How do you say the name of the year? Since 1999 is said nineteen-ninety-nine, it’s odd that I persist in saying two thousand eighteen. Pretty sure that I’ll start anew when it’s twenty-twenty, which has a nice if scary ring to it. Trivia.
Such dull days deserve a little colour and M&S already have daffodils! They’re the usual pound a bunch so I got two. I’ve stayed home more than I wanted to and made do with things in the fridge a lot of days.
On this particular day, along with the usual burrata dish, I came up with a salad made with beets, squash, soft goats cheese and toasted walnuts. Not bad. Am slowly working my way towards a no-sugar, low but good carb eating pattern. It’s always felt good to me and yet I persist in eating too many sugar and carb meals. Even this salad isn’t the best – beets being sugar and the squash being a starchy food. More trivia.
With the days being so dark and even cold – it actually snowed for a while on Sunday – I made another doll as a surprise for a friend who is into witchy pursuits. She is ready to be posted.
Today I woke up to a very cold, windy and wet day. The skies are dark and I’m glad I have nowhere special to go. I’ve decided to document my neighbourhood a bit by taking a walk in different directions and doing a pictorial essay.
I’m planning several so if this is not your thing, move along!
My first walk was to the Tesco supermarket yesterday and nothing could be more routine than that. Explanations in the captions under each photo.
Leaving the house – my window view at ground levelWalking towards Hackney Central on my street. I love that it’s curved – somehow I always find that shape romanticThis house on my street always has its tree decorated. Gives me a smile every timeTowards the railway bridge. There’s another just around the corner – the two lines are closeUnder the railway bridge are the ‘arches.’ with space at a premium, many businesses start up here. Sometimes they’re rough, like these body shops but often they are trendy (more of those another time)A lot of Caribbean cooking in these parts. This the spot I can pick up plantain – yum!There’s a five point junction at the top of the street. In the centre is the refurbished 19th century Pembury Tavern. You can also some of the many busesOn the other side of my street, the disappointing selection of shops, including the worst Chinese food anywhere, a burger (from frozen) joint, and a sushi place run by not-Japanese peopleHackney Central is slowly gentrifying. Soon everything will look like thisAs a contrast – on the left an old estate building and on the right an old building that has been reclad
Here I sit on yet another cold, grey morning after a couple of frivolous Netflix half hours. It seems to me that this is the greyest January I can remember in London. Krish says it’s always like this. Maybe I have the February blahs a little early.
Then there are culinary distractions!
The first was Shikumen and our third visit to this Aldgate location. We don’t usually go to expensive restaurants, preferring hole in the wall discoveries, hidden gems where only locals visit. Then we saw that a new Aldgate location of the small chain, Shikumen, was opening in the Dorsett Hotel near the tube station. For the first month they were offering 50% off all food if you reserved a table. Great opportunity! We seized it.
We visited Shikumen twice that month. The food was expertly cooked, the space was clean and modern, and the service was attentive and friendly. It was a no-brainer. However, the prices are high and we’re used to a cosy plate in Toronto’s Chinatown, so the discount is a must.
Just before Christmas Shikumen offered 50% off gift certificates so we ordered two and waited for the new year.
Our first visit was for dinner last week. I completely surprised myself by walking the 5.5km all the way along Mare Street, Cambridge Heath Road and Whitechapel Road to Aldgate. I was very happy to see the Dorsett in view at the end of the route.
Whitechapel is changing from a rundown East End neighbourhood to one that is modern and corporateThe view from Shikumen shows that Aldgate too is definitely 21st century
Every year, at the Geffrye Museum – a museum set in 18th century almshouses that explores the home from 1600 to the present day. It shows London living rooms and gardens and home life through the centuries, “reflecting changes in society, behaviour, style and taste” – on twelfth night 6th January, they ritually burn all of the greenery that has been used to decorate the Christmas themed rooms. The burning of the holly and the ivy is a lovely thing to watch. They add in carolling, hot cider and fruit cake before the large bonfire is built and people gather around to stare at the flames, and chat and sing. I’ve been there many times for this ceremony.
On the 7th January this year the Geffrye is closing for two years for redevelopment. The upper floor will now be part of the museum. Although I’ve seen the bonfire celebrations gain some recognition, this year as I approached on the other side of the road, I could tell its popularity had swelled. In fact, there were queues at each gate entry and all along the road people were still arriving or walking away in search of food until entry was easier. I’d never seen this before.
Queues at the Geffrye
The Geffrye is in Shoreditch, the far reaches of Hackney, near Old Street, and Hoxton stations. This is a trendy area with lots of night life, street art, restaurants, along with the history. It’s also the home of Vietnamese restaurants. Not just a few, but a whole community of them stretching along Kingsland Road and Old Street.
We did have a favourite for a while. We were introduced to it by a Vietnamese couple so knew that it was the sort of food they cooked themselves and ate routinely in the Hanoi region. We’d go regularly and we had our favourite dishes – Hanoi Fish, (Chả Cá Thăng Long – turmeric fish with dill) – a dish I still make – and Buda Aubergine – eggplant steamed whole and stuffed with tofu, mung bean and seasonable vegetables. Then it closed. Tragedy. We haven’t found a replacement, although I keep looking.
Seeing the crowds, I headed for the Green Papaya – although many were going to the very popular and crowded Song Que, trailing along the normally peaceful street .
Crowds along Kingsland Road
Is Green Papaya a favourite, a replace for Que Viet? No! But it will do. Although it’s a very trendy cafe, with the more favoured branch being in Hackney Central, it was empty.
Cheating a little, this is a pho I had the previous week – tastes good, meat cut too thick! Today I had the ubiquitous grilled pork with vermicelli
I can’t get used to the prices of Vietnamese food here in London. The grilled pork dish is £8.50, tea is £1.50. The pork is belly pork, so fatty. The flavour is there, though.
I once said Vietnamese food might be the one I’d choose if told I had to eat only one cuisine for the rest of my life. Perhaps. I’m coming around to Modern British though. British food has had too harsh a reputation for far too long. That’s a topic for another day! Continue reading “Twelfth night at the Geffrye”
