savory-bites » London

What is a pasty?

Jessie — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 23:48:36 +0000

There is something very comforting about getting a waft of a rich, buttery pastie shell. I’m not even talking about smelling the filling. Just holding your nose to the dough part of a pastie gives you this incredible nostalgic feeling, as if you could picture your grandmother handmaking the pasty. I’m not even going to pretend to know what goes into the dough (probably tons of butter), but all I know is that the smell of it can lure you to the nearest pasty stand.

Pronounced as “past-tee,” it has a really interesting history. Back in the day when coal miners went deep under the Earth, they wouldn’t be able to surface to eat lunch. Thus, the women invented the pasty which is a flaky/buttery crust that encrusts a “meal” that can include anything from meat/onions to corn to potatoes to cheese. The miners would only eat the inside because the pasty was meant to be the insulator and the part that could get dirty. It got so complex that sometimes, they would have “walls” within the pasty to include several meals. Once a miner hit a wall, which was also made of the same dough, they would stop and save the rest for another meal.

But the pasty has evolved now into a whole new type of food. The two most major chains that sell them are West Cornwall Pasty Pasty Co. and Cornish Pasty Bakehouse. They’re all around London and the UK. In fact, when I found Cornish Pasty Bakehouse in Bath, it was about 20% cheaper than the ones in London.

There are many other places that sell pasties. So there’s really no excuse not the get one.

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Starbucks: A Comparison

Jessie — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 11:01:49 +0000

Fortunately for Starbucks lovers, Starbucks isn’t a rarity in London. It might not be as intensely distributed as it is in NYC, but it’s common to pass by at least 2 Starbucks within a 10 minute walk. So is there a difference between Starbucks in America and Starbucks in London? Absolutely.

I was so disappointed at the menu. Besides the cost factor (basically a little bit less than twice as much as in the US), they offered half of the items that I’m used to. They actually don’t offer freshly brewed coffee! I thought the point of Starbucks was to serve coffee… Anyway, if you want coffee, your best bet is to get an Americano which was around 2.70 pounds. I found that adding a good amount of whole milk and a ton of sugar on an Iced Americano made a great latte-like drink. They also don’t have the Green Tea Frap nor the Strawberries and Cream Frap. And worst of all, they don’t have their iced tea or iced tea lemonade.

The second most obvious difference for me was the shape and size of their scones. At home, the scones are triangular and baked with a sugary glaze/crust on top. In London, the scones are circular and huge! Even though they do have a sugar coat on top, the scone as a whole isn’t as sweet. I didn’t realize it was a scone until I read the tag.

I can’t say that the coffee was better in London. I normally add so much milk and sugar to Starbucks coffee that it all tastes the same. Another thing I found intriguingly different was the outlet plugs. Back at home, the walls are equipped with enough plugs to connect every other table in the shop. In London, it was extremely difficult to find a plug at Starbucks. Looks like they skimp on electricity…

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The Rocket

Jessie — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 20:51:11 +0000

The Rocket was the favorite hangout of American study-abroad students. During the first few Thursday-Saturday nights, the place was literally crammed with Americans. It’s not exactly the best to go if you plan on meeting a British chap, but the prices are very accommodating for a student.

This is one of the best places to go for a cheap pint. They do serve food, but you have to order before 10pm. After 3pm, they have a “special” where they give you a burger with chips and a pint of whatever you want for only 3.50 pounds! Their prices are very fair even without the special. The burger was just your average burger, so don’t expect to get blown away. They also give you a smaller portion of chips than you’d receive in the States.

The Rocket accepts the Yellow Card, you can get discounts if you have the card. Think of it has a loyalty card. It’s definitely a good deal if you plan on drinking alot in London. You do need to purchase the card and it’s only 1 pound. You can just ask the bartender for one. With the card, drinks are anywhere from 30p to 50p cheaper. The Yellow Card is accepted at a few other pubs, and you can find out where exactly here.

