Once upon a foodie in London... Part 1: Pizza, Columbian and Cheese

Is it still ok to say hi? Anyone out there still reading this?

I'm back with a BANG after a 2 month hiatus! *insert fireworks here*

After settling in to a new job (within food - woohoo!), travel, fasting and since we're always honest with each other, just a tad bit of procrastination in the mix of things, I neglected my FMTB baby for a little bit. But frowns must turn upside down! So I am back and I'm here with a delicious and dynamic foodie getaway for your eyes from London.

London is starting to become a regular spot to visit since I have cousins (more like sisters :)) over there. Miss them already. Planning my next trip there as we speak? This time I came in prepared with my tasty ambitions to bring to you my diary. So here it goes... well part 1 for now.

Franco Manca


Super cute, bustling and has a unique take on pizza offering sour-dough pizzas with toppings ranging from organic olive oil to buffalo ricotta. You had me at sour-dough pizza. Menu is very simple which is what I look for in Italian places - minimal and to the point with ingredients that shine.

We quickly skimmed the menu and ordered everything on it. If there is a burrata on a menu, it's almost impossible for me to ignore it. See what I mean?

Probably not the best picture but you know what, it was one of those moments where the smell and look of the pizza could not let me try for more photo taking attempts.

The pizzas were delicious. I would highly recommend the classic: tomato, mozzarella (we changed it to buffalo - for obvious reasons ;)) and basil. I love when authentic Italian places do the simplest things best. The other pizzas were great as well like the courgettes, basil, mozzarella, buffalo ricotta & Franco's pecorino. I know... your mouth just watered. Same. I absolutely loved the elastic, soft and melt in your mouth sour dough. So different and interesting.

Brixton Market 

This one is more about the experience and a little less about the food. We were walking around in Brixton market and stumbled upon a Columbian shack. Their "arepas" looked delicious - cheese stuffed corn bread fried and served with spicy salsa. One by one, all of us starting devouring these small pastries of goodness. What made the experience for us was the man behind the shack, Louis. He was the grandpa running the show along with his wife, daughter and grand daughter. Here he is teaching us about Columbian food and culture.

I absolutely love meeting these types of people. I can talk to them for hours and just explore their side of the world. Here's a special moment we shared with him. The idea for the photo was all him! 

Left-right: Dalia, Yasmin, Lina, Monica, Me, Joanne, Louis

Morty & Bobs

Here's a fun side note you should know about me. I'm a huge fan of Backstreet Boys. Oh yeah, hard core fan since the 90's. I was super happy to get a chance to see them for the second time in London. Don't leave the page, this relates to the food part I swear! 

One thing I enjoyed about this concert was that there were tons of food pop up shops at the venue. Something I wish we had in Dubai, instead of the over priced bland food that gets served here. Any who, before jamming out to "I want it that way", we needed to get our grub on. My cousins and I have a soft spot for grilled cheese toasties, super simple but when done right, you just can't go wrong. 

A cute pop-up shop called Morty & Bob's won us over with their grilled cheese. 

No joke. No lies. All seriousness. One of the best grilled cheeses I've ever had! Oh my. Whenever you're in London next, track them on twitter and find out where they're popping up so you can get one of these. Crunchy, toasted, sour dough, delicious trio blend of cheese with onion mix - crispy on the outside, ooey gooey on the inside. You have to try it. I highly recommend the "Straight Up" - their signature.

Stay tuned for part 2! If you liked, don't forget to subscribe and comment. Let me know what you think. 

OH and big news! My first feature is currently on Krisp Dubai - a new online magazine showcasing homegrown talent. Full article can be found: http://krispdubai.com/foodie-feature-the-wing-showdown-with-mina/ Check it out now and let me know what you think.

x

Taste of Christmas Festival - London

One of the best experiences I had during my trip in London was visiting the Taste of Christmas festival (Thanks cousins for the amazing surprise!)

If you've ever been to Taste of Dubai, it's pretty much the same branding but the experience is on a totally new level. The concept is the same in which different vendors and companies have their own stalls set up with their products (such as cheese, olive oil, meat, wine, chocolate, etc) where visitors can taste and purchase. This was one of the best parts about this experience, the fact that you can actually taste everything for free. It not only made the night much more enjoyable (for me and my appetite) but it definitely allowed you to get an idea of what you could potentially be purchasing on a wider scale.

Here's my picture diary & some little facts I picked up... Enjoy!

Chutney's, mustard & preserves - Tracklements

Blue cheese - Cornish Cheese Company

This was actually the best blue cheese I have ever tried. My cousins agree too. Not too strong but still flavorful. Not surprised this is award winning cheese - definitely my first time trying a cheese that's won an award :)

Black garlic (heat-aged garlic)

This was another first for me. The taste was quite similar to licorice with a very faint distant essence of garlic. If you ate this with your eyes closed, I don't think you would believe it's garlic.

Rustic French Bread

 

Different types of goat cheese & brie 

Did you know that brie is better when it's more yellow? I didn't! I've always had white brie from the supermarket and it seems as though I've been missing out...

Italian goods from Sicily

I picked up two types of Pecorino cheese from here - one with walnuts and one with truffle. I actually can never say no to truffle anything - truffle oil, cheese, sauce, pasta, etc. Speaking of truffle, I got the chance to feast on some very fancy truffle at a different market in London called the Borough gourmet food market - definitely a must-see if you're ever in London.

 

Live cooking show of holiday turkey

Gluten & butter free chocolates - The Chocolatier

Chocolate with 23ct gold leaf - The Chocolatier

This chocolate snapped above was interesting. Once I saw that it was written created for Arabian Royalty, I immediately asked the vendor what the story behind it was. She informed me that this particular chocolate made with gold leaves was created for the Saudi Prince as he requested a low calorie chocolate without compromising on taste and the gold leaves - well he is a Prince isn't he? I was intrigued, I then asked what his name was and she answered Ahmed. The other vendor working behind this business then came in on the conversation as he heard us and uttered "Yes, this chocolate was specifically made for the Abu Dhabi Foreign Minister". At this point, I thought things were sounding fishy and I replied informing them that Abu Dhabi is not part of Saudi Arabia and they just nodded so I decided to leave it at that :)

Hope you enjoyed my picture diary. It was such a great experience and I would highly recommend this to anyone in London during the holiday season. Have you guys ever been to Taste of Xmas?

Here's a little snap of my cousins and I at the festival!

left-right: Joanne, Dalia, Yasmin, Me