Thursday 8 October 2009

Fish n' Chips a la Conran


I never thought I'd say this but I am growing more and more fond of British food. I guess, after over a year spent in this lovely country, after one too many of Jamie Oliver cooking shows (for lack of a better choice) and after numerous Sunday Roasts, Fish n' Chips and a million different varieties of shepherds/farm/fisherman gooey slushy types of pies, I have grown accustomed to the strange combination of ingredients (green jelly with red meat, really???) and the taste confusion explosions that have occurred in my mouth in the last 12 months. I have never thought of myself as food snob, not really, but I like my dishes to be plain and simple, and most of all, I like my food to be clearly identifiable on the plate in front of me. I like to  know what I'm eating and I like to know what I'm injecting into my body. I like to know what type of meat I'm smelling, what's in a pie and what certain mysterious lumps of goo are made of. Well anyways, I'm being open-minded, I am, I really am! In fact, I'm somewhat surprised at how much I have enjoyed the British fare experience. Especially when that experience consists of eating in a fresh and industrial-looking place like the Albion in Shoreditch. Cuz it's so much cooler than pubs! I just hate it when I'm eating my Sunday Roast in a gloomy ale-stinking bomb of a pub in the middle of the day, and it is so dark that I have trouble sticking my fork in that one miserable little pea.


Right across the street from the uber cool "members only" Shoreditch House, sits the "everyone's allowed!" uber-er cool Conran-owned Albion caff, as the locals call it, where you can probably find the most delicious and trendiest fish n' chips in all of London. Well at least in all of Shoreditch. It's got everything you want in a breakfast place, the food, the people watching, and the obvious 20 minute queue. No reservations are accepted, but as you are patiently waiting for your turn to be seated, you can take a stroll down to their ultra chic downstairs restaurant The Boundary , gawk at their marvelous bakery and let your nostrils and eyeballs be teased by their small and exclusive grocery shop. You will find that the wait is not as long as anticipated. 


                      The Albion Caff on Boundary Street, Shoreditch


5 comments:

  1. ...i feel the same way. I have grown to love British food, especially a good Sunday roast or some proper fish an chips. The Albion is definetly a great place to try some traditional british food with a modern twist. Good pick..

    ReplyDelete
  2. Au secour! Au secour! You are about to be de-frenched, mon amie. Fish & chips? Sunday roast? Mais quelle horreur! Bring on the snails, slaughter the frogs and have yourself force-fed like une oie before processed into foie gras. Now I am hungry.

    I have a blog award for you over at mine, petite poulette ;-)
    http://www.metropolitanmum.co.uk/2009/10/award-awards-awards-and-yes-i-left-it-a-little-long/

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yeah there's nothing like a strong dose of snail goo to make you even more hungry. Not a big fan unfortunately and have never even tasted a frog! Can you imagine what a sacrilege I have committed to my home country??? hehe.

    I also wanted to tell you that I tried Nails Design on Porchester Road! What an awesome discovery! Thanks for the tip! I am now sporting the grey/brown nails a la Carina:) Love it. Thanks for the award Met Mum! And Congrats on yours!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. i'm adding these places to my list for next next weekend!

    ReplyDelete