** This restaurant is now closed. **
British food certainly doesn't have a great reputation in the culinary world. The most commonly used adjectives to describe it would be mushy, greasy, bland, and any shade of brown.
Located in a south side complex near Ellerslie, London Local hopes to reverse your preconceptions -- offering a contemporary Canadian take on some classic English dishes.
London Local is a casual restaurant with a modern pub feel. It's run by owner Evonne Li and Chef Lindsay Porter (who previously helmed El Cortez and Woodwork).
SC was back in town for the long weekend so we decided to meet for brunch. There was a bit of confusion when we arrived at noon on Sunday, as we were only given menus for their Sunday roast. We weren't exactly in the mood for a three-course roast as our first meal of the day, so we inquired about brunch, which according to their website, is served on weekends from 10:00am-3:00pm. Our server checked with the kitchen and it appears as though their special Sunday roast begins at noon, but we would still be able to order from the brunch menu.
In the morning, there's nothing quite more British than the full English ($18.00) breakfast. Also known as a "fry-up," the full English is a full plate of food that will also keep you full for hours. London Local sticks close to tradition with two fried eggs, sausage, rashers, black pudding, roasted potatoes, baked beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, and a side of brown toast. It's a bit heavy and greasy but if you were ever in need of a mid afternoon nap, make sure to order this for breakfast.
I've been on a scotch egg ($14.00) kick lately, so I knew I had to order it when I saw it on the menu. The scotch egg consists of a medium poached egg covered in sage and fennel sausage and then deep fried in a breadcrumb coating.
Since I had Chartier's scotch egg just a week before, it was only natural for me to compare the two. While London Local's scotch egg was definitely smaller in size, I actually liked it better since I found the sausage was more tender and juicy. (Both are great renditions though. I personally think all eggs should come wrapped in a sausage blanket.)
The scotch egg also comes with housemade HP sauce. It's a thick brown condiment that's sweet, fruity, and a little tangy. I've never had HP sauce before so I have no idea what the original is supposed to taste like, but I enjoyed it.
Get ready for this ingredient list! Arugula, peas, dill vinaigrette, drizzled salad cream, pickled onion, plum, apple, beets, tomato, peashoots, beet pickled egg, pumpkin brittle, and crispy onion. (It's also gluten free!). It sounds like a ton of random ingredients thrown in a bowl but it all somehow works together. I personally loved it! Lots of different textures and flavours. It also went really well with the scotch egg as it balanced out the oil and fat.
SC was reading the daily feature blackboard and knew right away that she wanted the goat cheese cheesecake ($10.00) for dessert. It came served with sliced strawberries, berry compote, and slivered almonds. I had a couple bites and it was pretty good. Although goat cheese is pretty overpowering on its own, I thought it worked great in the cheesecake as it just made the cream cheese flavour even stronger.
At London Local, you'll find a little piece of Britain in Edmonton. I don't think there would be anything better than coming back on a snowy winter day and tucking into their Sunday roast.
London Local
2307 Ellwood Dr SW
Edmonton, AB
(780) 752-2244
- CT
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