Buchanan Arms

Do you ever go on vacation and then when you return home find yourself craving the foods from your trip? I certainly do. That is why living in LA is so great, there are so many cultures mixed together you can usually find just what you are looking for.

A couple of days ago I went to one such place to fulfill a craving of British food, Buchanan Arms. I know what you are thinking, British food is plain and boring. While that may be the reputation--it actually isn't that different from the typical American comfort foods.

Buchanan Arms is set to look like a typical English pub. There is a large room filled with wooden tables. There is a bar in the back, a place for live music and even a gift shop on the side that sells a range of British foods and souvenirs. The restaurateurs let you sit around as long as you want just enjoying yourself. If you order a first course, they spread it out from the main meal. The wait staff was very friendly.

I ordered the Steak and Kidney pie which came with Chips, Peas and either soup or salad. I chose the Cockanally soup. The waiter told me as I was ordering that the main dish I chose could take longer--about 20 minutes to make, that was fine with me. The other diners I was with got the pulled pork sandwich, the chicken fiesta salad, and the shepherds pie.

The Cockanally soup, despite the name, was delicious. I wish I had ordered the soup only while eating it. It was a chicken broth soup with leeks but very flavorful.

When the food came, I found out exactly what I had ordered (I had only before read about this dish in books and therefore wanted to try it). A dark beef broth with pieces of steak and veal kidney is cooked in a ceramic pot and topped with a piece of puff pastry. The pastry and peas helped to cut the salt of the dish. If you have never had kidneys before, you may be surprised by their unusual flavor. After a while, I ate just the steak and pastry. The chips were too much for me, and I didn't finish them--although they were tasty with the HP sauce and vinegar.

My fellow diners all enjoyed their dishes. The salad wasn't exactly British but it still looked like it was chock full with vegetables and not overflowing with lettuce. The pulled pork sandwich had pork that was likely smoked on the premises. The shepherds pie was huge--enough for two meals. Unlike some shepherds pie, this was just ground beef and onions topped with mashed potatoes and cheese. It wasn't mixed with any other vegetables. There was an interesting spice that I couldn't place giving it a lot of flavor.

I really enjoyed the Buchanan Arms--it wasn't very crowded but there were a bunch of people at the bar and a few tables were taken. The atmosphere was warm and cozy and felt like going home. So next time you have a hankering for some traditional British food, a beer and a little English fun, head over to Buchanan Arms.





Buchanan Arms
2013 W Burbank Blvd
Burbank, CA 91506
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