WOTVM's food adventures in London - Part 3

This is the final, and briefest, instalment of our food adventures in London.  Normal service will be resumed soon with some reviews of the finest Norwich has to offer plus some tasty recipes, our bathroom should be in place by the end of the week and we're hoping to be able to then get back to blogging more regularly.

So, day three in London began a little later; as our train was due to leave at 4.30pm we decided on an eating strategy of a hearty brunch followed by an early afternoon snack to tide us over until we got back to the fine city.  When we stay in London, we often stay in Angel as there are loads of excellent food and drink places nearby, one of which is the Islington branch of The Breakfast Club.  However, every time we've stayed our efforts to eat at The Breakfast Club have been thwarted by it being absolutely rammed, with queues out the door and round the corner.  Thankfully, there are several branches across London (plus one in Brighton) and one of them just happened to be a stone's throw from our hotel.

The Spitalfields branch is larger than the more bijou Angel café and this meant that we were able to get a table straight away.  It was busy, but arriving at around 11.30 - after the main breakfast crowd but before lunch has got going - meant that we wouldn't have to wait for our food.  The menu is a combination of traditional British and American/Mexican inspired dishes.  Think anything from a full English to pancake stacks to breakfast burritos and much more in between.  There's a good mix of original dishes and old favourites, something to please everyone.

On the day we visited the hotplate had broken and so the menu choices were more limited, however that wasn't a problem for us as the dishes that took our fancy were still available anyway.  WOTVM went for the breakfast burrito - loaded with chorizo, scrambled egg, peppers and cheese with guacamole, sour cream and salsa on the side - whilst Mr Vegan Man opted for avocado and poached egg on toast, with the added zip of lemon juice, chillies, basil and some crunchy pumpkin seeds to boot.  To drink we ordered a freshly squeezed orange juice and a Slow Boy, which was a concoction of orange, carrot, apple and ginger.

The drinks arrived quickly and were followed shortly afterwards by the food, which looked great.  WOTVM's burrito was really good; the scrambled eggs were light and fluffy, the chorizo was punchy with flavour but not overpowering, the guacamole and salsa went really well too.  Mr Vegan Man does make the best breakfast burrito in the world so The Breakfast Club had stiff competition, but this came pretty close in terms of flavour. Her only criticism was that there was a bit too much sour cream, a touch less and it would have been spot on.

Mr Vegan Man's avocado and poached egg on toast was top notch.  The toast was good and crunchy, the poached egg had a lovely runny yolk, the avocado was creamy and complimented perfectly by a bit of chilli kick and the fresh pop of lemon and basil.  The seeds added some nice texture too.  All in all a very good brunch and at prices that are reasonable too.  Service was friendly and we'd definitely come back again.

With a few hours to kill we decided to go for a stroll along the South Bank, starting off at London Bridge.  We walked up to the Tate Modern to see if there was anything we fancied seeing but after a quick browse around the free galleries the only thing we were interested in - an exhibition by Georgia O'Keefe - was prohibitively expensive, so we instead decided to head back along the river to Borough Market.

We love Borough Market, it has such a great variety of food stalls, with most of the world represented somewhere or other.  We've had great street food from there previously, including take away flutes of prosecco and pink fizz, but on this early afternoon we had a hankering for some gelato and so we ended up in Gelateria 3Bis.  The place looked authentic, with the gelato kept covered (we learnt in Italy that all authentic gelaterias keep the gelato covered, the more 'touristy' places pile it high and make it look flashy) and with a small but interesting selection of flavours.  Mr Vegan Man went for dark chocolate and coconut - going for the effect of a Bounty - whilst WOTVM chose peanut and banana flavours.  Unbeknownst to WOTVM, the banana variety was actually a sorbet rather than a gelato, however the banana flavour was really strong.  WOTVM was a little disappointed as she loves gelato and isn't a huge sorbet fan but she could appreciate the quality and ate it all.

