Good Eats (sans Alton)

Well, I hate to say it, but food in London has so far mildly lived up to its reputation of being...ahem..."inferior"...to other types of cuisine. I mean, sure, it's been "good". But who wants "good" when you're spending almost double the amount you naturally would (damn you, currency exchange)? Ohhh nonono, I would much rather commiserate with my friend Tony the Tiger, I want my food to be "grrrrrrrreat!". Anyone who knows me well enough (or, really, anyone who's spoken to me for even 5 minutes) will know I take my food very. seriously. srsly. I still have an abundance of restaurants and classic English dishes to try, so I hope I'm speaking entirely prematurely and all this will become rubbish (see that English jargon I just snuck in there?) in the coming weeks.

Here's a bit of what's been had so far:

(disclaimer: these "critiques" are coming from a girl who would  relish in eating taco bell every day)

at Helva (29-31 Greenwich Church Street, Greenwich Village SE10 9BJ) 
I had the kofte, which was ground lamb with onions, green peppers, herbs and spices, served with couscous.
I actually really enjoyed this - the lamb was really flavorful and cooked well, while the couscous had a great lighter and subtler flavor that paired really nicely with the grease from the meat. The carrots, radish (um..that's radish...right? I'm too much of a carnivore), and spicy salsa-like side were refreshing and complemented the density of the meat.

At the Embankment Cafe (25 Victoria Embankment, London, WC2N 6PB)
My first taste of the "Traditional English Breakfast" - grilled tomatoes, sunny side up egg, mushrooms, beans, sausage, and bacon served with wholemeal toast and English breakfast tea. I quite enjoyed the variety of it all. A friend and I shared this with a Tomato and Mushroom sandwich. While the flavors were all there, I thought it would have been much better if served with a crustier toasted bread - it was all a bit too mushy.

at Bench'o (151 Earls Court Road, Earls Court, London, SW5 9RQ)
I had the greek moussaka, which was ground beef with potatoes and covered in cheese, served with a salad and roasted vegetables. The entree was preceded by a baguette with pesto. The baguette was wonderful, the pesto was...different. It tasted a bit more like hummus to me, so I'd be interested to know how it was made. Overall, a pretty hearty meal.
 

I recently spoke with a British girl who recommended a number of foods, so we'll see how it goes. As for this weekend, I'm off to test a burger place that claims to have burgers like that of the States. Then, off to a Moroccan/Tunisian restaurant to assist a friend in her "research" for an article she's writing. Please feel free to leave any suggestions of foods and/or restaurants I should try :)

Mmmm...food.