Tag Archives: pop-up

Yalla Yalla Pop-Up, Shoreditch

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Yalla Yalla promises delicious and authentic Beirut street food. Their two restaurants in central London are comfortable, warm and always have a great vibe. However I can’t help but believe that serving street food in an established sit down restaurant off Oxford Street rather defeats the point. So, when I was notified about the Yalla Yalla pop-up branch in Shoreditch I was keen to try out this real street eatery.

The informal 40 seat space is under a canopy, shielded from the elements with heaters effectively warming diners. It is a mix of tables with stools and low-level cushioned seating. At the weekends belly dancers and live DJs entertain the crowds. The place is decorated with brightly coloured materials and manages to generate a Middle Eastern feel.

Lebanese food is quick to prepare and easy to eat so works well as an outdoor option. The Yalla Yalla menu is varied and comprises of a range of mezze to share, with Baba Ghanouj, Samboussek Jibne (pastry filed with feta, halloumi and mint), falafel, hummus, tahini and Kibbe Lahme (deep fried lamb parcels). Favourites like lamb and chicken shawarma are available, as well as a selection of wraps with speciality ingredients like Soujoc sausages. All the usual dipping sauces and salads accompany the main dishes. For dessert, a selection of Lebanese pastries are on offer to eat onsite or for takeaway.

The food is just as good as in the indoor restaurants, but somehow tastes fresher and more vibrant. Mezzes are ideal for groups to share but wraps are better for quick takeaway lunches on the go. I loved the completely addictive chicken sharwarma and was particularly impressed with the extra creamy and smooth homemade hummus and the deliciously crunchy falafel. The real beauty of Beirut food is the combination of all the flavours and textures, which you can mix and match in any way you desire. A short but enticing list of cocktails will quench your thirst and prepare you for a night out in Shoreditch. We particularly liked the refreshing Pineapple Mojito and the fruity Berry Dance Martini.

Good news if you work in the area… a lunch-time bicycle delivery service is available to local businesses and residents Monday-Friday from noon-3pm. Orders can be made on 07725 841372.

This cuisine suits the Shoreditch site and the carefree clientele well and I wouldn’t be surprised if Yalla Yalla becomes a ‘permanent pop-up’.

more information: www.yalla-yalla.co.uk

Hot on the Highstreet Week 144: FEED AND READ

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Feed and Read is the brightest new pop-up in London. A poetic place to refuel and inspire mind and body.

Holly and Jo recycle and reinvent literature to create beautiful crafts and cards, serve delicious seasonal cakes with endless cups of fairtrade tea, and offer a calm haven to shop-and-swap your books.

I visited the first F&R pop-up at Deptford’s adorable Bearspace Gallery just before Christmas and was amazed by the array of thoughtful decorations and gifts. The transformed gallery space was filled with life, paper flowers adorning the tables, second hand books crying out for attention and a spectacular assortment of fresh cakes. Enamoured by the newspaper bound sachets of loose tea and cute cards, I spent far more than I intended to! Now this creative duo are back at Bearspace due to popular demand and come equipped to satisfy your stomachs and stimulate your thoughts.

Feeding and reading is how every weekend should be spent. Catch this imaginative pop-up at the Bearspace Gallery this Sunday 3rd March 12-4pm.

More information here.

http://feedandreadlondon.wordpress.com/

The Burlington Social Club by PRET A DINER

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Last week, PRET A DINER launched The Burlington Social Club, London’s first pop-up members club in the fabulous Senate Rooms at The Royal Academy. Industry heavy weights from the worlds of fashion, design, media and music came together to celebrate this unique drinking and dining concept, which Kofler & Kompanie has become renowned for.

Guests were invited to discover the unique PRET A DINER social drinking and dining experience with Michelin starred dishes and innovative cocktails, and RA Now, the first ever show at the Royal Academy to showcase works by all of the current Royal Academicians.And it is not just the food and drink offering that impressed – guests were treated to a feast for the eyes, as well as the stomach, with creative direction from Contemporary Neon Artist, Olivia Steele.

Among the crowd were Danny Rampling, Vince Kidd, Vas Blackwood and Olivia Hallinan who enjoyed sushi by Michelin starred chef Ollysan and PRET A DINER signature dishes including Teriyaki Ox Cheeks with parsnip and baby vegetables and Tuna Tartar with ponzu jelly, shisho snow and wasabi soy sauce. Guests also enjoyed cocktails from some of Europe’s best mixologists, including TBSC Ginger Fizz, a cocktail of gin, ginger, raspberry, lime, sugar and soda and 6BG Sour, a mix of vodka, basil, lemon and sugar.

