LSE – Food
My first taste of Britain (excluding an airport coffee and sandwich) was the buffet style full English breakfast that came included with the accommodation every morning. It was an interesting combination of the traditional full English consisting of eggs, toast, baked beans, sausages, and more as well as fruits, cereals, and croissants. It was a rather pleasant surprise because my idea of an included free breakfast was comprised of a yogurt, bagel, and with extra luck cream cheese and a working toaster.
Throughout my first two weeks I proceeded to try different cafes and restaurants around LSE as well as where I was staying. The first thing that I learned very quickly was that a lot of places will only accept cash, and the rest accept cards very grudgingly. One of my favorite Italian places called Caffé Amici by LSE even made me promise to bring cash next time I came which is not something I could imagine back home. Another thing I discovered very quickly was how almost every single small cafe and supermarket, had these extremely popular prepackaged sandwiches that you could conveniently grab practically anywhere. Next there were kebabs. Kebab restaurants and takeouts everywhere, every street corner, sometimes two right next to each other. They were always perfect, extremely affordable, quick, and delicious. Also, after my first week I was amazed at how I was offered fries (or chips) with almost every meal from kebabs to omelets; I knew fish and chips was a staple but did not expect fries to be so commonplace. Lastly for a city as big and as busy as London I was really surprised how early many restaurants closed. After around 6:30 pm, finding a place to eat sometimes required a quick Google search as many coffee shops and cafes would have closed their doors by then.
The highlight of my trip so far was when me and a couple of friends from Northeastern went to the Heddon Street Kitchen, a restaurant by Gordon Ramsay. From his signature Beef Wellington to a short rib burger it was one of the best meals of my life. The prices were fairly reasonable too, especially for a Gordon Ramsay restaurant in one of the busiest parts of London. Although this one may be hard to beat I am looking forward to trying as much as London has to offer.
