5 of the Best Street Food Finds in London

Welcome to London, a city steeped in history and known for its iconic landmarks. British cuisine might not be world-renowned, but the city is full of great food that extends way beyond its classic fish and chips. First up, an American classic with an Indian twist, a Londoner's favorite. Originally, I came up with this idea when I was only about 14 years old. I used to make them for my friends' barbecues. Culturally, it is a mishmash. You can only find this in London. My name's Alec. I'm from Baberges, and we are in the wonderful Camden Market. Sun's beating down. It's a wonderful day. The Naga Deli Double Burger is made with two fresh spiced lamb patties served on a brioche naan-style bun. Between the two lamb patties is a crispy onion bhaji. On top of that, we put our spiced Naga Deli Double sauce. It's made with a Naga chili pickle to give that really authentic Indian taste. You'll get sharp, sweet, spicy, and then that lovely juicy lamb on top. It's a big old burger. You're gonna be hungry. You have to try one, mate. Done. Next up, head to the windy streets of Soho and check out this small hole-in-the-wall serving up a traditional Chinese breakfast dish. I am proud to have brought an evolved version of jianbing to London. My name is Zed He, and I am a co-founder of Pleasant Lady. We are located in Soho on Greek Street. Pleasant Lady specialize in jianbing. Some people call it a Chinese burrito, like a savory Chinese crepe. After we spread the batter on the hot plate, we then crack an egg on top, spread it out, flip it, brush a house-made sweet fermented bean sauce, chili oil, a herb salad. After that, it's your choice of meat, our house pickle, and then your Chinese cracker. And then roll it up, and then you've got all your springiness, the chewiness, the freshness, and the crispiness. I think that it's everybody's food. Tucked away in a South London market is a chip shop that isn't always playing by the rules. I would say these are not traditional chips, but are a mix of different cultures in one plate. My name is Marco. Our shop is Pop Tata, and we are located in Tootie Market in Southwest London. One of our signature dishes is definitely the guaca fries, double-cooked, fresh-cut chips with herbal seasoning, a touch of garlic, grilled halloumi cheese from Greece, a little bit of British cheddar, mature cheddar, and the smashed avocado, fresh, both from the market. So it's very interesting because you've got different textures and different flavors. Obviously, the chips are crunchy, and the cheese, with the heat of the fries, of the chips, is melting on top. And then you've got the tanginess of the sauce at the end, so it's kind of interesting. Usually, chips are served as a side, but what we try to do is for us to have the chips as a main character, so they're not a side anymore. Back towards the city center, you'll find a Brazilian classic using an ingredient we've never seen before. This is a traditional Northeast Brazilian thing, but it started with the Amazonian native tribes. My name is Gustavo. Our shop is called Bay Jammie, and it's located at Old Spitalfields Market, Shoreditch, London. This is beijo. The closest thing would be a flatbread. In order to make it, we have to add a couple of spoons of tapioca flour, put on the hot pan. Once the bottom is cooked, you just put upside down, and you start filling up to taste. Inside the mushroom bay jammie, there is grated cheddar, mushroom with garlic and parsley, tomatoes, red onions, some chili, goat cheese, and spinach. It's slightly different than normal bread because it is made purely of starches, so it's going to have a chewy consistency. Outside, we leave it crispy our own way. Oh, it tastes incredible. And finally, for a twist on a traditional arepa, there's only one place we recommend for this one. It's this spot. In Colombia, we got more than 33 type of arepa, so I found that mine have to be different. I have to get one step forward, and that's what I did. My name is Patricio Mercado. My shop is Mulata, and we are in Paddington in London. The dish that I created is called mulata. Mulata means it's a mixed race, and the reason why I use my name is to make me feel more proud where I come from. To make the mulata, we open the combine. We put the guacamole, chicken, put the red kidney beans, a bit of cheese. We put it back in the griddle, melt the cheese, and wrap it with the cheese melted. And we finish with a touch of guacamole. Many people just put the fresh cheese. I use the cheese, we seal it, and then it's a different thing. I just try to just recreate something that will bring the roots of home. So it's something born here in London, but with the essence from Colombian traditions.