Leon

So (I think starting off each post with "so" is my new thing) I haven't really posted much about food lately. Kind of weird right? It's like you don't even know me now that I am semi loyal kind of but not really subject of the Queen. It would be easy for me to blame the lack of food related posts on the relatively bland cuisine of the UK but that would just be disingenuous. Really it is just because I am lazy. I have had plenty of great food since moving here. For transparency's sake, when I say plenty of great food I actually mean plenty of great food excluding all the various bland hamburgers I have sampled from around this great city. But I digress. The purpose of this post is to drop a little knowledge about a great little "fast food" chain I tried last night called Leon.

I have been meaning try Leon for the last couple of weeks after receiving a ringing endorsement from a couple of friends. So needless to say, when I met up with a few friends last night for dinner and found out that we would be eating at Leon, I was quite pleased.

So what type of food is available at Leon? Well, my friend offered the perfect explanation with this concise response: "tasty food." Wah Wah Wah. This response was quickly expanded to "tasty, healthy, lunch pail food." I would add one more descriptor to the list .... "with a Mediterranean flair."

If this description piques your interest then you should take a quick look at their menu. Last night we ordered the feasting menu for two which consisted of chili con carne, Moroccan meatballs, hummus and flatbread, chili chicken, grilled chorizo, brown rice, Leon mash, and garlic & chili broccoli. Since there were three of us, we also ordered the sweet potato falafel. Since I am a big fan of ranking all things from best friends to favorite Korean films I will give a quick ranking of everything I tried last night:

1. Sweet Potato Falafel

2. Grilled Chorizo

3. Garlic & Chili Broccoli

4. Leon Mash (a simple sweet potato puree)

5. Hummus and Flatbread

6. Chili Chicken

7. Chili con Carne

8. Moroccan Meatballs

9. Brown Rice (How exciting can brown rice be, right?)

In addition to the various items listed above, I also ordered the ginger and mint infused lemonade. This was actually a bit underwhelming. Not enough mint and too much ginger. The ginger just overpowered everything. I prefer a little more subtlety when infusing my lemonade.

Overall I really enjoyed the Leon experience. The food really was "tasty" Additionally, it is quite economical. Three people were able enjoy dinner for less than £30 pounds. Excellent value. I Mos Def can see myself eating at Leon on a regular basis. There are quite a few things I still want to try on the menu.

So yeah, Leon. Good food. Give a try some time. You will probably like it. I know I did.

PS As I was writing this I kept thinking to myself how much I enjoy the simplicity of good food coupled with good friends and good conversation. I can't think of too many other ways I would rather pass an evening.