foodies – The Cultural Exposé

Somewhere you should go… The Hackney Pearl

Matilda — Wed, 03 Sep 2014 12:04:41 +0000

It’s a big call for non-Hackney Wickians to venture out to this local East End haunt – yet if you do, you’ll be glad you did. The Hackney Pearl comes with the artsy vibe of the neighbourhood it inhabits, offering plenty of interior eye candy and quirky details only hipsters do so well. The menu is just as creative, with a varied selection of standard, seasonal fare and other unique concoctions. But above all else, the food is incredibly well-made and tasty. On a recent invite for Sunday brunch, we enjoyed freshly made focaccia that practically melted in the mouth, followed by an excellent Norfolk chicken with roast tomatoes and mograbiah . The latter is a sort-of pearly, couscous grain that has been delicately cooked in butter and it’s delicious. Desserts are good too, if not modest for the price. Chocolate-covered pears are over in few spoonfuls, while the sliver of custard tart was a bit of tease, especially as it was so yummy. That said, it’s a testament to the quality of The Hackney Pearl that we wanted more – and to be fair, once we downed a couple of their stunning orange and cardamon mimosas, all was soon forgiven.

The brunch menu changes frequently and expect to spend around £50 for two people including starter, drinks and desserts – but for more information about The Hackney Pearl, visit: www.thehackneypearl.com. Check out our pics from our recent visit below.

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What we’ve been up to… Eat Your Way Around Brixton

Matilda — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 11:00:35 +0000

Hate it or love it, but the gentrification (or regeneration?) of Brixton has meant that the area in recent years has seen a splatter of high street fashion chains, coffee shops and a wave of “have-you-been-to” hit list restaurants awkwardly exist within the “old Brixton”, attracting the sort of yuppies who might have been too reluctant to eat in SW2 a few years ago. But big business aside, scratch the surface and you’ll discover that what’s going down in Brixton a’int all doom and gloom – and this enjoyable foodie jaunt with cultural guided walks company Fox and Squirrel was our opportunity to discover that and more.

Led by Lindsay Faller, an American expat who writes about food for the Brixton Blog and Bugle and who’s lived in Brixton for 12 years, the walk included a potted history of the area and visits to a range of vendors, all introducing a unique cultural aspect of Brixton. First stop was an Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony on Brixton Station Road performed in a small tent filled thick with the aroma frankincense and coffee beans which were roasted right in front of us by Elsa – the co-owner of our next stop the Shawl café, where we tucked into a tear-and-share platter of Ethiopian dishes served on the tart and spongy injera bread. I’ve never been the biggest fan of Ethiopian food, but this platter of lentils and stews was tasty and I’d recommend it to anyone who’s curious about this cuisine.

The next stop – and my personal highlight of the day – was a visit to Las Cafeteria around the corner on Pope’s Road, a bustling Columbia canteen, butchers and money-changing shop, rolled into the one. We managed to grab a few seats in the back before trying the mouth-watering Lechona – a popular dish of a roast pig stuffed with rice, peas, onions and spices and cooked for roughly 10 hours. And you could tell – it was so flavoursome, made even better with the homemade salsa that was placed on the table.

Our third stop on the walk was Brixton Brewery (Arch 547, Brixton Station Road), a creative company that is definitely one of trendier additions to the area. I’m more of a wine drinker myself, but it was fascinating to hear about the beer-making process (even if I didn’t take too well to the sample of pale ale I tried!). This stop was followed up by a sit-down at Fish, Wings and Tings in the revitalised Brixton Village, a Caribbean hotspot which was heaving with customers when we arrived. And it’s no wonder – the salt fish fritters and goat roti we sampled were simply delicious (especially with a bit of the signature house sauce).

As time was fast spent, we had a quick walk through one of the local shops serving all types of exotic ingredients before the walk was wrapped up with a final visit to Kaff bar on Atlantic Road, an eclectic, laidback café where artwork from local artists adorn the wall. Homemade ginger beers were eagerly washed down a platter of US Southern-inspired dishes – like the delectable soft shell crab – and it was definitely a perfect conclusion to a day of culinary, cultural delights.

The original itinerary featured gelato-making (which was unfortunately missed out), but that was only a minor blip for a day I’d highly recommend. Admittedly, it is on the pricier side for an urban adventure (£70 for 3 hours), but if you’re new to the capital, it’s also a fantastic way to get to know this evolving area a whole lot better. For more information, visit: www.foxandsquirrel.com/product/food-walk-london

To see more of our pics, visit: www.theculturalexpose.co.uk/galleries/eat-your-way-around-brixton-food-walk

Thank you to Fox and Squirrel for accommodating us!

