Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town - Wigwambam - Kimchinary

It's been a slow week venturing out for The List thanks to another fun London tube strike, so I'm considering spending next week in Dawlish or Sochi to get away from it all.  Who's with me?

Friday 31st January - In a simpler time, when certain employees of TFL decided to actually do their job, I made my way over to Liverpool Street to try out a few places, starting with a trip to see the Mayor.

The Breakfast Club started life in Soho back in 2005 but has since spread its wings to Angel, Hoxton, Spitalfields and Battersea.  The Spitalfields branch was the first to get on the speakeasy train with their hidden bar, The Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town.  When it first opened, you needed to ask to see the Mayor before being led through a Smeg Fridge to the downstairs bar but this formality seems to have disappeared over time.  

Depending on when you arrive, you may face a short wait in The Breakfast Club itself (which is one good looking place), or if you time it really badly, a queue around the block!  The Breakfast Club gets extremely busy for weekend brunch, so The Mayor opens up from 12pm on Saturdays & Sundays to serve more brunch behind the fridge - a late weekend afternoon might be your best bet for getting in straight away.

We rocked up at 6.30 last Friday and there was only standing space available, but before too long we squeezed into two seats at the bar - the only place one should ever sit in a cocktail bar.  Not only do you get the most out of the entertaining bartenders, you also get the best view of the eye-catching decor.

Cocktails are £9 with the exception of the £11 King Yellowman's Answer which won the Rumfest 2012 cocktail competition with its tempting mix of pineapple, Blackwell rum, pear juice, lime juice and coffee, topped off with a flaming, over-proof rum filled scotch bonnet.  Click here to see Mayoress Kate Jackson take you through the recipe.  

Golden Hind was an interesting blend of Kamm & Son's (Gingseng spirit), gin, lemon, red grapes, sage, ginger and fresh apple.  Our entertaining barman gleefully added in The King's Ginger liqueur in the absence of fresh ginger, but to be honest it could have done with even more booze as it was almost too drinkable.  A refreshing Spitalfields Spritz with Aperol, coriander, bitter lemon and Prosecco also disappeared very quickly.  I highly recommend Tommy's Chilli & Lemongrass Margarita having had it previously elsewhere.  I might go for the chicken-filtered mezcal next time I'm in.

For the most part, the cocktail list is simple but solid, allowing the buzzing atmosphere to take centre stage. Get in early on weekdays (it opens at 5pm), order some of the Mayor's cat food, and don't forget to leave via the My Little Pony / He-Man wallpapered toilets to preserve the hidden entrance feel.

If you want The Breakfast Club cocktails without the worry of waiting, try out The King of Ladies Man in Battersea, their relaxed 70s bachelor pad bar tucked away behind a fake laundrette -great for disco drinks, interesting bottled beers, and any food that revolves around cheese (order the Smokey Joe Mac n Cheese). Watch this space for details on their next branch in London Bridge which will be opening soon complete with a tequila-driven "Mr Lucky" bar somewhere inside.

For our second stop, I decided to revisit one of my favourite popups from 2013 - Wigwambam on the roof of Queen of Hoxton.  If you make it past the unnecessary bouncer, through the sticky ground floor and up several flights of stairs, you will be rewarded with one of London's coolest (and hottest) hangouts.  It gets pretty busy, but if you can't pack into the boiling wigwam (heated by a massive central BBQ) then you can spill out on to the attractive open air rooftop space.

It is almost identical to last year's popup with the addition of some Nordic inspired "Eastern Lights" visuals which are projected on to the interior and exterior of the wigwam. Hot drinks are still good value at £5.50 / £6 - sadly there was Pumpkin Spiced Cider left, but hot buttered rum and hot gin punch hit the spot.  Every day something different is cooked on the central BBQ, and the Crispy Pork Leg with Chestnut and Herb Stuffing smelled fantastic.  You can also get yourself 5 marshmallows for a pound to roast over the open fire.

The Wigwambam website has this mysterious message:

"If you have a keen eye, be prepared to unearth a discovery of your own elsewhere on the rooftop. Explorer, Arthur Lane has made his mark on the Queen of Hoxton and it’s up to you to tweet your findings for fellow pioneers to uncover too..."  

I'm pretty sure this amounts to free drinks tokens hidden around the tent - let me know if you find any!  The website also states that there are several "Drink and Do" events including spoon carving, pinhole photography, speed listening (?), pumpkin carving and origami workshops - check the Facebook site for details.  Even more exciting, you can hire the whole place out by sending an email to jennie@mothershipgroup.com

We resisted the crispy pork leg and made our way over to the Catch Bar at the Hoxton end of Kingsland Road.  Catch is a lively little bar which is making a name for itself with top food residencies.  All last year, Death by Burrito were in the house serving up contemporary Mexican street food alongside a Ryan Chetiyawardana (White Lyan) cocktail list.  Now the keys to the kitchen have been handed over to KERB regulars Kimchinary for at least 3 months, every Wednesday-Sunday.

