Buns and Haggis at Broadway Market

Irish, Scottish, what’s the difference, lassie? 

Jerry Seinfeld (Seinfeld episode “The Phone Message”) 

During my last visit to Broadway Market I had the chance of trying the famous Scottish toastie and one of my favourite Xiao Chin in London. 

Schoolyard

Follow the Haggis

Bao Bar

Deeney’s is a Scottish street cuisine brought to you by Paddy and Carol. Directly from the Highlands you can have an innovative combination of toasties, from traditional ham and cheese to eccentric haggis. You can find them during the week (Tuesday to Thursday) in Greenwich Market, Saturday in the Schoolyard in Broadway Market, and Sunday’s in Chatsworth Road. 

Toasties

Prep time

We got the new sandwich sensation the Macbeth, hot haggis, melted beautiful cheddar, caramelised onions, and rocket. Beautiful, full of flavour, great combination and balance, definitely a must try in the street food circuit. Marisol got the Ham-Ish, smoked bacon, same melted cheddar, caramelised onions, and rocket. Really nice, good option if you’re not a haggis fan. 

Our toasties

Haggis time

Deeney's

Scottish Cuisine / Street Food

Approx Damage: 5pp

Area: Broadway Market

Borough: Hackney

Twitter: deeneys

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My second stop was in Netil Market, just a couple steps beside Lucky Chip stall you can find Bao Bar. I was looking forward trying their traditional Gua Bao as the last time I got their great buns they only had a special. 

Marisol waiting at the bar

Bun time

Small six stools bar but you have plenty of space in Netil Market to gorge your bun peacefully. Got my slow braised pork belly, pickles, peanut powder, and coriander bun. The bun is delicious, really good, the belly nicely cooked, and good balance with the ingredients, I just love it. 

Beautiful

I highly recommend both options, take in consideration that both are only on Saturdays in the area.

Bao Bar
Asian Cuisine
Approx Damage: £4pp
Area: Netil Market
Borough: Hackney
Twitter: bao_london

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Coffee Enquiry XXII: Climpson & Sons

Of course you do, but you’re imagining a guy you like, not a guy who goes, oh no, I don’t drink coffee late at night. If I call her now, she’s going to think I’m too needy. Women don’t want to see need. They want a take charge guy, a colonel, a Kaiser, a tsar

George Costanza (Seinfeld episode "The Phone Message") 

The other day in Broadway Market I decided to visit Climpson & Sons. They started as a market stall known as Burgil Coffee. Similar to other independent coffee houses Ian Burgess after returning from living in Australia, he decided to bring the coffee quality to London. A couple years on the market circuit until they opened their store in Broadway Market keeping the bytcher’s shop original name. 

The place

These days not only a coffee shop but also Coffee Roasters with a range of single estate coffees and blends on offering. The place quite small but cozy, apart from coffee you can have breakfast and lunch., buy single origin or the seasonal blend to take back home. 

Simple sitting

Wholesale

I got a macchiato prepared with their summer seasonal blend (Cost Rica, Dominican Republic, Brazil, and Ethiopia). Strong flavour, good after taste, really nice, imagine they are purist as no latte art. 

Espresso Machine: La Marzocco

Beans: Climpson & Sons

Score: 4/5

Macchiato

Really nice coffee, try it if you’re nearby.

Climpson & Sons

T: 020 7812 9829

Coffee House / Coffee Roaster

Approx Damage: £5pp

Area: Hackney

Borough: Hackney

Twitter: climpsonandsons

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Coffee Enquiry XXI: Terrone coffee stall in Netil Market

Coffee's coffee in the morning, it's not coffee at twelve o clock at night 

George Costanza (Seinfeld episode “The Phone Message”) 

A couple weeks ago taking advantage of the summer and sun rays that are invading London, we went to Broadway Market. While there I pass by the Netil Market and stopped to try a coffee in Terrone & Co. 

Terrone container

Salerno born Edy Piro inspired by a visit to Portland instead of his coffee tradition in Italy in 2011 started his own coffee brand Terrone & Co. The coffee is roasted in Italy in small batches, and won a gold star in the UK great taste award in 2012. 

Drinks

Tea & Tips

Small stall in a container in the middle of Netil Market, they explained me about their beans. The Ciclista blend, Arabica blend from Dominican Republic, Brazil, and Mexico. I got a macchiato, the coffee is a bit mild for my taste, with some sweet notes. Beginner latte art, though always nice to see, and I’m sure it will get better with time and practice. 

