So, last weekend I was in London for the Chowzter Annual Awards – a celebration of the best fast feasts from across the globe. I’m one of almost 100 bloggers whose responsibility it is to curate a list of the best fast feasts in their own city, providing a handy, local guide to the best local and independent eats in cities across the globe.
I spent a couple of days in the capital with around 40 other bloggers from Europe, Asia, North America, South America and Australasia, checking out London’s bustling food scene and attending the awards ceremony at the soon-to-open L’Anima Cafe near Liverpool Street Station. The winners are all listed below, with photos – along with my Bristol picks for each category…
Tastiest Pizza On Earth – Pizza Slice @ Di Fara, Brooklyn, New York (nominated by Yvo Sin of The Feisty Foodie)
These handcrafted pizzas from Di Fara look truly fantastic – but my Bristol choice would be the Allegretto Pizza at A Cappella in Totterdown. Recently rated the best pizzeria in the UK by TripAdvisor, A Cappella serve up a feast of mozzarella, sauteed mushrooms, smoked pancetta, caramelised onions, Brie and an egg. A must-try!
Tastiest Seafood On Earth: Alaskan King Crab 5 Ways @ Dynasty, Vancouver (nominated by Mijune Pak of Follow Me Foodie)
February till April is the Alaskan king crab season in Vancouver, and Chinese restaurant Dynasty are renowned for their king crab dinner. My personal favourite seafood dish in Bristol has to be the Soft Tofu Seafood Soup at Surakhan on Park Row – a super-spicy soup served with rice and three different salads.
Tastiest Vegetarian On Earth – Falafel Special @ L’As du Fallafel, Paris (nominated by Mathilde Dewilde of Mathilde’s Cuisine)
I know what you’re thinking. You’re surprised that the best vegetarian dish came from France. So are we! Good falafel is always a winner in my book, though – which is why my top Bristol vegetarian fast feast is the Mezze Salad Box from Edna’s Kitchen, just off Castle Park. It’s a seriously filling meal, including (in my opinion!) the best falafel in Bristol.
Tastiest Noodles On Earth – Pad Thai @ Pad Thai Thip Samai, Bangkok (nominated by Mark Wiens of Eating Thai Food)
If you’re looking to try authentic Pad Thai in Thailand, then Pad Thai Thip Samai is the place to be – a restaurant that specialises in this delicacy. While it’s unlikely that any Bristol noodle dish will blow its Asian equivalents out of the water, we’ve still got plenty of great places to enjoy good noodles. My favourite? The Chicken Ramen at Noa Japanese Restaurant in Clifton Village. Clean and fresh in its flavours, I think Noa is by far the best place in Bristol to enjoy this Japanese noodle soup dish.
Tastiest Bird On Earth – Roast Goose @ Yat Lok, Hong Kong (nominated by Juliana Loh of bilbaobab: Chicken Scrawlings)
Sometimes the simplest dishes are the tastiest. Simply roasted with a delicious marinade, this roast goose took the top spot in the “Tastiest Bird” category. And in Bristol? Well, my vote goes to the Moroccan Chicken at Al Bab Mansour in St Nick’s Market: a steaming plate of chicken, rice and vegetables that will provide you with a filling lunch at a great price, and in a beautiful location.
Tastiest Sandwich On Earth – Caribbean Roast @ Paseo, Seattle (nominated by Naomi Bishop of The Gastrognome)
Pork, aioli and caramelised onions in a crusty baguette definitely sounds up my street! But in Bristol, we do sandwiches well, with a huge number of great places from which to get your lunchtime bread and fillings. My personal favourite is the Salt Beef Sandwich at Meat And Bread at the Three Tuns (he’s having a break at the time of writing but will be back soon!) – served with sauerkraut, pickles and Russian dressing. The best part is that owner Ben cures his own meats, pickles his own pickles and makes all of his own sauces too.
Tastiest Rice On Earth – Hainanese Chicken Rice @ Tian Tian Hainanese Rice, Singapore (nominated by Catherine Ling of Camemberu)
With Anthony Bourdain and Gordon Ramsay among its fans, it’s hardly surprising that this chicken and rice dish won its category! As with the noodles category, rice is probably a category where we’re unlikely to get a Bristol winner in next year’s awards! My local recommendation, though, would be the Seafood Rice at Yume Kitchen – a great fried rice dish with squid, salmon, prawns and vegetables.
Tastiest Pastry On Earth – Fried Jam Croissant @ Albion, London (nominated by Niamh Shields of Eat Like A Girl)
We tried this seriously calorie-laden treat when in London for the awards weekend, and it’s seriously naughty! Tastiest Pastry is a category that I’m struggling with for Bristol, as I’m not normally a breakfast person! If you have any suggestions, let me know and I’ll try them out so that I can add the category to my Chowzter list…
If you head over to the Chowzter website, you can see the regional winners from around the world – as well as the dish chosen as the world’s overall tastiest fast feast! You’ll also be able to watch video clips describing each of the winners – and if those don’t whet your appetite to sort out a foodie holiday or two, I’ll be surprised…
As for Bristol, you can see my current Chowzter list (which is a bit of a work in progress!) by clicking here. I have plenty more great dishes to add to the list – but if you feel that I’ve missed out something even tastier in the categories listed above, leave me a comment to let me know and I’ll give it a try! I really want to put Bristol on the map next year as a Chowzter award winner…