Street Kitchen - Two-Bit - Playground and Proof - News

Tuesday 7th July - Back in March 2013 when (Matt) The List was just getting started, I discovered the magnificent Street Kitchen hatch at The Doodle Bar in Battersea.  Co-owner Mark Jankel was on site, creating this vine and banging out next-level burgers and rosemary fries for a Friday night crowd.  

Mark & Jun Tanaka have since spread their wings and airstreams to Devonshire Square and Broadgate Circle (Bermuda Triangle next?), and they have just opened up their first brick-and-mortar shop in the latter.  

Their brand new Broadgate Circle hangout is essentially a sandwich shop, with“restaurant know-how lovingly crammed between two slices of bread”.  Their gourmet sandwiches are mostly served by the inch (dangerous), alongside glorious salad boxes, Allpress coffee, and quality booze.  It makes Ottolenghi's Sesame look pretty lazy.

India Hells Lager from Camden Town Brewery at Street Kitchen's Sandwich Shop

When I dropped in at 8pm on a Tuesday eve, the shop was starting to wind down for the night (9pm closing time), but Mark was still there behind the NY deli-style counter, beaming away, and he instantly recalled our brief meeting in SW11 over two years ago.  Some people just have the hospitality / customer service thing nailed.

We sat outside to soak up the Broadgate Circle al fresco atmosphere and worked our way through four sandwiches and a salad in record time.  Veggies are well catered for with roasted broccoli or cauliflower options sold by the inch plus some tasty salads (spiced aubergine, butternut squash etc), but you don't want to skip the meaty treats.  

The hot roasted chicken sandwich (£5.75) with baby gem and tarragon mayo is simply incredible - order two. It's reminiscent of their Battersea Hatch Foghorn Leghorn chicken burger, with delicious pickled red onions common to both. 

Aside: My local rotisserie and deli Park Road Kitchen is also currently doing an awesome chicken sandwich with tarragon mayo lunch special (£5) on Wednesdays.

Roasted Chicken Sandwich with Baby Gem, Tarragon Mayo and Pickled Red Onions - served hot

We then devoured a Hot Smoked Salmon sandwich (£4.75) with pickled red cabbage and beetroot, and the Rare Roast Beef sandwich (£4.75 / 7 / 9.40 per inch) with caramelised onions, pickled cucumber, horseradish and watercress on focaccia.  The latter perhaps needs a little more of that rare roast beef (or less focaccia...no let's stick with more beef) to show off the high-quality meat that Mark has gone to great lengths to source from the mysterious Farmer Tom.

The home cured and smoked salmon salad (£5.50) with potatoes, watercress, pickled vegetables and DIY dill vinaigrette is generous and really showcases the outstanding salmon.  Hopefully the rare roast beef salad has an equally pleasing meat:veg ratio.  

Roasted Chicken, Roasted Broccoli and Hot Smoked Salmon Sandwiches

Rare Roast Beef & Horseradish sandwich sold by the inch - photo provided by Street Kitchen / Roche PR

Adding the Dill Vinaigrette to the Smoked Salmon Salad

Home-cured and smoked salmon with potatoes, watercress, pickled vegetables and dill vinaigrette 

I'll be back for the Salt Beef special, served on toasted challah bread with sweet mustard, pickled cucumber, pickled red cabbage and smokey mustard mayo. Sadly (and unsurprisingly), it was too popular to last through to the end of the day - perhaps I'll aim for 11am next time when the sandwiches are unveiled.  If you get there really early (7.30-10am), you can sample their short breakfast menu - save me a sausage brioche.

Whatever time of day you go, you'll be well looked after by the Street Kitchen team.  It's a simple space with bespoke wooden-crate style furniture, but there's some science to look out for inside, including a Roundup Vertical Toaster and a Roundup Egg Station which McDonald's fans might recognise. It only has three settings - Ready, Cooking and BACON. Can't go wrong.

