Regent’s Park was recently transformed into a culinary festival of epic proportions for Taste of London. This wasn’t just about local restaurants showcasing their wares, this was an opportunity for foodies to taste meals from some of the best and most prestigious restaurants in the country.
Each restaurant offered 3 or 4 courses for visitors to purchase with the festival’s own currency of ‘crowns’, purchased from vendors around the venue.
I was determined to try the food from Le Gavroche, and my first dish was the braised beef cheeks with olives and a creamy polenta which was melt-in-the-mouth amazing.
We were also lucky enough to meet the head chef himself, the famous Michel Roux Jr! He also signed my recipe book – what a gent! (Annoyingly I blinked for the photo though!)
Here’s what else I ate:
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Asia de Cuba: Sweet brioche doughnuts rolled in cinnamon sugar filled with butterscotch sauce, served with mojito sorbet |
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Barbecoa: Pulled pork shoulder, BBQ sauce and coleslaw |
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Launceston Place: Slow-cooked pork belly with apple jam, truffle mash and pork popcorn |
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Launceston Place: Knickerbocker Glory |
My favourite one however actually won the prize for the best dish of the entire festival and was from Club Gascon. Marmite Royale and Soldiers was served in an empty Marmite jar and was a combination of Marmite and duck, that was also slightly egg-y. It sounds gross, but it was so delicious, I literally didn’t want it to end. As you can see I was pretty happy to eat it!
By the end of the afternoon I was full to burst, but it was a great opportunity to taste some of the most celebrated and expensive food in the world, for a fraction of the price! Taste Festivals take place worldwide, see their website for more details: http://www.tastefestivals.com
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