Restaurants – slightly weird

17th July 202417th July 2024

When a highlight is a lowlight

Sunday, July 14, 2024

It was a pretty quiet week, the highlight being a bit of a lowlight.

(Restaurant review alert…)

That was going out for dinner the day after Krish’s birthday. We chose a Philipino restaurant we’d thought about for a while now. We’ve not liked the idea of this cuisine but then enjoyed the Philipino fast food we’ve had so were going for a real restaurant this time. I think we should have stuck to the fast food counters! We chose one prix fixe and one a la carte item. We started with grilled oysters, buttery and cheesy. I liked them. This was followed by a skimpy belly pork with some rice and a vinegary cucumber and tomato salad (more like a relish) and some sizzling kalbi ribs. The cassava and coconut cake finish was sweet and interesting. We enjoyed the kalbi ribs the most but at $26 we might have done better at the Korean place across the street and had some banchan to round it out. On top of this, the meats were dripping with grease and I ruined my new favourite top.

Pork belly with rice and tomato and cucumber salad

Cassava and coconut cake served in a banana leaf

However, silver lining, we got OUT. Was nice being adults for the evening. And this week we are going back to Batibot the Philipino food counter down the street for some adobo pork – lots of it at a fraction of the price. (Well, I think we are.)

Not much happened until Saturday and that was a thrilling walk to a bargain supermarket down the street. Freshco has cheaper prices but we go there mainly because they have a lot of ethnic food on sale, like freezers full of Chinese dumplings, Korean noodles, Indian snacks and meals.

To get to the Freshco we have to walk under the railway bridge at Dufferin Street. I dread that bit of the journey but it’s the only way. To think how much I enjoyed walking through the Blackwall Tunnel and the underpass to the Isle of Dogs when I was a child. Now walking through these longer tunnels are somewhat terrifying. At least no trains thundered overhead.

At the east end of the tunnel is an engraved plaque that confuses many Torontonians since there is already a Queen Street subway station on the Yonge-University line. This, however, is the name of the tunnel – subway meaning underpass.

Once through the tunnel, Gladstone House, now a hotel greets you. It’s Toronto’s longest continuously operating hotel Built in 1889, it has traditional light hardwood floors, restored exposed brick walls and works by local artists throughout the building.

By the Freshco is Island Foods, a popular Trinidadian roti shop In 1974, the first Island Foods. This isn’t the original location, of course. That was opened in Ruth and Ramasar Sawh, who arrived in Canada in 1968 with no previous restaurant experience, but with a desire to build a bright future for their family. Krish knows them well and we go by sometimes for their doubles and roti.

Shepard Fairey (@obeygiant) art by the Freshco

I finished The Giver of Stars. I’d tried it twice before and not got very far before abandoning it. This time I stuck with it and, although the Kentucky mountain accents put me off at first, I quickly began to enjoy the character and story development. It got very gritty towards the end and that surprised me. Recommended. After that heavier-than-my-usual read, I started a fluffy romance from Christina Lauren, whose books are fun to read if you don’t mind her common themes and frequent forays into soft-almost-hard pornographic paragraphs. Denise has sent me the entire audiobook of The Perfect Mother (Caroline Mitchell) so @Denise (hi!) , OK I will but you now have to promise to read a Jojo Moyes in return – unwritten law.

I have a very busy week coming up. I’m seeing a physiotherapist, an occupational therapist ( on the same day) a consultation for lens replacement, and getting a phone call from the Women’s College Breast Centre, as well going to lunch with my sister.

The fasting is going OK. Most days I can make it till noon, but there are definitely some rough patches. If I don’t make it a religion and circumstances allow, I’ll continue. Do I feel any different? I don’t think so. However, I am thinking about meals, mostly out. Where should I go next? Well, there’s lunch with Ruth but maybe also somewhere else. Thinking.

Stay tuned, I guess.

