Oh, Tafelspitz!

One of Traveller's most memorable culinary experiences whilst in Vienna was in a traditional restaurant called Plachutta. Ewald Plachutta is somewhat of a celebrity chef in Vienna; an Austrian Gordon Ramsay if you will. His restaurants are all about fresh ingredients, happy cows and traditional cooking.
Husband and T had to partake in the most traditional meal on offer which was Tafelspitz. Cool name, right? Just looking at it makes you want to say it aloud.
Tafelspitz entails a few little dishes which the waiters prepare for you in front of your very eyes; it is basically a boiled beef dish with lots of yummies on the side.
To begin, we had pancake soup which was delicious. The soup was what the beef was boiled in so it was very tasty. Then, to T's initial shock, we had bone marrow on little toasts - now just the thought {let alone the look} of bone marrow makes T a little squeamish but it wasn't too bad. Just like lard on toast, really. Getting hungry?
After the bone marrow, it was time for the steak which was paired with spinach and potato rosti.... yum! The beef was deliciously tender and T is always a huge fan of rosti.
Following this we all opted for dessert; T had a caramel ice-cream sundae, husband had a curd-cake and husband's dad completely won with his traditional Austrian dessert of half-curd and half-chocolate mousse with a gooseberry on top.
It was indescribably delicious!
All in all, a must do if you ever find yourself in Vienna.{which you should definitely try to do - because it is just beautiful!}

Ramsay, you've done it again!

This weekend, Traveller and her flatmates (old and new) went to Gordan Ramsay at Claridge's... and oh boy, T wanted to stay forever.
Claridge's is a whole new world in regards to service - the waiters were so attentive that T and her friends almost started to giggle at their exuberant helpfulness. Upon entering the room after a powder-room-break, T and her friends received a 'Welcome back, ladies' from one of the enthusiastic waiters.
And, after a waiter recommended a dessert to one of T's friends, he came by the table to make sure that she liked it. When she was a touch less than uber enthusiastic {because of some very minty icecream}, he sped to the kitchen to procure her an ice-cream flavour more palatable to her tastebuds!
It was just lovely.
And the food... oh the food!
T's three course menu consisted of carrot and cardamon soup with wild mushroom {compliments of the chef}, parmesan risotto with duck bacon; guinea fowl with peal barley risotto and pinot noir glaze and finally, a chocolate fondant with mint ice-cream. Every single bite was oh so very delicious.
A London-restaurant-one-must-do-before-one-leaves.

Sunday grub.

Today, Hubbie and Traveller were introduced to a new gastro-pub in Notting Hill:
The Prince Bonaparte.

We caught up with our old flatmates...
{T would have taken pictures, but
the camera has officially been lost forever}

... and ate a delicious Sunday roast!
{Beef, yorkshire pudding, cheesy cauliflower,
potatoes, parsnip, carrots and kale}

A Sunday roast is a long-running tradition in Britain, and
T is always happy to participate.

The best part - dessert!
Hubbie had a delicious creme brulee and T had brownies with toffee ice-cream.
Yum!

The pub is beautiful inside, has a warm, lovely atmosphere and we had a great afternoon catching up with old friends.

{well, as old as we've been in London anyway}

photo via flickr

Mexican makes me happy.

Recently, Traveller visited the very first Mexican Cantina to open in London (1982) and boy, did it live up to its reputation.

Cafe Pacifico doesn't take reservations over the weekend, so you just turn up hoping for the best. We were told we would have a two hour wait. With no hope of reaching the bar through the heaving crowd, we popped next door to The Langley for happy hour and a chat.

Two hours later, tasty margaritas in hand, we were served the best Mexican food Traveller has tasted since she was in the North West of America.

delicious delicious fajitas.

Foodie Heaven.

London is a city known for its curry, and T has enjoyed quite a few. Recently she found curry heaven at Tayyabs near Brick Lane, and didn't really think that anything could top it. Now, all she can say is, 'Move over, Tayyabs!'

It all came about because a few of T's friends were disgruntled with Brick Lane. Brick Lane is a name synonymous with curry houses. It is a long, winding road in East London which is lined with Indian restaurants. Now, because everyone on the same road is selling the exact same product, they really have to fight for business. To do this they have one member of staff stand outside the restaurant who offers you a 'special price' as you pass them. They often give you free drinks or offer a discount on food.

Our friends decided that they wanted to eat somewhere more unique, where it was less noisy and not so many hagglers on the street. T was a little skeptical - as she really did think that Tayyabs was curry heaven, but she was happy to be proven wrong. The restaurant they chose was 'Mela' which is found in Soho, Central London.

While it wasn't groundbreaking in terms of decor or atmosphere, the risk was definitely worth it. Traveller can honestly say that, after her first bite of Seafood Moilee, she was in foodie heaven. Everything from the starters, to the naan bread, to the mains, was off the charts in terms of taste and deliciousness!

There are close to no photos of the food, because it was demolished in a matter of minutes. Yum!

Te Quiero Wahaca

Traveller is lucky enough to have had two big visits in the last week; first it was her American parents, and now her mum has dropped in from down under to visit the new addition.

Today the girls went to Westfield at Shepherd's Bush to celebrate! The great thing about this new shopping centre in London is that it boasts many lovely restaurants and eateries. While we were there, Traveller, her mother and her lovely sister-in-law went to dine at one of T's favourite restaurants in London - Wahaca.

Wahaca are famous for their Mexican street food and their unique dishes and flavours. It is delicious! The best part about the street food is it comes sort of like tapas, so you can share it around between friends.

So yummy.