Blend

The Espresso Machine

Espresso Machine: La Marzocco

Beans: Terrone

Score: 3/5

Macchiato

You might like it so if you're around go get it. For me is too mild, as I like my coffee sharp.

Terrone & Co

T: 020 3095 0900

Coffee

Approx Damage: £3pp

Area: Hackney

Borough: Hackney

Twitter: Terrone

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Let me get you down, ‘cause I’m going to London Fields

Last weekend I had the chance to pass by London Fields for the independent free festival “Little London Fields”, the place had the typical entertainment, two stages with live music, food, dance den, and even a celebrity graveyard karaoke.

Little London Fields Festival

And if that wasn't enough just south of the park you can access Broadway Market. As usual I wandered around the market to see the different vendors and stalls. Since the first time I visited the market I’ve been curious to try the crepe stall, usually they have the longest queue in the market, so it was time to see and judge their food. They serve crepes and galette, I went for the second one, a classic galette with has ham, cheese, and mushrooms. You can also have different combinations with these ingredients plus spinach, and eggs. Moreover, If you want something sweet you can try the classic crepes.  

Crepes & Galette Stall

The food was amazing, that’s the reason why the huge popularity of the stall, also the staff is really friendly and chatty. So if you’re around Cambridge Heat area, take your time and pass by the market to try these amazing crepes and have a laugh with the small talk of the French staff.

Classic Galette

Ready to enjoy

This entire crepe incident reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The English Patient” when Jerry is visiting his parents in Florida.

Jerry: This is quite a condo.

Morty: The Mandelbaums own the Magic Pan restaurants.

Jerry: The crepe place?

Morty: Yeah. This is all big crepe money.

Jerry: There's crepe money?

A sunny day out in East London and Burger Wars Episode IX: Farm Academy

We got a sunny Saturday a few weeks back and to celebrate this particular event my friend Sarah invited me to hang out in the Broadway Market. She wanted to try the Vietnamese coffee Ca Phe ZgoZ, apparently one of the best options in London, as for me I went more for curiosity, I love to visit different markets here, but I don’t know how I usually end in the same places, I live in the east of London but to be honest I spent most of my time in west London.

Cheese Stall, Broadway Market

The market is just great, a diversity of people, hanging out, musicians playing on the streets, bars, pubs, and coffees every corner, and a plenty variety of food. You can find anything you want, even the black market showers of the Seinfeld episode "The Shower Head" when the shower heads in Jerry's building are changed for a low flow model, and Kramer is desperately looking for a high flow model.

Newman: Now here's the lowdown. Through a certain connection, I've been able to locate some black market shower heads. They're all made in the former Yugoslavia. And from what I hear, the Serbs are fanatic about their showers.

Jerry: Not from the footage I've seen.

We reached the Vietnamese coffee stall, and we noticed they where the best coffee in London  in 2008 according to Time Out (I think, but not sure, sorry short time memory loss), so first question was what happened in 2009 and 2010? We did the queue and after at least 5 minutes trying to decide which coffee to go, we ended with a black iced Vietnamese coffee, and a white iced Vietnamese coffee, but with regular milk not the condensed one (yeah Sarah is really picky, maybe that’s why she’s a really good friend). We sat for at least an hour, talking and watching the people pass by, and listening a trio playing just a few metres away from us some kind of American folk southern rhythm and blues music.

Another Market Square Hero

I spotted a stall that was making burgers, with a pretty decent queue. So for my research to find the best burger in London I decided to give it a try. The stall was from Northfield Farm, I asked for the pork and stilton burger and added mature blue-veined cheddar.

Northfield Farm Stall

The verdict, the meat was well done, nice flavour with the stilton, but a little bit too much with the cheddar, it almost tasted like a cheese sandwich, also it was quite small, so I easily could have eaten two of them.

The damage, 4 pounds for the burgers, no fries, no drinks.

The conclusion, good option when you’re in the market, I should give it a try to the lamb and mint option they have. I will give them a 4 in my burger scale, and a 6 for market food standards.

Northfield Farm Burger

Ride across the river

After that we decided to walk across the Regent’s canal from Broadway Street to Angel, really nice view, some good places to go and have a drink, and a perfect place to jog. We ended in Sarah’s flat in Moorgate (quite a walk) because she needed to prepare brownies for a party, and don’t ask me how, I ended doing the brownies and she was “supervising” (yeah right), at least she was kind enough to prepare me a pretty good lunch/dinner and invite me to the party, quite impressed with her culinary skills, now waiting to try her pancakes.

Banksy Hoodie in Regent's Canal

Sarah's Omelette / Salad