The Burlington Social Club is open to members today until 17thNovember. Members can choose the lounge, or one of thirty seats on the edge of the central grand scaffold structure of exposed scaffold poles, aged wood and glass, which act as a virtual amphitheatre, allowing guests to observe the mastery of world renowned mixologists like Marian Beke and Stephan Hinz. A range of innovative cocktails are on offer, including ‘Tomba’, an injection of ginger, tomato, basil, coriander, salt pepper and lemon and ‘Coquetier’, an eggshell filled with rum, pimento, chocolate, Bitter’s, PX, protein and cinnamon.

Those who sit at the bar can also watch in awe as PRET A DINER chefs prepare a range of delicious Asian inspired petite food with dishes such as Teriyaki Ox cheeks with parsnip, local baby herbs and orange, one hour egg with mushroom foam and la ratte potato and chicken skin and tofu panna cotta with sea bream sashimi, shimeji and soy foam. Those with a sweet tooth will not be disappointed, with options such as salty caramel crème, apple sorbet and fir tree crumble and the infamous PRET A DINER crème brulee. And if members want something a little special, they can choose three or five dishes from the menu and receive an accompanying cocktail to match their chosen flavours.

A combination of a world-class cocktails and culinary trends, PRET A DINER at The Burlington Social Club is set to provide an exclusive drinking and dining experience.

Open daily from 6.30pm – 12.30am

Cocktails from £9
Sushi from £4 per piece (5 pieces for £22)
3 course petite food menu with accompanying cocktail – £55
5 course petite food menu with accompanying cocktail – £75

http://www.pretadiner.com/

Champagne & Fromage, Covent Garden

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Cheese and Champagne are two of the greatest pleasures in life, so a restaurant serving almost solely these two things, sounds like heaven.

It is heaven. A minute little café with artisan jams and jellies on the shelves, bottles of Champagne stacked and a fridge with gorgeous cheese of every kind.

I sat down on a cute wooden table, alone, as my date for the night was stuck at the hairdresser. These solitary moments presented me with the perfect opportunity to chat to the Co-Founder and Co-Director, Maud Fierobe who explained the idea of the boutique restaurant and talked me through each of the sparkling Champagnes on offer. After listening to my preferences, Maud delivered a pretty glass of bubbly, the sensational Lacroix La Reserve (60% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Meunier) – delicious fruity taste, light and incredibly moreish. This champagne suited my palate perfectly, Maud kindly clinked glasses with me… to avoid me saying ‘cheers’ alone!

French Bubbles, as the eatery is affectionately known, is a lovely rustic place to hang out, couples huddle over effervescing flutes and friends chuckle with mouthfuls of cheese. We tried a cheese board and charcuterie platter first, moving on to the insanely tasty tartine afterwards. Everything was divine: immaculately chosen and presented food. Each guest ordering a cheese board is allowed to choose from the epic selection, I was overwhelmed by the diversity and found it almost upsetting picking just three from the array. Eventually I decided on Compte Extra Vieux (36 months), Brie de Meaux and Chevre de St Claude. My only disappointment was the absence of Manchego, but as a French restaurant I must excuse them for omitting this famous Spanish cheese. The board promptly arrived garnished with grapes, membrillo and chunks of bread. Comte is a hard, nutty cheese, the Brie rich and creamy and the Chevre delicately flavoured and fresh. The charcuterie was a hit too, wafer thin slices of peppery salami and meats of the highest quality, I savoured every mouthful.

A lovely rose champagne, Pertois-Moriset Rose Grand Cru (85% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Noir) arrived to accompany the tartine. This bottle was fragrant with an obvious hint of strawberry, very elegant and satisfying. We chose the Montbeliarde tartine with Montbeliarde sausage the gooiest melted Morbier cheese and a shallot confit. Tartine is a toasted slice of traditional French sourdough,“Pain Poilane,” topped with fine French cheese. Ours felt very naughty… oozing cheese, meat and a generous smear of mustard, just like a posher and more exciting cheese on toast.

Champagne & Fromage started life as a pop-up and thanks to obvious popularity has deservedly gained a permanent place in Covent Garden’s Opera Quarter. I am so glad it stayed and we are able to enjoy this brilliant concept. Perfect for a bite pre or post theatre, I will definitely be popping back in to get my cheese and Champagne fix.

