Europe 2013: Shopping, the Thames, and Notting Hill (Day 8)
Eat at McDonald's (secretly on the list!) and Shopping (not on the list!)
Ever since I saw the movie Pulp Fiction and heard of the Royale with Cheese (view the clip here!), it has always been an off-the-record travel must-do of mine to visit a McDonald's away from home. Admittedly, I am only a fan of the McNuggets and the Fries but I am willing to try a unique menu item while traveling (e.g., the Philippines sells McSpaghetti and Canada has recently started serving the McLobster). While in London, I wanted to try the Coronation Chicken Snack Wrap which I had seen on many ads at multiple tube stations. I finally got to try the English menu item on our third day in London, just before our plans to go shopping at Oxford Circus. Much like the Fish and Chips from Day 6, it was nothing out of the ordinary but the experience was priceless. Armed with all of those calories, we were now ready to go shopping in the extremely English stores of Marks & Spencer and Primark (the English equivalent to Forever 21).
Sushi at Yo! Sushi at Waterloo Station (Not on the list!)
We had a little bit of time to spare before our cruise so we opted for a little merienda at Waterloo Station (the hub of all trains and tubes in London) at Yo! Sushi. Unlike your traditional Japanese restaurant, Yo! Sushi is marketed for travelers-on-the-go. Sushi is served on a sushi train and prices are determined based on the elaborateness of the dish, which is indicated by the colour of your plate. It is no Hinote, to be sure, but sushi trains are always fun no matter where you are and no matter the cost (which was not cheap at all!).
#11: Take a cruise on the Thames River
I really, really enjoyed the cruise along the Thames River. As you may have read from an earlier post, we had bought a combo ticket of sorts on our first day in London to not only ride the London Eye but also try the Thames river cruise. It was a short trip along the Thames but I really, really, REALLY loved seeing London from a new vantage point. Not only did we get to see the likes of the Big Ben and the Globe Theatre again but we also go to learn about Tate Modern (which we did not get a chance to visit during our trip) and newer sights such as the Shard. Although it was a bit chilly that evening, I found the cruise relaxing and informative and I highly recommend it to all those visiting London for the first time. :)
#12: Visit Notting Hill
After the movie Notting Hill came out, the little town north of London proper soon became a fixture in every tourist's map. As you will see in "Day 9", hundreds of tourists cram into tiny Notting Hill every weekend just to get a glimpse of the endearing architecture and, of course, buy unique items and antiques at the world-renowned Portobello Market. Our own experiences in Notting Hill were very positive and were as unforgettable as any movie could have been. They were as follows:
Dinner at Kensington Place
After an amazing cruise on the Thames River, we traveled northwards to Kensington Place, a restaurant my sister had picked out of our travel guide. She chose the restaurant because she wanted to try something homegrown and something that we could only find in London (and nowhere else!). Ironically, we were served by a Frenchman working at the London-based restaurant. Regardless, it was a welcome experience for us as French hospitality is never amiss. :) We followed his recommendations and were pleasantly surprised by how delicious every single dish was. All of the girls in the family chose a fish dish whereas my dad chose a meat dish. Behold one of the best meals we had had in our entire trip!
My mom saw the dish above being served to a neighbouring table and asked our server what it was. This happened to be the simply titled "fish pie". In spite of its lackluster name and appearance, it was perfect!
For a meat dish in a menu full of market fish, my dad's pork-based main was not half-bad. Not only did it have a nice crisp to it but it also had a nice balance of flavours and textures. I personally would opt for fish over meat at a fish restaurant but it is a good alternative for the carnivores out there.
Then, there were my sister's and my mains for the evening. I believe my sister had the artic char whereas I had salmon. I do not want to exaggerate but that was the best salmon I had ever tasted in my entire life! I quite frequently have salmon marinated in a sauce or other and have never tried it cooked in its own glory and accompanied by perfectly cooked greens. This is one of the few instances when pictures match the experience--these mains taste as good as they look!
Dessert at Lakwatsa
We had seen a feature on the Filipino Bubble Tea and pika-pika place on TFC. As a result, we put Lakwatsa on the list of dining/dessert places to try while in London.
It was not as spectacular as I had imagined it to be nor was the service that great but, as with all things in life, you never know unless you try. Although my Lakwatsa experience was nowhere close to La Mesa downtown (perhaps it was because it was late in the evening?), kudos to the proprietor for bringing Filipino food out into the mainstream London scene.
The Notting Hill Bookshop
Clearly, such a thing as fate exists and was at work during that Friday evening in London. As luck would have it, the Notting Hill Bookshop, fondly known as "Travel Book & Co." to the fans of the Notting Hill movie, was just down the street from Lakwatsa. It would have been hard to spot where it not for the small blue sign that marks the bookshop--the inspiration for the famous bookstore in the movie.
All in all, Day 8 in Europe was a full and enjoyable day for my family and I. Up next is the last of the series of Europe 2013 posts! *tears*
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| Shopping at Oxford Circus |
We had a little bit of time to spare before our cruise so we opted for a little merienda at Waterloo Station (the hub of all trains and tubes in London) at Yo! Sushi. Unlike your traditional Japanese restaurant, Yo! Sushi is marketed for travelers-on-the-go. Sushi is served on a sushi train and prices are determined based on the elaborateness of the dish, which is indicated by the colour of your plate. It is no Hinote, to be sure, but sushi trains are always fun no matter where you are and no matter the cost (which was not cheap at all!).
#11: Take a cruise on the Thames River
#12: Visit Notting Hill
Dinner at Kensington Place
After an amazing cruise on the Thames River, we traveled northwards to Kensington Place, a restaurant my sister had picked out of our travel guide. She chose the restaurant because she wanted to try something homegrown and something that we could only find in London (and nowhere else!). Ironically, we were served by a Frenchman working at the London-based restaurant. Regardless, it was a welcome experience for us as French hospitality is never amiss. :) We followed his recommendations and were pleasantly surprised by how delicious every single dish was. All of the girls in the family chose a fish dish whereas my dad chose a meat dish. Behold one of the best meals we had had in our entire trip!
My mom saw the dish above being served to a neighbouring table and asked our server what it was. This happened to be the simply titled "fish pie". In spite of its lackluster name and appearance, it was perfect!
For a meat dish in a menu full of market fish, my dad's pork-based main was not half-bad. Not only did it have a nice crisp to it but it also had a nice balance of flavours and textures. I personally would opt for fish over meat at a fish restaurant but it is a good alternative for the carnivores out there.
Then, there were my sister's and my mains for the evening. I believe my sister had the artic char whereas I had salmon. I do not want to exaggerate but that was the best salmon I had ever tasted in my entire life! I quite frequently have salmon marinated in a sauce or other and have never tried it cooked in its own glory and accompanied by perfectly cooked greens. This is one of the few instances when pictures match the experience--these mains taste as good as they look!
Dessert at Lakwatsa
We had seen a feature on the Filipino Bubble Tea and pika-pika place on TFC. As a result, we put Lakwatsa on the list of dining/dessert places to try while in London.
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| Bubba Tea! |
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| Adobo Rice Balls |
Clearly, such a thing as fate exists and was at work during that Friday evening in London. As luck would have it, the Notting Hill Bookshop, fondly known as "Travel Book & Co." to the fans of the Notting Hill movie, was just down the street from Lakwatsa. It would have been hard to spot where it not for the small blue sign that marks the bookshop--the inspiration for the famous bookstore in the movie.
All in all, Day 8 in Europe was a full and enjoyable day for my family and I. Up next is the last of the series of Europe 2013 posts! *tears*
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