Borough Hall Farmers Market

[ZenFoodist]

Any thoughts on what I should be munching on as I meander about? I've been told there's

a Neal's near by.....

Lisa

(Getting very excited about her 24 hours by the Thames)

[Kikujiro]

There is a Neal's Yard dairy, but the toasted cheese sandwich is a bit dull, despite best ingredients (can't remember which cheddar -- Keen's? -- and Poilane bread) -- and marred by weird chopped-oniony addition.

Am still addicted to the Brindisa chorizo rolls; there's a reason the queues are so long. Grilled scallops also good (if you're there on a Saturday), although you can pass on the bacon and veg that come with.

Monmouth coffee; Artisan hot choc (pace Tony).

edit: fuckwit can't spell cheddar.

Edited January 30, 2003 by Kikujiro (log)

[Jon Tseng]

Presuming ya mean Borough Farmers Market

Neals Yard sometimes do a raclette out front - I think it varies from week to week

Other than that there's plenty to keep you amused inside. As well as the chorizo rolls a coupel of burger places if you get hungry, real german hotdogs and various other cold goodies

cheerio

J

[Kikujiro]

[pedantry]Technically speaking, of course, it's not a farmers' market[/pedantry]

[Miss J]

There's the oyster stall as well - oysters priced "take home - closed, take home - opened, opened & eaten on the spot"

[Tonyfinch]

There's a guy who sells his farmed venison there and cooks venison burgers and sausages.

The Label Anglais chicken man does chicken wraps with assorted ingredients.

Last time I was there I had a reviving mug of steaming fish soup from one of the fishmongers there.

Edited January 29, 2003 by Tonyfinch (log)

[Thomas Secor]

The wraps are great, although thats not usually my thing. There is also a west indian guy selling very reasonably priced and tasty meals or a la carte items. The burgers are excellent.

My only gripe is regarding the most popular stand, the chorizo sandwich guy. It somehow wraps up the whole London eating scene in my mind that in order to over pay for, an albeit very tasty, tiny (one small-medium sized chorizo), relatively simple sandwich (three ingredients, bread, rocket and chorizo, four if you count the olive oil), one has to wait in lines of up to 30-40 minutes and then be asked to pay three pounds or whatever for a sandwich that costs about 50 pence in Barcelona and has twice as much meat. I know the usual arguments, rent, transport, etc. But for chrissake, its a stand in the middle of a market, about four hundred km from the source.

[Jon Tseng]

My only gripe is regarding the most popular stand, the chorizo sandwich guy. It somehow wraps up the whole London eating scene in my mind that in order to over pay for, an albeit very tasty, tiny (one small-medium sized chorizo), relatively simple sandwich (three ingredients, bread, rocket and chorizo, four if you count the olive oil), one has to wait in lines of up to 30-40 minutes and then be asked to pay three pounds or whatever for a sandwich that costs about 50 pence in Barcelona and has twice as much meat.  I know the usual arguments, rent, transport, etc.  But for chrissake, its a stand in the middle of a market, about four hundred km from the source.

Oh yes I quite agree its all gotten a bit out of hand - and some do queue for the sake of having had one (or being able to say "I've had one") rather than for the sake of having one (if that makes sense)

But then again the same thing happens in many three star restaurants (errr, el bulli reservation, anyone? ;-) )

Anyhow, bottom line is they //do// taste nice (although sometimes you get a pokey overdone scraggly one - a great mix of taste and texture (crunch of toastes roll, crisp rocket, yielding meat). Having said that I think the chorizo burger at the Gourmet Burger Kitchen is actually even better - they stick in a wedge of sweet potato which adds a certain je ne sais quoi to the burger

cheerio

J

[Tonyfinch]

and some do queue for the sake of having had one (or being able to say "I've had one") rather than for the sake of having one

Christ, it's all getting a bit sad if the highlight of your day is being able to say "I had a chorizo sandwich at Borough market" especialy if you didn't really want one.

[Loula]

I love chorizo - but for cakey things/sandwiches/salads and so on and slightly to the side of the market, I like Konditor and Cook. Worth a take out at any rate for when you get home.

Another great thing I've had from Borough Market (although this isn't an on-your-feet snack) is some goats cheese from a farmer and his teenage son - I can't remember the name, sorry - but they sell it in small logs wrapped in cling film from a fold out fridge. It's very good - we've especially enjoyed the cheese rolled in tarragon. Try it!

[Thomas Secor]

Ive been curious about Gourmet Burger Kitchen for sometime, and Kikujiro you may have sealed the deal in my head. I have got to check out the chorizo burger. I am returning to Barcelona in a few weeks, and all I can think about is the chorizo sandwich that I had in some divey place in the Barri Gotica washed down with an ice cold beer. We were stopping at this place on the way to dinner for a quick one, and we never made it to dinner. We showered ourselves in chorizo, manchego cheese, lightly fried peppers, sauteed pork, the list went on and on. Heaven.