25th June 2022

Bradford 2 – Bradford Cathedral, Little Germany and curry

Thursday, 16 June, 2022

Thursday the heat began. Ouch. it was really REALLY hard going for me. But first – breakfast. This was the first time we’d booked a hotel that included breakfast and Krish wrinkled his nose at the prospect. It used to be a big deal to get a hotel breakfast but, since the pandemic, they have mostly regressed to nothing better than hospital cafeteria style – with steam tables full of questionable quality and predictable British favourites. Luckily for us, the Midland had a ‘nice’ breakfast with juices, fruit, some cheese, yogurts and various spreads, then a menu of cooked to order food. The first day I had haddock with a poached egg, and Krish had a kipper with his poached egg. This was the type of light breakfast I love. The dining room was large with only a couple of tables being used by guests and it was all presided over by Carol, the best hostess we have ever had. Carol was probably in her 60s, and had her grey-blonde hair up in a bun. She wore a loose fitting black dress with a slit at the bottom hem that revealed a white slip. She walked with a heavy limp but managed the walking back and forth quite well. The Queen of the dining room!

The only hotel room photo I took – a messy one. Who else always thinks they’ll unpack everything and make it nice but lives out of the suitcase?

From the hotel window – the nicest view we’ve had for ages. Overlooking the back of The Broadway and, just beyond that, the cathedral

Looking towards the 'cold' food — Looking towards the ‘cold’ food

We had a plan and it included me taking buses if I needed to – I had a freebus pass after all – but it didn’t come to that.

We left the hotel and went through the nearby cathedral grounds. I popped into the quite lovely and very quiet and cool cathedral. The site of the cathedral has been used for Christian worship at least since 627AD. By 1327 there was a stone church here, some of the older masonry may have been used in the reconstruction of the Nave. The oldest parts of the present building, the nave arcades. were completed in 1458. The Tower was added to the West end and finished in 1508. The newest parts were completed in 1963. I thought the largest stained glass window quite spectacular but the light behind it created a rather disappointing photo (the third one).

When I came out I found Krish had left (ugh). He sent me a text that he’d left. not having heard that I was going into the cathedral, and was in Little Germany (German Quarter he said) which was next on our list. It’s right next to the cathedral so a very short walk. Little Germany was home to the German merchants, many Jewish, who came to Bradford in the late 1850s for the prosperous textile industry. Little Germany itself is also protected as a Conservation Area. Of the collection of 85 buildings constructed between 1855 and 1890, 55 are listed. Most of the buildings were constructed for the use of textile businesses, including imposing warehouses/

I started up the steep hill. There was a bunch of the area I didn’t see – just too much of a steep hike on a hot day. At first I was a bit disappointed by the area – I’d read so much – but after a while, started noticing all the architectural detail and then I enjoyed it.

Contoured dopr — First time I’ve seen a contoured door

Back near the intersection with the main road bordering little Germany is The Bradford Playhouse which seats 266 people and was founded back in 1929. It was called The Priestley for while, after Bradford son J. B. Priestley who was its president. He wrote of the theatre, “it is a genuine popular movement, not something fostered by a few rich cranks.” To bolster this sentiment of being independent and ordinary hardworking people, at the back is a mural that commemorates the centenary of the founding of the Independent Labour Party in Bradford in 1893.

Which once was a stark warehouse and business district is now a neat and impressive neighbourhood of imposing buildings, peppered with art. The most famous of these is a portrait of David Hockney (one of Bradford’s most famous sons) in nails. Yes, the kind you hammer. The sculpture is 16ft high, 12ft wide, and weighs almost three-quarters of a ton, consisting of 12 panels. The 250,000 nails that make up the artist’s portrait were hammered into a base of lacquered marine plywood and fixed onto the wall.

We left Little Germany in search of lunch. Just beyond lay a road considered to be a good source of local (probably curry) restaurants, but when we got there it was a major road with lots of traffic. It was after noon now and the sun felt relentless. It was getting harder to find shade and I decided to veto the journey when we figured out how far we’d have to walk to find a bus. Instead we turned about and walked towards the city centre. There was a street near the hotel called North Parade and we’d read that it had a good collection of independent cafes and bars. It was on our list, we were hungry and thirsty so off we went.

We went around the back way this time, passing the older entrance to the Kala Sangam (the South Asian community arts centre) which is in front of the cathedral. I rested in the cathedral grounds for a while. Then at the very back of the hotel was a large vaulted area leading along Forster Square Station. We hoped there was a way out from here and luckily there was.

Continue reading “Bradford 2 – Bradford Cathedral, Little Germany and curry”

27th May 2022

Nottingham 1 – Arriving and Central Nottingham

Wednesday, 18 May, 2022

Nottingham has also been on my list and was the last trip we took during the Rail Sale. Just like Norwich, we planned three days, two nights and booked our hotel.

