Barbecue London Style

I bought a bottle of BBQ sauce in Memphis. I think the stewardess broke it when she tried to jam it into the overhead compartment

Jerry Seinfeld (Seinfeld episode “The Doll”)

The other day I went out with my University mates to catch up over a couple beers and some bites. We ended in Red’s True Barbecue in Shoreditch. The place brings true barbecue to London, low and slows smoked prime cuts, and flavours from Carolina to Texas.

Place is noisy with dimmed lights and smells of smoked meats. We went with the BBQ Feast and washed it down with lone star beers. Flavours were ok but can’t say they are close to the original American barbecue. Meat was a bit dry, there were a couple highs like the cheese and jalapeno sausage and the burnt ends but also some lows like most of the ribs.

Feast Time

Nice place to have some drink with friends and you don’t want to think too much, but not if you want the real deal, in that case I would recommend looking somewhere else.

Red's True Barbecue

T: 0203 021 2302

American Barbecue

Approx Damage: £40pp

Area: Shoreditch

Borough: Hackney

Twitter: RedsTrueBBQ

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Coffee Enquiry XXXIII: AllPress

She thinks you’re a guy that doesn’t like coffee

Jerry Seinfeld (Seinfeld episode “The Phone Message”)

Wandering around in Shoreditch I visited AllPress. Espresso drinks or filter brews, some sandwiches, breakfast dishes, and other bigger options for lunch. A big window allows seeing the roaster in action, and you can buy coffee beans or grinder to take home.

The place

The place was completely packed on Saturday, we got a flat white and a macchiato, really lovely coffee, creamy, with a nice bitterness, no latte art.

Coffee time

Espresso Machine: La Marzocco

Beans: AllPress

Score: 4/5

AllPress

T: 020 7749 1780

Approx Damage: £5pp

Area: Bethnal Green

Borough: Tower Hamlets

Twitter: AllPressE2

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Korean Fried Chicken in London [Closed]

My dad was a cook during the Korean War.

Something very bad happened, ever since you can't get him near a kitchen 

George Costanza (Seinfeld episode “The Fatigues”) 

I have been looking for a nice KFC in London. No! I’m not talking about the chain but Korean Fried Chicken. I tried this in Melbourne and loved them immediately. But I finally found one place in London. Jubo is a Korean canteen in Shoreditch. Residence on the Bedroom Bar, classic menu with fried chicken, steak sub, steamed buns, and of course kimchi. I hadn't seen a menu like this since my incursions in Melbourne. 

The place

Menu

We went straight to business wings and strips, half soy garlic and half hot & sweet. Great flavours, perfectly cooked crispy and tender, the garlic was the favourite. 

KFC

Then some slow cooked pork belly buns, traditional approach, pickle cucumber, hoisin, and sriracha sauce. Really nice, good flavours again. 

Buns

Hirata style

Finally the Bulgogi Sub. Bulgogi skirt beef, caramelised onions, peppers, and cheese. Nice, good flavour, served in a soft bun style. 

Sub

Jubo is my finger food kind of place, good flavours, nice beer selection, and great fried chicken. I love this new addition to our restaurant circuit. The chicken was so good we kept ordering more and more.

More Chicken

Jubo

T: 020 7033 0198

Korean Cuisine

Approx Damage: £30pp

Area: Shoreditch

Borough: Hackney

Twitter: jubolondon

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The Barrio is in East London

I've been trying to leave this group for 10 years. Vaya con dios 

Elaine Benes (Seinfeld episode “The Puerto Rican Day”) 

Two weeks ago I was invited to try the brunch of Barrio East. The Barrio family has already 3 places in London, one in Islington (Barrio North), one in Soho (Barrio Central), and the third one in Shoreditch (Barrio East). All of them are characterised by serving Latin American inspired drinks. 

Barrio Brunch

The newest of the three is Barrio East. They opened back in November and started the brunch a few months back. It’s the only one with a full menu, as Barrio Central only do some tapas. The chef in charge is Beatriz Maldonado, Colombian born, took her time traveling around Latin American, learning and improving recipes. Now as a head chef of Barrio East she is giving us traditional cuisine in a balanced menu that is a culinary journey through the region. 

