Hello, London!

Well, Travelers, after months of preparation and anticipation it’s finally here: our London office. Nestled in a picturesque hamlet just off the Chiswick High Road (and conveniently located near Fuller's Griffin Brewery), our London base is wired up and ready to assist you. We’ve positioned ourselves here to give you an even broader reach into Europe’s hidden gastronomic gems and famous locales as well as increased real-time access to our services while abroad in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. If you’re in the greater London area, drop us a line: we’d love to show off the new digs!

With all there is to see and do, it’s hard not to love London: it’s the global capital, the biggest hub of transport options to every corner of the world, and home to an eclectic mix of people from literally everywhere. Most importantly to us, however, is the direct result of all these things: no city has a greater breadth and depth of unique cuisines and cultures to explore, all conveniently within walking distance of public transport! Whether you’re craving curry or have a hankering for Hungarian, London’s got a choice spot serving up just what you’re after. How about some Ethiopian tej in Shepherd's Bush? Or a whole snout-to-tail experience in Smithfield? You can find everything from the perfect hole-in-the-wall takeaway to multi-Michelin starred gastronomic Meccas, and none are too far from wherever you are. (With the exchange rate so favorable these days, why not consider a trip?)

Because we can never settle on just one cuisine, over the coming months we’ll be featuring weekly a different restaurant, area, or event taking place here in London. We begin with Momo, a North African restaurant tucked down Heddon Street in what has been branded the Regent Street Food Quarter. Every restaurant along this small (400ft long, perhaps?) pedestrian area boasts comfortable indoor spaces and optionally-covered outdoor spaces, many with heaters to ward off that London chill come fall.

At Momo we celebrated the opening of the London office by tucking into briouats (a fine pastry stuffed with cheese, mint, and potatoes) and wood pigeon pastillas (filo filled with lightly spiced wood pigeon, almonds, and cinnamon) with orange confit before enjoying lamb tagine with saffron pears and sultanas. We paired the briouats with a minty cocktail, which lightened the pastry and accentuated the quince compote alongside the little Moroccan cheese puff. It seems like every culture has its version of this cheesy little treat, and there haven't been any as yet that we haven't enjoyed. That being said, pastry can be quickly overcome by oil during frying and end up greasy and heavy: not so with these briouats, which were perfectly crispy on the outside, rich and savory inside, and not even remotely greasy -- a difficult task to accomplish!

For the pastillas, a lovely French rosé added bright acidity and floral notes to what could have been an overpoweringly-spicy dish – a low-tannin Chianti also paired well with the cardamom, cinnamon, and other African spices used to soften the game’s pungency. Altogether a wonderfully balanced dish alongside its citrus confit, and something I wish I could prepare at home!

Normally we’d go for a Pinot or a Rhône-style red with lamb, and this instance was no exception. Choosing a Côte-Rôtie to pair the wine’s floral aroma with the subtle saffron pears – perfectly poached – and peppery notes with the lamb and spices worked brilliantly, accentuating the meatiness of the lamb and drawing out the sweet-savory complexity of the onion confit on top. Unfortunately all this pairing and tasting left us unable to consider the chef’s signature sweets for dessert, but I imagine we’ll find ourselves darkening Momo’s doorstep again soon.  

We’ve celebrated the official opening of the London office, and now it’s your turn: to help you celebrate we’re offering a Currency Exchange Discount -- simply call or email us by 31 July to get your travel planning process underway (and book your trip by 31 December 2010) and we’ll discount our fees by the prevailing USD:GBP markup rate. If you call today, that would be a savings of 44% -- an average of $325 on a seven-day trip!

Happy Travels!

fred