London Cuisine: A Defense

by Kevin Ng

It would be easy to make fun of English cuisine. It seems to be quite the fashion. As French President Chirac said: "one cannot trust people whose cuisine is so bad." Though looking upon package after package of mass produced pies in a greasy joint can be unappetizing, there are gems to be found in English cuisine. Imagine a steak and kidney pie with chunks of real steak, juicy and tender, and a crisp crust fresh from the oven. A pie this good has to be tried to be believed.Not a pie person? Find a good pub – a good Sunday Roast is not to be missed. Roast beef, lamb or chicken is paired with vegetables, and naturally, Yorkshire pudding.

Who would miss a good tea party on a fine Sunday afternoon? A Victorian holdover, an English tea party involves only the finest teas, accompanied by small sandwiches, small cakes, scones, and cookies served on the best silverware. Available all over Britain, but beware your wallet!

Beyond traditional English food, you can also find more recent indigenous developments in cosmopolitan London. Anglo-Indian cuisine, for example, includes roast beef cooked with curry, chilli, or the more commonplace “curry chips.” For something closer to home, have a good Irish Shepherd's Pie or Scotland haggis. With both traditional and international foods, London is no less a capital of food than New York.