Our train was leaving from St. Pancras at 11:35 and unlike the mad scramble we’d had when going to Sheffield and Leicester, we allowed plenty of time and had a short wait at the station.

Since we were last here they opened The Francis Crick Institute, a biomedical research institute. On my list!

The train ride went by quickly. And we got to Nottingham about 13:10.

When we first left the station I was reminded of Leicester. The street ahead of us was very quiet and lined with red brick buildings. After a block or two we turned in front of a new bus station and the college and up a hill where the tram tracks ran on an elevated road. Just a few blocks up and we reached our hotel, The Mercure.

The area we were staying in – Hockley – was considered trendy, bohemian. It was a small grid of streets with a pedestrianised central road lined with small restaurants and bars. We’d decided on Chinese food before we got there but had to choose between three. The area seems to have a bit of a Chinatown and we ended up in one that had two large posters showing that Giles Coren had loved this place. We thought it would be fun to see if Giles was right.

The restaurant was Shanghai Shanghai. We ordered eggplant with green beans and rice, some crispy chilli beef and something called Sweetie Pumpkin Tarts – a sweet-for-sure pumpkin croquette that tasted like dessert. The verdict – Giles Coren hasn’t a clue!

Time to explore a bit. The first thing we discovered was that Nottingham is full of ‘chambers.’ I’ll assume these little hidden mews were solicitors’ offices that have been turned into small cafes and boutiques. They were everywhere. What does this say about Nottingham, that there were so many lawyers?

Meandering just off the main pedestrian way to the market square we came across a church and more alleyways and chambers, but once back onto the busier area we found The Exchange. Saying we found it is a bit silly. How can you miss it?

As soon as we went in, I told Krish that we were surely back in Turin or even Naples. The whole thing looked just like every Italian galleria.
The Exchange Buildings were built between 1927 and 1929, replacing an earlier 18th century building. It was Nottingham’s first shopping centre occupied at that time by Joseph Burton. In the 80s it was called Burtons Arcade before it was refurbished to its present state. I found a virtual tour. See what you think. The Exchange adjoins The Council House, which houses a 200ft high dome. Under the dome at the top are four murals, each showing a key historic time for the city. I photographed the one showing Robin Hood and later Krish took photos of all of them, which will follow in a later post.

Council House is home to Little John, the ‘deepest bell in the UK’ – with an E flat tone. We had heard this bell chiming each quarter hour – where was it, we asked – and remarked that it sounded exactly like Big Ben, an unexpected sound in little Nottingham. Turns out that we aren’t the only ones since it has been considered as a replacement should the ‘delipidated’ Big Ben fail. We’d hear the bell and think, where is it, why does it sound like Big Ben, and then wondered if it came from the Whitechapel Bell Foundry (it doesn’t – it’s from John Taylor & Co).

The Old Market Square had no market, and we never saw one while there. It’s pretty vast and people sit around any area that has ledges. I felt it had huge potential for more and I’m sure there must be events at times, but not while we were there. One story said it was the largest public square in England (UK?) while another said it was the second largest. In front of the Council House were two stone lions – nicknamed Oscar (on the right) and the much-loved Leo (on the left). Krish took a liking to Leo and I got to see this Nottingham pet up close the following day. Continue reading “Nottingham 1 – Arriving and Central Nottingham”

17th January 202229th January 2022

Two faces of Hackney Wick

Monday, 17 January, 2022

This isn’t the first time I’ve blogged about Hackney Wick, and it’s likely not to be the last time. The thing about the area is that it’s changing – rapidly. In a nutshell, it’s gentrifying. When I first arrived in Hackney, I found out that I lived close to a community of artists – largest in Europe, it claimed – so I wandered over. What I found back in those early 2000s days was a largely derelict area, kind of like a rambling collection of industrial parks, and being me, I was fascinated with the whole thing. I took photos back in those days – of walls and buildings covered in art, some accomplished, some scribblings, and of letterboxes and doors. No official nameplates there – just painted and written flat numbers outside old factories with names listed one below the other. I had flashbacks of being in San Francisco and of communes, everyone in together.