Our table

Colourful Timber yard

We got there and ordered a sin free smoothie (Strawberry Mango Bango) and a bespoke bloody mary. The Verdita Bloody Maria with Mezcal, strong with a good combination of flavours, perfect for a Sunday hangover, Ave Maria Purisima! 

Mezcal Time

But let’s talk about food. Marisol got the Mexi-Can, smashed avocado serve on a wholemeal toast, topped with poached eggs and jalapeño peppers. Quite nice, good flavours, nothing goes wrong with avocado, a good spicy touch by the jalapeños, nice fried tortilla strips on top. Also as a side she added an Argentinean chorizo, full of flavour, just perfect combination. I went for an Uruguayan sandwich, the Chivito Sandwich. Thinly sliced rump, bacon, melted cheese, roasted peppers, grilled onions, and a fried egg. I have to say this is one of the best sandwiches in London. The well-seasoned rump, nice touch of bacon, amazing melted cheese, the punch of mustard, and the puffy and soft olive bun gives this sandwich the perfect balance and combination. 

Uruguayan delight

The Mexi-Can

Brunch is Saturday and Sunday in the Timber Yard from 11am to 3pm.

The Caravan

You won’t get more traditional than this in London. So if you fancy truly Latin American flavours go to Barrio East. I should come back to try some arepas, get another Chivito sandwich and drink some cocktails during Happy Hour! Vayan con dios!

Chivito, Chivito, Chivito mio!

Barrio East

T: 020 7749 3940

Latin American Cuisine

Approx Damage: £15pp

Area: Shoreditch

Borough: Hackney

Twitter: _BarrioEast

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Poppies has a chippie joint

One of the favourite take away options in Britain is definitely fish and chips. Churchill referred to them as the good companions. Thanks to the steady supply of the north sea and the British love for deep fried battered fish chippers are all around, the first chippy to open in London was thanks to Joseph Malin in 1860 located in the East End. Nowadays there are approximately 10k shops a third of the 1929 high of 35k shops. 

Traditional fish & chips

A place that caught my eye and wanted to try was Poppies Fish & Chips, located in Shoreditch near Spitalfields market. Restaurant / take away, big counter at the front but if you preferred you can sit, relax, and order inside. The newspaper chips are a big seller, every time I passed by I have seen people enjoying their chips served in a newspaper cone. 

The place

Poppies

Take away

I got there after a night out in Brick Lane and ordered a cod and the newspaper chips. Loved the presentation, from the bag, the box, to the absorbent paper to catch the excess oil of the fried goods. The cod was surprisingly excellent, nice seasoning, good flavour, perfectly battered, on the other side the chips were not good, completely saggy, some sort of disappointment with that. 

Bag

Sneak peak

Fish and chips are definitely a national institution, plenty of options around town. Poppies is giving a nice battered fish, yet there is still room for improvement with the chips.

Cod time

Fish reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Watch” 

Jerry: I can't believe I'm doing this. I never do stuff like this 

Naomi: Really? I give out my number to just about every customer who comes in here 

Jerry: Oh really? You don't seem that desperate 

Naomi: Oh yeah. Actually, I'm a little disappointed. I kind of had my eye on uncle Leo 

Jerry: Uh huh. Well uh, I'll give you a call, and thanks for the fish. By the way, you know why fish are so thin? 

Naomi: Why? 

Jerry: They eat fish

Poppies Fish and Chips

T: 020 7247 0892

Fish & Chips

Approx Damage: £10pp

Area: Spitalfields

Borough: Tower Hamlets

Twitter: popsfishnchips

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New York Style Hot Dogs in London

One of the vendors or usual suspects in The Long Table and a place I was looking to eat in the past month was definitely Big Apple Hot Dogs. The tricky thing in this occasion was that they were completely the other side of town where my office is located and the of commuting for lunch was impossible, add to that they close at 6pm so the window of opportunity was limited. 

