Ah! Breakfast in Britain -- Another perfectly prepared portion of eggs and toast being enjoyed by Happy Husband. Today at Central Cafe, on Brockley Road in Southeast London (SE4). We try the fried eggs instead of poached, though poached are available; set in round molds to create perfect circles, Eastern European style. Runny as we like them. And the piping hot tea is brought to the table -- feels like luxury. 
Delightful display of double-decker buses passing the front windows (routes 171 & 172 stop across the street). Minimal personality, with gold framed standard restaurant-fare pictures hanging above bouquets of plastic flowers. But bright, light and warm on a cold morning in London.
So...condiments. What do we find on our breakfast tables? Here at Central Cafe we find the regulars of salt & pepper, sugar, vinegar and tomato sauce. Then there's soy sauce. Why the soy sauce? They do serve lunches, but on what would one shake soy sauce? And vinegar? Where has that tradition come from...vinegar on chips (french fries)? I love it, don't get me wrong, but were the fried sliced potatoes of old so bad that they needed a flavour to cut the fact that they were a big edgy? Or one day did someone just discover it's a good combination of flavours? And no, to folks from outside the UK, that is not catsup, nor is it ketchup. Tomato sauce in Britain is an animal unto itself. My brother-in-law, of recent British descent, insists that there is more than vinegar and sugar in it, even real tomatoes. 
Frequent flow of customers fill the 40-seat single store front. Some choosing take away egg sandwiches. Noticeable cleanliness -- tables wiped clean as soon as they are emptied, ready for the next diner. As you can see, plenty of newspapers to go around.
Standard illustrated menu, immovable furniture -- parties up to 4 only, I guess, or split in two. But fine for the two of us. Radio on, a blend of talk and music, hip hop mostly, but pleasantly unobtrusive. Could be louder, but thankfully not. 
Brockley Road, the "high street" of Brockley, is mostly cafes, restaurants, a laundromat and a couple small shops, and there's a Costcutters for bread and bananas, but not a tourist destination. Though St Andrew's United Reformed Church, a five minute walk down the road, is a lovely old Presbyterian style church built in 1882, remodeled about 15 years ago creating a new bright cheerful interior. (SE4 2SA)
So, in general a good review for a typical greasy-spoon cafe breakfast.
See you next week!
No comments:
Post a Comment