With less than a week's notice that I'd be jetting off to London on business, I quickly took to the Internet to research some of the city's finer offerings, culinary and otherwise. It had been about eight years since I'd been in London-town. I didn't have fond memories of good food or a vibrant nightlife - but word on the street (or Internet, as it were) laid claim to the fact that the Brit capitol had changed significantly. Could I be in for a treat? Or, would I wish that my business had kept me safely ensconced in NYC?
Had an all-day meeting (aargh! - but then again, work was paying for the trip) set for Thursday, but could still take in a late dinner on Wednesday after landing and I decided to take a Saturday evening flight, so I could give the town a once-over VittlesVamp style.
After a comfortable British Airways flight, chatting about London with the U.S. head of a top U.K. fashion house who was sitting to my left, I wondered if my first dinner pick would be up to snuff. He had offered a few swank sounding suggestions from his frequent visits to the city - but had never heard of the Michelin star-awarded Zaika, where I planned to dine with a colleague.
One step into the vaulting, stately Kensington bank, which had been converted into a lush, upscale Indian dining room, and I had a feeling that we wouldn't be dissapointed.
That is an understatement. My colleague Harrison and I started by splitting the house appetizer platter of smoked salmon kebab, tandoori black spiced chicken, minced duck roll, and goats cheese and smoked cashew nut samosa. Mmm...My entree of Crusted Lamb Biryani, featuring tender diced leg of lamb cooked with aromatic spices and basmati rice, baked under a flaky crust was lovely, especially once I placed a dollop of creamy raita atop. But, it was actually a side dish that set me to swooning: Peshwari Naan, delicate flat-bread filled with a slightly sweet almond paste, coconut and raisins.
It was a memorable meal, to say the least. And, admittedly, after my work was done, there was much more by way of memorable experiences in London:
*Attending the Festive BBC Good Food Show, the UK's largest Christmas food and drink show, with hundreds of seasonal exhibitors and celebrity chef demonstrations. It was a chance to sample and purchase holiday fare and spirits ranging from Shalai hibiscus flower soda, Haddock, Potato and Mustard Pie, Barn Bacon from Nottinghamshire, and - yes, you read right - British wine (France has nothing to worry about).
*Getting up-close-and-personal with the Rosetta Stone at the British Museum.
*Taking in the curious antiquity collections of Sir John Soane in his former Bloomsbury mansion/museum.
*Downing a pint of Shandy at the Fitzroy Tavern, one of London's oldest pubs.
*Cursing the miserable exchange rate, as I checked out shops along Regents Street, the Carnaby Street shopping district, King's Road - and the glorious home decor emporium, The General Trading Company, on Sloane Square.
*Cursing the crush of humanity surrounding Harrod's. (Kid you not - took me 20 minutes to walk the five blocks to the tube, because of the crowds on the streets.)
*Making a mad dash for the tube at 11:30pm (it still shuts down at midnight), hurrying past hordes of drunken Londoners, after seeing a charming performance of Noel Coward's "Blithe Spirit," followed by a deliciously spicy bowl of Pad Thai at the unfussy Thai Square on the Strand.
*Being awestruck by the power station turned world-class modern art museum, the Tate Modern. I was particularly captivated by Bruce Nauman's first floor aural installation which brilliantly toys with cacophany and the constant buzz of humanity.
*Seeing the mid-afternoon sun burn-off the grey heavy clouds, revealing blue skies and magnificent views of St. Paul's and London Bridge, as I walked over the Millenium Bridge across the Thames.
*Following the hot pink arrows of the "Beauty" exhibit at the Victoria & Albert Museum, visiting all 26 works deemed representative of the different ways beauty is expressed across cultures and time - ranging from a 5th century Head of Buddah to a plaster cast of Michelangelo's David and a photo of Bridgitte Bardot to a model for the tomb of Sir Isaac Newton.
*In route to Heathrow, having my cabbie inform me that he loves visiting New York - because it is so incredibly cheap.
New York City - cheap? That's when I knew that it was a good thing that I was heading home. And, although I do have to applaud London these days, I have to mention how delighted I was to touch down at JFK.
Hail Brittania? Perhaps. Hail a NYC taxi? Absolutely!
