This was actually the second video we filmed that day. The promise I made about getting distracted will make a lot more sense when I've put the next... er, the previous video together! -- Tom
"You shouldn't trust me when ducks are involved" - You don't need to tell us, we remember the story of you buying ducks from a guy at a motorway service station.
Anonymous User I suspect he keeps his computer out of the other contestants' reach prior to recording, ever since the audio episode where the "ding" was replaced by the sound of a gong.
The audio episodes are good and are all still on a podcast feed (found on the techdiff website). They're not Citation Needed, they are instead the reverse trivia quiz game. But that hardly matters, it's these guys and a similar format.
"I don't have an adventurous palate." "I had a balsamic vinaigrette ice cream and it was lovely." That seems plenty adventurous to me, Tom. Also, burrito opinion: I like them and I like lots of meat on them. Otherwise, I'm not picky. Stick some warm food in a tortilla and I'll probably eat that burrito happily.
I like when there is warm stuff and cold stuff, not perfectly mixed but still flowing into eachother. If the warm stuff is some meat and something spicy then there is no longer improvement to be made.
I especially sympathize with food enthusiasts who put the food in their respective mouths. (Like I do too. (With my mouth. (Not any other mouth. (Because that would be weird.))))
Combined with the "We are not watching you. We haven't got a camera in each of these places" denial makes me wonder... are Matt and Tom extraterrestrial culinary anthropologists?
Injera filled wtih goodies was the best part of working saturdays with an Ethiopian in Tromsø. He always brought enough food for everyone and it was always delicious :)
@@karl-erlendmikalsen5159 That's just Ethiopian culture, haha. Hospitality is a very vital part of being an Ethiopian, and we love breaking bread with friends.
Hurp Durp I think there would be a tense moment of consideration, the decision would go toward saving Matt, and then several days of occasional sadness about the ducklings.
Let's not start doing what the Phandom are doing. We are responsible adult-seeming people who could choose to be mature about things, if we ever saw any reason to ever.
In addition to learning a lot of places to eat in London, I've also learned that Tom has a cuteness proximity weakness to baby ducks. (Not that I blame him, though.)
"Dishoom"? :D The way you pronounce it so properly is hilarious, cos it's basically an onomatopoeia of the sound of punching in indian cinema. I'm not from the UK and I've never heard of this chain before, cool!
Fun fact: there's at least one Saudi Arabian taxi company (don't know if they still do this) that used Foursquare's places for GPS locations, because it was way more accurate than anything else available for the country.
I live in London and there are a few joints i recommend: 1. Meat and Liquor. I think they mentioned this and it serves the best burgers i have ever had (and i have had a lot of burgers) 2.Sakura. This isn't in Central London, it's in my area but it serves the best Japanese food for extremely low prices. Even if it is tiny, the service here is amazing 3. Ping Pong. Another Japanese place that serves everything from dumplings to pork puffs, I highly recommend it.
there are two types of steakhouses, those at the main street on the way to tourist attractions with >20€/100g steak and those on the side street with proper pricing and really good steaks.
I have a thought about Matt and Tom travelling to Thailand, as there is a dish of rice with pork and "gravy". Matt's dish is probably rice with loads of crispy pork, while Tom's dish is possibly rice and pork in normal portions, but drenched with gravy. That dish, based heavily on Chinese cuisine, is rice with various pork sides including char siu pork (called "red pork" in Thai), crispy pork, Chinese sausages, and then covered in red gravy.
Dessert restaurants are becoming quite a big thing in the UK actually - in my town they've opened 3 separate ones (each connected to larger chains) called 'Treats' 'Creams' and 'Afters' - they're all fairly decent but very overpriced imo
Very nice video, gents. I must say, the couple of times I've been to/through London in my life I haven't really taken to the place, but perhaps knowing where some good restaurants are might help. Personally though, there is one restaurant in London that I can highly recommend: Byron. Located next door to Earl's Court tube station, this was hands down the best burger joint I found anywhere in the UK. It's run by a group of Frenchmen who are aiming to mix French culinary mastery with this American classic to create a menu of boutique gourmet burgers. However even their plain bog standard burgers were top notch. The service was also excellent; even after I accidentally knocked a ketchup bottle off of my table once, the waitress was still very kind and understanding, asking if I was alright. Even the prices were reasonable.
