A One-of-a-Kind Pide

There are plenty of Turkish restaurants in London these days, but I don't know how many make pides.  Even though I've never been to Turkey, the Turkish pide is one of my favorite food categories in the world.  When I learned that Tas, a group of Turkish restaurants around London has one branch that specializes in pides I decided I had to check it out.

Tas Pide is on London's South Bank, near London Bridge, which is holding up quite well, and just steps away from the reconstructed Shakespeare's Globe.  Their menu includes seven kinds of pide, and about half of them are the restaurant's own creations, while the rest are of a more traditional bent.  I was tempted by several of the Tas originals, and was ultimately seduced by the Sardalyali: Fresh sardines, vine leaves, red onion, green olives, and lemon rind.  I love fresh sardines, and the combination sounded great.  It easily met my expectations.  The ingredients got along quite well together, and the crust was excellent--somewhat lighter and less chewy than other pides I've eaten.

Tas Pide is a good lunch or dinner bet if you'll be visiting the Globe or the Tate Modern, and it's also close to the Borough Market, a not-to-be-missed food market.