Stop me if you have heard this before: "London is known for terrible and bland food." Most people still believe this to be true, and if you would have visited the country in the 1980's or 1990's that statement would have been correct.
Since then, London has stepped up their food game significantly. Many different immigrants brought cuisine with them from their homeland and since turned one of the worst cities in the world for food into one of the best.
When I got to live in the city for 18 days thanks to my study abroad trip, I discovered that I could basically throw a dart at the map of the world and I could eat something from wherever it landed. It was not only diverse, but I got the chance to try a bunch of incredible food that I could not come close to getting where I live in the United States.
The best part though is that it will not break the bank either.
The current exchange rate is awful for people in the U.S. but if you knew where to look, you could eat on a budget. Street food is by far the best way to do so. It was affordable and by far the best food I had.
For example, the group went to Bletchley Park, which was the site for England's code breakers during the second World War. While there, we ran into this food truck that served burgers and wraps based off famous bandits of the world.
I got this wrap called the "Katsu Yakuza" that had panko-fried chicken, katsu mayo, Asian slaw, pickled daikon, sour cream and sweet chili sauce and I was blown away. It cost me six pounds, it was huge and it was no doubt the best food I had on the trip.
Indian cuisine is also huge over there. Since the British Empire controlled India for a long time, many different people moved their way over to the mainland over the years and brought their food with them.
In fact, one of our tour guides told us that there is so much Indian food in London that curry became the most served food in the city. I had curry twice during my stay; one was a lamb curry and the other was a red Thai coconut curry and both were incredible.
These were not my only steps into cuisine of the world though, as I had food from a different country almost every day of my trip abroad including Middle Eastern, Italian, Japanese and Egyptian. I did not have one bad thing anywhere I went.
If you plan on heading to London sometime soon, do not be afraid to sample all the food you can, because you will not be disappointed. And while you're at it, feel free to throw the London has terrible food stereotype straight into a rubbish bin.
