Once I'm in Borough market territory, I do consider myself a master of navigation, so much so that I decided to venture out to some of the surrounding cafes and shops. The first store I passed, Rabot Estate, sold everything chocolate, including sandwiches, and that little temptress of a store steered me straight to the smoked salmon and chocolate toastie with cocoa nibs.
Upon opening this modern twist on a Chinese takeout box, I couldn't help but appreciate the authentic chocolate fingerprint smear around the outsides. Oh yea, this baby was for real. Atop a vintage beer-barrel-turned-cafe-table, I tore open the box to reveal my prize.
Perhaps not the most gorgeous item to ever come out of a takeout box, but she had a hidden charm to her. My senses were a bit confused, picking up aromas of bittersweet chocolate mixed with fish, but I refused to let that deter me. This was going to be delicious. The arugula was a little unexpected, but surprises were welcome -- let us not forget what I ordered here.
I took my first bite and instantly tasted the rich chocolate. I didn't pick up the salmon immediately, but the smell permeated through the sandwich--not like a smokey fish smell, but more like fishy fish smell, the type you don't want lingering around your chocolate. The whole thing was a little off-putting, but I refused to let it go down like that, so I sunk my teeth in once again.
Now the arugula was joining in on the dance. For those of you who are unfamiliar with arugula, it is a bitter green that is wildly unpopular, and this sandwich was not helping its case.
For a moment, I grew legitimately angry that this chocolatier would actually sell a sandwich like this to human beings, but, surprisingly, I still want to go back. I can't leave any chocolate stones unturned.
2 Stoney Street
Borough Market
London
SE1 9AA
http://www.rabotestate.com/index.html
Some things are just not meant to be on the same plate, or in this case, the same take-out box. Smoked salmon and chocolate, I think I'll pass!
ReplyDelete