maltby street revisited

the rope walk, maltby street market

a week of summer has come to britain. in celebration o, s and i made our way to maltby street market, that collective of food traders that sees itself removed from the now more commercial borough market. the landscape is distinctly altered from my last trip in january. the shard looms as a constant both near and afar and borough market has experienced a facelift of steel and glass.

saturday at maltby street

st john bakery custard doughnut 

i had been waiting for my sibling to arrive in london to make an excursion to maltby street. he’s an early riser, loves walking and has a handsome appetite like me, and since maltby street requires all three he was the perfect companion to explore with. you could of course go to maltby street by noon as it runs from nine to two pm. however, if you want to get your hands on one of those infamous custard doughnuts from st. john bakery then you need to be closer to the earlier half of the morning. i got lost on my way in and was most concerned that we wouldn’t make it on time for custard doughnuts. arch seventy-two on druid street is cavernous and home to st.john bakery. a line of rudimentary tables hold loaves, rounds and batons of freshly baked bread. two kinds of doughnuts (custard and jam) along with eccles cakes and brownies take up one side of the table. there is a queue of twenty strong people ahead of us and the custard doughnut supply was perilously low. the doughnuts are stacked horizontally, seam side up, the custard seeping out. fine granules of sugar cling to their plump little bodies. luckily we make it to the head with ten custard doughnuts still on the tray. we get two of these, a brownie just because it looks good and a hundred percent rye sourdough that m carried to pakistan. we intended to eat our doughnuts the perfect way with a cup of monmouth coffee. on our way to monmouth we got sidetracked by kaseswiss oatcakes. it was the aroma that drew me to the large heavy bottomed griddle that held a thin layer of oat-heavy batter. the oatcakes are like pancakes made with oats. they are a north staffordshire speciality and are usually served with savoury fillings. we had ours with gruyere from jacob’s ladder as the kirkham’s lancashire was finished. the nutty cheese is melted on the griddle along with finely chopped red onion. m and i shared the folded buttery and cheesy goodness whilst walking towards monmouth coffee. 

the chocolate festival, southbank, eleventh december twenty-eleven

'i love chocolate' tote-bags

i was determined to make it to the chocolate festival on southbank this year. should the rain have wavered my commitment, a promise to meet giulia of mondomulia blog of  made my attendance certain. we are fellow twitterati and foodists. giulia has a passion for food photography so as suggested by her we decided to join together to bring you this post with giulia behind the lens and me behind the pen. the tasting notes are from both of us including my ever hungry and willing eater, o.

anna mae's chili shack

bowl o red from anna mae's chili shack

some of the eat street collective were at this weekend's chocolate festival. for me, the big attraction was anna mae's chili shack. i've been a convert since the mac n cheese i had a while back and definitely wanted to give the chili a try. today was a perfect chili con carne kind of a day as winter always calls for comfort food with bold gutsy flavours. at around half two which is when i got there, there was quite a long queue. the steam that lifted from the oversized pan of chili was meaty and cumin spiked. the shack itself is an american fest complete with the flag from uncle sam's land. you can get a bowl o red from the most patriotic of states texas, and you can choose to 'pimp it up' with jalapeno corn bread. 

yum bun at eat street

up close and personal, veggie bun

assertive and meaty portobello mushroom tucked into the folds of a soft steamed bun. cucumber coins and crushed walnuts are added for texture and crunch. deep in the folded crease of the bun is a slick of miso glaze that adds sweetness. i would have liked a laquer of shiracha sauce not only for it's vivid heat but a bright spark of colour too. i missed out on it because the crew at yum bun were a little overwhelmed with the queue of people at eat street king's boulevard today.  

yum buns are comfort food redefined. they have a pleasing chewiness instantly collapsing in the mouth. it is small wonder that they are said to be pillow soft... the duo behind yum bun say that these buns were inspired by david chang whose famous pork buns at momofuku in new york are known to be sensational. i really wouldn't know about that simply because i haven't been myself and even if i did i don't eat pork. but i am very thankful for the vegetarian inspired yum bun as it is in a league of its own.  

