London Livin' (£8 and Below Edition)

Delicious savory pretzel rolls, a tasty affair on your palate!!!

Excellent rendition of the iconic buttery French pastry with a chocolate center at a fairly premium price tag.

During my last few days in London I was determined to squeeze in a tea date here with a new friend i made on exchange. Upon ordering one of the lady owners quickly hurried me up to the seating area on the second floor; she cued “you can pay as you are about to leave, now go up and enjoy your tea.”
I was very glad to be here, as I quickly tucked in to one of the best scones I’ve had here (beside Gail’s Bakery’s). Good plain, I alternate between forking them bare and slabbing clotted cream & jam on. Today I also shared a pear tart with my companion, Maison Bertaux does an excellent job with this usual item found in many Patisseries.
Now a fond memory it is easy to understand why this cafe/tea room/Patisserie can be found on many “Best place in London” food guides and/or books.

Just opposite the Bank of England you find this millennial cafe amongst the business district of London- buildings that bear some much historical meaning behind them could be difficult to keep up.
Sitting back at this place could be an option or grabbing a to go cuppa another; either way be sure to get a promising cup of hot beverage. My chai latte was mildly spiced/(rather) dusted with spice; while being refreshingly light even though containing milk.

P.S: Grind has quite many other outlets and a restaurant concept too

That food experience when you are all set to roll out rhapsodies of praises knowing the place is on the Michelin guide, only to end up trying your best to find outstanding elements of the meal.

Came here because mum was craving familiar food- after 3.5 months in England (and around Europe); we succumbed to Chinese food. While the slightly translucent XLB skin looked promising, it is stickier and chewier than expected. The addition of ginger to the spicy pork filling was wise- ensuring wrapped pockets of delicious odour-less XLB. As for the dumpling skin and 手工面 used for the zhajiang noodles; while it was undeniable they were handmade, the evident inconsistent in thickness of both flour produce were starkly unpleasant. The use of ketchup/ tomato sauce in the supposedly spicy zhajiang sauce was unusually as well, we suspect to appease the English palates.

That food experience when you are all set to roll out rhapsodies of praises knowing the place is on the Michelin guide, only to end up trying your best to find outstanding elements of the meal.

Came here because mum was craving familiar food- after 3.5 months in England (and around Europe); we succumbed to Chinese food. While the slightly translucent XLB skin looked promising, it is stickier and chewier than expected. The addition of ginger to the spicy pork filling was wise- ensuring wrapped pockets of delicious odour-less XLB. As for the dumpling skin and 手工面 used for the zhajiang noodles; while it was undeniable they were handmade, the evident inconsistent in thickness of both flour produce were starkly unpleasant. The use of ketchup/ tomato sauce in the supposedly spicy zhajiang sauce was unusually as well, we suspect to appease the English palates.

P.S: Pardon the unintended feature of ringed hand 2

English Rose cafe that has been around for a while I assume- owners might have connections with the English monarch when I spot a letter framed in the cafe from the royal residence. While that is one facade of the authenticity of this English cafe, the food should still be the main point. While my scones were decent they were not the best English tea scones I’ve had- with a very pronounced vanilla extract element. The icing on the chocolate fudge cake was saccharine and overwhelming after awhile; a pity when the cake layers were moist and good.

What I would return for will be the dense, moist and slightly chewy carrot cake. Reminding me a little of kueh with a vaguely similar consistency, the cake was spiced and delightful bite after bite.

English Rose cafe that has been around for a while I assume- owners might have connections with the English monarch when I spot a letter framed in the cafe from the royal residence. While that is one facade of the authenticity of this English cafe, the food should still be the main point. While my scones were decent they were not the best English tea scones I’ve had- with a very pronounced vanilla extract element. The icing on the chocolate fudge cake was saccharine and overwhelming after awhile; a pity when the cake layers were moist and good.

What I would return for will be the dense, moist and slightly chewy carrot cake. Reminding me a little of kueh with a vaguely similar consistency, the cake was spiced and delightful bite after bite.

Groups of youths streaming in and out with takeaway boxes of pizza; lone/ dual dinners having a pizza all to themselves- these are common sights here. Rightly so with most pizza costing under £7 nett. My Neptune pizza incorporates economical ingredients so do not expect the highest grade of cheese, anchovies or olives; however the thin oven baked pizza crust keeps me coming back. I propose the latter makes finishing the entire pizza an ease for one.

Haven’t tasted a brownie we didn’t like and therefore finish yet; the above was another good brownie we found from Galeta at Southbank Centre Food Market.

Packed on a Sunday morning the display of baked good and food you order from the counter keep things simple. First we had a Anzac cookie that had coconut flakes in it and a muffin with fresh blueberries and poached apples; both were delicious but every other table had at least a thick slice of banana bread with butter so in typical Singaporean fashion we had to have it too.
The finely mashed banana in the above beauty was commendable- giving the bread a naturally sweet, dense and extremely smooth texture. No distractions with nuts or other ingredients, just pure legit and natural banana bread with butter. By far one of the best banana breads I’ve had- a must order at Kaffine.

(Stall: The Athenian)
As recommended by timeout as a Halloumi must have in London- my wrap came with 3 thick strips of Halloumi and a thick baked wrap that will pass off as bread instead of thin wraps. Not forgetting some excellent concoction of sauce- spicy feta cheese etc, and fresh vegetables. This was a hearty vegetarian affair that will satiate; each bite provided a mélange of flavour and if I had one suggestion- ask for an extra scoop of sauce if you like the thick bread wrap tastily smeared.