK I had lamb several places (York, London, Edinburgh) and each time it was different but all were delicious.
Something else I particularly enjoy is the wide variety of regional cheeses.
BTW this thread is the second place I've seen lardy cake mentioned in the last 24 hours. It made an appearance in a rather mediocre British mystery I'm reading.
#14
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 8,764
Whereas I'm a born-and-bred Englishman and have never before heard of lardy cake and have no idea what it is. To google I go...
#15
Join Date: Sep 2014
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If looking for proper Pie & Mash
Goddards
http://www.goddardsatgreenwich.co.uk/
But if you are looking for a show case of traditional English
http://rules.co.uk/
Goddards
http://www.goddardsatgreenwich.co.uk/
But if you are looking for a show case of traditional English
http://rules.co.uk/