(A pint of Snakebite)

Most of their drinks are around 2-3.80 pounds for a pint. I strongly recommend getting a Snakebite, which is a combination of lager and Strongbow. Ask for black currant because it gives it a berry-ish flavor. This is more of a girly drink since Strongbow is cider, not beer. Most people don’t realize that cider actually has a higher alcohol content than beer! But this means that it has more calories too.

The Rocket is definitely a must-stop place for study-abroad students. It’s only a few blocks away from King’s Cross. The atmosphere is very chill and on Friday/Saturday nights, it turns into a club with people dancing everywhere. On these nights, you have to make sure you bring some form of ID because they do card if you’re under 18.

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Real Food Festival

Jessie — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:40:54 +0000

One of my favorite events that I attended when I studied in London was attend the Real Food Festival at the Earl Court Exhibition Center. The festival is an annual 4 day affair dedicated to recognizing smaller producers and helping them create sustainability. It’s also their opportunity to market their products (the producers are subsidized for their samples). In order to enter the festival as a producer, you must prove yourself as “good, clean, and fair.” Everyone from those who sold olive oil, to jam, to chocolate were there showcasing their products. Tickets for the general public were 15 pounds, but with some clever Googling, we found a discount and got them for only $10!

The festival was huge. Supposedly, there were around 500 small producers there. With our ticket, we received a free pin, a reusable Whole Foods Market bag (made out of plastic bottles!) and free samples at any booth that offered it. The goal for the producers is to get you to buy their product. I hadn’t seen at least 90% of the products before. Krystal (she was the one who found this festival in the LondonLite) and I gorged ourselves right from the beginning by sampling all the bread/olive oils and jam and crackers. There were also wine and beer producers so we got to sample those too. About two thirds into the festival we couldn’t move. I just wanted to go to sleep; that’s how much we ate. It came to the point where we were actually refusing chocolate and cake!

(Duchy was actually started by Prince Charles)

(Yes, those are huge giant brownies, in stacks too!)

But eating the samples wasn’t the highlight of the festival. It was really fun being able to interact with those who truly loved what they do. We met a guy who started a new dessert line- Moonmud Desserts and it was a totally new concept of dessert. He isn’t launching for least another year, but he’s been experimenting so it was exciting being able to give him our feedback.

(Grana Padano Cheese, we got the cheese knife too!)

The festival also offered courses of every food topic imaginable. Some educate you about cheese, ice cream, chocolate etc… while others teach you to cook. These do cost extra and they’re filled up pretty quickly. The 10 pounds is definitely worth it and you’ll probably come back so full you won’t even need to eat dinner.

In a society where we’re used to trusting brand name products and accustomed to sticking with them, it’s tough for small producers to break that barrier. Even though we see these large food corporations involved in scandals and such, we continue to support them and that’s reflected in their stock prices each day. So, it was inspiring to see people who make food because they love their trade and have given their life to remaining a “real food” producer because that’s what they believe in.

(You can find Burnt Sugar at Borough Market)

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Ben’s Cookies

Jessie — Wed, 21 May 2008 04:46:37 +0000

Whoever Ben is, he must be rich and fat because that’s what his cookies are like. Priced around 1.20 pounds per cookie, they’re extremely dense but well worth the price. I mean, obviously it wouldn’t be a great idea to get one everyday, but it’s a definite must if you go to London.

The nearest Ben’s Cookies for me was in Covent Garden. There’s one at South Kensington Station and more elsewhere. Supposedly, the dough is pre-made only 2 days or so in advance, and their cookies are freshly baked each day. They have this small oven that just cranks out the cookies. That would explain the wonderful waft that you get whenever you pass by the stand.

Their cookies look small. They probably measure 2.5 inches, but they’re extremely deceptive because they rise about an inch up. So when you’re chewing, you’re thinking to yourself, “man, how am I still eating this thing?!”

I got the orange chocolate chip- wonderful essences of orange infused with the chocolate. What a great combination. I ALSO got the ice cream which was awesome because they give you a cheaper deal (3.60 pounds I think?) If you get their ice cream, you should get their cookies and cream because they have their own cookies in them! Ben’s offers special packages, so the more you buy, the more you save. They are significantly better than Millie’s Cookies too!

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