The peanut flavour was excellent, really good nutty flavour and a nice smooth gelato.  Mr Vegan Man's gelato was similarly really well made, beautifully creamy and with a good, rich flavour.  We both plumped for the free chocolate sauce in the bottom of our cups, which is a really nice touch and something that we also experienced in a gelateria we visited in Rome.  The sauce tastes like melted Nutella, which really can't be a bad thing.  We'd happily visit again, but WOTVM would make sure she ordered two scoops of gelato next time.

On our way back to the bus stop, we decided to stop for a quick drink at the Wheatsheaf right by the market.  It was a cracking little pub, with a brilliant outdoor area where we sat and enjoyed a pint.  Prices were a bit steep, but it is right by the market and it does serve really good local craft beer.

We made our way back to the hotel to collect our bags - via a quick vintage dress purchase on the corner of Brick Lane - and then we were on our way back to Norwich.  We had a great stay and ate lots of tasty food and we'll be looking forward to our next trip to the capital.

WOTVM's food adventures in London - Part 2

Today we bring you the second instalment of our recent trip to London.  We woke late after a good night's sleep and headed out for some breakfast.  Brick Lane is not only famous for its numerous Indian restaurants, it also has some excellent places to pick up a bagel.  The salt beef bagels are a particular speciality, however Mr Vegan Man could not partake for obvious reasons and WOTVM was feeling the salt beef might be too much for a breakfast bagel.  We headed to Beigel Bake - something of a local institution - as WOTVM had been there before and swore by the quality of their soft, doughy bagels.

We arrived after the regular breakfast rush and before the lunchtime queues so were served very quickly.  WOTVM opted for a classic smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel, whilst Mr Vegan Man went for egg as his filling of choice.  The sheer number of bagels on display speaks to the popularity of Beigel Bake and we certainly weren't disappointed.

Sitting in a local park just off Brick Lane, we tucked into our breakfast.  The bagels were soft and satisfying.  Bagels are a food that divide our household, Mr Vegan Man is fairly indifferent towards them, finding them a bit sweet and a bit too chewy - he would usually plump for a crumpet or muffin if he fancied some non-bread baked goods for breakfast.  WOTVM, on the other hand, is a huge fan of bagels.  Even Mr Vegan Man conceded that Beigel Bake's bagels were top quality, not too sweet and with a lighter texture than the usual supermarket fare.  The egg filling was nice and hearty, though on reflection Mr Vegan Man should have asked for some mayo for extra lubrication. 

WOTVM's smoked salmon and cream cheese offering was superb - the smoked salmon was lovely and plentiful, especially at such a reasonable price.  The two bagels with a couple of cans of drink came to just over a fiver - exceptionally good value.

We headed off to Camden Town for a walk along the canal to Regents Park.  The plan was to stroll around the park for an hour or two and then head for some lunch at Honey & Co, not far away on Warren Street.  However, even at 2.30pm on a Monday the café/deli was packed full and so we decided to save it for our next trip to the capital.  We instead walked on to Tottenham Court Road and visited Leon, a fast food chain with a difference, priding itself on fresh produce and healthier options.  Leon's branches are mainly to be found in London, although they are expanding outside the capital also.

WOTVM plumped for a fish finger wrap for her lunch, whilst Mr Vegan Man went for a sweet potato falafel hot box.  The portion sizes were generous and the prices more than reasonable for the food on offer.  WOTVM's wrap was tasty, good crunchy fish fingers and nice crisp salad with a good whack of tartare sauce. 

Mr Vegan Man's hot box was fresh and flavoursome, well-made falafels with rice and slaw.  As fast food goes, Leon is a good option - everything is fresh and although the food isn't likely to blow your mind (which, if we're honest, is not something you expect from fast food anyway) they have some nice, different lunch options that are hearty and tasty.

After our disappointment at finding Black Vanilla had closed down on our trip to Greenwich the previous day, we were in the mood for some gelato.  After a quick bit of Googling, we discovered that Covent Garden is something of a gelato hotspot and so we headed off hastily in that direction.  Before we could reach Covent Garden itself, we came across Udderlicious which was busy with customers filling up on ice cream.  Although not quite the gelato we had been after, we also love ice cream and Udderlicious looked good so we popped in for a sweet treat.