hardcore prawn

indonesian crab bisque, hardcore prawn and black bean
sirloin steak skewers

there has been much ado about street-food this year which is nowhere near dissipating. the focus is now on specific locations in central london providing a home for mobile carts, vans and trailers so that more of us can try them out. the eat.st collective at the brand new king’s boulevard is the newest kid on the block. described as a micro-market, eat.st at kx is on from wednesday to friday. i was there last friday especially for hardcore prawn. had i been a couple of minutes late i would have missed the indonesian crab bisque. i got the last helping scraped clean from the bottom.

chatsworth road market

coupling bikes at chatsworth road market, e five

if autumn were a fragrance it would be a combination of musk and wood fire. it's tone would be a deep amber to imitate the changing colour of leaves. autumn is undoubtedly my favourite season of the year. today was the perfect autumn day and o and i spent it doing what we do best, eating. a quick overground ride led us to chatsworth road market in hackney. i was on my way there to eat some kimchi cult street food. as always, i've been following my palate around london. 

chatsworth road market is very much for the local area. it isn't crowded like other london markets and yet it is still quite busy. we did a round to find kimchi cult and waited patiently for the customer ahead of us to finish chatting with danny. kimchi cult's chatsworth road stall has three items on the menu: the bulgogi sub, the kblt and the pulled port and ginger slaw sub. i was a little disappointed about the absence of the kimchi slider but given that i love bulgogi was more than happy to settle on the sub. o for some reason decided to go healthy choosing the seeded roll. i stuck with the soft white roll whose soft texture is just the right counterpoint to the filling. the bulgogi sub is like a korean philly steak sandwich. the beef was soft and slightly caramelised on the edges. the slightly warm kimchi had a strong bite. i haven't had a soft white roll in so long and had forgotten how good it tastes. i must thank baba for introducing me to kimchi and bulgogi those many years ago in pakistan. 

danny assembling our bulgogi subs 

despite being quite full o and i decided to try the okonomiyaki from the stall next door. these thick japanese cabbage pancakes were a fusion version with the addition of cheddar cheese. the combination worked very well and in any case who doesn't like melted cheese. a drizzle of wasabi mayonnaise gives the kind of heat that makes your nostrils flare and the okonomiyaki glaze itself is fruity and sweet. what japanese and korean street food have in common is the multiple layers of flavours and textures that emerge. 

okonomiyaki

okonomiyaki stall at chatsworth road market

the making of the okonomiyaki

as if eating all that wasn't enough o and i then sat down at creperie du monde whose eclectic decor drew me into it. whoever did the interior here has really good taste. i loved the distressed leather sofas and empty frames to encompass blank wall space and break the monotony. o and i were almost tempted to order a belgian waffle but were openly very glad when the waitress failed to hear our request. i had an ice cream espresso which is creperie du monde's version of an affogato. o had his customary flatwhite. the espresso here is has a very assertive character with a slightly bitter nutty taste. the vanilla ice-cream had just the right mellow counter-point. as always o much preferred my order than his and ate a couple of generous spoonfuls. i definitely want to come back here for brunch sometime soon as the crepes looked very good!

glasses for water at creperie du monde

creperie du monde

pitstop cafe at berwick street market, soho

pitstop cafe

there is this mobile van on berwick street. if you want an absolute location it is on the corner of where berwick street meets broadwich street. it is on the side of the corner of yauatcha. it is a two person show called pitstop cafe and is run by carol and sing. pitstop cafe is at berwick street market from tuesday to friday but sometimes when life happens carol and sing tweet to tell you that they aren't in so it's best if you follow them on twitter @pitstopcafesoho. 