Street Kitchen's al fresco seating

I'll definitely make the journey over to Broadgate Circle again soon for that chicken sandwich and some salt beef, but don't forget that Street Kitchen can also be found throughout the week in Battersea and Devonshire Square. They are quietly doing some of the best gourmet fast food in London. That's lunch.

Street Kitchen - www.streetkitchen.co.uk

The Shop Broadgate Circle, Broadgate Circle, EC2M 2BY

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After Street Kitchen, we wandered over to Brewdog Shoreditch to check out their renovated basement Two-Bit Bar, an all-American whiskey & beer bar with a few pinball and arcade machines. It's early days, but it's a shadow of its former self, Underdog, which held a special place in my heart for being part of my first ever blog post.  The new décor is incredibly lazy, the atmosphere has disappeared, and the beers (though interesting) are overpriced (even if they are American imports). Two-Bit by name, Two-Bit operation by nature. You are better off upstairs. 

London hasn't really figured out how to do arcade / gaming bars yet - Peckham's Four Quarters ain't too shabby but it's a far cry from New York's Barcade and Chicago's Emporium.  I expected a lot more from Brewdog - I'll be sticking to the Shepherd's Bush outpost for the time being.  Let me know if Two-Bit improves.

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Thursday 2nd July - A few days earlier we ventured to London Fields for the launch of Playground and Proof, a new weekend market (Playground) and all-year round rooftop bar (Proof) making use of the courtyard and roof terrace of the Hothouse building on Martello Street.

I haven't seen the Playground market in full swing yet, but you can expect fine food from The Cheese Truck and Milo & Hector's Ice Cream Sandwiches, and all sorts of treasures and treats from the likes of Grandirosa (flowers), Mini Mini Yeah Yeah (bits and bobs) and Kartel Music (vinyl). Read more on the traders here.  

Be sure to visit Bolt - a permanent fixture in Arch 3 with custom bikes, motorcycle inspired products, in-house BBQ and Volcano coffee in an uber-cool space.

Bolt - Photo by Mihail Jershov © - www.mjstudio.co.uk

Up on the Hothouse rooftop, past the Coppa cabanas, Proof is a stylish little cocktail bar overlooking London Fields and Pub on the Park (another great local sun trap).  The back bar is small but perfectly formed with the likes of Quiquiriqui Mezcal and Cocchi Di Torino doing the job.  

Go for the Mezcal Tommy's Margarita slushie, or keep it simple with a Quiquiriqui Matatlan Mezcal & Fentiman's Tonic for boozy summer refreshment. Or a Negroni of course. Alternatively, you've got Five Points Pale on tap, and cheese & cider tastings from The Cider Box to keep you happy.  

As it's in London Fields rather than say Trafalgar Square, this is one rooftop bar that will hopefully never be too rammed.  It's well worth finding on a sunny day.  Also, look out for Cineast Sunday movie nights coming soon on the roof.

Playground & Proof - playgroundandproof.com

Field Works, Martello Street, London Fields, E8 3QW

Rooftop Bar - Thu/Fri 6pm-11pm & Sat/Sun 12pm-11pm

Courtyard Market - Sat/Sun 10am-6pm

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If you are in need of food nearby, you might want to check out Patty & Bun's new arch (brunch looks pretty awesome).  Or make a day (and night) of it with the likes of Som Saa, E5 Bakery, Cock Tavern, Look Mum No Hands, Rita's and Kansas Smitty's nearby.

If you are in the market for ... more markets, Hackney Drinks Market (currently having a Summer break) and Druid Street Market are at the top of my to-do list, and early reports have been very positive.  Netil Market is always fantastic, and handily just round the corner from Playground & Proof. Check out ºPlato Brewing & Supplies, one of London's smallest breweries, and the Netil 360 rooftop which is no longer requires membership.