We committed something of a schoolboy error - we did not realise that the number of scoops you ordered equated to the quantity of the ice cream as opposed to the number of flavours you could have.  It was possible to have two flavours with a one scoop order but we didn't realise this until we'd already ordered two scoops each when another, more savvy, customer placed his order.  We can honestly report that two scoops of Udderlicious ice cream is a very, very generous portion for one person.  Very generous.

WOTVM went for a scoop of chocolate and peanut ice cream and one scoop of salted caramel - one of her favourite flavours.  Mr Vegan Man went for the trusty combo of dark chocolate and hazelnut as his two varieties.  The ice cream was really tasty, it had a nice, smooth texture and the flavours came through nicely, especially the hazelnut and salted caramel.  We'd definitely recommend a visit to Udderlicious but if you've already eaten, maybe stick to one scoop unless you're feeling especially hungry.

In the evening we met up with two friends for dinner, one of whom also happened to be in London from Norwich for the week and the other who is a Hackney boy (but former Norwich resident) who always helpfully suggests good food spots to try when we visit.  On this occasion, his first suggestion - a Japanese restaurant near Bank - was closed, but not to be disheartened we moved on to another of his suggestions, Pizza Union near Spitalfields, which was handy for us as it was just round the corner from our hotel.

Pizza Union have a great concept, dirt cheap pizzas in an authentic style with quick, no nonsense service.  You go up to the counter to order and are given a little device the lets you know when your pizza is ready to collect.  There is ample seating - in the form of long communal benches made of scaffolding, like a more edgy, urban Wagamama - at which to sit and enjoy your pizza, but the lack of table service (which includes taking drinks from the chiller to the counter yourself too) helps the cost to stay low and means no awkward trying to catch the waiter's eye if you fancy another drink.  We're talking 12" pizzas ranging from £4 to £6.50 low, which is incredible value.  Beers were cheap too at £3.50 a bottle and we enjoyed several.

Mr Vegan man opted for a Fiorentina with no cheese (since pizzas are made to order this wasn't a problem) and WOTVM went for a Stagioni (four seasons).  The pizzas were ready in about 5 minutes, possibly less.  The bases were thin and crispy and the toppings on Mr Vegan Man's Fiortentina were plentiful and flavoursome, the egg adding a nice bit of richness and protein alongside the iron-rich spinach and salty olives.

WOTVM loved her offering - being rather unfussy about what food she likes means often she finds it hard to make a choice, but here she could get four different pizzas in one! There was a good variety of toppings and each of the four sections of the Stagioni were really enjoyable.  The crispy, light base was a real highlight and overall it was a significant cut above the average pizza chain at a price well below most high street chains.

It would be fair to say that Pizza Union are doing a cracking job of turning out delicious food in virtually no time at unbelievable prices.  What more could you ask for?  Well, in our case we were given a free dessert pizza - a dough ring filled with mascarpone and Nutella - by the lovely staff because of the very small inconvenience of us having to move seats for about a minute to enable them to reach a vent above us in the ceiling.  That was an unexpected treat and a really nice touch, we weren't put out at all by having to briefly move.

We got back to the hotel and crashed out fairly quickly, tired out from the good food and good company.  We'd definitely recommend all of the places we sampled today, but Beigel Bake and Pizza Union were particular highlights.

Coming soon will be the third and final part of our food adventures in London.  Any comments or questions, please get in touch below or via email.

Jamie's Italian, Norwich

Wife of the Vegan Man first went to Jamie's Italian in Bath many years ago and can remember exactly what she ate despite the consumption of several cocktails that evening, which is a good reflection on the quality of the food. When Jamie's Italian opened in Norwich WOTVM had mixed feelings, mainly due to the fact that the restaurant was to open in the building that previously housed the much loved Waterstones in the Royal Arcade. On her first visit not long after it opened she was pleased to see that it had been sympathetically renovated (all the restaurants are decorated in keeping with the era of the building) and was looking rather swish.