Ooh, so like the only reason Tom hasn't taken over the world yet is that every time his plans get too big, Matt summons some ducklings and Tom gets distracted by them? But Tom knows he doesn't want to run the world after taking it over anyway, so he hangs around Matt for this reason . . .
Coincidentally a couple of days after this video I ended up in London (a rare occurrence as I live in rural mid Wales) and needed somewhere to eat near Kings Cross. So I went to Pizza Union and I salute your recommendation. Had a pizza, garlic bread (to have on the train later) and a drink for less than £10. Thank you very much lads!
I found the Steak House review: www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/angus-steakhouse-how-does-tourist-staple-continue-to-thrive-in-todays-gourmet-market-9268063.html Enjoy.
+1 for La Gelatiera, especially the rosemary orange zest with honey flavour. Udderlicious (Seven Dials and Islington) has great ice cream, and enough choice to satisfy the adventurous and unadventurous alike. Said is a chocolate cafe in Soho, most amazing hot chocolate I've ever had. Essentially liquid chocolate :) Beigel Bake on Brick Lane for the salt beef on a bagel- the bakery one store down is just as good and shorter lines! Bread Ahead- excellent filled doughnuts, especially the praline or burnt sugar ones. Pricier: The Shed in Notting Hill, lots of small plates using British ingredients. Copita- spanish tapas. Rodizo Rico - Brazilian-style restaurant, waiters come around with different meats on skewers and slice off whatever you want. All you can eat and lots of variety.
My favourite Mexican food almost works like a sandwich, only there's no bread involved. It's called a *tlacoyo* (you might consider it an oval-shaped and somewhat fatter tortilla), traditionally made with blue corn kernels, and they usually stuff it with a special kind of cheese (requesón) or fava beans (de frijol). To me, it's just the best vegetarian-friendly street food here and I get to top it with a really hot salsa, possibly made with *chile* *serrano* or *habanero.*
I'd recommend Simpsons Tavern. Proper old school food made extremely well with really good sized portions. Not hugely expensive either for a place to eat in the middle of the City. Have the stewed cheese for dessert too. Also, doughnuts... Crosstown doughnuts are superb. And for Pizza - Pizza East. Also really like the burgers at The Blues Kitchen. The oreo donuts are really moreish too.
2 recommendations. Wong Kei in chinatown is simple but cheap and tasty chinese food. They have options on the chinese part of the menu which are more authentic. Mangal 2 (Not Mangal 1) for authentic ocakbasi style turkish food. It's far more than just kebabs. Other than that, spot on with everything!
For Japanese places to eat round London there are some really good options. Abeno for Okonomiyaki (Japanese savory pancake) is really really good. Bit pricey but if you want Japanese food that isn't sushi, sashimi or ramen this is a good place. Near the British Museum Kintan for Japanese BBQ meats. Again depending on the cuts of meats you choose it can be pricey but there is great selection the sauces compliment well and is just a great place to sit in and eat. Down the road from the British Museum Shimogamo for a variety of Japanese dishes near Camden Town station. Bit pricey but good variety cosy place to eat never to busy. I had an aubergine that was coated in a type of fish sauce and cheese there and that was delicious. Gyoza is usually quite nice. Last time though it looked significantly under-cooked didn't realise until I opened up the last one but I didn't get food poisoning so all okay I guess Japan Centre. The import store that has moved all around the Picadilly Circus/ Green Park area over the last 15 years always has some nice tasting ready to eat meals available. Good for a picnic perhaps or to eat Japanese food at a more affordable price. The takoyaki stand outside is quite nice as well. Good selection of ceramics as well. You can buy a stove top hotpot and the ingredients there if you want to make a warming Japanese hotpot at home as well Ten Ten Tei. One road shy of Soho but adjacent to Shaftbury Avenue. I believe they are closed now but I used to be taken there a lot by my mother. I remember them having some really nice simple sushi when I was about 5 or 6 years old. But some of the worst toilets that I have ever seen associated with a restaurant
I went to a great place about a year ago called Black Lock. On Sundays, they do your choice of roast beef, lamb or pork, but they also give you the option of having all three. If you have a big enough group, they'll bring out the latter option on a central platter for everyone to take their desired amount from. The meat itself was amazing, but for me the highlight was the roast potatoes, which were perhaps the best I've ever had. Fully recommended.
