Borough Market Review

This is for a series of posts related to a London 2014 trip including: 

The Ledbury, Founder's Arms, Fishcoteque, Borough Market, Fortnum & Mason Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon, Tayyabs, Giraffe: Heathrow, Park Plaza Westminster, & Wagamama: Heathrow.

I love a good market. Better yet, I love one that's centered around food. If there's one place in London I had to check out, it was Borough Market. So after a morning at Shakespeare's Globe, we sauntered over to abate our hungry bellies.

The outer ring features a myriad of charcuterie or cheese options.

And further in the Market, you've got plenty of food vendors featuring their specialized goods.

Heidi Pie & Minty Mushy Peas [4 Pounds + 1 Pound = $6.55 + $1.64]
Goat's cheese, sweet potato, spinach, red onion  
 

Our first taste of Borough Market came from Pieminster. We opted for the minty mushy peas, which were the best iteration we've had the entire trip. Slightly herbaceous, with whole sweet peas studded throughout the mash, it was a winner. 

But in the end, it was all about the pie. The crispy, buttery crust of the pie was studded with sesame seeds and lent its way to moist bits of chicken interspersed with creamy sweet potato, spinach, red onion, and tangy goat cheese. 

From there, we walked over to Scotchtails to get a taste of a proper Scotch Egg.

Scotch Eggs [4.50 Pounds = $7.37]
Pork, sage, rosemary, thyme, onion, rocket greens 
  

It was beautifully presented, split down the middle to showcase that slightly runny yolk. The Scotch Egg was crisp on the outside, with a great inner circle of pork and sage sausage to provide some savoriness. This all encompassed that beautifully soft-poached egg.

The rocket greens were lightly dressed with vinaigrette and its bitterness helped to cut through the richness of each bite.

From there, we took a turn into Thailand, with Khanom Krok. 

Emulating the open-air vendors in Thailand, bean sprouts and eggs were being cooked over an open flame, contributing to our next bite of Borough Market. 

Chicken Pad Thai [5.50 Pounds = $9]
 

The chicken pad thai was light, with all the classic flavors you'd expect. The noodles had great chew, with the nuggets of egg heightening the savoriness of the moist chicken. I also appreciated the texture and nuttiness from the crushed peanuts.

But the best bite - possibly of the trip? It came from Khanom Krok's sweet coconut pancakes. 

Sweet Coconut Pancakes [3.50 Pounds = $5.73]
 

These sweet pockets of joy were texturally on point. The crispness of the pancakes provided a great vessel to house the creamy pools of coconut studded with either black sesame, white sesame, or sweet corn. I'd fly across the Atlantic just to get another bite of these bad boys.

So if you're visiting London, definitely check out the restaurants and pubs. But you're doing yourself a disservice if you neglect to head over to Borough Market to grab lunch or pick out some things for a nice picnic by the Thames. And for God's sakes - hunt those coconut pancakes down!

Borough Market
8 Southwark Street
London SE1 1TL, United Kingdom
http://boroughmarket.org.uk/

Bangkok Thai 9 Review

Earlier this year, I was feeling a bit under the weather so was in the mood for some pho after work.

Located in the Rittenhouse area, Bangkok Thai 9 seemed to fit the bill.

So I stopped by to pick up some pad thai for the GF and pho for me! 

Chicken Pad Thai ($11.95)
Thin rice noodles, chicken, egg, bean sprout, sliced bean curd, crushed peanuts, scallion, tamarind 
  

The pad thai was filled with chicken, tofu, bean sprouts, peanuts, and scallion. Gluttonous flat noodles were coated with a sweet and savory sauce that coated the mouth nicely, with nuggets of egg throughout. Still this was simply good, not great.

Beef Pho ($9.95)

The beef pho was just what I was looking for - though I've had better. Still, you could see the umami of the stock that goes into this dish. Since this was takeout, the noodles, bean sprouts, and greens were packaged separately, which I appreciated.

Mixed together, this was a decent iteration of pho. You could smell the cinnamon and savory sweetness off the bat. While the beef was a bit thick and overcooked, the entirety of the dish was well-seasoned, with the cilantro providing herbaceousness. The mix of fresh veggies and al dente noodles along with the great stock helped to clear any congestion. A few squirts of sriracha added in? Even better!

So if you're far from Chinatown and need a quick hit of Thai food or pho, stop by Bangkok Thai - they serve up decent renditions.

Trio Review

In the mood for Thai takeout, the GF and I decided to check out Trio. Located in the Fairmount area, the praise-worthy reviews appear to be on point. 

Beggar's Pouches [$9]
Crisp dumplings filled with minced crab, shrimp, sweet chili sauce

We decided to try the beggar's pouches, which were beautifully hand-wrapped. Despite this being takeout, the pouches retained their texture. Crunchy on the outside and filled with well-seasoned minced crab and shrimp, these were a great starter. Take it all in one bite though or you might have pieces all of your plate - or your shirt.