crêperie nicolas

my half of the galette 

i can say easily that some of the best food i have eaten this year has been street-food. i can also say that i have happily followed the trail of street-food and will go in search of it where necessary. a standard weekend favourite for o and i is the real food market at south bank. one of the regular traders crêperie nicolas is one that i've bookmarked for when the crepe craving arises. this last saturday london was ablaze with sunshine and heat when o and i met up with a and i at southbank. o and i were there to have brunch, a wanted a nibble and i needed something with a salty sharpness to blunt the rich sweet and delightful sicilian brioche breakfast at la gelatiera. i therefore enlisted a in sharing a galette. 

chula fused foods

vinod patel's indian burrito has finally arrived at a location closer to me. as of thursday september eighth chula fused food will be at covent garden market from eleven to seven pm. az and i have been waiting of the arrival and despite having a rather heavy work load made our way to covent garden on thursday afternoon to get ourselves some fusion burrito's. i must tell you now that we ate them on the run stopping only when we reached the very end of the burrito by which point we were at the edge of trafalgar square. passengers on a bus at the traffic light near trafalgar square stared at us as we negotiated the ends of our burrito's, surveying each other's clothes and mouths to make sure we had no stray remains on ourselves.

gujarati rasoi, exmouth market

i love exmouth market at lunch time. there is so much to choose from. it'll cater for the most fussy of food eaters as well. on my last visit there i felt like eating something  along the lines of curry. something with bold flavours and spices like cumin and coriander. after roaming around i settled on gujarati rasoi which is a vegetarian stall offering traditional home-cooked indian cuisine. the thali (which comes served in a brown box) will give you a substantial meal of rice with three curries of the day. 

whitecross street market

go was in classes second week of march to prepare for his cfa (chartered financial analyst) exam. his version of the acronym is much less kosher as it involves expletives and rude terms. his classes take place in the city near moorgate. the monday that he started was commonwealth day. as this is a privilege holiday for me i decided to meet my other half at whitecross street market for lunch.  by half past noon the street was full of professionals standing in long queues waiting to be served for lunch. there is quite a wide choice - vegetarian, indian, mexican, italian, spanish and middle eastern to name a few. i was quite tempted by the venison steak sandwiches. although i told o he should go ahead and get whatever he wanted to he decided to have the same. i sometimes don't understand why he lands up having things that he isn't very keen on. he doesn't like sandwiches or anything un-toasted. he much prefers hot things. 

foodlovers market soho

o was staying in to study for an upcoming imc exam so i decided to entertain myself by taking myself down to the foodlovers market in soho. it was past noon and i was concerned that i would have missed the best of it but it was still a buzz when i got there in the afternoon.

i walked around, trying little tid-bits. there were some seriously good and uber sweet cherry tomatoes at david emmett’s stall. the fosse meadows farm has bite sized pieces of rotisserie chicken with a cherry sauce in celebration of national cherry day. at hook and son’s the cream was thick and a really rich pale caramel. the food at madame gautier was beautiful to look at, the deep earthy tones of a beef confit, thick fish cakes with golden breadcrumbs and a colourful medley of salads glistening in their dressings. i tried two types of apple juice at moat farm kenton – one so incredibly sweet it was like honey and the other slightly tart like a granny smith. conscious foods had a range of power snacks which are guilt free and tasted so good that i am convinced it is not possible for them to be. combinations of poppy seeds and sesame seeds, some with nuts and molasses and others with agave – they were crunchy and satisfying, and they are ethical and sustainable too. at the brogdale farm stall i tried cherries that were a dark red-purple with a heady sweetness. i couldn’t resist buying a box. for lunch i had two risotto balls courtesy of the arancini brothers – essentially a cheesy and herby melting risotto held together on the outside in a thin slightly crispy shell. i could have eaten more but was really tempted by the cherry special baking treats at the outsider tart. i bought a dark chocolate and cherry brownie and took to queen’s square and sat in the company of a pigeon and ate (half of) it slowly. there is something about american bakers and brownies. they always manage to get the perfect texture. not too loose so that it’s cakey but not so tight that it is nothing but chewy. outsider tart’s brownie was seriously rich and decadent. a cultured and cosmopolitan brownie that was dark chocolate and melting chunks of milk chocolate with dark purple cherries. o had the other half with a nespresso cappuccino at home.