The term "Branches" to describe Restaurant Chain Outlets feels weird. I'm picturing a Bank style building but instead of handing out money and dealing with cheques they serve plates of food through a small slit behind 6mm polycarbonate windows.
If you're looking for variety and atmosphere, Boxpark (all-food one in Croydon and a food/shopping one in Shoreditch) is fantastic. Haven't had a single problem with it yet.
Actually went to Hawksmoor last week, after your previous recommendation. A bit pricey, but the best steak I've ever had. Same goes for the asparagus by the way.
If you are with vegetarians, it's always fun to order a bacon sandwich. You can see the conflict behind their eyes. I've never understood why, despite all the fantastic vegetarian nosh available (no, I'm not vegetarian, but yes, veggie food can be, and often is totally delicious), do vegetarians keep trying, and failing dismally, to replicate meat products, like bacon, sausages, and the like? And thanks to hipsters championing Quinoa, it has become in short supply and expensive, for the people for whom it was a food staple. Cheers, beardy git from Shoreditch, and all your ilk. The Balti and Curry places around Brick Lane are great, as is the famous Baigel Shop there. Manzes Pie & Mash shop, on Tower Bridge Road is well worth a visit for proper London nosh, and, I believe, featured in a couple of episodes of the TV series 'Whitechapel'. Some of the pubs near Smithfield meat market serve fantastic breakfasts, which you can wash down with beer, if you like, from very early in the morning. Yes, really.
I once asked if you guys force the opening laugh or have jokes, this video probably not purposely answered that question (which you answered anyway, but this gave a beautiful insight), thank you! :)
Burrito opinion - Tom, Matt, if you're ever in Phoenix AZ, stop by the Humberto's off Grand Avenue and get the Carne Asada burrito. They're great. Especially with guacamole and sour cream.
If any of you find yourself in Soho and want a cuisine that's a bit more niche, I will Recommend Herman Ze German because they do Currywurst that is genuinely better than the stuff you get in Berlin through its use of homemade currywurst sauce and imported German bratwurst. They have a few locations across London including on Charlotte Street which was the original home of the German immigrant community in London. They do Schnitzel, regular brats in buns and authentic German drinks like Fritz Kola and Weißbier.
Can't believe you did not mention 'the rock and sole plaice' near covent garden. As a Yorkshire man, this is the only fish and chips I will eat south of Sheffield!
I get the impression that Matt's at the stage of sleepy where he just wants to get the recording done with, efficiently. So maybe the maximum rambling happens with a sleepy Tom and a wakeful Matt?
I would have to say Dishoom is more authentic than you perhaps seem to think. It is a take on the Iranian cafe's in India which offer easy street food. I admit as they've expanded they've changed some of their recipes to suit the UK palate slightly more but nonetheless this is very close to the product you would get in the cafe's in places like Mumbai. The Indian resturants that were popular in the 70s & 80s were not Indian as such but Bangladeshi and they had a different style of cooking mixed in with appealing to the UK taste.
there is something genuinely British about these videos. If two Americans tried to do the same format, it would come out completely different and probably not nearly as fun to watch. Hrm ... I wonder if it's possible to deduce the Zeitgeist of a culture by watching two friends from that culture BS in front of a camera.