There was a street festival every year, Hackney WickED, so I went back for it. People sat around on the ground, on fire escapes, at booths. There were others spray painting new art. There were cafes, often vegetarian or the not talked about so much in those days vegan. There was live music. I walked by the canal and saw people sitting on rickety chairs. Beatnik, hippy, arty, unconventional, rebellious, eco warrior…I could go on.

I remember going to the Hackney Pearl – everybody loved that place and I thought I must be missing out. One visit there cured me of that. There was a Banksy in those days by the canal. I remember that. The whole place was a mess but somehow glorious. The Olympics changed all that. Hackney Wick was somewhat exempt, being on the over side of the canal to all the action, but it was brushed and that’s all it took.

One by one the scrapyards and the factories tumbled – converted or demolished. The artist-heavy community rebelled. They were always good at that. As far as I can tell, they didn’t get too far, although there are holdouts. What you see in Hackney Wick today is the remnants of what used to be alongside the very smart, but sadly no-personality luxury loft conversions and luxury flats. They have names that are a nod to the past – Bagel Factory, Shoe Factory, Ceramic Works. They don’t fix the past.

The protests continue…for some. Interestingly, in the local paper an interview with an older resident was glowing about all the changes. What works for some doesn’t for others.

Protest art on the side of the Hackney Pearl

The Lord Napier Pub has often been featured as an icon for Hackney Wick, since it’s been covered in graffiti for many years. It also happens to be Hackney Wick’s only pub something I find quite inconceivable for this city of pubs on every corner. On the other hand, Hackney Wick is perhaps just a corner. It’s posh inside now and the art continues (with new works by Tizer, Sweet Toof, Phelgm, Run, Mighty Mo, ThisOne, Oust, DKAE, Lucky, BuskOne, Will Barras, Greg Abbott, Teddy Baden & Cept.) I’ve also heard they have good Northern Thai food, but I haven’t been able to try it yet.

Lord Napier pub before regeneration (not taken by me)

On these next photos, with the ominous Phlegm figure threatening with an overhead anvil on the left, you can see the very modern building that’s now close to it.

The map shows how compact the area is and also a rough guess at where we walked. I’m sure I must have left some off but I have a terrible sense of direction and get completely turned around in my memory and in real life. The photos show some interesting sights along the way.

We had plans to eat while at Hackney Wick. I was quite keen to try the food at the pub, but Krish suggested we look for pizza and did some research to see where. He chose Natura. At first it didn’t look like much. A pizza and pasta place at the end of a street where the housing estate is. Inside there were rough wooden block tables with bench seats. At lunch time many of the regular sized pizzas are served with a drink for 8.40, about a third less than at dinner. We ordered a pizza with ham and some spaghetti with meat sauce. They were really friendly in there and we were relaxed, the only people in there. The server told us that it was usually a busy place in the evening but lunch times were quiet – so cheaper pizza! The pasta was so so, the pizza was well done. Krish wants to go back for lunch again and get a different pizza.

The estate hasn’t changed at all. I wonder how the residents feel about their area and all the changes it’s gone through, and their new well-heeled neighbours. And come to think of it, the estate is the third face of Hackney Wick.

We noticed a lot of orange-based graphics as we walked, along White Post Lane. It wasn’t until I got home and read the local Wick paper that I learned more. The artwork was an initiative called Paint the Town Orange by an enterprise called MEUS. MEUS is a tech company focused on the fitness and wellbeing of men. Ten top street artists created art to raise awareness for men’s mental health during men’s mental health month, November 2021. Here are just some of the pieces we saw on our walk.

The heart of Hackney Wick is small enough to discover all in one go, but we tend to take things in smaller bites, especially when they are so close by. There’s a barbecue spot I’ve been wanting to try for quite some time so there’s a good reason to be back soon. We headed back towards the Lord Napier, to our bus stop, and home for tea!

13th September 202013th September 2020

Hackney Road and Columbia Road – incredible histories

Thursday, 8 September, 2020

Every now and again I take a walk down Hackney Road. It was on my list of places to revisit and Krish suggested adding in Columbia Road on a non-market day. Add to that my increasing ‘need’ for Vietnamese food and we had a deal.