Druid Street Market - Saturdays 9am-4pm - Druid Street, SE1 2HH - www.druid.st

Hackney Drinks Market - Hackney Downs Studios, E8 2BT - www.hackneydrinksmarket.com

Netil Market - Saturdays 11am-6pm, 13-23 Westgate street, E8 3RL - netilmarket.tumblr.com

Netil 360 Rooftop - Mon-Sun - 1 Westgate Street, E8 3RL - netil360.com

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As the sun set, we moved on for a couple more drinks at Peg + Patriot and Joyeux Bordel, two of our regular haunts.  James Stevenson and Adrien Russotto looked after us as always in each establishment, showing off new creations alongside some classics.  

Drinks are always stellar at Peg + Patriot, and some new additions to the menu are rather special:

- Flex Riiiite - Kamm & Sons, P+P Smoked "Lilt" on Draught

- No Sir'ee - Rye Whiskey, Pineapple, French Vermouth, Disarmed Tabasco

- Kill or Cure - Strong Rye Whiskey, Lemon, Egg White, Absinthe, Espresso Oil

- Old Man & The Sea - Mezcal, Aperol, Maraschino, Grapefruit, Seaweed, Samphire Salt

- P+P Seasonal G&T - Gin distilled on site with Lemon Verbena, Peashoots and Tarragon

Vesgroni - P+P Campari Vodka, Gin, Vermouth, Konik's Tail - Peg + Patriot

Ella + Vesgroni at Peg + Patriot

Old Man & The Sea - Mezcal, Aperol, Maraschino, Grapefruit, Seaweed, Samphire Salt - at Peg + Patriot

Jolly Mess - Vulson White Rhino Rye, Eaux de vie de Poire, Antica Formula, Cardamom Syrup, Mozart Dark - Joyeux Bordel

A boozy Mezcal & chocolate creation from Adrien Russotto at Joyeux Bordel

P+P's "Talented Mr Fox" Matt Whiley is keeping himself busy creating cocktail menus for some of the hottest restaurants in town including Story, Fera and The Marksman, and he'll soon be taking up residence at The Lockhart's new Showdown bar when it launches in August.  

He's also got dibs on the drinks lists at Lockhart's upcoming BBQ joint Shotgun, and the Sethi's new Hoppers project, both of which are bound to be big hits. Hopefully I'll make it into some of those soon and report back on Matt's cocktails.

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Last but not least, I've just been made aware of this awesome Yelp competition called Yelp's Big Night In which you are going to want to enter.  Details are below.

It's a party at your place, and you're the only one invited!

On Friday, July 31st, Yelp will be running the first ever YELP'S BIG NIGHT IN! Who wouldn't want to be fed, pampered and taken care of, for free, all from your own home, in the comfort of your PJs! 

THE NIGHT WILL INCLUDE: 

- Free food delivered by Deliveroo!

- Free wine delivered by Mr. Vine!

- Free laundry picked up and delivered right to your door from Laundrapp!

- Your home beautifully cleaned by Hassle, for free!

- Anything you want, picked up and delivered by Quiqup! 

- A service of your choice from Bizzby! We'd suggest free therapeutic massages, but if you need an errand run or want a personal trainer session before cracking into all that food, they can make that happen too!

To be in with a chance of winning, click on this link and follow the simple steps.  Yelp will be choosing 30 winners next week to all participate on the same night.

Pachamama - The Bayou - BYOC

Thursday 16th October - Now, I've never been to Peru, but I did go to Lima a couple of weeks ago.

On top of that, I have now encountered Pachamama ("Mother Earth") herself, so that must make me a bit of an expert, no?  

That just leaves Andina, Lima Floral, Coya and the 10 other Peruvian foodie hangouts that have probably opened whilst I was writing this sentence.   I'm not complaining.

Across the room, my well-travelled flatmate reminds me that Elephant & Castle was dishing out Latin American cuisine long before Ceviche & co. turned up.  It's probably worth brushing up on your Spanish before venturing to the likes of Sabor Peruano & Emanuel though.

