Friday, June 27, 2008

Yummy UK

On this particular trip I made some incredible friends and they were kind enough to show me around their hometown. In and outside of the city, my new group of peeps made my stay extra fun and extra yum by taking me to some great local gems.

Karin, a veggie colleague and founder of the UK web phenom,Veggievision.com, met up with me one evening so we could chat and stuff our veggie faces! We strolled over to Eat and Two Veg, a chic veggie joint with some uber tasty vegan treats. I had a delicious soy mocha shake and we shared a killer chicken satay with peanut sauce. She had a juicy veggie burger while I tried to behave myself with a bowl of steaming tomato bisque. I could have ordered heaps more and will next time. If you're in London, Eat and Two Veg is a must!!

On another evening, I made my way up to Kettering to see a good friend. On our Kenyan trip, he kept raving about his friend's place, The Raj, and that when we got back to London I had to try it. And so I did!! After a short train ride and a beer at a cute pub in Market Harborough, we drove over to his friend's Indian feastery. It was really slick looking and the service was great. So much so that I didn't even order off of their scrumptious menu! I was made a special vegan dish that was chock full o' veggies and mushrooms in a special red sauce. I devoured the garlic nan that was on the table along with my mushroom rice ; ) The Raj is a definite thumbs up and I look forward to visiting them again to try the rest of their veggie delicacies!

Later that week, we were treated to a boat ride down the Thames and a fun evening at O2 in Greenwich. O2 is a huge venue with a concert hall, restaurants and clubs all under what looks like a super modern circus tent. My fellow veggie pal took us to Nando's, a Portugese restaurant with a great vibe. I went with his favorite dishes,the veggie pita with lemon and herb sauce. I'm a wimp so I didn't got with their famous peri-peri sauce but apparently it rocks. For a chicken joint, they had a hefty selection of veggie burgers and pitas as well as some killer sangrias. Nando's has locations all over the UK and you can get more info online.

On one of my last days there, a group of us took a ride on the London Eye. We were in the mood for drinks and snacks so we popped into the nearby All Bar One. It was a cool bar and grill with a nice selection of appetizers and meals. I noshed on some guac and plantain chips as well as some pretty kickin' hummus from their world tapas menu. Since we were planning on dinner a little later on, I didn't order a meal but their sandwiches looked very good and everything is homemade and as organic as possible. All Bar One is also a chain and a pretty good choice for a fun time out with friends ; )

Look out for some more on London town soon!!