My friend from high school, April took me out for a day to see the tourist spots in London. After seeing Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, the London Eye and Tower Bridge we finally had to take a break and headed to West End for some lunch.
We took the bus and headed over to Leicester Square which is the nearest landmark. April missed Rice a lot hence we ended up with Thai food instead of going for the rice toppings at Camden Town.
We were lucky as there were maps near the tube stations and we quickly found our way to Panton street. As we entered of what looked like a small shop outside, I then saw how big the place when they seated us right away near the window.
I was happy to see all the condiments were from fish sauce to my favorite Sriracha Hot sauce.
I loved the big windows and the candle at our table which gave us a nice view of the street and at the same time we were in a corner where we can freely talk in Ilonggo without bothering any other diners.
I ordered the Iced Ginger and Honey Tea (GBP 2.80) to quench my thirst from all the walking. This was not too sweet (just about right for my taste) and the ginger was very mild only. Very refreshing before our food arrived and I had to make sure not to gulp the glass down.
I was not in the mood to eat rice so I opted to go with my Thai food staple, Pad Thai (GBP 7.40). The rice was tender with a good balance of sweet and salty where both flavors were hugging tightly to the soft noodles as to who will dominate this dish. Textures were well balanced from tofu that's crispy on the outside and soft inside, tender chicken and shrimp. The peanuts completed the play of textures and flavors for each bite.
April ordered the Jungle Curry (GBP 7.90), a red curry with grilled chicken, eggplant, bamboo shoots and fresh beans. The curry had a good kick with the tender and juicy chicken. I didn't eat much of this as this is paired best with rice indeed. April enjoyed this very much with an order of Jasmine Rice (GBP 2.20) on the side.
We had Pandan Chicken (GBP 5.50) and Por-pia jay (GBP 3.90) for our appetizers but we actually ate them along with the curry and noodles. The flavors of the pandan chicken were just right and I liked how crispy and light the spring rolls were. These spring rolls were vegetarian by the way.
The staff was very friendly and attentive. We did not wait long to get our food as well.
If trying to watch plays at West End or enjoying the shops, Busaba Eathai is a good pit stop for lunch. I was surprised that the food was not so expensive as well. I loved the warm and cozy ambiance of this place as well as the views from the street from big windows that light up the whole place.
Thank you for a great tour and lunch April!
Busaba Eathai has several branches. You may visit their website at http://busaba.com/. We visited their branch near Leicester Square.--35 Panton St London SW1Y 4EA
Any trip to London will be incomplete without dinning at a pub. I was lucky to have tried a really nice pub in the quiet neighborhood of St. John's Wood.
If you would ask me if there is anything worth going to this area aside from looking at nice houses, yes there's a big reason why. Abbey road is just about 5 minutes walk going to the Clifton. Once you're tired of having your picture taken going back and forth with crossing Abbey Road, take that little walk further and I promise that it's worth it.
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After Jin took me to Abbey Road to pay homage to the Beatles, she panned to have supper at the Clifton. Our original intention was to go here for Sunday roast but we were too late as they ran out. I was even unlucky not to be able to get fish and chips as well but the servings looked amazing from the other tables.
The place was very cozy with the wood interiors and I found the staff to be really friendly. They offered us free olives because they ran out of the Italian Olives selection. The olives tasted amazing and really fresh. Best one I've tried especially that we get limited choices in the Philippines.
Jin ordered the 8oz burger, chutney and chips (GBP 10) with additional bacon (80p). The serving size was really huge with a thick and juicy patty. Jin says it was really good.
Her flatmate Kirk and I each had the Dedham Vale 8 oz Sirloin (GBP 19.50). The meat was grilled just how I liked it and was really tender. I liked the bernaise sauce that came with it and the rocket salad was fresh with a very light balsamic dressing. I loved the chips (fries) that came with these and was the best chips during my entire UK trip.
They provided us with salt and pepper in these containers.
They have a good selection of beers and Kirk had a bottle of Vedet. My first time to see this but I did not try.
I loved how cozy the Clifton was. It's a very old pub dating back to the time of Henry VII (according to the website) and started out as a hunting lodge. I had a really good time with the good food, warm ambiance and friendly staff.
If you feel tired from crossing Abbey Road just to get that perfect picture from the Beatles album cover, I suggest you take that 5 minute walk to the Clifton. It's definitely worth it.
Thanks to Kirk and Jin for this lovely dinner.
To make reservations and know more, visit their website at http://cliftonstjohnswood.com/.
The Clifton is in 96 Clifton Hill, St John's Wood London NW8 0JT.
I've been away for a while and had my biggest adventure. Most of us have our bucket list and among those in mine are: travel to Europe before turning 30 and travel alone before I get married. A month ago I was on a solo journey to the UK and it was my first time in Europe too.
I booked my flight with Singapore Airlines as they were the cheapest at that time. I flew with them before and I knew that I will get good value for my money. Service was superb as usual and the meals were delicious. It was my first time in their A380 as well and I loved the seats, the big windows, leg room and Kris World-the entertainment system.
It is very convenient to get an Oyster Card when in London. Having one means you can save on transportation as you can use it on the tube, overground and the buses. If you're staying for about a week, get a season pass for 1 week. All your rides on the tube, overground and buses for a particular zone will be for free. Or if you're staying for a few days only and only interested to see the tourist spots, get a travel card. For for more information, check the Transport for London website http://www.tfl.gov.uk/.
My friend from high school accompanied me to all the tourist spots and they're a few minutes away from each other either by walking or the tube. Visited Buckingham Palace (a crowd was outside due to Jubilee activities), The Parliament and Big Ben, The London Eye, Westminster Abbey, Tower Bridge, Picadilly Circus and a photo op for the Harry Potter fan at King's Cross station.
My friend from work Jin, brought me to all the places locals usually go to like the Portobello Market, different kinds of night life like watching football in the pub, drinks at a cocktail bar and going clubbing. She suggested going to the parks and I spent the afternoon at Regents Park. She let me do the touristy thing of crossing the pedestrian lane at Abbey Road.
I had to visit at least one stadium and the most convenient one in London was Arsenal.
There's a lot of food to try out like English breakfasts, fish and chips, and if you're lucky sunday roast in the pubs. I'll tell you more about these soon.
More tips on saving while in London--buy your water at the supermarket if you can. You can also refill the bottle on the tap and bring it with you while walking around. Choose days where you save or splurge on food. For light meals, sandwiches at different delis and coffee shops like Pret, Costa and Eat offer these. Walk around as much as you can. Some of the places are just nearby. Make sure you wear comfortable shoes always.
So many great things are happening in London this year. While I was there, they were preparing for the Queen's Jubilee and next month will be the Olympics. This is a good time to be there.
I hope I can come back someday but this time with friends. London is very easy for a tourist as you can get as much information everywhere. I think I'd better go back since I haven't been to the museums yet. And I think I'll have more reasons why I want to go back.
