I am a fan of Giada’s Weekend Getaways on the Food Network, and any time I’m able to sample one of the restaurants she recommends, I like to do it! So, of course when we determined that we’d be staying in London this Fall, I paid extra special attention when the London episode came on. Unfortunately, I’m forgetful and I didn’t make any notes! But, with a little web surfing, I was able to figure out that the Indian restaurant she visited was called Amaya, and it’s not too far from our house. It’s a place that you have to make reservations (or sit at a group table….no thanks. I guess I should probably be more sociable). Anyway, we made our reservation and went to eat at Amaya on Monday night. We walked 1.5 miles to get there, and we were hungry to begin with, so we were really ready to eat when we arrived! This is one of those restaurants that we really have no business going to…you are meant to order lots of little dishes to sample different foods, and it is pricey! But, we figured we’d order tap water - actually, I think Daniel missed that memo! His water had bubbles and was not free ;) - and order lightly. We would sample, rather than feast. That plan, in combination with the hunger we were feeling, could have been a recipe for disaster. But, after studying the menu and negotiating over what to order for 10 minutes or so, I think we did pretty well. I’m so glad we were at a private table though! Just think of the peer pressure of sitting with a group who’s ordering & eating freely, when you have to be extremely careful. The waitress seemed concerned that we wouldn’t have enough to eat, but in the end we were satisfied. Over all though, as good as it was, I’m not sure it’s a place to which I can return. I just can’t stomach paying $15 for broccoli with yogurt, even if it is delicious and somewhat exotic. It’s a shame though, because my stomach is growling now, just thinking about those 4 little bitty pieces of deliciously marinated chicken and even the lamb kebab – normally I don’t even like lamb. Oh…I almost forgot to mention one of the best parts…the restaurant didn’t have that heavy Indian spice smell that, strangely enough, tends to accompany Indian food. I’m not sure how they managed that, but it was wonderful for me, since I really don’t like to smell my food on my clothes after I leave a restaurant!
To balance the scales money wise, and perhaps assuage my craving, I went to the store yesterday and bought some Indian TV dinners. We will now eat 2-3 whole Indian meals for less than the cost of that broccoli! I really can’t wait to taste the “TV dinners” actually! At the market we’ve been shopping at, they have all this prepackaged, prepared food….similar to what I would expect in our frozen foods aisle back home, but nothing is frozen. Most things say they’re “suitable for freezing”. Somehow, because the food isn’t frozen at the store, it all seems fresher and more appetizing to me. In general, I really do believe the quality of food is better here, so I’m expecting good things from my Indian dinners.
In the pictures above, you’ll see a bottle of “belu”, which was Daniel’s sparkling water at Amaya. You’ll also see a glowing street shot, which I snapped on the fly while crossing the street…it was a lucky shot & I love how it turned out! There’s a fancy blue car….random, but I knew I’d be low on photos for my post about Monday, and I thought it was cool. Then, you’ll see a picture of Daniel behind a tree, where he hid while I was taking the picture of the car! Tuesday’s post will be even lighter on the pictures. I’m going to have to work harder to find new photo worthy subjects on the days we stay around our neighborhood!
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