east ham pani puri.

Pictured above: our East Ham pani puri, really different from anything we've previously put in our mouths.

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Below: our extremely sweet pani puri vendor, located on Gladstone Ave, just around the corner from Thattukada.

The pani puri were 4 for £1, but he gave us one extra puri and a cup of hot halwa, which was pretty incredible. I usually don't love halwa, but this reminded me of pureed gulab jamun, a dream substance.

Below: this is bhel from the vendor across the street from Thattukada (£1.50). She was considerably less outgoing than the Gladstone guy, but her bhel was very good, best I've had in London, though still not topping my possibly idealized version from Indian Delights in Decatur, GA.

This food was all amazingly inexpensive for London: however, the 45-minute tube journey from Crouch End was £2.40 per person, so it's worth factoring that in. Still, I think we'd go back in a second if schedules permitted.

Above: East Ham. We both felt strangely comfortable here, everyone was exceedingly personable. I think if we had an East Ham in Amsterdam I'd be there all the time. Below: mango lassi from Chennai Dosa, where everything looked and smelled awesome, but sadly we'd just eaten.

Above: Houses of Parliament as seen from Victoria Tower Gardens. It was a very good idea to get off the tube at Westminster and walk down to the Tate Britain from there.

Above: Pimm's Cup @ Morpeth Arms after seeing the very nice Henry Moore exhibit at the Tate Britain. The inside of Morpeth Arms was loud and soulless, but the sidewalk would've been a very pleasant place for a summer drink if 100 less people had been there.

Above: splitting a burger at Cask Pub & Kitchen. The burger was very much like something you'd be served in an American back yard: soft bun, well-done but juicy patty, plenty of condiments. Fries/chips nothing to write home about. Beer and music very good. Below: the bar at Cask.

Above: Pimlico by night. One of the more downcast neighborhoods we've seen in terms of the populace; a good number of lost, bedraggled-looking locals limping around, quite a contrast to the impressive Regency architecture (don't worry, I just learned that term).

Down In The Tube Station at, well, 10PM, thankfully. This was a pretty good day.

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