Pachamama just pipped Senor Ceviche to the finishing post, opening up in Marylebone a week before their Peruvian friends arrived in Soho.  Blink and you'll miss the tiny entrance on Thayer Street. Downstairs is no small affair though with 120 covers and a spacious bar, neatly described by Hot Dinners as looking like "a faded colonial home, lived in by an eccentric Peruvian family".

Small Peruvian plates with a British twist beckoned, but first they had to pass the Pisco test.  Papa's Pisco (Lemon, egg white, Amargo Chuncho & Pisco - £7) got the thumbs up, though it wouldn't be out of place on the dessert menu.  Other interesting concoctions (all £8.50) include Piñamama (Pineapple-infused Pisco, Dead Rabbit Orinoco bitters, orange curaçao, maraschino cherry), Fig Flores (Blanco Tequila, homemade fig preserve, lime, vanilla syrup, pistachio), and Comrade Artemio (Rum, Campari, homemade mandarin-vermouth marmalade).

It took me a little while to notice that we were seated next to a DJ - not something you expect in a restaurant, but they manage to pull it off here.  A little lower lighting would have suited the music, but there was a real buzz in the air.

Our cheerful waiter recommended ordering three savoury plates each, which is usually code for "two will do".  Ceviche arrived first:

- Wild Cornish sea bass, samphire, radish, sweet potato, tiger’s milk - £10

- Devonshire sea trout, watercress, beetroot, bleeding tiger’s milk - £9

- Squid, prawns, mussels, culantro, palm sugar, devil’s milk - £9

We were accurately warned that dishes would be "a little bit tiny" but I can't fault the cooking.  The seabass with crunchy radish and sweet potato was a particular highlight for me.

Wild Cornish sea bass, samphire, radish, sweet potato, tiger's milk

All the Ceviche

Soon our table was bursting with plates from the Robata and Josper Grill sections, plus one salad for good measure. 

- Flamed Octopus, purple potato, capers, crispy shallots - £8

- Blackened herb-fed chicken, grilled corn, lime, wild oregano (2pcs) - £8

- Josper-fired artichokes, purple-sprouting broccoli, fennel, smoked aji, Berkswell cheese - £7

- Crispy lamb belly, miso, green aji sauce - £12

- “Duck on rice” - £10

The smoky octopus was a great success, but in truth everything disappeared equally quickly.  Much like at Arabica Bar & Kitchen in Borough, the menu is packed with winning dishes but the bill does mount up quite quickly.  A table of four will get you a taste of a fair amount, though some of the plates struggle to stretch to four decent mouthfuls.  Perhaps Mama's tasting menu at £35/head is the way to go.

Enjoying the atmosphere, we stuck around for dessert:

- Chocolate fondant, brittle, salted peanut ice cream - £6.50

- Almond milk panna cotta, passion fruit, white chocolate - £6.50

I only ordered the latter as everyone else ordered the chocolate fondant, but was pleasantly surprised by the result.  I'm not normally one for wobbly puddings, but this example of the genre had a bit more body to it, and passion fruit and white chocolate make a great team.  As for the chocolate fondant, Angharad was almost reduced to tears of joy, bringing back memories of a similar effort at Coya.

Almond milk panna cotta, passion fruit, white chocolate

Pachamama has all the right ingredients to become a big hit.  Three hours flew by in their capable hands, and I would happily return for some more ceviche and emotional chocolate fondants.

Tuesday 28th October - From South America to the Deep South - Inverness Street in Camden is home to The Bayou, a new hotspot for creole cooking and live music.

We started with some cocktails (on happy hour before 7pm) from their standalone bar.  Bacon & Maple Old Fashioned went down very easily and was slightly more successful than an Espresso twist on a Pisco Sour which was an acquired taste.  Hard shakes are also available though you may want to wait til dessert for those.