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What we’ve been up to… Flavour Expats

Laura Thornley — Tue, 04 Mar 2014 11:44:53 +0000

Taking the supperclub out of the front room and into the public domain comes the mother of all pop-up competitions. Pitting the top supperclub chefs from around London against one another, Flavour Expats brings a whirlwind tour of the culinary world to the event space upstairs at Palm 2 in Clapton.

More than 10 countries will be represented in this battle of culinary heritage. Expats from around the globe including the Phillipines, Mauritius, Australia and Italy are in the mix and ready to lock horns over who or what makes their homeland gastronomy better than the rest.

A sneak peak pf the chef’s talents last month brought us tempura squid from Japan, Kangaroo pie and basil gelato, amongst much, much more. All chefs involved have run successful supperclubs in the front rooms of their fixed abode and have now been united under this umbrella event over the next two months. Chefs are paired for each night and diners are presented with six courses from each country: so make sure you come hungry. The cooking participants are passionate chefs keen to highlight their love of their country filled with a knowledge and enthusiasm that is contagious. Choosing your favourite will be no walk in the park, but you can certainly get stuffed trying! (Words: Laura Thornley)

The next Flavour Expats event takes place on 8th March (France VS Mauritius). For more info, visit: flavourexpats.wordpress.com

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Somewhere you should go… Maltby Street market

Jane Duru — Thu, 10 May 2012 10:00:10 +0000

Borough market on a Saturday has gone from being a Londoner’s haunt to a tourist destination in its own right, up there with the London Dungeon and HMS Belfast. As good as it is, its popularity means the market can be overwhelmingly full come lunchtime. Luckily, for those craving the ethos and artisan quality of Borough without the scale and the crowds, there is a nearby alternative: Maltby Street market.

A 10 minutes stroll away in Bermondsey, set against the background rumble of passing overhead trains lies Maltby St, where a small cabal of stallholders and producers sell their wares from under the railway arches and various stalls. Consisting of no more than 25 producers, it’s a sort of foodie parade rather than outright market, starting with coffee enthusiasts’ favourite Monmouth Coffee selling their wares and ending with patisserie Comptoir Gourmand where, amongst other treats you’ll find pink raspberry meringues and giant chocolate cookies.

In between lies a range of stalls – and fish-lovers should try the smoked salmon from Norwegian producers Hansen and Lydersen, or alternatively, there’s barbecued mackerel baps marinated in Moroccan chermoulla from nearby Christchurch Fish. If meat’s more your thing, on offer are pastrami sandwiches from Monty’s Deli, and if you’re ever in need of wild boar salami, Maltby Street is the place.

It’s not all about the food though – LASSCO, the architectural salvage company, have their warehouse based here, the grittier counterpart to their Brunswick House outpost in Vauxhall. It’s well worth a detour to see all manner of rescued treasures, from large enamel sinks once owned by school art departments, to industrial light fittings; there’s even wooden planks from the Natural History Museum.

So next time a sunny Saturday rolls around and you want to get your foodie and furniture fix in one go, head over to the arches of Maltby, and stall-hop to your hearts content. Just don’t tell the tourists. (Words: Jane Duru, Pic: Marina Vidor)

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Somewhere you should eat…The Breakfast Club

Matilda — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 09:00:01 +0000

If you’re a fan of breakfast – but not such a fan of its usual time – The Breakfast Club in Camden Passage is well worth a visit. Why? Well, for starters, they’ve managed to solve my persona dilemma of getting my hollandaise fix without sacrificing that much-needed extra half an hour’s sleep. Tucked away behind the busy Upper Street, The branch in Angel has a sunny interior and quirky decor – also making them the perfect haven for a Saturday morning brunch, or even a dinner date. As well as pancakes, eggs Benedict, and ‘the late late breakfast’ (a full English served after 5pm: ‘because it’s always breakfast time somewhere in the world’), the menu has wide variety of non-breakfast options. On offer is everything from burritos and burgers, to fishcakes and jacket potatoes, all in hearty portion sizes. I had the eggs Florentine with smoked salmon, which came with a very healthy dollop of hollandaise (yes!), while my sister/ foodie-in-crime had the vegetarian burrito. We were both very happy with our orders which were each under a tenner. It’s by no means gourmet stuff, but what The Breakfast Club offers is tasty, filling and varied fare in a chilled environment. The staff were friendly and the atmosphere felt more akin to eating in a friend’s kitchen, albeit your kookiest, iD-reading, vintage headwear-touting friend. At prices similar to Pizza Express, this is a great alternative if you’re looking for a reasonable meal that’s a bit off the beaten track. (Words: Rachel Schraer)

Price: £££££

For more information, visit www.thebreakfastclubcafes.com

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