Jolly Joes are chewy, grape-flavored candies made by Mike and Ike that I snagged.



But more importantly, the UK is home to a variety of iconic snacks, especially when it comes to chocolate. Cadbury leads the way with a lineup of deliciousness. The Wispa is known for its light, bubbly milk chocolate that melts smoothly in your mouth, while the Twirl features two flaky, aerated chocolate fingers coated in more chocolate. Crunchie has a crisp honeycomb center wrapped in chocolate. The Boost bar is denser, filled with caramel and biscuit pieces surrounded by rich milk chocolate.



And a long-haul European flight calls for some plane food. This was a chicken and vegetable gratin or casserole. Creamy, with chunks of chicken, peas, and potatoes, all topped with crispy breadcrumbs. Plus tea.

Koya is a Japanese udon noodle bar that first opened in Soho in 2010, specializing in freshly made udon noodles and dashi with simple, paired back interiors. Koya serves Head Chef Shuko’s udon, donburi and authentic Japanese small plates from breakfast through to dinner at three London locations.



I ordered some vegetable tempura - or yasai ten mori. Never had a whole tempura pepper. Overall, though, the veggies were light and crisp.



I also did a cold udon with hot broth. I loved how firm the cold noodles were, and the chewiness of udon is my favorite.



Plus a few extra toppings to customize the udon to your liking.



Grade: A