Nope. You'll get the Zeitgeist of the experience of those two friends, but culture is so vastly different for different people that the only way to get your head around the culture of a country is to live there yourself and even then your experience of its culture will be very specifically yours
in your in south London, go to the lesser known restaurants and ignore the chain ones. if your in the brockley/dulwich/camberwell area go to: fm mangal on camberwell highstreet as well as the falafel and shrwama shop. the brockley rock is a fish and chip shop with some of the best fish and chips in london. ganapati is an excellent Indian restaurant and lots of restaurants on / around Peckham rye lane are brilliant. if your on the south bank the market just behind the royal opera house is an excellent foodie place. gabbies in the west end is a cheap and cheerful restaurant in that area. look for local and interesting restaurants and look up reviews online
On the topic of Ice-creams that you started discussing at the end of the video, I will suggest something for anybody visiting Sydney, Australia. Messina, it started in Darlinghurst but there is a store at Bondi Beach, up a little side road. It has weird and wonderful flavours that change every week and is slowly spreading around Australia. If I'm not wrong they just opened a chain in America. My favourite flavour from there is called Mr Potato Head.
I haven't spent much time in London, but I did spend about 3 months in other bits of Britain, and I'm very surprised you didn't mention Kaspas as a dessert place! I only went maybe 2-3 times but every time was very memorable
Bodean's is brilliant, any tourists going to watch Chelsea/visit the ground, there's one round the corner. Gets rammed on a match day but if you're doing the stadium tour it would be a good way to round it off. Either that or a Nando's.
There's a great smokehouse called Grillstock in Leicester city centre (St Martin's Square to be precise). The service can be a little slow cause it's very popular and all cooked in-house (they even have the big rotatey smokers there) but I highly recommend it if you're ever doing anything in the Midlands. There's also Walker's pie shop just down the road from the market, which sells traditional Melton Mowbray pork pies (they also do hot pies with mash). There're traditional curry houses everywhere, too.
On the subject of angus steak house, I was walking past one of the restaurants one day and I found it quite amusing as the G from Angus had gone out, which made it, Anus Steak House. I probably have a photo of it somewhere. But Taro! my go to sushi in soho, so good.
The best burrito I've had was from a food van in front of Peckham library, they're only there some days of the week but it's really good and great value for money
I would like to throw my hat in the ring for Ben's Fish Bar near Forbidden Planet in Shaftesbury Avenue. It's a good price for fantastic fish and really good chips in Central London.
I would recommend eating one of the more secluded areas of London, otherwise people will immediately ask you why you are trying to cut up the tarmac with a knife.
There is a really good mexican restaurant just off seven dials as you head toward Leicester square - can't remember the name, but I try and visit whenever I'm in town. Give it a try.
no typical british food place? like fish and chips or somewhere to eat sheppard's pie or stews with dumplings (I know very little of british cuisine but I'd love to try it in London)
I hold the firm belief that if people live somewhere it must not be all that bad (they'll otherwise move) and this includes food. When I travel I also like to eat dishes of those regions (arguing that it can't be that bad if they've eaten it for decades or centuries). When I was in London I ended up in a place that served dishes typical of the English Channel (a mix between british and french cuisine) and it was really good. Can't remember exactly where or the name. I also found some local dishes at the Nags Head pub near covent garden but I'm planning to return eventually (before brexit is complete) and would love to explore more.
I'm going to London right now (I'm literally waiting to board a plane) and was so happy to see this video drop, but nothing about fish & chips or meat pies?!?!
Fish & Chip shops are everywhere, and very few of them are chains, so it's difficult to recommend one unless you know the area you're going to. For "traditional" type food (stews/pies/roasts etc), pubs are your best bet. Most pubs these days serve food as well, and a lot of places will have a carvery/roast on Sundays. Check out reviews online before you go!
