A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of photographing a food tour in London as part of my job. The mission was to visit places that were doing great BBQ food and taste all the innovative/creative items on their menus (I know, right? Tough job. But someone's gotta do it.) Our tour took us all over central London, from ambitious stalls at food markets to fine dining restaurants. Boy oh boy, did I enjoy myself! The tour lasted three days and we covered over 20 different BBQ venues in two groups. I took a lot of photos - over 1,600. And we did a lot of eating. I'd like to share the best bits with you, one day at a time. So please come along and join me on Day 1...
The Fat Bear, Carter Lane was our very first location and this fine thing was a delicious burger called the Juicy Lucy. It's a Minnesotan classic - a spiced beef patty stuffed with cheese, topped with even more cheese and prawns. And it was divine. I might have been a little over eager and eaten too much at our very first stop.
Next up was The Blues Kitchen in Shoreditch. This turned out to be one of my favourite venues on the tour.
The decor of the place was what got us excited at first, before we even saw their food. I snapped away happily - the bar, the walls, the tables, even the ceiling was worth a shot.
But then the food came out. Melt in your mouth St Louis pork ribs slow smoked for twelve hours with a portion of hand pulled pork on the side.
The Cluck Monsieur - two buttermilk chicken strips topped with bacon, cheese, watermelon and pineapple 'slaw and maple mustard, between french toast.
The Blues Kitchen's Famous Brisket Chilli served with sour cream, cheddar cheese, jalapenos, onions and tortilla chips, and in the corner, corn bread with BBQ butter. And it was all outstanding. Really. If you're in London and you like this kind of food, do it! You won't regret it.
Jubo was next. A self-described Korean canteen, we enjoyed their steamed buns, BBQ beef galbi and BBQ pork pluma before rolling back to our hotels for a lie down.
That evening, we reconvened and made our way to renowned Pitt Cue Co in Soho. Yes we had to queue for a while (there are only 30 seats) but when we finally got a table and some food, it was definitely worth it. We had three chefs around the table that night and all of them were just about beside themselves over the food - to say they were enjoying it is an understatement!
Pulled pork and in the bowl, housekraut, chard and Mangalitza bacon.
Grilled short rib with grilled lettuce, herbs and breadcrumbs.
It was a challenge to shoot good photos here, as the restaurant is in a basement with no natural light. I was putting all of my new found skills to use to get these shots.
We also sampled the pork scratchings (simply out of this world), lamb heart, grilled sourdough and dripping, Mangalitza shoulder chop and lamb neck. Everything was really good. Pitt Cue Co was definitely a highlight of the tour.
As the evening wore on, the waitresses began to cross items off the blackboard as they ran out. Our waitress explained they don't buy in bulk for storing or freezing but rather buy what they know they will sell each day.
Somehow we found room for dessert after all of the day's eating. This was a chocolate mousse with summer fruits and hazelnut crumble and it was the perfect sweet to end the evening.
I hope you've enjoyed these photos. Perhaps I may have inspired you to visit one of these restaurants if you're in London? Or maybe to create some delicious BBQ food of your own? I'll be back soon with my best bits from Day 2.
The Fat Bear, Carter Lane was our very first location and this fine thing was a delicious burger called the Juicy Lucy. It's a Minnesotan classic - a spiced beef patty stuffed with cheese, topped with even more cheese and prawns. And it was divine. I might have been a little over eager and eaten too much at our very first stop.
Next up was The Blues Kitchen in Shoreditch. This turned out to be one of my favourite venues on the tour.
The decor of the place was what got us excited at first, before we even saw their food. I snapped away happily - the bar, the walls, the tables, even the ceiling was worth a shot.
But then the food came out. Melt in your mouth St Louis pork ribs slow smoked for twelve hours with a portion of hand pulled pork on the side.
The Cluck Monsieur - two buttermilk chicken strips topped with bacon, cheese, watermelon and pineapple 'slaw and maple mustard, between french toast.
The Blues Kitchen's Famous Brisket Chilli served with sour cream, cheddar cheese, jalapenos, onions and tortilla chips, and in the corner, corn bread with BBQ butter. And it was all outstanding. Really. If you're in London and you like this kind of food, do it! You won't regret it.
That evening, we reconvened and made our way to renowned Pitt Cue Co in Soho. Yes we had to queue for a while (there are only 30 seats) but when we finally got a table and some food, it was definitely worth it. We had three chefs around the table that night and all of them were just about beside themselves over the food - to say they were enjoying it is an understatement!
Pulled pork and in the bowl, housekraut, chard and Mangalitza bacon.
Grilled short rib with grilled lettuce, herbs and breadcrumbs.
It was a challenge to shoot good photos here, as the restaurant is in a basement with no natural light. I was putting all of my new found skills to use to get these shots.
We also sampled the pork scratchings (simply out of this world), lamb heart, grilled sourdough and dripping, Mangalitza shoulder chop and lamb neck. Everything was really good. Pitt Cue Co was definitely a highlight of the tour.
As the evening wore on, the waitresses began to cross items off the blackboard as they ran out. Our waitress explained they don't buy in bulk for storing or freezing but rather buy what they know they will sell each day.
Somehow we found room for dessert after all of the day's eating. This was a chocolate mousse with summer fruits and hazelnut crumble and it was the perfect sweet to end the evening.
I hope you've enjoyed these photos. Perhaps I may have inspired you to visit one of these restaurants if you're in London? Or maybe to create some delicious BBQ food of your own? I'll be back soon with my best bits from Day 2.
wooooo - now I am HUNGRY! Pretty sophisticated food but sure looks good!
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