In Feast We Trust

An event I really enjoyed last August was Feast. This time the ticket is a bit more expensive 7,5 quid, new location in an abandoned North London mail centre building in Islington Square, 4 days instead of 3, and a new line up with some familiar faces coming back. 

The place

The location was stunning, perfect place for the event and full of food vendors and punters. My first stop was Yum Bun. The popular steamed bun, they always have a long queue. My choice a slow roasted belly pork, hoi sin sauce, cucumber, spring onions, and shiracha. Great flavours as usual, my only critic is that they are having a miniaturisation effect as the pork on my bun was quite tiny and my final bites were plain soft bun. 

Yum Bun

The pork buns

My next treat was Anna Mae’s famous mac n’ cheese. I’ve wanted to try their creamy cheddar, Monteray jack, and mozzarella cheese mac for a while. I pimped it up with jalapeños, chipotle, sour cream, and fresh coriander. Amazing, comfort food at its best. 

Anna's menu

Mac time

Bowl of flavour

Another of my favourite of the day definitively was Mishkin’s. The salt beef muffin with shallots relish and English mustard was to die for, just amazing. 

Mishkin's in action

Great salt beef time

Next victim was Rainbo, voted as top 3 gyozas in London by Evening Standard. The homemade chicken and coriander gyoza dumplings were nice and full of flavour. 

Rainbo Ford

Menu

Gyoza's

Then I couldn’t resist having the Elliot’s cheeseburger. Surprisingly there was no queue at all. A great 50-day aged beef, perfectly cooked in a house made bun, with Comte, Ogleshield, caramelised onions, dill butter, and cucumber pickle. One of the top burgers in London no doubts. 

Elliot's menu

Burger time

Glorious burger

Finally, to end the day I went for Gordon Ramsay’s York and Albany. A stunning pretzel salted squid, great flavour, one of the best squid I have had, salted, a bit spicy, not oily at all, great food from chef Kim Woodward. 

Gordon's Y&A

Squid

Many other stalls I didn't have the chance to try, including my Pizza Pilgrims friends, Abiye's Big Apple Hot Dogs and Hanna's new project Nordinary. Excellent food, great atmosphere, one more day to go so if you are still hesitating hope this post will help convincing you.

Inside

The salt beef reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Blood” 

Jerry: Didn't go for it, huh?

George: No

Jerry: So, she didn't appreciate the erotic qualities of the salted cured meats?

George: She tolerated the strawberries and the chocolate sauce, but eh, it's not a meal, you know? Food and sex, those are my two passions. It's only natural to combine them

Jerry: Natural? Sex is about love between a man and a woman, not a man and a sandwich

Feast

Food Festival

Approx Damage: £7.5 entry

Area: Angel

Borough: Islington

Twitter: wefeastlondon

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The Long Table Project: A Midwinter Night Market in Dalston

Yesterday was the first night of four Fridays of London’s finest night market. A hawker style market between Dalston’s two overground stations. The Long Table bringing together in one spot some of the top London street food vendors, restaurants, and even the famous Portuguese chef Nuno Mendes. Massive queues everywhere, I was lucky enough to get early and avoid the entrance queue but at that time 6:30ish the market was already completely full which stayed that way until I left 4 hours later and probably after that, a completely different fate for the ones arriving 20min after I did, I had a glimpsed of the queue when I left and it was massive, it filled completely the entire Abbot street. Besides the big queues the market is a must for any foodie or passionate with food.

Food Night Market

Light My Fire

So what did I try? Basically everything, I stopped eating because I ran out of money. I started the night with the Yum Bun residents of Broadway Market offering pillow soft steam buns filled with slow roast pork belly, hoi sin sauce, cucumbers, spring onions, and shiracha. The Asian arepa as I call it was amazing, big queues but worth it, the flavour of the pork belly with the hoi sin is awesome.

Give me Steam!

Yum Bun

Buns Yum!

The Slow Pork Belly Bun

My second stop was for The Bowler, the mobile meatball machine or as they call it meatballs on the move. I got the great balls of fire sample style as I still wanted to try everything, but it was so good I almost got the whole meal, these amazing spiced pork and beef meatballs with tomato and onion sauce, sour cream, and parmesan tastes like heaven. Sadly they didn’t have there their amazing grass fed van on the place. 

The Bowler

Meatballs of Fire

The Great Gig "Meatball" in the Sky

Third stop and basically the best one of the night, the main event was Nuno Mendes’ The Loft Project, yes the supper club which highlight new talented chefs to show their skills and creations. Not a big queue to be honest, but in front of me on the queue Gizzi Erskine. The Loft’s creation was BBQ short rib with a mushroom caramel and salted peanut praline, it was sublime, superb, I have no more adjectives to describe this awesomeness, go and delight yourself. The short rib was like butter melting away from the bone and the praline was perfect. 

Nuno's Menu

Short Rib Exquisite

The Loft Project Grill

Four stop Moro the restaurant from Exmouth Market offering Moorish cuisine. I got the chestnut and chorizo soup. It was good but not great, I think it needed a punch, something else to bring it all together.

Moro's Chestnut and Chorizo Soup

Finally, yes I got more! A pizza slide from the new residents of Netil Market Home Slice Pizza. Using a modified and portable Wood fire oven to bring to life their thin dough creations. Got the Serrano and Stilton pizza slice, excellent I could have more if I hadn’t run out of money. I will be going for more when in London Fields area.

Pizza Time

Homeslice

There are many more stalls in the market including one of my two favourite burgers Lucky Chip and Hawksmoor, and the excellent Big Apple Hot Dogs. In the middle of all these amazing food two very long tables for the patrons to sit and enjoy. Events like this are why I love London. Head early to avoid the queue and be sure you're hungry enough to try everything.

Lucky Chip

One of the Long Tables 

Street Art in the Venue

While in the market the Bengali Curries from Gastrogeek had in their menu Mutton, I couldn't resist to tell my friends about the Seinfeld episode “The Wink”

Gastrogeek's Mutton

Elaine: My cousin Holly is completely insane. She keeps calling and accusing me of stealing her napkins. 

George: Napkins? 

Elaine: I mean, why? Why would I take her stupid napkins. 

Jerry: Because they were in the pockets of my jacket. 

Elaine: They were? 

Jerry: Yes. I was using them to spit out the mutton. 

Elaine: Spit it out? I had dogs chasing me for that mutton. I was almost mauled because of that mutton. 

George: What exactly is mutton? 

Jerry: I don't know and I didn't want to find out.

The Long Table

Night Food Market

Area: Dalston

Borough: Hackney
Twitter: TheLongTableAS

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