Bacon & Maple Old Fashioned (photo from Bayou website)

Manager Jonathan saw us struggling to come to a decision on the food front and took charge, offering to bring us a selection of his favourite dishes instead.  He returned a few minutes later with BBQ Shrimps & Biscuit, and Fried Calamari with Hush Puppies.  Now, if you haven't done your Creole homework, this is when you turn to the "Southern Terminology" section of Bayou's menu:

Biscuit - yeast raised fluffy flour balls similar to unsweetened scones

Hush Puppies - fried cornmeal batter

Got it? Good.  The shrimp (or king prawns) were smothered in a tasty sauce of white wine, garlic and chillies, and were cutely presented in a pan.  Meanwhile "Creole" squid with a delicate & delicious batter was served with spring onions, chillies & lime chipotle.  

I realise I've used the word creole too many times already - for those of you that aren't familiar with the term, it is a style of cuisine from Louisiana that brings together many influences including French, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian cooking.  We're talking lots of beans, rice and citrus - think Jambalaya, Gumbo, Catfish, Collard Greens, Beignets etc.  

At this point you should watch this YouTube video on New Orleans that I found on Bayou's Facebook page from a highly entertaining series called "Fuck, That's Delicious" - email readers will need to head to the full site to see the video.  Warning: NSFW - there are expletives every other word.

Still with me? For mains, Jonathan brought us a heartwarming pot of Shrimp & Chicken Jambalaya (similar to paella) and a heartstopping Bayou Platter - 3 smoked barbecued chicken wings, half a rack of Bourbon ribs, skinny fries, coleslaw and biscuits.  Just as the moreish meat was falling off the bone and in to my face, a pianist took the stage to set the mood.  

Full but not finished, we made our own decisions for dessert, opting for a Banana Pie with Almond Biscotti, and a classic Mississippi Mud Pie.  Both plates were rather photogenic, but they were soon empty.

Despite not being full, there was a fun atmosphere at The Bayou on a Tuesday night.  I can see this being a top spot for Christmas parties this year for locals.  They have competition from the likes of Lockhart & The Fat Bear on the food front, and NOLA rules the New Orleans cocktail roost, but there's still plenty of room for creole cuisine in London.

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A short walk in the direction of Mornington Crescent (I win!) brought us to BYOC Camden, the third outpost for this conceptual bar chain that actually deserves the oft misused "speakeasy" moniker. Long term readers may remember my write-up of the Covent Garden site - I loved the atmosphere and the premise, but the bartending just wasn't up to scratch.  As that's such an easy problem to fix, I was more than happy to give BYOC another go.

I should explain, BYOC stands for Bring Your Own Cocktail.  What they really mean is Bring Your Own Spirits, Liqueurs, Fizz, Beer (BYOSLFB?) - don't turn up with hip-flask Negronis and jugs of Mint Julep, that's their job.  For £25, you get 2 hours of dedicated creative mixology from the bartenders at your station, making use of the booze you have brought and the treasure trove of homemade syrups, bitters, juices etc that they keep stashed away behind the bar.  

In Covent Garden, there were four tiny tables and a bloke with a trolley.  In Camden, there is room for 50 cocktail lovers in an atmospheric drinking den complete with incense, blackjack & roulette tables, and 20s jazz.  Our hosts for the evening, Jill & Davide, were suitably dressed for the part.

N.B. All but one of the photos below were provided by BYOC - my camera couldn't cope with the darkness on this occasion.

Now, I'm a bit of a hoarder of alcohol, especially miniatures, so the BYOC system suits me down to the ground.  Angharad popped a bottle of Dalwhinnie 15 on the table.  I whipped out Johnnie Walker Black Label, Laphroaig 10, Moonshine Kid Dogs Nose Gin, Angostura 5yo Rum, Luxardo Maraschino, Grand Marnier, Ocult Pisco, Cava, Port, Mozart Chocolate Bitters and the world's tiniest Angostura Bitters, just in case they weren't allowed anything with even a hint of booze.  A slight improvement on the couple next to us who had brought Smirnoff & Bacardi...

