Today is a momentous occasion as the UK’s first Egg Slut is opening in Notting Hill. The American egg sandwich shop with the worlds greatest name has gained a huge following on Instagram over the years, and has become so popular that they are taking the brand international. I first heard about the UK launch when they did a soft opening at the Taste of London Festival . Judging by the queues that formed there, I am expecting the lines will be very long today, and might even break the four hour record set by Din Tai Fung who also opened up a branch here earlier this summer. However luckily for me, I managed to wangle an invite to the press launch last night.
Last night was not my first time trying Egg Slut, as we tried it when we were in LA earlier this year. I enjoyed it well enough, and was really looking forward to seeing what the UK location would bring. We arrived at the store which is located on Portobello Road to find that it was already pretty busy. Thankfully they were handing out some lovely cocktails including Mimosas, Margaritas, and Sangria while we waited for the food to be ready. I’m not sure if these were just for the party or for the main menu but they were pretty tasty especially the Mimosa.
After the grabbing a drink and a seat we managed to try their signature dish of the Slut (£9). The Slut consisted of a jar filled with a coddled free-range egg on top of potato puree with sliced baguette. We missed out on trying this in LA so I was glad to get my hands on one. There was a glorious golden egg yolk topped with chives just waiting to be pierced and mixed into the lovely rich creamy potato. Then the toasted slices of bread were the perfect host to deliver this gorgeous concoction to my mouth. I have to say I did find this rather delightful and an absolutely winning combination until I saw how much it cost.
As the egg sandwiches started to come out of the kitchen it was every foodie for themselves. The wait staff barely got two feet before their trays were cleared. The first two we managed to get our hands on were the Sausage, Egg, & Cheese Sandwich (£9.50), and the Egg Salad Sandwich (£7). I was all about the Sausage and Egg Sandwich, the brioche bun was filled with a turkey sausage patty, fried egg, cheese, and honey mustard aioli. It was fairly tasty although a little under seasoned. I didn’t hear that resounding Mmmm that you can’t help but make when something is truly delicious. Quite frankly its like a posh Egg McMuffin. The Egg Salad Sandwich was eaten by my hubby since I have never been a fan of egg salad. He remarked there there was plenty of filling and that it was very fresh tasting, although he didn’t think there was enough mayo for his liking.
After those last two there was a serious wait for the next round so I went around taking photos, it was then that I took a really good look at the menu, and realised that most of the menu items were £9 plus. In The States the sandwiches are $7 which should be closer to £6. I found the prices to be pretty astronomical. Before I could question it further I managed to snag the last sandwich I wanted to try, the Fairfax (£9), which is what I ate in LA. This sandwich consists of scrambled eggs, caramelized onions, cheddar cheese, sriracha and mayo in a brioche bun. Again it was fine but really nothing special, maybe I am remembering differently, but it just didn’t really do it for me. I know they are using free range eggs but to me they didn’t have a stand out taste that one expects from a really good egg. It also turned into a big soggy mess by the end which is not what you want from a sandwich.
We were just getting ready to depart when the American Buttermilk Biscuit £4.50 came out. Lets call a spade a spade, and just say that an American biscuit is nothing more than a glorified scone, but as they were free I thought I might as well give one a try. It was quite unremarkable, which for the price it should have been. I have eaten American biscuits before which have been fluffy layered buns of paradise but this was no different to a commonplace scone. The accompanying honey butter was also a bit artificial tasting and had barely a hint of honey. The resounding flavour was more margarine than creamy nectar of bees. I would skip this one for sure, because it’s worth a fiver of no one’s money.
Overall I have to say I was disappointed, although glad I went to the press launch so I only wasted my time and not my money. The sandwiches weren’t quite as good as I remembered and the prices are just extortionate. It’s just a glorified egg bap which you can get from any old breakfast cafe or make yourself at home for a fraction of a price. This is one American import that in my opinion just misses the mark. Unless you are dying to try it, then I’d save your money and eat elsewhere.
Egg Slut is located at 185 Portobello Road, Notting Hill, London W11 2ED. The nearest tube station is Ladbrook Grove. For more information you can check out their Instagram.