Food

In both its current and former incarnations. I think they do some really excellent cooking.

Been in Austin this week - looking forward to flying out to LA for some superfood my gut needs a break from all of the meat/cheese/tacos etc

Did you go to Holy Cow Burger? Because it looks like it's going to be shit but it's probably the best beef burger I've ever had. Trumps Honest when they first opened.

Lunched at the legendary Mondongo, arrived after Mass the queue was around the block. Luckily we had a very old grandma with us, aka queue jumped with table for 8.

This is the dish that makes this restaurant famous in all Medellin, tripe soup (know affectionately as towel soup) served with avocado, rice, arepa and aji picante.

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Also great to be surrounded by epic / low cost produce again.

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Tripe soup is a specialty in Bulgaria too, I keep meaning to try it but I haven't yet. My boss keeps putting me off it, as do my Bulgarian colleagues...

And how does the 'guanabana' taste?
Resembles an elongated green durian.

You can get guanabana juice in many UK food shops. It's the sort of thing that's made from concentrate with lots of added sugar, so I bet real guanabana tastes far better, but I'm sure there's at least a small residual resemblance.

Do it. I've had tripe soup a few times in central/eastern europe and a few other places besides, and always enjoyed it. When it's done really well it can be sublime.

Did short ribs again last night, they are about £7 per kg from William rose, braised them in beef stock, red wine, with tomatoes, onions, celery and carrots.
Proved hearty fare with the wind howling outside last night.
Also got a thing for spring greens, seem to be cooking them every week with garlic, chilli and mushrooms.
Think I'll do lamb shanks in a couple of weeks, see how they come out. After months of roasts on the weekend it's a relief to cook and eat something else...

Tripe dishes are really worth trying. Personally, I prefer callos to mondongo (they're not too dissimilar) but trippa alla Romana is decent too.

Britain's traditional tripe dishes are kinda crap and could do with a revival.

OK-ish restaurants you can actually book a table at in and around soho on a tuesday night? i'm not paying.

best reasonably priced places to eat around holborn?

ps. crispy chilli oil. condiment of cycling champions.

What sort of food do you want?

My first choice would be Hix, but no idea if you'll get in.

i'll give em a tinkle. cheers.

Went to Temper on Saturday was amazing...

And love Kiln

cheers - got a table at zelman meats. it's my ex-boss who's paying and he's a 6 foot 4 former regional welsh rugby prop forward. should keep him happy.

unless anyone's been there and it's a shitshower.

It's been another long sleep deprived night, as we kept vigil over abuelo (grandad) in clinic.. terminally ill, only morphine can be administered now. So meal times are a blessing. There isn't a food type or dish here I dislike. Aguapanella keeps us going. Colombian cyclists used to swear by it.

Panella (sugarcane residue) can be added to coffee or as we prefer diluted with agua with a squeeze of lime, served as a hot beverage.

Fresh guanábana is the best, blended and chilled in the morning, diluted with agua.

Most Colombians buy produce fresh, blend and chill their fruit. The choice of jugos in restaurants is bewildering. Colombia grows everything:-

Coffee
Sugar
Chocolate
Bananas
Pineapples
Papaya
Grenadillas - epic
Mangoes - grow everywhere on the streets
Oranges
Lemons
Limes
Spring onions the size of leeks
Potatoes
Spinach
Tomatoes
Lulos - delicious

I don't mind shopping either, I'm like a kid in the sweet shop when buying for the family, eggs come in 2 or 3 dozen, leche (milk) huge choice and huge multipacks in bags. I see nothing imported in the supermarkets. So many varieties and strange fruits.

Below, pre blended still with stones, guanábana has a very fleshy texture, hence dilution either con leche or con aqua. Sugar is only added in small quants.

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Had a brilliant lunch at the Ecuadorian restaurant a few doors down from Brixton Cycles this afternoon, caldo de pata starter and steak and rice for main... Delicious, way too much food, £7...

When I'm back I'm going to check them out.
Latin diners cater for Latin people hence why the price is so good.

South London rules when it comes to food choice, imho.

There are a couple of Tamil restaurants I want to check out around Tooting. Re live our food experience in Sri Lanka.

Especially Jackfruit and Mango curries oh and string hoppers for breakfast.

i'll give em a tinkle. cheers.

Can't you go to McDonald's for that like everybody else?

Thanks for the reply.

So, guanabana looks a bit like the non-gritty custard apples, with each seed in an envelopping sack of flesh.

Do they have 'mamey', (spelling subject to confirmation),
a purplish skinned fruity avocado-type,
but much larger than any avocado.

Internal flesh, unappealing brown, but sweet and a more texture than the (vegetable) avocado.

Oh nice, I'd forgotten about that place.

Went to O Cantinha for octopus on Saturday but stupidly hadn't booked, ended up at Rancho de Lalo. Their lunch menu is much better than the a la carte.