Drunken Noodles [$13]
Crispy tofu, vegetables, wok-seared wide-cut rice noodles, broccoli, egg, onions, bell peppers, Thai basil

The drunken noodles had good chew and the bits of tofu, broccoli, carrots, peapods, peppers, onions, and egg helped to create a nice bite that wasn't too spicy. Salty, sweet, savory, and slightly sour - the Thai flavors were all there.

Pineapple Fried Rice [$12] with Chicken [+ $1]

Jasmine rice, cashews, pineapple chunks, Madras curry powder 

The GF was itching to try the pineapple fried rice, which had a nice creamy gluttonous texture to each bite, which was studded with bits of fresh veggies, cashes, and tomatoes. Despite the creamy texture of each bite, you could still make out the bite of each grain and the bits of chicken were plentiful and juicy.

Trio may be our new go-to Thai place and I'm looking forward to trying some of their more authentic dishes - as well as some pad thai, natch. Trio is also BYO - so head on over with a bottle of vino and you won't be disappointed! 

Smile Cafe Review

On a recent weekend, the GF and I were craving some Thai. After scouring Yelp, we decided to get takeout from Smile Cafe via Grubhub.

Steamed Dumplings ($4.95)

We started off with some steamed pork dumplings, which were not exactly Dim Sum Cafe, but were fresh and subtly sweet. The scallions and crumbled peanuts were a nice textural element to these dumplings.

Pad Thai ($11.95)

Of course, we had to get some Pad Thai. The noodles were pliant and almost creamy. They came with a mix of juicy chicken and plump shrimp. The bean sprouts, carrots, peanuts, and scallions added some nice textural contrast and freshness to the dish. The dish was somewhat sweet and had a subtle heat to it that was understated. Nice, though not the best iteration I've tried.

Pineapple Fried Rice ($11.95)

The GF really felt like some fried rice so opted for this bad boy. The rice was nicely fragrant with undertones of the sweet pineapple. The chicken was juicy and moist and the veggies were fresh.

Chicken Curry ($10.95)
Peanut sauce, jasmine rice 
 

We had to try some curry. Smile Cafe allows you to create your own curry so we decided to get a chicken curry with peanut sauce and jasmine rice. The subtly sweet, creamy peanut curry was filled with fresh green beans, onions, broccoli, squash and had a slight heat to it. It came accompanied with fragrant jasmine rice.

Smile Cafe offers on-point Thai food with fresh ingredients. Furthermore, the portions are pretty decent and are priced well. Be sure to check them out! 

http://www.thai-smilecafe.com/

Tamarind Review

The GF and I were catching up with our friends, J and Christine. Since it was around dinnertime, we decided to order some Thai to satiate our appetites. Knowing that Tamarind was on point, J suggested we stop by for pick up (unfortunately they don't deliver). Natch, the girls resumed drinking. Located on South Street, this BYO actually seems to be a great place to take a date - provided you can handle the impending spice!

Spring Roll ($3.95)
Chicken, glass noodles, shredded carrot, deep fried pastry shell, house special sauce

We started off with some spring rolls, which were pretty standard, but good nonetheless. Crispy and filled with small bits of pulled chicken and glass noodles, the brightness of the sauce helped to create a satisfying bite. 

Steamed Dumpling ($5.95)
Crab-style dumpling, steamed, soy sauce, vinegar, red chile pepper sauce

Topped with bits of chopped peanuts, these 'shumai' were delicious savory bites, accentuated by the sweet heat of the chili sauce. 

Beef Satay ($5.95)
Grilled marinated in coconut milk, turmeric curry, peanut sauce, cucumber relish

We also went for the beef satay, which unfortunately was a bit dry and chewy. Perhaps it needed to be marinated a bit longer? The peanut sauce was definitely necessary to add some moistness to each bite. The cucumber relish seemed a bit superfluous considering the small amount and the fact that this was a satay. 

Radna ($11.95)
Thai flat noodles stir-fried, fresh shrimp, vegetables, brown sauce.

The radna offered a bounty of shrimp and veggies in an abundance of brown sauce. The veggies had bite though the shrimp were slightly overcooked.

Pad Thai ($11.95) 
Stir-fried rice noodles, chicken, mung bean sprouts, tofu, chopped egg

Of course, to gauge Tamarind's worth - I had to try the pad thai. Tamarind's version seemed authentic - a bounty of mung bean sprouts, tofu, and egg interspersed with noodles and chicken. It wasn't overdressed in sauce, which I appreciated at first. But then I realized the spice level.

In fact, take a look at my pad thai on the left and the GF's on the right. Night and day. At Tamarind, you can order your preferred spice level from 0 to 7. J knows I like things spicy and I didn't even give it another thought when I said to order mine spicy. Of course, J took that to mean I wanted a 7 haha. Needless to say, I was sweating bullets after a few bites.

Overall, Tamarind offers a decent option for Thai on South Street. For being a BYO, they also take credit cards! Just remember - if you're on a date or are looking to save yourself from some GI distress, take it easy with the spice level. This is one of those few instances where it might be good to go home rather than go big.

http://www.tamarindsouthstreet.com/new/