Ever heard of the phrase: “too much to do but not enough time”? The story of my life seems to be: “too much to EAT and not enough time”! I’ve reached a point where the number of restaurants/groceries I want to try exceed the number of days remaining ;)! As well as visiting my old favorites, I’ve also been trying several new yum places like Ottolenghi.
Coming from a die-hard Whole Foods fan, this was right up my alley…actually more like a bus ride away to Westbourne Grove but you catch my drift :)!
As they put it “we like to think of ourselves as the haute couture of the food-to-go world”. Ottolenghi is all about the freshest ingredients of the finest quality. When we walked in, I was pleasantly surprised to see jaw-dropping, eye-popping displays of salads, meats and desserts: colorful and inviting. For such a small place, Ottolenghi is stuffed with mouth-watering, Mediterranean- inspired options like:
- Roasted sweet potato with spicy yoghurt, dukkah and chervil
- Heritage tomatoes with bulgur, mograbiah, turmeric, chili oil and mixed herbs
- Mixed roast peppers with ginger,lime, ricotta and parsley
- Grilled salmon with pistachio, pomengranate and rosewater salsa
- Roasted Mediterranean bake with pesto and parmesan
- Seared yellowfin tuna in sesame seed crust with tomato and chilli jam
Clearly we didn’t enjoy it ;).
Although satisfied, we couldn’t leave without trying their dessert…well I couldn’t at least!
We opted fora slice of “carrot and walnut cake” with 3 forks, which we naturally dominated!
I’m glad I was able to try out Ottolenghi with my mom and sister who have a similar appreciation for freshness and good food. To put it lightly, Ottolenghi is like a slap across the face to all those who suggest that taste (or eating out) and healthy cannot go hand-in-hand. Worth the wait, worth the trek, worth the calories, worth the price :).
Do you live in England?
My dream is to study there for some time! I’m doing all the research I can…hopefully it all works out.
I used to live in London but am visiting now. Hope you get a chance to study here. Except for the ever-changing weather, it really is a wonderful city!
That all sounds delicious! And I agree with your motto- same thing in my life! Yeah London is so overwhelming, there are far too many delicious places there
“Roasted sweet potato with spicy yoghurt, dukkah and chervil”
Um, how can I get that in my life?!
That’s so great you are finding so many great options. And I agree – dining with others who have the same appreciation for particular foods is so nice.
Oh, wow! I’m so excited for my trip to London – only 3 weeks from today!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂
[…] example the crepes at Suzette always surpass my expectations, The Table epitomises fine dining and Ottolenghi takes freshness to another level. Amadeus, however, leaves me blank. For those who […]