London Cuisine

      Within many areas of London, you can see the impact that the early British colonies had on their local cuisine. From China to India to Turkey and more, the local food has been infused with colonial influence allowing for a variety of differing but delicious flavors in just one city. 

       This is the UK classic, Fish and Chips. I was recommended Poppies by a local Londoner because it was rated the #1 Fish and Chips in the UK in 2014. I had the cod fillet and it was fantastic. The crunchy outside combined with the soft, perfectly cooked fish on the inside made for one hell of a meal. I had to add in a London Pale Ale to make this meal as traditional as possible. This meal is like getting a burger with fries and a coke in America. Classic.

      The lamb doner kebab is a Turkish staple food with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onion, and spices on top of various types of bread. This looks a lot like a Gyro from Greek culture, but it is much spicier and actually slightly healthier as well. I would recommend squeezing the lemon juice over the top to give it just a little extra zing. 

       This Indian kebab is an Asian twist on the Turkish classic. They add spicy chili sauce in with the chicken to give it an extra kick of heat. I love spicy food, but I ordered the medium because I was told that the hot is typically overwhelming for Americans. This was extremely spicy, but delicious nonetheless.
      Another Indian food that I tried was Tikka Chicken, a spicy chicken most popular in southeast asian and India. It comes on its own. on a bun, or on top of naan bread. I had it on a bun and it was fantastic.

      Lebanese Falafels are sold on the side of the road in many areas of London. They are a great vegetarian option as well as delicious.'

    Pret a Manger opened up in 1986 and has sense become a world-wide chain that provides quality food quickly; the same sort of style of fast food as Chipotle. Pret is easier to find in downtown London than a McDonald's in America. Literally after taking this photo, I continued down the same street and saw 5 more Prets before getting on the metro. My favorite is the falafel wrap with red cabbage (Mom I know you are suprised, but seriously it was delicious). There are many other things to choose from and I wish I had more time to try more things. Another cool thing about Pret is that at the end of the day, they take all of the remaining food and donate it to local charities. This makes it better for the customer and the city, because it provides food for the homeless and ensures that the food is always fresh

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      If you like Chinese food, go check out one of the many restaurants in London's Chinatown district. You can do an all-you-can-eat buffet or the traditional sit down restaurant and you will be sure to be satisfied. Sorry Americans, crab rangoons and egg rolls aren't tradtional Chinese foods, but just Americanized additions. However, they do have delicious veggie spring rolls that passed as a solid alternative for me. 

      All in all, the foods of London blew me away, and I could definitely see the colonial influence within every neighborhood. If you like good food, and honestly who doesn't, you should check out London if you ever get the chance.

As always, thanks for reading,
      RCE