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Taste of London returns this month for another festival of the finest food and drink in Regent's Park. Here are our top five reasons to go.
The clue's in the name, guys – this one's a secret. A secret you'll want to find out all about. Eight observant Taste of London attendees will be chosen to attend an exclusive food and drink experience involving the rarest ingredients, the most revered talents and some of the UK’s most renowned chefs. Your place at the table can be secured by following @TasteofLondon on Twitter; the first eight people to retweet their announcement of the #SecretService experience will be invited in.
Trotters
Look beyond the fact that they're pigs' feet, because you don't want to miss the stuffed pig's trotters at legendary chef Pierre Koffmann's stand. They're one of his signature dishes and he's been deboning them, stuffing them and perfectly crisping them since he first made the recipe at his three Michelin-starred restaurant La Tante Claire in 1977. That's nearly 40 years of porkers' pegs.
Spice sensations at Farang
Sebby Holmes has worked at Begging Bowl and Smoking Goat and is due to open a modern Thai restaurant later this year. He's been running Farang as a supperclub, street food stall and occasional market stand over the last year or so to make sure that his recipes are bang-on, and it's working. Stop by his stand for a taste of what will, at some point, be the restaurant everyone's talking about.
Ceviche vs. Cocktails
Fifty-one varieties of rum from 18 countries and their very own sugarcane press: the Asia de Cuba bar will be taking their light-hearted drinks list very seriously indeed, and they've got the high-class bar snacks to match. The restaurant's executive chef Luis Pois will be hosting daily masterclasses in ceviche and cocktail pairing, teaching visitors how to match the bold flavour combinations that are found on their menu with the perfect summery tipple.
A star-studded burger
A burger designed by Barrafina's head chef. It's as if London's two favourites have had an irresistibly delicious love-child. And that's just one of the menu options on the Action Against Hunger Five Star Burger Restaurant stand; there'll also be patties-in-buns from Raymond Blanc, Jason Atherton, Gizzi Erskine and Shaun Searley. All proceeds go to the child hunger charity's lifesaving programmes, which probably means you should get all five.