Chips, French fries, frites any time any place I will eat an extra large portion. I still remember walking home from school with some shrapnel in my pocket, I would stop next to a chip shop and get a paperbag full of the golden goodness. I would never tell my mother I had them before tea. It was my secret.
And this is how they serve them in Shanghai Airport
Favorite are the chunky Flemish fries – hand cut, really wide, golden and crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, topped with mayonnaise. Absolutely the best comfort food. Chips often determine what I order in restaurants. When I used to live in Amsterdam it was really easy to get them, every street corner has got a chip shop. The best place was just down the road from my house in the Pijp, a brown eetcafé called Carel’s. Carel’s served the best steak with a sauce of your choice. It would come with a generous side of chips (and a salad). I would devour the lot. Every evening the wonderful smell would wander into my apartment, it was a torture. When I last went back to Amsterdam, Carel’s was on top of my list of restaurants to visit when my friend told me it has closed down. I was shocked, disappointed, scared that I will never find another place like that again. Some say Lootje’s is the best, I am still to be convinced.
London chips are different, I eat various kinds for different occasions, fries in chi chi restaurants, soggy ones from a chippy while drunk and starving on my way home, my own version of roasted chips in olive oil for dinner, the naughty lunch treat from my fav (so far) chippy in London, I even tried pub chips with melted cheese on top – it was not good.
Given that I’ve cycled to work for three days now I decided I deserve chips for lunch. The best chips near my office are in The Chippy in Poland Street. On Fridays you need to make sure to arrive before 13.00 otherwise the queue can get pretty long. Big box of chips is £1.70, they are always freshly cooked and crispy. Today I decided to eat fish&chips inside the chippy, it was a great thing to do as it seems more like a busy brasserie than a caff. Even though the place opened not so long ago it has got an austere post war look with white tiles and copper lamp shades which adds to the experience.The fish wasn’t bad either.
I could go on about my London experiences for a very long time, I will only say the Electric Brasserie, Lucky 7 and Soho House serve some good stuff.
Needless to say I feel bit heavy now. Might retire on the office sofa as boss is away…
