Tag Archives: fast food

Honest Burgers, Liverpool Street

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There are very few chains in London which make the successful transition from one-off triumph to multi-branch brilliance. Honest Burgers however, now with fifteen branches across London, has spread from Brixton market to some of the city’s most prestigious postcodes.

honest burgers

Liverpool Street is a full of suits during the week, but when Saturday dawns the hipsters come out to play. I love visiting this area on a Sunday morning for the colourful Columbia Road flower market, and afterwards I am often in need of sustenance. Honest Burgers Liverpool Street is a large venue, with a pretty white tiled exterior and lots of space for groups inside.

Choose from the short and simple menu… I always go for the classic Honest burger with Dry Aged Beef, onion relish, smoked bacon, mature cheddar, pickled cucumber and lettuce. There are often special varieties of burger to choose from, using extra indulgent ingredients or a different cut of meat. Every burger arrives with an irresistible pile of rosemary-salt dusted fries.

Honest cater for non-meat-eaters with Cauliflower Fritter burger and poultry fans should opt for the Chicken burger. On the drinks list there is a range of tin-cup cocktails and local craft beers, but my favourite is the homemade lemonade, which I find is sharp and citrusy enough to cut through the rich burger.

honest burgers

For weekenders in the area Honest Burgers now serve brunch too, a lavish list of dishes to get you ready for the day ahead. I’m looking forward to going back to try the avocado with Brindisa chorizo, guacamole and fried egg on sourdough and the Bubble and Squeak.

Read more about Honest Burgers Liverpool Street here.

Liberty Cheesesteak Company, Spitalfields Market

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Philadelphia is the City of Brotherly Love, birthplace to a nation and home to the Liberty Bell (made round the corner from LCC in Whitechapel!), Rocky Balboa and to rich culinary and ethnic traditions that spawned the famous Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich.  The humble Cheesesteak, developed in the early twentieth century, quickly became the food of the masses and ultimately an icon of Philly culture.  It is synonymous with the city, its people and history.

Liberty Cheesesteak Company, Spitalfields Market

While there is no shortage of American food in London, Liberty goes beyond superficial Americana, it focuses on sharing Philly culture through the iconic and with highly sought after sandwich made of bread, steak, onions and secret recipe cheese, known as ‘Wiz’.

A whole Philly Cheesesteak from Liberty costs £8, and half costs £5. Other Philly classics on offer include South Philly Style Italian Roast Pork sandwiches, Buffalo Chicken Cheesesteak and, for dessert, ice cream sandwiches and Philly style Cannoli, pumped with ricotta filling right before the customer for freshness.  Gluten free options are also available.

London’s first full time real Philly Cheesesteak retail experience can be found at ‘Love Park’ on the Lamb Street entrance to Spitalfields market, seven days a week or ordered for delivery across London via  Take Eat Easy, Deliveroo and Jinn.

More information here: www.cheesesteaks.co.uk

Perfectionist’s Cafe, Heathrow T2

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Forget Terminal 5, it is Heathrow’s Terminal 2 that impressed me on my last visit to the UK’s biggest airport. Known as ‘The Queen’s Terminal’, this departure area is truly fit for royalty with the finest British luxury brands (the likes of Smythson and Burberry) and a range of innovative cuisine choices to enjoy before your flight.

Recently international airports have been offering more exciting and prestigious restaurants with some of the world’s most famous chefs opening establishments and, since June, passengers travelling through Heathrow Terminal 2 have had access to The Perfectionists’ Cafe, from multi-award winning chef Heston Blumenthal. Heston hopes to offer Brits the chance to satisfy their stomachs with nostalgic British classic, but fast, food that is tasty and good quality. Inspired by the chef’s TV series ‘In Search of Perfection,’ the menu features fun and familiar dishes like Fish and Chips, Pizzas and Burgers.

The futuristic design is instantly recognisable in the smart and shiny new Terminal. We took a seat and quickly ordered a burger and pizza to share. Both arrived within ten minutes, smelling delicious. The burger was disappointing however, with under-flavoured meat and limp salad. Having tasted Heston’s triple cooked chips at his London restaurant ‘Dinner’, I was hoping for a reminder of these crispy delights, but the fries were plain and unimaginative. The pizza was thin crusted and fresh out of the pizza oven, it was topped with rocket and salami and tasted great.

For dessert, diners can design their own ice-cream sundae which is then made in the Nitro Ice-cream Parlour adjoining the restaurant. Served in a biscuit basket and topped with chocolate sauce and popping candy, it is a child’s dream come true. I love that the ice-cream concept is so different to any other desserts you would find in an airport, and this part of the restaurant is definitely the most original.

Flicking through the Heston cookbooks at the table, I could see how much the great chef has had to compromise in this airport scenario – the food certainly isn’t exceptional but it is much better than anything else I spotted on offer. If you haven’t got time for a whole meal I’d recommend popping by for a sweet treat at the Willy Wonka style parlour.

More information here.