Jill set to work, with the occasional input from Davide who was looking after a larger group to our left.  Here's how the next two hours went:

- Trinidad Sour - a twist on a Pisco Sour with 1/3 Angostura Bitters and a homemade shrub

- Blue Moon - an Aviation twist with Dogs Nose Gin, Maraschino & a blue curacao syrup

- Chocolate Orange Old Fashioned with Dalwhinnie, Mozart, Grand Marnier & a dash of almond

- Another Aviation twist, this time with cucumber and cassis

- Passionfruit Daiquiri with a subtle chilli kick using Angostura 5yo

- Laphroaig Sour - bold, smokey, divisive, awesome

- Pisco Sour with a hibiscus shrub to finish

Davide in action

They have a great array of glassware and garnishes that were lacking in Covent Garden, and they aren't afraid to mix it up with punch bowls and Tiki drinks depending on the crowd.  Jill clocked early on that we were serious about our drinks, and kept things strong & sour.  It may be different when they are at capacity, but the service was efficient and personal at the same time.  And, as it turns out it was Jill's first shift - she absolutely smashed it.

One dimly lit photo from me - proof of our visit!

Sadly we eventually had to venture back out to the 21st Century but I should expect it won't be too long before we time travel again.  Now they have top bartenders, BYOC is a unique and fantastic London bar experience that everyone should get on board with.  And help them out - take some interesting booze along, you'll still have plenty to take home with you afterwards and your cocktails will be all the better for it.

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Whilst I'm on a Camden roll, I should just point you in the direction of the Camden Town Brewery fun going on next week (3-9 November). To mark the launch of a new India Hells Lager (an IPA lager hybrid), they are running a week long Temple of IHL popup at 205 Royal College St, NW1, with different events everyday.  Scroll down for more details (and a quirky stop motion animation for non-email readers):

"IPA is resurrected as Lager! Join us for a week of celebration at our pop-up Temple of IHL. Tickets available now.

On the first day… Monday 3rd November

BLESSED BE THE HOME BREWERS: Calling all home brewers! Learn how we make IHL and help us brew a mini batch on our 50L pilot brew kit. Plus, bring along a bottle of your own brew for our Camden Beer Gods to taste! 6pm for a 6:30pm start. Tickets are £10 and include beer and pizza. Get yours now.

On the second day… Tuesday 4th November

OUR GOOD LORD LAGER: Camden Brewing Director Alex Troncoso preaches the good word of lager with the aim of bringing non-believers over to the light side. You will leave converted. 7pm for a 7:30pm start, £10 tickets, including 3 beers. Reserve here.

On the third day… Wednesday 5th November

THE ART OF CRAFT: Beer & Illustration, a match made in heaven. Hallowed designers and illustrators ponder the liquid muse. 7pm for a 7:30pm start, £10 tickets, including beer and an IHL t-shirt. Book now.

On the fourth day… Thursday 6th November

FULL MOON PARTY: We celebrate the coming of IHL with an evening of bacchanalian beer worship open to a chosen few. Buy tickets to any of our other events this week and you’ll automatically be entered in a prize draw to win a pair of invites. 7-11pm, guest list only.

On the fifth day… Friday 7th November

THE FEAST OF IHL: Eat, drink and be merry with a four-course Sabbath banquet created to glorify IHL! Praise be! Chef and menu to be announced later this week, spaces are limited so register your interest now.

On the sixth day… Saturday 8th of November

FESTIVAL OF CANS: We come together with our brothers in aluminium to celebrate all things can-shaped. Tastings throughout the day with beers from Beavertown, Brewdog, Fourpure, Ska, Oskar Blues and more! 12-6pm, Free entry.

On the seventh day… Sunday 9th of November

DAY OF REST."