Page 48 - Taste_and_Travel_International

DESTINATIONS A LONDON WINTER VISIT
of mezze, salads and lots of wonderfully
fragrant tahini. Warm goat’s cheese with
fresh borlotti beans comes with juicy and
ripe San Marzano tomatoes. Charred
octopus, touched with smoked paprika, is
paired with a corn and potato salad while
succulent lamb chops marinated in a tahini-
infused BBQ sauce are served with a sour
cherry sauce and freekeh, the toasted and
UK
cracked green durum wheat grain.
Being a fan of the traditional high tea
repas, I’m in awe of The Berkeley’s legendary
Prêt-à-Portea. Inspired by the themes and
colours of the fashion world, renowned
pastry chef Mourad Khiat designs a
spectacular menu of mouth-watering
delicacies with a fashionista twist,
transformed every six months to follow the
changing seasons in fashion. Along with the
superb aromatic tea menu and miniature
savoury skewers, taster spoons, elegant
canapés and delicate sandwiches, comes a
delicate collection of cakes and fancies
inspired by the world’s famed designers.
From brilliantly British chocolate and vanilla
Battenberg cake inspired by Stella
McCartney’s checker-board summer pumps
to Dolce & Gabbana’s hazelnut daquoise
Ũ Ũ pasta-print midi dress with praline croquant
" Ũ " ,&) %Ũ and Gianduja chocolate mousse, this is
)' -Ũ / U
afternoon tea beyond the dainty cucumber
and cress sandwiches!
Across the historic London Bridge on the
An innovative smörgåsbord selection comes paired with an South Bank, in the shadows of the unique glass pyramid
aquavit spirit selection. Instead of the ubiquitous marinated tower The Shard, lies the city’s iconic Borough Market.
shrimp smothered in citrus-infused mayonnaise, gravlax with Located next to the magnificent Southwark Cathedral, the
mustard and dill, or herring with sour cream, I have a market has existed in this area in one form or another for
revolutionary lightly smoked eel and charred hipsi cabbage boldly around 1,000 years. A prominent wholesale fruit and
spiced with cumin, fennel and anise. Brilliant. Coming from the vegetable market since the mid 1800s, it slowly declined due
Pacific, I’m always interested in seafood from across the pond. A to the relentless growth of supermarkets, which in turn
delicate Turbot comes enrobed with a rich and buttery destroyed the independent neighbourhood greengrocer.
Sandefjord Sauce, accompanied by fried Almond Potatoes, and Times have changed and the market has been reincarnated
green beans tossed with shallots and smoked anchovy. since the 1990s due to the revival of interest in artisan foods
Besides the British television celebrity chefs who have made and the farm to table movement. Borough Market is now
international waves, one individual who has created a massive one of the foremost food markets in the country, with a
following for his simple and creative dishes with sensational warren of passageways and open spaces devoted to
balance of flavours is the Israeli-British chef Yotam Ottolenghi. His produce, including fruit and vegetables, meat, fish and
several London delis and award-winning cookbooks showcase his cheese, while spaces around the periphery offer a colourful
distinctive cooking style, rooted in his Middle Eastern upbringing. and eclectic blend of food shops and stalls from all over the
He draws inspiration and from Syrian, Turkish, Lebanese, Iranian, world. From the stack of Stilton wheels at Neal’s Yard Dairy,
Israeli and Armenian cuisines. This popular wave has encouraged the specialties of Emilia Romagna at Bianca e Mora to the
others to follow in his steps and open restaurants featuring superb meats from the family-run Northfield Farm and the
similarly flavourful, aromatic and diverse menus. beautifully displayed fruit and vegetables at Elsey & Bent,
One such is Honey & Smoke. This noisy and popular restaurant, this is truly one of the world’s best markets.
run by Itamar Srulovich and his wife Sarit Packer, opened only a Being a gin enthusiast, I had to enroll in a masterclass on
year ago and has a strong neighbourhood following. The menu is this aromatic juniper- infused spirit at the Ginstitute, located
simple, yet so inviting. Lots of Middle Eastern grills with a variety at The Distillery in Notting Hill. The class starts with an

46 TASTE;5TRAVEL INTERNATIONAL5 JANUARY–MARCH 2018