A long London weekend: Story #4
ByStory #4
When I get to heaven, the chef angels will serve this.
Once upon a time there was a vegetable loving American who found herself living in the country of ham. Lots and lots of ham.
She often found herself in food ruts. Missing the abundance and ease of food shopping in the U.S. and longing for creative dining experiences. This girl was thrilled for London for many reasons… but admittedly near the top of the list were the culinary delights she knew she would find.
“There has to be more than scones and tea, right?”
Right.
The girl is a creature of habit and routine. When she fell in love with Saf Restaurant there was no turning back.
Dinner was enjoyed at Saf on back to back nights. She had the happiest mouth in all the world.
From their website:
Established over the last decade,
Saf has developed a philosophy
committed to providing a healthy
lifestyle using nutritious plant-
based ingredients. With our services and products, we
aim to introduce a new
sense of well being
to a diverse range
of customers.
Saf is an acronym for
Simply Authentic Food,
it also means ‘Pure’
in Turkish.
Night 1:
Nachos to start
House made corn nachos, guacamole, tomato salsa, pineapple salsa and spring onion
Farinata Rustica for the girl
Slow roasted seasonal vegetables and mushrooms served in a home-made chickpea crepe topped with a tarragon aioli
Summer Risotto for the mom
Dessert Platter
Mini portions of Ganache Torte,Berry Cheesecake Tiramisu and scoop of ice cream. Great to share.
Night 2:
Un-pictured yet Oh-so-delicious!
Dolmades to start
Vine leaves stuffed with parsnip rice, cumin and cinnamon served with tzatziki
Pad Thai for the girl
Courgette Noodles, mung bean and lentil sprouts, cherry tomatoes, coriander and fresh chilli tossed in chipotle-almond sauce and served with lime and nori
Sun-Dried Tomato and Nut Cheese Wrap for the mom
Caramelised onion, cashew cheese and quinoa with mixed salad and green mustard dressing
Dessert
Enjoyed sprawled out on our hotel beds straight from Harrods Food Halls.
The girl could have stayed in London for weeks working her way through the Saf menu.
And a note to any friend or family that will travel to meet her in London: Saf is already on the agenda. It is also the dinner choice in heaven. Thank you chef angels.
Madrid Time
15 Comments
November 18th, 2011 at 3:31 pm
Your London posts continue to make me swoon. I’m just like you, when I find something good on vacation, I go as often as I can! I’m glad you found a winner at Saf! It all looks so delicious.
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K Reply:
November 19th, 2011 at 8:23 am
Saf ranks in my top 5 culinary experiences of all time. It was either that good… or I have been in Madrid too long :)
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November 18th, 2011 at 5:02 pm
every single item looks incredible, but i am especially envious of that dessert platter!
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K Reply:
November 19th, 2011 at 8:24 am
Oh Gillian the desserts were amazing! It’s the type of thing you make yourself eat oh-so-slowly to enjoy it for as long as possible. :)
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November 18th, 2011 at 7:52 pm
If i meet you in London we are totally getting those nachos!
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K Reply:
November 19th, 2011 at 8:25 am
Name the date – I’ll make the reservation! :)
p.s. Don’t tempt me if you are not serious.
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November 18th, 2011 at 11:52 pm
All I can say is you take dream vacations. I have so wanted to take a food journey, possibly to a cooking school, BUT letting someone else prepare it can be most enjoyable too :)
Q: Do U have a recipe for black bean burgers?
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K Reply:
November 19th, 2011 at 8:27 am
You should totally go on a culinary vacation to Italy. There are so many cooking school type getaways. Sounds perfect for you.
A: I do know of a great recipe – I’ll email you
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November 19th, 2011 at 4:16 pm
Now why have I never heard of SAF before? It sounds amazing! Definitely on my list of places to eat now. And I just booked my tickets to London for the summer…so excited!
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K Reply:
November 20th, 2011 at 8:29 am
Ameena you will not be sorry. Saf was amazing! Though I will admit my it’s easy to please my food palette coming from Madrid. You, on the other hand, have the culinary world at your LA fingertips. (No I’m not jealous or anything.)
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November 19th, 2011 at 4:19 pm
Wow that pad thai looks amazing! Anytime you wanna hop back over for more I’ll gladly go with… or we could try recreating it one day in the country of the ham!
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K Reply:
November 20th, 2011 at 8:29 am
I will let you know Lauren! And don’t you worry I have tried to recreate it. And as you would expect… it is never the same! :)
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November 21st, 2011 at 8:46 pm
Cashew cheese has quickly become one of my all time favorite foods! Saf sounds perfect for my palate too! Very similar to a local restaurant in St. Augustine called The Present Moment Cafe. Everything is gluten free, dairy free, and raw! Delish!
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K Reply:
November 22nd, 2011 at 9:09 am
Sarah – I LOVE The Present Moment Cafe!!! The Spaniard and I went there on a trip to St. Augustine a few years a ago. The desserts there are to die for!
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January 15th, 2012 at 8:47 pm
[...] at Saf (Per Kristen’s [...]