Hanna Soderlund is the crafty chef behind Kimchinary and has brought her popular Korean / Mexican tacos and some exciting side dishes to Shoreditch.  Meanwhile Catch have put on a flavour paired drinks menu of Korean Soju and British Craft Beers.  We had to wait a few minutes for a table, so we started off with pints of the local Pressure Drop Pale Fire and resisted the urge not to belt out some of the wonderfully cheesy tunes that Catch were playing.

As soon as we were seated we got stuck into the tacos (£6 for two) which arrived almost as soon as we ordered them! Each one is a work of art but you won't be able to look at them for long without stuffing them in your face. We all went for different approaches for minimising mess but this is not a knives & forks meal. We started with Gojuchang Pulled Pork with apple & sesame coleslaw, house kimchi and chives.  This ended up being our favourite and the portions got bigger and bigger as we ordered more!   

Best looking taco of the night goes to the Buttermilk Fried Squid with celeriac & radicchio remoulade and kimchi guacamole - delicious.  

The "Bulgogi" Ox Cheek and Tongue taco with radish kimchi, blackened spring onion and horseradish wasn't as photogenic, but it was no less tasty.  Dukbokki was the standout side option - a sweet and spicy bowl of squishy gnocchi-esque Korean rice cakes with rainbow chard and rainbow shallots.  The Kimchi Chimichanga was also superb - don't be put off by the "mini burrito" description, the portion size is generous for a £4.50 side.

We washed all of Hanna's wonderful creations down with various craft beers, including the fine trio pictured above - Five Points Pale, Crate Golden Lager and Beavertown 8 Ball.  As it was a Friday night, many seemed to be just in for drinks but hopefully got peckish after a couple of beverages.  The food arrives so quickly that you can just keep ordering as you go.  The Catch Bar waitresses were very efficient and friendly, as was Hanna who we had a couple of chats with.  

Special mention has to go to one excellent member of Catch staff who was very helpful moving us around to different tables as our numbers expanded, and even did a little dance number for us to demonstrate that they were clearing space on the dance floor.  They certainly have some bizarre customers to deal with, including a couple who decided a busy bar was the best place to have sex, and a pushy pair who tried to nip in and sit on our table when we were standing over it.

Anyway, go and check out Kimchinary at Catch Bar (Wednesday-Sunday) as soon as you can - 3 months will fly by before you know it.  You can also find Hanna and her team at Kerb street food events.

Frank's Cafe - Rooftop Film Club at Bussey Building & Queen of Hoxton

Sunday 30th June - Many people are aware of Peckham's myriad delights, but some are still fairly terrified. Fear not, The List has done a recce for you and I can happily give you the all clear, as long as you are ok with walking up to the top of a multi storey car park.  On the roof you will find Frank's Cafe which has been running for a few years now as part of the Bold Tendencies art project.  Bold Tendencies makes use of the top four floors of the car park and is free to visit from 11am to 11pm, Wednesday-Sunday, until 30th September.  There aren't many signs to comfort you on your way up the car park, but have faith and you will be rewarded.  Peckham Rye is incredibly easy to reach via the Overground, but this wasn't working so we were instead slow-cooked on the 345 for an hour.  Keep an eye out for Multi-Storey who put on incredible one off orchestral concerts each year in the car park - see the video below (which just won Best Documentary at the SE15 Young Filmmakers Competition - made by Joanna Beaufoy).

It was the opening night of Frank's and the weather was fantastic, which sadly meant that there were far too many people up there.  There seemed to be a single file line for the bar which wasn't moving at any great speed and we were thirsty, so we didn't hang around for long.  The drinks are affordable (hard t turn down a £5 Negroni) and there is good looking food on offer as well.  The 360 degree views are spectacular, and once the sun starts setting, it is hard to tear yourself away.  Luckily, our next stop was another rooftop that was even higher than Frank's, and about two doors down!

Luke, Natalie, Lauren and I made our way to the Bussey Building otherwise known as The CLF Art Café for Rooftop Film Club.  The Bussey Building has all sorts going on with music, theatre, dance, film and comedy events lined up.  On our way up to the roof, we were passed by a rowdy bunch of villagers who were uprising against the sexual tyranny of their feudal Lord - this turned out to be the cast and audience of Fuente Ovejuna mid-performance.  We were delighted to find the rooftop nearly empty with street food courtesy of Route 66, a bar with a happy hour still on, and enough deck chairs for everyone.  It is worth getting their early to bag your seats for the film to ensure that you can sit together, rather than to get a good view which isn't an issue.  We grabbed some drinks and food and took in the incredible views of the London skyline.  You can see everything from Battersea Power Station to the O2 with the London Eye, St.Pauls, The Shard and The Gherkin (plus Frank's Cafe!) in between.  The Californian style street food was tasty, if a little inefficient - it's the first time I have been served a King Prawn as an accompaniment to a burger.

