London: (Affordable) Gastronomical Delights
With the long list of famous and influential celebrity chefs (think: Gordon Ramsey, Jamie Oliver), you can bet that the food quality in general is pretty awesome in London. Well, as we found out on a short trip to London, there are some places there that won’t cost you an arm and a leg, but still tastes as great. Here are just 3 places which we recommend!
1. Flatiron
The BEST £10 steak in London.
What struck me first and foremost, is the nice decor of the place – it is quite perfect. Wooden-themed and quaint, it has the right setting and lighting to get people in the mood for some juicy steaks. Menus aren’t your typical booklets. What’s available is instead, scribbled on the walls. They even serve free salted popcorn, and I found it a great way to keep my saliva juices entertained while my steak was being grilled to perfection.
£10 gets you a steak with salad. Flatiron serve their steak only in (i) medium, (ii) medium well, and (iii) well done, and I had mine (see pic above) done medium. The presentation is adorable – the steak is served on a solid chopping board with a cute mini-cleaver.
The steak is grilled nicely, “dark” on the outside and juicy inside. Mustard and mayonnaise sauces are available at additional cost, but you can skip them because the steak is great as it is. Top your delicious steak with a glass of red wine and you are all set.
It’s hard to believe that all this is priced at just £10. Hands down, a must try in central London!
Flatiron
17 Beak St, Soho, W1F 9RW
Opening Hours: Daily 12pm – 11pm
No Reservations
2. Gourmet Burger Kitchen
Create your own burger!
For all you burger lovers out there, Gourmet Burger Kitchen is a must-try. The folks in the kitchen sure know the secrets behind a good delicious burger. There are 11 different types of burgers (£6.70 – £11.95) for you to pick, but you can also create our own customized burger if your imagination (and thirst for being adventurous) gets the better of you. Gourmet Burger Kitchen also offers skinny fries which are unique, and sends your taste buds to heaven!
No burger experience is complete without a yummy thick milkshake to seal the deal. Gourmet Burger Kitchen makes a mean milkshake with Yeo Valley ice cream.
Although you have to place your order at the cashier, this also means you don’t have to pay for service charge. Your order will be delivered to your table without service charge too.
With a few outlets scattered around London, you have no reason not to drop-by.
Gourmet Burger Kitchen
15 Frith Street, Soho, London W1D4RF
Opening Hours:
Mon to Thu: 11:30 – 23:00
Fri: 11:30 – 00:00
Sat: 11:00 – 00:00
Sun: 11:00 – 22:00
3. Pearl Liang
Best Chinese Roasted Duck in London
As a Chinese Singaporean, I have tried roasted ducks in various Chinese restaurants all around London (and other parts of the world too), and personally, Pearl Liang’s roasted duck comes out tops!
Many of my friends and relatives actually recommended another restaurant: Gold Mine – Bayswater. But personally, it’s no match for the roasted duck at Pearl Liang. What worked for me was the combination of the crispy skin with the moist and juicy duck meat below it.
This duck will cost you £8 (qtr), £15 (half) and £26 (full), which is pricier than Gold Mine. However, the taste and quality more than makes up for it. If you really love Chinese food and is a fan of the barbecued roasted duck, Pearl Liang is the place to go to!
Pearl Liang
8 Sheldon Square, Paddington Central, London, W26EZ
Opening hours: Daily 12pm-11pm
Reservations available online.
This list is by no means comprehensive – the Lenscapers will add more as they try more eateries around London!