it’s a nifty little market, this one with something for both those who are there to buy produce and cheese and fruit and those who want something to eat then and there.

broadway market and a touch of snow

saturday afternoon found i, d, o and i at broadway market. what started off as a crisp winter day with a hint of snow got momentarily washed out by rather heavy rain making us run for cover. when the sun reasserted itself we all emerged from the bookshop to feed our rumbly tummies. the unanimous decision was burgers. a beef patty each in a soft white bun with grilled onions and if you want some stilton. there are big bottles full of ketchup, brown sauce, garden chutney and extra strong mustard to dress up the burger further. o went a little too easy on the mustard and suffered too peppery an experience. they were good burgers but, every time i have a burger in london i pine for an american one.

american burgers have a thick patty which is gloriously juicy and slightly medium rare served with a large slice of tomato, some gherkins and american mustard. o prefers his bun lightly toasted, for me it’s about the freshness. if the bun is absolutely fresh i am not fussed.  

we tasted the offerings from different stalls; an assortment of brownies from different stalls revealed different shades, textures and density of chocolate. there was a fabulous pesto perched on bite sized pieces of white bread. o went oil tasting whilst i tried pumpkin ravioli which despite being luke warm was luscious with the warmth of nutmeg and pumpkin. a chicken banh mi turned out to be disappointing whilst o, i and d loved their sugary vietnamese coffee. i indulged myself in a crepe with grand mariner that was handed to me with a full set of instructions and extra tissue to catch syrupy liqueur. we also had a winter warming spiced apple served hot with ginger or lemon.

borough in pictures

borough-ing thru food

a rather sunny friday afternoon found me at borough market. 

and that too after a long time - i and i had spent a fair amount of time here the year before when we were still at university and had enough time for leisure. i had forgotten how crowded and how delightful borough is. my timing didn't help as it coincided with lunch time and the market was full of suited booted men and women in a rush to grab the tempting array of sandwiches, burgers and wraps that can be found around this teeming food market. 

borough smells of grilled and cured meat, brine, fresh fruit, grilling onions, fish and chocolate simultanesouly. every food stall leaves its mark. at the veg shop i am wrapped in the smell of shiny oranges that are being juiced. i walk through brindisa with its smell of cured meats, the olive stalls smell briny and the olive oil ones of fruity virgin oils - outside the chartucurie i pause to take a picture of a pig shaped board displaying the menu. 

deciding what to eat is hard. i see people walking past with all manner of tempting wraps, juicy burgers and what not. at degustibus one of the servers is busy carving salt beef stuffing it into bread that has been slit around the middle to open its face. some one walks along with a steak sandwich. a man in corporate garb holds his burger at arms length in a bid to avoid the juices from ruining his clothes. i see a girl bite into steaming hot falafel that smells delicious. there is fresh pasta and gnocchi and bean burgers all in a row one after the other. i am getting hungrier and hungrier and more and more confused. 

in narrowing down my options there were two camps - if it was veggie then there was veggie burgers or falafel wraps with tahini. if it was meat then it could be a fish stew with open faced clams, a smoked prawn wrap, venison burgers or a chicken wrap. i vetoed the veggie option against the backdrop of the rich meaty smell that surrounded me. the chicken wrap option got elimated because it was going to take a twenty minute wait. the smoked prawn wrap was out on account of too much mayo [not a big mayo fan], fish stew was too messy and too big a serving - so it had to be a venison burger. what i got was a soft white bun with a really succulent venison patty accompanied by some really strong peppery mustard, grilled onions and ruby red cranberry sauce. i sat on the curb side almost infront of neal's yard diary and monmouth coffee. straying strands of sunlight fell on me as i ate my burger while breathing the smell of neal's yard cheese and whiffs of freshly ground coffee.

this is my idea of perfection and bliss.