A recent business trip over to London from my home in Singapore turned into a somewhat eating frenzy.
Although born and bred in the South East London borough of Greenwich, I had not been home for almost 16 years and had almost forgotten just how tasty some old-fashioned and traditional British food really was.
My business was concluded after the four lengthy meetings in London, but I decided to stay on for an extra week and enjoy the spring weather, and, of course, the food.
I’m not talking about eating in London’s swanky high-class restaurants, and there are many of those, but real English food - the sort I used to eat as a kid.
Being a Londoner, one of the dishes that we grew up with which is rarely sold outside of the sprawling city is lovingly known as p&m (Pie & Mash). This is a real hearty dish of minced beef pie (suet-based bottom and flaky pastry top) served with mashed potatoes and covered in liquor (a sauce made with boiled chopped parsley, cornflour, vinegar, white pepper, and fish ‘eel’ stock). The green liquor is known to turn many people away from even trying this wonderful dish, but it’s what really gives it its unique flavor. Sometimes this is served with chopped stewed eels, but they are not as popular now as they were 20-odd years back.
One of my favorite old p&m shops is just a stone's throw away from the famous London Tower Bridge and is one of the oldest in London. The family name Manze has been associated with this dish for decades and they still serve up some of the best p&m you can find anywhere.
