After visiting Chelsea Stadium, we took the District Line to Notting Hill Gate, then the Central Line to Marble Arch station.
From there, we walked a few streets, in search of a restaurant Son had found online.
After a bit of, “wait, it should be here…,” we finally found The Golden Hind.
Because you can’t go to London and NOT try fish and chips at least once!
Son got the steamed cod and chips.
Whereas I went for the classic fried haddock and chips.
(And look, it’s the jacket! So cozy.)
For dessert, we had treacle and syrup with custard, which was SO good, but so sweet.
After that, it was back to the hotel for a nap (yeah, we’re totally still jet-lagged), before heading out again for dinner – the best Indian food ever!
The Lunar New Year is coming up soon, which means it’s an excellent time to post all the New Year’s recipes that I’ve accumulated photos for over the years… and never posted.
Oops.
This one comes from back in 2013. Really, it’s the same recipe I posted waaaaay back in 2009, except this time I made it with a whole, just-killed catfish… and have slightly better photos.
We had the bright idea this time to head over to 99 Ranch and get a fresh catfish, and have them catch, kill, and gut it for us.
First of all, that took FOREVER. The lines there were insane.
Second of all, nobody tells you that even an hour later, once you’re home and ready to cook it… IT WILL STILL BE MOVING. EVEN AS YOU’RE CUTTING INTO IT.
Yeah, I definitely got a huge case of the heebie jeebies when I grabbed it out of the bag and it moved.
But I did it! And it was delicious. 😀
Vietnamese Whole Grilled Fish with Crispy Skin (Cá Nướng Da Giòn)
Ingredients
- 1 whole catfish, skin on
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 4-inch piece of ginger, peeled
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 2-3 stalks green onions, chopped
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- crushed peanuts
- fried onions
Cooking Directions
- Heat the oven to 350° F.
- Make thin cuts diagonally along the fish, almost to the bone.
- Lay the fish flat on a sheet of foil.
- Rub the fish with the salt, then the sesame oil. Rub the fish with the garlic and onion powders.
- Thinly julienne the ginger, then lay on top of and underneath the fish.
- Wrap the fish in the foil, and make a few small holes in the top of the foil to allow steam to escape while cooking.
- Depending on the size of the fish, cook for half an hour to an hour. Keep an eye on the fish to make sure it doesn’t overcook.
- When the fish is fully cooked, remove it from the oven and carefully open the foil, taking care not to burn yourself. Heat the broiler.
- Pour the liquid that has pooled in the bottom of the foil into a bowl, and set aside.
- Mix the honey and lemon juice, and brush the top of the catfish with it.
- Put the fish under the broiler, just until the skin turns golden brown.
- Mix the green onions and vegetable oil with the drippings, and microwave for 10-20 seconds. Pour over the fish.
- Sprinkle the crushed peanuts and fried onions over the fish, and enjoy!
- We ate the fish in spring rolls with lettuce, vermicelli, cucumber, onion, Vietnamese herbs, and pickled carrots, but you can enjoy the fish by itself as well.
On our second morning in London, we woke up to a chilly – but not raining! – morning.
After noshing on our leftovers from our midnight Pret a Manger snack for breakfast, we headed out to South Kensington Station again.
This time, we took the District line to Fulsom Road station.
And stopped at Krispy Kreme!
Okay, Krispy Kreme wasn’t really why we were there. But we weren’t about to say no to a doughnut opportunity!
Our real destination was Chelsea Stadium.
Son’s a huge soccer (ahem, football) fan, so this is one of the few places he really wanted to make sure we visited while we were in London.
It was also REALLY COLD AND WINDY there. I attempted to take shelter behind a statue. It didn’t work very well.
We didn’t have time to go on a stadium tour (although I’m sure we would have if we were in London for more than two days).
Instead we just ate our peanut butter chocolate Krispy Kreme (SO GOOD)…
…and did some shopping.
It might surprise you to find that between the two of us, Son is the one who always wants to go souvenir shopping.
I can’t stand shopping.
Yeah, I’m weird like that.
However, I can’t complain too much, because Son ended up buying a very nice jacket that I got to wear the rest of the day. IT WAS SO WARM.
Come back Friday to see it!
Happy New Year!!! My wanderings around my world this first week of 2017 started with…
Powering up for a day of sushi making!
And… we’re off!
First, we make the kappa maki.
Then, it’s the vegan sushi.
Next, it’s time for futomaki.
Then we finish off with the bacon crunchy shrimp roll, spicy shrimp inari, and sashimi… then it’s time to eat!!!
Good words for this year.
One of Son’s favorite foods is bánh Ãt trần… especially when his mom makes it for him.
An attempt at an origami koi. Not bad for my first try, if I do say so myself!
#homeownerproblems
Roasted until the tips get all crispy. THE BEST.
I may or may not have just stood at the counter, eating asparagus off the pan with my fingers.
Cut off their heads and carve out their guts.
Hot soup on a cold day.
Comfort food. Very spicy comfort food.
Where are you wandering this week?
~~~~~~~~~~
After our smaller-than-expected-but-still-tasty dinner at St. John’s Restaurant and Bar, off we wandered again.
This telephone booth was an interesting find.
If you watch Sherlock, you might be familiar with this ambulance station…
(I watched that episode on the plane on our way back home, a couple weeks later, and was like WAIT A MINUTE I WAS TOTALLY JUST THERE.)
Our favorite part about London was the architecture. There are so many interesting buildings here!
We found the Blackfriar…
Who was right next to our intended destination: Blackfriar Station
From there, we took the District line to Westminster station. The moment we stepped out of the station, we looked up and realized we had found Big Ben!
He was looking quite dashing on this stormy night.
And right across the way, you could see the London Eye.
We headed across the river to get a better look.
… I kind of feel like we just upskirted the London Eye.
After seeing the sights, we headed back to the hotel, and stopped by a Pret a Manger to pick up food.
Pret a Manger is a food-to-go type of place, with lots of pre-made dishes to try.
We got a Vietnamese salad, crawfish sandwich, and a bottle of mandarin lychee juice, and took them back to our hotel to eat.
Soon after, it was off to bed.
Next, we’ll be off to Chelsea Stadium!