The Big Apple Magic

New Yorkers not going to be happy

Big Apple offer 4 official types of sausages but the day I went they had an additional one. Hand made using natural ingredients, 98% free range gluten free meat, and fresh buns. The offer an authentic NYC style hot dog in the rainy capital of England, with the guarantee it will be the best dog you have ever had. 

Abiye doing his part

Got there for lunch on a lucky day I was working in Central London near St Paul’s with the objective of trying as much as I can. My first victim the Big Dog, pork and beef Big Apple’s signature sausage, season with marjoram, garlic and black pepper, and double smoked. Love it, the smoky flavour with the garlic and the pork/beef sausage great combination. Then asked for a Big Frank but they didn’t have so I settled down for a Frank Junior, same as its big daddy, 100% pork Frankfurter seasoned with paprika, nutmeg and black pepper, and oak smoked. Beautiful, full of flavour, simple but tasty. Finally I asked for Pimp Steak which they didn’t have either but they offered a Polish Substitute. This Big Pole was great as the two before, a little bit more rustic than the predecessors but delicious, it’s difficult to choose a favourite I will probably try a different one every time as all of their dogs are excellent and his popularity in the last month is proof of that. 

Big Dog

Frank Junior

Big Pole

Go try them in Old Street from noon to six Tuesdays to Fridays or head over The Long Table next Friday night where you will find Abiye selling his creations which are at the same level of their New Yorker or Danish Copenhagen brothers. Just remember No Brains, No Bones, No Butts. 

Street Art nearby the Crime Scene

Hot Dogs always reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Muffin Tops” 

Mr. Steinbrenner: John Tyler? George Steinbrenner here. I want to talk about George Costanza. I understand he's been dividing his time between us and you. I cannot have that. 

John Tyler: Well I don't know who he is but if you want him that bad I'm not giving him up that easily. 

Mr. Steinbrenner: Oh is that so. Playing a little hardball huh Jonny boy? 

John Tyler: How about this. You give me Costanza, I convert your concessions to all chicken no charge. Instead of hot dogs, chicken dogs. Instead of pretzels, chicken twists. Instead of beer, alcoholic chicken. 

Mr. Steinbrenner: How do you make that alcoholic chicken? 

John Tyler: Let if ferment, just like everything else. 

Mr. Steinbrenner: That stuff sounds great. All right. I'll have Costanza on the next bus.

Big Apple Hot Dogs

T: 079 6804 3245

Hot dogs / Street Food

Area: Shoreditch

Borough: Hackney

Twitter: BigAppleHotDogs

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The Coolest Rooftop in Shoreditch

Shame on you if you haven’t been in the Boundary Rooftop in a sunny summer day in Shoreditch or at least during the Indian Summer week we had. To be honest I was one of the people missing the experience until a month back maybe longer when trying to kill time in the area I just remembered a recommendation of a good friend. 

The rooftop

The rooftop on the Boundary hotel has a bar, open fireplace, grill restaurant, and a garden designed by Nicola Lesbirel, what else do you need? A relax atmosphere, with lounge music and an outstanding panoramic view of London from Canary Wharf to the City. The perfect location for the few sunny days we got in the city, let’s face it we Londoners got just a handful of those so let’s make the most of it. Moreover, the rooftop is also suitable in chill nights as they have a fireplace, heating, and Welsh blankets to make you feel comfortable. 

View to the West

The rooftop is open from noon until sunset in April to October if the weather permits so don’t hesitate to go for a bite and a couple drinks you will enjoy it. 

Old Style on the top of Shoreditch

Lift to the top

The roof reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Revenge”. 

Kramer: Hey. 

Jerry: Hey. 

Kramer: Boy, I have really had it with Newman. He wakes me up again last night at three o'clock in the morning to tell me he's going up onto the roof to kill himself. 

Jerry: Well, what'd you say? 

Kramer: I said " Jump. Well, he's been threatening to do this for years. I said " Look, if you're going to kill yourself do it already and stop bothering me. At least I'd respect the guy for accomplishing something.

The Boundary Rooftop

T: 020 7729 1051

Bar

Area: Shoreditch

Borough: Hackney

Twitter: boundaryrooftop

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