All my life I’ve wanted to go to Europe, and thanks to USC Annenberg’s International Communication Studies summer study abroad program, I am happy to say I will be traveling to London, Paris, Rome, and Prague for four weeks.  My two missions for this summer:

1: Learn about communication and media in a global context from the most incredible media entities and communication organizations.

2: Find the most authentic, true, and delicious foods of all the cities I visit.

First stop: London

While London isn’t known for its food, I enjoyed a number of delicious meals that left my tummy very happy.  Additionally, there are a few foods I believe nobody should leave London without trying.  First and foremost is fish n’ chips.

Fish n’ chips is a filet of fried white fish accompanied by chips—which are actually more like French fries—which are actually American.  The chips are served plain, or doused with salt and vinegar.  Tartar sauce is traditionally served with fish n’ chips, which is a white sauce made from egg-yolk-based mayonnaise, vinegar, and some sort of chopped pickles or relish.  Paprika, capers, or shallots are occasionally added in there.  Mushy peas served on the side are also very British, and the name says exactly what’s in it—mushy peas.

Let me start by saying I am by no means a fried food lover.  I’ve rarely met a food I didn’t like, but fried anything is probably my least favorite—especially at a restaurant.  This is mainly because restaurants oftentimes don’t give their fried foods the necessary T.L.C. when frying, especially when they’re not restaurants that specialize in fried foods (i.e. fried chicken restaurants). 

The restaurants that put time and consideration into the foods they fry are the best places to go, but these places can be few and far between.  These are precisely the establishments where I would certainly chow down on fried food and enjoy every minute of it.  This brings me back to my discussion of London and fish n’ chips.  Fish n’ chips is one of the most London-esque foods I can think of—hence my desire to scope out best place to get it.

You wouldn’t think it’s very hard to find good fish n’ chips in London, but a surprising number of restaurants serve below-average fish n’ chips.  Again, this is primarily due to common mishaps that occur during the fish-frying process.  Plus, many restaurants charge high prices for fish n’ chips, which makes receiving a sub-par version of it even more disappointing.

Normally when I’m in a new city I ask the locals where they like to eat, since they usually avoid tourist trap restaurants and eat at places that slide under the radar of travel publications.  I find these places always have the best tasting food and are more reasonably priced than the trendy restaurants.

Unfortunately, the reality of London—or any major city—is that few people are locals, since it’s such a tourist and commuter populated city.  It’s also really hard to find someone who’s willing to stop and answer questions about food during the hustle and bustle of daily commute.

After a ghastly amount of time spent Googling and Yelp!-ing the best fish n’ chips in London, I settled on a place that received high ratings and definitely wouldn’t be featured in any fancy travel magazine, and the price was very reasonable (£5.30 total).

Unfortunately, the food let me down.  The fish, though flaky, well cooked, and fresh tasting, had plenty of excess oil.  The chips lacked in flavor and were pretty soggy.

Although my personal experience with fish n’ chips was not what I had hoped, some of my classmates on the trip with me had an exceptional meal of fish n’ chips at a place called North Sea Fish Restaurant (located near Russell Square in London).  The fish, as I was told, was cooked well and not too greasy.  The portion was generous, and although there was an extra charge of 70 pence for tartar sauce, it was made from scratch and tasted fabulous.  The price was even better—totaling up to around £4.80 for takeaway (British term for takeout). 

Side note: Most, if not all, London restaurants charge higher menu prices for food when dining-in, as opposed to takeaway.  For example, the fish n’ chips would have cost about £11.00 to eat at the restaurant.

I should also mention that some restaurants keep the skin on the fish when they fry it, so if that doesn’t float your boat I would recommend asking before you order if they leave the skin on. 

Another thing to keep in mind is that many places offer different choices of fish, even though white fish (usually cod) is typically used for the dish.  The ones I saw the most were haddock, halibut, and skate.  I ordered haddock, since it is a better quality fish than skate (bottom-feeding fish) and is flaky and tender but not as pricey as halibut.  Cod is also a good choice, but I definitely recommend haddock if they have it.

Fish n’ chips is only one must-eat in London.  Afternoon tea with cream and scones is an English tradition and should definitely make the list of foods to try while in London.  Ethnic foods are also very good in London.  In fact, the best thing I ate in London involved zero British inspiration.  My most memorable meal in London was at an Ethiopian restaurant called Addis Restaurant, and it was absolutely spectacular.  Not only was the food outstanding (and very reasonably priced), but the experience of eating Ethiopian food was so much fun and made the meal all the more enjoyable.

I ordered Ye Beg Wot (bottom right in the photo), which is cubes of lamb meat cooked and served in a sauce of hot pepper and spices.  The dish was brought out in a small bowl and the server spooned it onto a large-pizza sized roll of injera bread that was spread over a tray in front of me.  The injera serves as a utensil to pick up the food (although they did provide forks as an alternative).

The bread has the texture of a fluffy pancake, but has the flavor and zing of sourdough bread.  It is SO good and extremely filling.

The lamb was tender, spicy, and very flavorful.  The sauce was full of delicious spices and warm flavors that infused the lamb and injera.  I enjoyed my meal so much that I ended up finishing off my friend's Doro Wot (spicy chicken dish served with a hard boiled egg).

Needless to say I fell in love with Ethiopian food right then and there.  My post-meal satisfaction was so high that my day was automatically better because of it.  Yes, it was that good. 

Honorable mention: Toasted Chicken Sandwich from Marquis Cornwallis.  While sandwiches usually don't come to mind when thinking about London's famous foods, my second favorite meal I had in London was a simple pub sandwich served with chips (left).  I was wandering around Bloomsbury by myself one day, and I stumbled upon this pub on the corner.  The menu looked good and reasonably priced, so I decide to order a simple chicken sandwich--which turned out to be one of the best sandwiches I've ever had.  

The bread was thick, hearty, and nice and toasty.  The chicken was warm, well-seasoned, and perfectly cooked.  Cornish Brie cheese was melted over the chicken, followed by a slice of tomato, lettuce leaf, and a thin layer of mayo.  The sandwich came with chips, which were outstanding--WAY better than the ones that came with my fish n' chips.  No joke, they were the best chips I had in London.  They were perfectly salted and had a hint of freshly-ground black pepper.  Fried to perfection, the chips were firm and golden brown on the outside and soft on the inside.  No excess oil. Not too heavy.  Absolute perfection.

Although my eating experiences in Europe do not end in London, I'll always remember the great food I ate while I was there—even if I forget some of the tourist destinations I visited.  As I continue to eat my way through the rest of Europe, I look forward to sharing my most amazing and memorable food experiences.  

Next stop: Paris.

 

Any other foodie questions--feel free to email me!