My take on British food

Fish cutlet, poached egg with hollandaise sauce

I spent a week in Britain and had multiple opportunities to sample the local cuisine in restaurants as well as people's homes. Our breakfast go-to included "smashed avocado toast", poached eggs with hollandaise sauce, sausage, potatoes - all cooked with minimal seasoning that allowed us to add condiments to our taste.  These portions were typically accompanied with a modest pot of tea which seemed to be an integral part of all their meals. Most of the restaurant cooked meals felt like a welcoming diversion from the typical restaurant experience in the U.S., which is characterized by large meals laden with salt and sugar.

Fish and chips

Of course, I tried the fish and chips - batter fried cod fish with fries and vinegar dressing. There was an option to add tartar sauce, mushy peas or beans to the order. Fish was fresh on both the occasions I had it. It can be a heavy meal - so best eaten early in the day. We also tried several of their baked fare like the Cornwall pastries, scones and quiche. While I wont say I absolutely loved the fish and chips (a bit bland for my Indian palate), it is something I would fancy once in a while. We also visited a tea-shop, where the tea was served tea in a modestly sized teapot along with cakes, tarts and pastries. The ambience of these shops felt very cozy and welcoming.

Homemade Eaton Mess (with rhubarb syrup)

I loved the experience of going to a local pub for a beer or two. It seemed like an activity that most of the locals partook in and consequently I felt a sense of community. I visited two villages which had a pub or two that served a full dinner along with a range of beers. Our dinners were comprised of meats cooked with minimal or no spices and served with boiled or baked veggies. My favorite was the roasted slow-cooked lamb with home-made mint sauce that a family member prepared one evening.

Finally, we tried several homemade English desserts including puddings, apple crumble pie, Eaton mess and absolutely devoured them. While not overly sweet, the integration of some fruit felt refreshing.

India's culinary connection with Britain

Beef marrow 

I spent a week in England and got to experience that county's version of Indian cuisine. Not surprisingly, India's connection with Britain had a strong influence on its culinary scene resulting in a diverse range of Indian restaurants, or atleast in the two places I visited: London, York and Hull. Often, there was atleast one Indian(ized) dish in the menu of regular delis and pubs that we visited in London. We also came across a store in central York that was an Indian equivalent of a "Blue Apron". They sold customized packets of Indian spices for a range of Indian curries, including the quintessential Goan dish, Chicken xacuti (smile).

I sampled the menus in several South Asian- run restaurants in London and Hull in northern England. Clearly, there were way too many Indian/South Asian restaurants (Bangladeshi/Pakistani) to choose from. These restaurants served a range of dishes from street food like pao bhaji or vada pao to its own versions of dishes like the "Balti". While I wont say that these represented the most authentic Lucknowi murg or Chicken Chettinad, it was full of flavor and delectable. What was most interesting to me (that is not seen in Indian restaurants in the US) was the integration of dishes like lamb-balti or chicken balti (meaning bucket) throughout Britain akin to the American Chinese

Chicken Balti

dishes such as the General Pso's chicken in the United States. I had a Balti dish on one occasion - it was meat served in a "kadai" dish to be had with naan or rice.

My most memorable experience was at a Sri-Lankan restaurant called "Hoppers" in London that I visited twice over three days. We tried a range of dishes from kheema (minced goat)-stuffed paratha, beef marrow (their specialty dish), chicken curry and prawn curry with appams or hoppers. Very authentic, reasonably priced. The coconut-based flavors and spices created a pleasant memory of an authentic Chettinad/Goan experience for me. 

A tale of two cities

Grilled trout with beans and veggies at Flying Fish, Memphis

I recently visited two US cities - Memphis and San Diego. Memphis is known for its barbecue, while San Diego serves the best fish tacos in the country.

I had heard a lot about Memphis' barbecue but to my disappointment, the most ubiquitous barbecue was pork and my dietary constraints prevented me from partaking. However, I was still able to find restaurants that provided satisfying alternatives. My favorite stops in downtown Memphis were the "Flying Fish" (which is apparently a chain in several Southern cities) and the "Little Tea Shop" where I had deep fried chicken with some authentic preparations of veggies like okra, eggplant creole and beets.

The other city that I recently visited is San Diego in California. The highlight of this trip were "Oscar's fish tacos",  another local chain restaurant. I tried their fish tacos in one of the downtown locations. It was without a doubt one of the best tacos I have every had. There was a variety of fresh fried fish to pick from. The tacos were prepared with soft fresh tortillas and served with some veggies (including avocado, lettuce, onion and tomato). The (optional) sauces are recommended. Fairly priced. Along with the tacos, I also tried their ceviche served with crispy tortillas on the side. A must-try if you are in San Diego.

Padaek -Loatian cuisine in Falls Church

Salmon in a banana leaf with sticky rice

We recently visited Padaek, a Laotian and Thai cuisine restaurant in Falls Church, Virginia. They have both a Thai and Laotian menu. We tried a few of dishes from both menus, including fried chicken wings, grilled salmon in a banana leaf, catfish fried rice and drunken chicken noodles. All the dishes were extremely flavorful. Like most chicken wings, these were delicious but were an extra treat for garlic lovers. The ginger and dill added a mildly spicy aftertaste to the salmon. The noodles were more spicy but delicious.

The prices were also very reasonable. I cant wait to try some more dishes on their menu.

The restaurant itself is has limited floor space and gets busy really fast with long lines of people waiting for a table. But the wait is worth it.

Meditteranean Fare

Tapas at Ser [Fried green tomatoes, shrimp and 

stuffed peppers]

I visited a few restaurants offering Meditteranean fare recently.

One of my favorites in the DMV region, which I have actually discussed before, is Ser. Their tapas (small plates) are must-try. I love almost all of them but if I were to pick my favorites it would be gambas al ajillo (Shrimp in olive oil and garlic) and piquillos rellenos (peppers stuffed with mushroom and spinach served in a cardamom flavored sauce). Their fried green tomatoes with feta are also amazing. They also have a happy hour on weekdays for half the price offering much smaller portions of these small plates.

Yayla is a Turkish restaurant located in Falls Church. The appetizers were the stand out. I tried their grilled Halloumi cheese, and a beet salad which were just delicious. They also serve several flat breads - I tried their spinach flat bread, which was good. Their menu is a bit heavy on red meat , so I was restricted in my choices.

We also visited an upscale Greek restaurant in Falls Church called Nostos. Very mediocre. It wasn't cheap and yet the quality of some of their dishes wasn't up to what I would expect from a fast casual restaurant. The presentation of the food was just as mediocre. We tried their cheese saganaki, and an eggplant dip for appetizers. Among their main course dishes, we tried their lamb chops and king salmon. The salmon was cooked with canned tomatoes. Not recommended.

Smoked salmon tarts

Ingredients
Pastry puff sheets
2 pods garlic
Handful of mushrooms
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Fresh dill
3 tablespoon mozzarella cheese
2 small tomatoes
Store bought smoked Salmon

Step 1: Defrost the pastry puff. Roll it into small rectangles. Add diced tomatoes on them.
Optional: [you can also add some caramelized onions on them].

Step 2: Prepare the mushroom sauce. Sauté mushrooms and crushed garlic in olive oil. Add milk and cheese. Add flour to thicken the sauce. Add herbs and dill to the sauce. Add dill and other herbs of your choice.

Step 3: Bake the pastry puff sheets into an oven at 430F for 10 minutes.

Step 4: Add the prepared mushroom sauce on top of the baked pastry puff sheets. Garnish with smoked salmon and fresh dill.