London: Simpson's in the Strand

My last visit to Simpson's was thirty years ago, a blink of the eye in the life of this venerable institution. Simpson's has satisfied English appetites for nearly two hundred years. Their dining room speaks of both history and quality.

My meal started with delicious crusty bread.

I faced a difficult decision: the beef cart or the lamb cart? I decided that lamb was the proper English choice. A few minutes later, this beautiful cart rolled out and a member of the staff got to work carving my meal.

The result was this spread (although a moment later, a gracious person brought me a Yorkshire pudding). I ordered a side of creamed leeks, a very delicate variation on my steakhouse favorite creamed spinach. The cabbage was uncreamed but similarly delicate. The potatoes were wonderfully crunchy on the outside, creamy on the inside. My lamb came with two condiments. The berry jelly was good but the mint sauce was a revelation. This was not a mint jelly but a concentrated dollop of mint. The lack of distracting sugar gave for a much purer complement to the lamb.

I had come so far, why not dessert? A few minutes later, the dessert cart rolled out and a member of the staff flamed my exquisite jewel of a dessert. The aroma from the flaming was distinctly marsmallowy. The interior was a delicious ice cream on a bed of soft yellow cake. I savored every bite.

A pot of tea allowed me to digest my meal and enjoy the very Englishness of my delightful lunch.

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