As the sun started to set, we collected our headphones and slankets (a blanket with arm holes) for the showing of Zoolander, which was due to start as soon as the sun had sufficiently set.  The wireless headphones that you may have used before at silent discos are an excellent idea and work perfectly.  The slankets are definitely necessary even on a hot evening as the wind really picks up.  You are allowed to be on the rooftop just to use the bar before the film, but you will be sent back down once it starts.

We started to notice that the organisers looked a little flustered and were running around a lot.  It then materialised that the projector had broken, and that their only option was to get another one brought in as quickly as possible.  A few people left who probably didn't fancy leaving Peckham on a night bus on a Sunday evening at midnight, but most people stuck around and enjoyed the sunset some more. It is a truly beautiful place to watch the sunset, and it is worth paying the ticket price even if you aren't interested in the film! They did well to get a projector in fairly quickly, but were hilariously slow at getting it to work. Eventually the whole audience joined in with some backseat driving as they managed to flip the image upside down and back to front, and there was a huge cheer when it was finally corrected.  We were all given free popcorn and half price drinks to make up for the delay, and settled down to watch the ludicrous Zoolander at about 10pm.  

Monday 8th July - A week later, I went to try out one of Rooftop Film Club's other venues with flatmates Ali and Maggie on top of the Queen of Hoxton in Shoreditch.  During the winter this rooftop was home to Wigwambam, but during the summer months it becomes a rooftop garden.  Due to its location, it gets ridiculously busy which doesn't compare well to the Peckham branch.  The majority of people there were not staying for the film, and so the chairs weren't laid out beforehand.  Not knowing this we arrived early to bag seats, but this isn't necessary.  Turn up at 8.30 when they start to kick people out and rearrange the seating. The audience is cordoned off while they sort everything out - this is when you need to position yourself to get the best view!  The seats were like film set director chairs as opposed to deck chairs, and there were only blankets rather than slankets which again made me long for the Bussey Building, and the view of people working in their offices doesn't compare very well at all.  That said, they at least had a working projector, and when it comes down to it, it is still exciting and atmospheric to watch a film on a roof in the open air. Go for the Bussey Building if you can, but the other venues would still be worth going to if Peckham is sold out or doesn't take your fancy.  They have venues in Kensington, Ealing and Hackney at the moment, and seem to be expanding quickly.

In other news, I went to Punchdrunk's The Drowned Man : A Hollywood Fable last night, and it was superb.  I will write more about it at a later date, but for the moment, trust me and go and buy some tickets to this wonderful, immersive, promenade style piece of theatre that is set across four floors of an old postal building in Paddington.

Queen of Hoxton Summer Rooftop - Dead Man's Hand

Sunday 26th May - Day 2 of entertaining Anglo-American Parisians in London started a little later than Day 1, with late nights at O'Neils and masked balls starting to take their toll.  The plan was to meet them at 2pm on the new summer rooftop at the Queen of Hoxton (where Wigwambam was during winter), along with a totally different bunch of American students who are over for a couple of months.  I was 10 minutes late and found my two groups (who had no knowledge of the other) already sitting at opposite ends of the rooftop like kids at some awkward school disco.  Eventually we managed to squeeze on to one table and enjoy the chillout atmosphere altogether on the rooftop.  The sun came out, BBQ food was devoured, and Pimms and pints were consumed.  I don't know if they are planning any frozen drinks that are mentioned on the website, but it had only been open for two days.  It got very busy as the afternoon wore on, so get there early if you don't want to sit on the "grass" floor.

Aside from just the regular bar and BBQ, the QoH rooftop has other tricks up its sleeve.  Rooftop Film Club is running fun evening film screenings (scrape up any remaining tickets here) with headphones and drinks on various nights throughout the summer.  If those are sold out, there are other showings in Peckham, Kensington and London Fields coming up too.  

The Queen of Hoxton also has one off events on the rooftop - I am very excited about their alternative Sports Day taking place on July 6th that I have bought a team ticket for.  The games will include Beer Pong, Rock Paper Scissors, Limbo and Frying Pan Ping-Pong, with retro sports clothing encouraged.  What's not to love?

I had to leave Tim and the gang for a few hours as I had booked something else that afternoon a couple of months ago.  Tim is a natural List adventurer anyway and took them up the Oxo Tower (it was Miranda's birthday after all) and then for a Brick Lane curry so they did well in my absence.  I sped off to Farringdon to meet Natalie, Mary and Joe for a mad, interactive murder mystery poker-themed adventure called Dead Man's Hand run by A Door in a Wall.

