Wednesday 5 November 2008

leon

leon has disappointed some of my friends, so i don’t get the chance to go there very often. today though, as i was looking for refuge from a cold and dark winter day, the cosy and warm decor of a leon behind the tate modern won over all my reserves and i walked in. although i prefer its smaller branches, which don’t get as noisy and look less like fast foods during lunch breaks, this large and industrial eatery is still blessed with warm lights and colourful advertising, simple wooden tables and a familiar atmosphere.

the menu wasn’t as exciting as i remembered, probably because they have eliminated some of the most complicated dishes since the last time i ate there. so i settled for a classic leon gobi and the ginger and lemon crunch, which represented the real attraction since i remembered it as one of the best desserts of last year.

the first bite truly made me wonder “how can my friends not like this”? the gobi was nice and warm, rich with raisins, the flavours well mixed, the rice cooked to crunchy perfection. after the fifth bite though i started to get a bit bored by the harsh corner of the cardboard box out of which i was eating and, to be honest, by what i was eating as well.

i was really looking forward to the dessert, but unfortunately i had to agree with my friends. leon can be disappointing. something was simply not right, not the right consistency, not the right combination of flavours...not sure what, it simply wasn’t the sweet miracle i remembered.

although leon is still marketed as the revolutionary fast-food, it’s losing its appeal. disappointing then, but honestly still a decent choice for a quick lunch, a warm soup, a cosy break in these gloomy winter times.