Home at the top and the areas I visited at the bottom of the map

My route along Hackney Road and Columbia Road. It was slightly twistier than this but it’s close enough. It felt like a long way

The days are shorter and the temperature is staying in the 17 to 20C range. It suits me well. Any warmer than 23 and I’m not so happy being out for long walking. There’s an added layer to being out these days. The kids have gone back to school. In the mornings and around 3:30, the buses and roads get much busier. I’ve read that they are suggesting as many students as possible ride bikes or walk to school and stay off public transport. While this must be happening, it’s also true that car traffic has increased. There must be a lot of parents driving students to school and, at peak times, there’s a lot of stop and go traffic outside the window.

At any rate, added to the ‘Covid caveats’ of avoid the post office on a Friday and Monday, stay away from the supermarket on the weekend, don’t walk on the Narrow Way unless you have no choice, I’m adding don’t travel on the buses till after 10am or between 3:15 to 4pm.

Look how many buses on Dalston Lane by The Pembury! This is almost as bad as it usually gets on Oxford Street. They increased the number of buses for the returning students

We missed most of the buses but then one showed up and we got in as far as Cambridge Heath Station. That’s where Hackney Road begins. Hackney Road is thought to follow a prehistoric route and into the 1700s was farmland with very few homes. During the 19th century this changed dramatically, as commercialisation became more the norm, and it took on a very urban look.

Before we set out we explored Clare Street, which runs along the Cambridge Heath railway arches. We had a little chat with some guys in the motorcycle shop. They reported business was quiet.

Motorcycle shop under the arches at Clare Street

There's always a lot of art on Clare Street

We took a little walk back towards Hackney Road again passing new and old buildings and some which seemed a mix.

This building looked like they’d built modern stories on top of the original house

The old-new building turned out to be the ex Duke of Cambridge. Krish pointed out that was at Cambridge Heath and that was how it was named

The last time we went down Hackney Road, we hadn’t enjoyed it as much as usual so this time we wandered slightly off the road and looked at what was around the corners. There were some cool discoveries along the way.

This has been a hotel for a while and now it’s a Mama Shelter. This chain calls itself an urban refuge – lively, unique and quirky There are hotels in 12 cities and 7 countries

Colourful houses on Pritchard's Road — Colourful houses on Pritchard’s Road, and the east end hold-out, Billy’s Cafe

Old council flats on Coate Street. The balconies seemed random

Lovely old Charrington's Pub on Coate Street — Lovely old Charrington’s Pub on Coate Street. Around here there would have been pubs on almost every corner

We also came across two very interesting buildings as we turned back to Hackney Road. On the corner with Garnet Street is the former Adelphi Chapel School date “1853, enlarged 1868”. This was a missionary school with 30 pupils built as a day and Sunday school, but also used as a chapel. And then we saw a baby blue building and couldn’t decide if it was cool or just ugly. It turned out to be a significant building. Built for £300,000 in 2002, FAT’s Blue House is a live-work house with an over-emphasised street-facing façade. The practice considers it to be one of the most important houses of the 21st century, or so the FAT website says.

Adelphi Chapel School building

The plan to divert occasionally was working out really well, but we were back on the main road and headed towards Columbia Road. At Goldsmith’s Row, there are two more treasures. First the old Queen Elizabeth Children’s Hospital. Also known as the North-Eastern Hospital for Sick Children, it was founded in 1867 and admitted 10,000 patients each year. For years we would walk past this then-derelict building. It was large and sombre. Then one day we noticed it was going to be developed into new flats. I seem to remember feeling a bit crestfallen that the blackened historical building would be gone. It’s not so bad, though.

It’s called Mettle & Poise, and was a sell-out success, with every new home sold off plan two years before the completion of the redevelopment in 2017.

On the other side from the old hospital (now M&P) is the lovely wooded Hackney City Farm. It was established in 1984 as a community and educational resource and to give borough residents, particularly young people, experience of animals. There’s a farmyard, area for grazing, garden and a tree nursery with butterfly house. The farm is home to a range of animals, including poultry, sheep, rabbits, bees, pigs and a donkey. Hackney City Farm also runs workshops and sells honey and free range eggs, among other things. A city oasis.

As you can probably tell, this is another area of Hackney (bordering on Tower Hamlets) that was overwhelming to read about. I’ve done my best!

There was one more stop for us before we found Columbia Road – the Phlegm mural on the Portuguese Love Affair cafe.

The Phlegm wall art in Ion Square on the Portuguese Love Affair Cafe building

Continue reading “Hackney Road and Columbia Road – incredible histories”