Taste of London 2008

Couple weekends ago I went to the Taste of London 2008. I've never been to such a festival, which I find pretty amusing given my keen interest in all things food. The weather wasn't perfect but it was a day to remember. The festivities were located in London's Hyde Park. The basic setup was a series of tents and stalls set up with walkways taking you from one area to the next. Stalls of similar interests were grouped together so you would find restaurants side by side and vendors and shops next to one another. This was a foodies paradise, sample dishes from some of the top restaurants in the city were available for purchase (using the festivals food currency of Crowns, 1 Pound = 2 Crowns), samples of food products and beverages were being handed out at every turn, and kitchen gadgets galore to peruse through. And that's not all either, there were cooking classes, wine tasting, bars & pubs, produce stands, and top chefs giving demos to eager fans.

   

Now you only have 4 hours to soak up the experience since they have 2 sessions a day, so you really need to get there at the start if you hope to make a dent in all there is to see. Our strategy was to grab a few drinks, get acquainted with our surroundings and scout out our first snack. We first tasted from Tom's Kitchen and Kai (both restaurants we had been too but the dishes sounded too good to r

esist).  Seven hours braised Lamb with Balsamic Onions & mash, which were so ridiculously fluffy, from Tom's and Braised Brisket Beef and steamed Manta Buns. It was a great start to 

a filling day. Next was Seared Scallop, Black Quinoa with Olive emulsion from Club Gascon and Grilled Squid Roll with Herbs from Le Cercle (this tasty treat was like a spring roll but it was Calamari stuffed with herbs and veg, mmmmm...). And then...yes we had more,  

Courgette Flowers stuffed with Monte Enebro Goats' Cheese & drizzled with honey from Salt Yard and Tiramisu. Finally ,and this was 

only because I saw someone else walk by with this, was Sumosans Lamb Furikaki (Piece of lamb rack, deep fried in furiaki crust, served with mustard sauce). All of this plus some tasty Brasillian cocktails and other assorted beverages. Over 30 restaurants to try, you just can't lose.

     

Taste of London is a must do if you are in the neighborhood and if you aren't find a local food festival and give it a try. There is no better way to taste the local cuisine and test drive your tastebuds through the top restaurants of the area.