When we first came to eat here as a couple we must admit that the vegetarian options were limited and the vegan ones pretty non-existent, however as the food is freshly made the staff were always happy to accommodate a cheese hating vegetarian such as Mr Vegan Man. While we don't visit here too often we're pleased to say we have noticed a vast improvement in the veggie/vegan options on offer over the past couple of years. Also, in comparison to some other Italian restaurant chains where pizza is often the highlight of the menu, there's not a pizza in sight at Jamie's Italian. The focus here is more on fresh pastas and mains with an Italian twist.

Our reason for visiting on this occasion was as a Gold Club member (this is free, you can sign up on the website and there is also an app to download) WOTVM had a birthday treat of a free bottle of Prosecco to claim - well, it'd be rude not to really! As a Gold Club member you also get a free taster for everyone on your table and a 'treat' which ranges from £10 off your bill to a free glass of house wine, so it really makes sense to sign up for one.

We were greeted on arrival and quickly seated. The staff here are very friendly and know their stuff, most are happy to recommend a dish or drink if you're having trouble deciding. Our waiter, Francesco, was no exception and quickly bought over the Prosecco wishing us both a happy birthday as it was after WOTVM's and before Mr Vegan Man's birthday.

As it was a celebration we decided to go for the full 3 courses. We both went for antipasti planks for our starters, one meaty, one veggie of course. WOTVM's meat plank was very good indeed, a great selection of Italian meats and cheeses with a fresh slaw and accompanying olives and caper berry. The highlight was the creamy buffalo mozzarella.

Mr Vegan Man's veggie plank came with a good selection of roasted veg antipasti along with some cheesy additions which he coped with as they were quite mild and not melty. A thumbs up all round!

It was at this point we were also brought our free taster which was Italian Nachos - crispy fried cheesy ravioli in a slightly spicy tomato sauce. We got stuck into this, forgetting to take a photo, but can confirm it was tasty, a comforting mix of a classic cheese and tomato combo.

Our mains arrived soon after, WOTVM had gone for a dish she's had before, fresh crab spaghetti. Crab isn't something she gets to have at home very much so this was a real treat. The pasta was cooked perfectly and was tossed in a fresh, lemony sauce which went perfectly with the sweet crab. The addition of some fresh chilli, herbs and pepper made it even more delicious.

Mr Vegan Man went for Ravioli Genovese - green pasta enclosing a primavera filling and served with lovage pesto, hazelnuts and pine nuts.  The pasta was lovely and thin, not too heavy, and cooked right on point.  The filling was fresh and tasty and the pesto added a nice zing, with the nuts adding a bit of extra crunch and flavour to the dish.  The portion size was generous and although the quantity of veggies meant that the dish was not overly heavy, it managed to have a nice richness that made it feel special.  The presentation was stunning too, it looked a real picture.

We were pretty stuffed by this point when the waiter informed WOTVM that she was also entitled to a free chocolate brownie for pudding as part of her birthday treat. Feeling as full as she was she asked if she could perhaps have some ice cream instead - the waiter didn't think we could, be when he returned said he had checked and on this occasion she was in luck (she didn't mention she had done the same dessert swap on her birthday last year). Good ice cream is one of WOTVM's absolute favourite things to eat so when three delicious scoops (2 salted caramel, 1 chocolate) came out smothered in butterscotch sauce she was in her element. Full or not, the pudding stood no chance! 

Mr Vegan Man, in a show of birthday solidarity, also went for ice cream but replaced one scoop of salted caramel with a scoop of vanilla and some crushed honeycomb on top.  It was delightful, the ice cream was smooth and full of flavour.  The perfect way to end a meal.

The bill came in at a shade under £45, which was a cracking bargain considering we'd had three courses, a taster, and a whole bottle of Prosecco.  If nothing else this highlights the great value you get from being a Gold Club member, particularly during birthday month.  Our service was excellent, Francesco was enthusiastic and attentive and did his best to make us feel special.

You can visit Jamie's Italian website here to have a look at their menu, find your local branch and become a Gold Club member.  Enjoy!