Anyone looking for Konditor & Cook, should also note that they have a shop on Gray's Inn Road, about a block north of Holborn.

[Kikujiro]

Kikujiro you may have sealed the deal in my head

I can't take credit for Jon's post, especially as I've never had anything at GBK other than the cheeseburger. Last time I was there they told me they weren't allowed to cook my burger rare, but overall it's as good a burger as I've had in the UK.

I've never got Konditor and Cook (the Chancery Lane branch is very near me), maybe because I react badly to the clingfilm wrapping that seems to suffocate the sandwiches.

I really, really, want to go to Barcelona. Damn. Must sort this out.

[Suzi Edwards]

brindisa have taken to adding a cold roasted pepper to the chorizo bun. *avoid at all costs* it's very slimy.

[Kikujiro]

Brindisa's canned piquillo peppers rock.

[Jon Tseng]

Brindisa's canned piquillo peppers rock. 

adds nothing to the burger - a fairly blatant attempt to pump up the (already punchy) cost of the roll

original is best

[Kikujiro]

I was more responding to the 'slimy' line than their value in the context of the sandwich. (I confess I do usually go for the pepper -- although oddly I always feel slightly guilty doing so, like I know I'm doing the wrong thing.)

[Tonyfinch]

I've never got Konditor and Cook (the Chancery Lane branch is very near me), maybe because I react badly to the clingfilm wrapping that seems to suffocate the sandwiches.

You're not supposed to eat that, stoopid.

[Thomas Secor]

Sorry about the mix-up. One day I will be able to figure out the quote thingy and then forego such lapses in manners.

I agree about Konditor & Cook, and specifically omitted my own opinion. The only thing there that I have really cared for is the shortbread (but then I am a huge fan of the "butter makes everything better" contingent, and shortbread seems to me to be nothing much more than sweet butter in a cookie format). In fact, I have had some downright atrocious experiences there and seldom venture inside these days. But still, if you dig it, theres one on Grays Inn Road.

I encourage Barcelona a trip to Barcelona. Not only is the food great, the social scene is lovely, and as I put it to a friend of mine, the buildings look like they are celebrating Mardi Gras all on their own. The architecture is quite intriguing. But then I have only been recently introduced to Gaudi and that style of modernism.

[Loula]

I know just what you mean about the clingfilm, it ain't pretty that's for sure, but also found K and C a refreshing change after a couple of years of the many plastic/boxed Pret type outlets round Chancery Lane which can get a bit synthetic after a while. So I was pleased when they opened on Grays Inn Road so near my office - one thing to try perhaps if the sandwiches just defeat you is a really fab potato salad with chillies and sour cream - and the foccacia can be pretty good too (ditto the florentines). One thing I never did get though: how could they charge nearly £3 for a tub of crudites? I couldn't bring myself to pay that even in the unlikely event of wanting crudites for lunch!

[Miss J]

Konditor & Cooke: I have had only one experience with them, which was when I bought a plum and almond tart to take to a friend's place for lunch. It was divine: buttery, good balance of sweet & tart, fine pastry. I was impressed. It was very definitely not French (which I believe can be a good thing).

I've never bought a sandwich from them, though.

[Gavin Jones]

Konditor & Cooke .... It was very definitely not French

Austrian? That's Italian with a German accent.

I have had nice cakes/tarts from Konditor & Cook

(I think Cooke is proprietor of a pie & mash place).

But you wouldn't want an Austrian sandwich.

I've not been able to bear the Chorizo bun queue for a while now. Steaming hot faggots from the Ginger Pig are the way to go in this weather.

[Miss J]

Do they heat them up for you to eat on the spot? I thought they just packaged them up and gave them to you to take home and heat up yourself.

I have never eaten any of the Ginger Pig's prepped products. (I have also never tried their faggots. Or any faggots, for that matter - an English delicacy beyond my ken, I'm afraid.) Any good?

[Jon Tseng]

All nice, if generally unhealthy

The faggot are lovely, if a little messy. far better than mr brain's frozen faggots

J

[Gavin Jones]

Paul who makes the prepped stuff is a reputable pig-botherer.

Have had good jambon persille. the faggots are cooked there and you can buy them in a foil thing with a fork for local consumption.

Very solid. better probably on a plate of mash.

Think of them as two cricket balls of offal porky goodness.

[Jonathan Day]

L'Artisan du Chocolat ... and they often have killer hot chocolate on offer, as well as the same superchocs served at GR, Petrus, British Airways Concorde, etc.