We were told to meet from 17.00 at Grand Union in Farringdon which had been transformed into the Underhand Poker Club.  We were greeted by the shady club owner who showed us to a table where chips and playing cards were laid out.  Here we had time to come up with a team name - we went for Bowling Mums in reference to a TV show called The Amazing Race which involves teams running around the world solving clues.  We also read about the murder and character back stories, checked out the final hand of the deadly poker game and researched the locations for clues given in a handout before the start time at 18.00.  Just before the kickoff, there was a staged scene as an inspector barged in to the club and threatened to close down the club if we didn't find the killer for him.  It was all pretty silly, but set the tone well.  We rushed out on to the empty streets of Farringdon and methodically worked our way through all the clues.

There were all sorts of comedy set pieces that we had to get involved in, including some makeshift surgery, some amateur surveillance work and a spot of minigolf (or Mini G as we were told to refer to it as).  Otherwise we were solving little puzzles, spotting hidden clues or waiting for phone boxes to ring.  We were constantly bumping in to other teams working their way around, but it was never too congested as there were so many routes to take.  Thankfully it was a nice evening - it would be a fairly unpleasant experience in the rain as we were outdoors for the majority of our 2.5 hours of sleuthing.  Here are some of their photos from the event as I was too wrapped up in it all to take any good ones!

We made our way back to Grand Union to piece it all together and write up our report on all of the suspects.  We had missed one clue but luckily had enough to come up with a reasonably good explanation for it all.  The majority of the clues were fairly straightforward which could perhaps be improved, and I would happily have spent more time wandering around working stuff out.  Previous games from A Door in a Wall have lasted the whole day, hopefully another will come along soon.  We assumed that everyone had come to the same conclusion as us, and probably in more detail.  We were therefore pleasantly surprised when we were announced as the winners!  We were given a trophy, some chocolates and a free tour of London voucher to redeem at some point.  A great victory for Team List / Bowling Mums.  Keep your eyes peeled for future games.

Pleasure Rooms?

Team List Leader with the Dead Man's Hand trophy

I made my way back over to Old Street to reunite with the Parisians (plus some London extras) who had been currying on Brick Lane.  My initial plan was to try out the new Nola Bar but it was sadly shut for a couple of days so we went back to Underdog - the hidden beer-cocktail bar underneath Brewdog.  This was the second place (after to Meat Liquor) to make The List in my first proper post a few months ago.  They have extended the excellent beer cocktail menu - I'm always a big fan of puns and "Agave Maria" (with hickory smoked pineapple) is a good'un.

I also couldn't resist popping in to Beigel Bake again on the way to the bus stop, only to discover that they were out of salt beef with no more arriving for at least 90 minutes.  Miranda's request for a birthday cake didn't go down too well with the slightly terrifying lady behind the counter, and she was given a pretty substandard brownie instead.  However my 30p apple strudel was worth every penny!  We made our way our way back to Liverpool Street and prepared for the London night bus experience.  Mine ended up nearly empty with one man DJing for the whole bus using his phone, whereas the others had the opposite, totally packed, standing in the aisle version.  I didn't see Tim again as he was off to a Stag do the next day but I agreed to meet the girls at midday under the clock at Waterloo for the Real Street Food Festival.

Monday 27th May - Day 3 - I didn't really think through that Shannon and Miranda wouldn't know which clock I meant, so we spent 15 minutes or so waiting in different places before finally heading over to Southbank together to fill up on tasters from Real Street Food Festival - the next one is 23-26 August.  I went to the same festival a couple of months ago (read more here) so I'll be brief.  We worked our way around a lot of the stalls, including some old favourites and some new faces - 

Anna Mae's Mac'n'Cheese - pesto, bacon and pasta is all I need to survive

Pizza Pilgrims - cutting pizza into 6 of 4 proved tricky!

Bell and Brisket - cheese blowtorched to perfection - they were worried that they wouldn't meet Shannon's high expectations after she did a victory dance upon receiving her salt beef sandwich, but unsurprisingly it was superb

Bleecker St. Burger - very moreish NY cheeseburgers,  next time I will have to order Angry Fries

The Ice Kitchen - delicious ice lollies in a variety of inventive flavours - Chocomel Almond was fantastic

We also squeezed in some octopus dumplings, fresh watermelon, some craft beer and a slice of banoffee pie - not a bad haul for three people.  We let it all settle on the swings in the cosy Udderbelly Magners forest, which is well worth checking out for a quiet drink, before heading our separate ways one last time.

Thanks to Tim, Shannon and Miranda for an entertaining weekend, even if they didn't pick up as many new List points as they would have hoped.  Tim keeps himself in touch of the lead for when he returns to London in October - List Leader Natalie, be warned.