More information here.

http://www.frenchbubbles.co.uk/Champagne-Fromage/

Hot on the Highstreet Week 112: The Unbelievable World of Mishmaoul

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I was instantly attracted to the Mishmaoul collection when we stumbled across the temporary pop-up store in the souk in Beirut. The neon-ness and cool Arabic pop-art designs have an exotic appeal and caught my eye in the narrow dusty alleyway of the Lebanese shopping mall.

Designer Rana Salam intends to provide “a feast for the eyes”. She creatively blends and promotes cultures in her quirky collection illustrating her vision of the Middle East: fun, individual with a sense of narrative and storytelling. Although the range can only be seen in the flesh in the Middle East, Rana is London based and very much promoting her products here.

Mishmaoul has an eclectic mix of cushions, jewellery, prints, wallpaper, home-ware and other accessories, each piece is innovative and inimitable. I would love to have my own little flat decorated entirely with these items, I adore it all and feel the products work particularly well when shown together. The pop-up boutique shop I first visited thrilled me: vibrant colours and an overwhelming mix of beautifully arranged items… thoughtful and aesthetically scrumptious.

Alas, when I returned to Beirut a few months later, the pop-up was gone and my beloved Mishmaoul no longer housed at the souk. I did not have time to visit the studio space, but next time I travel to Lebanon it will be top of my to do list. Instead I have browsed the website for hours and was delighted to discover that Mishmaoul ship all over the world… making my dream of owning a few products suddenly possible.

A couple of emails later and I am the proud owner of a funky iphone cover (I don’t own an iphone but couldn’t resist buying the case!), a few of the neon-tastic pretty notebooks tied in ribbon and two of the new tea towels. The products have a real energy and sense of fun and whatever the medium, Rana’s passion for her home city’s street culture. The pieces aren’t super cheap but are affordable with a tea towel costing $20 and notebooks a mere few dollars each.

You can see Rana’s wonderful work at Comptoir Libanais, my favourite Lebanese Lunch outlet near work that I reviewed only a few months ago. It seems the best of Beirut is arriving in Britain and I couldn’t be happier. Hopefully one day soon I will see the Mishmaoul collection in its natural habitat, but for now I will cherish the few pieces of the range I own.

Visit the website here to discover the magical Mishmaoul world for yourself.

http://mishmaoul.com/

The Fringe, Olympics Private Members Club, East London

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For those of you who, like me, are obscenely bitter about the lack of Olympics tickets in your possession, there is another way to experience Britain’s glorious games this summer…

The Fringe is set to be the coolest pop-up private members’ club – located just 100 metres from the Olympic Park entrance you will hear every bit of the action while indulging and relaxing in this stylish venue. It is set in a stunning four storey mid 20th Century Victorian stable; the building has undergone an extensive make-over so that the club is able to provide every amenity and luxury you could wish for. Located in Swan Wharf, it is far away from the London I know so well and my visit there was certainly not simple, but the party was definitely worth the trek.

The venue is authentically East End but encompasses modern London, embracing international culture and design. Select artist exhibitions take over some of the private rooms and suites, including works by renowned artist Tim Flach, who shows his Equus collection and Charlotte Cory, with her limited edition ‘Olympic’ Victorian photographic prints. It is a design-led space, offering an eclectic mix of high-end, vintage and bespoke furniture, fittings and lighting. Bespoke pieces from stunning French design house Baccarat will fit out the Fringe 2012 penthouse, with famed Philippe Stark crystal chandeliers and Swiss furniture designer Vitra’s select pieces throughout the venue. For food and drink they have brought in the very best. Specialist event caterers “Rhubarb” are in partnership with the Fringe 2012 and renowned bar operators Sweet & Chilli bring their unique brand of fine drinking to the experience.

We joined the hordes of press last week for the opening night, a chance to gobble canapés, drink champagne and most importantly have a sneak preview of the exciting space. Arriving from the special taxi service from Hackney Wick station, the ground floor was already buzzing. Glamorous women handed out delicious Ginford Christie and Olympic Orchard cocktails while a talk was given about the venue. We were then invited on staggered tours to view the building, which is still very much a chaotic work in progress. I felt a little concerned that they only have four weeks to finish their ambitious plans, but the results promise to be spectacular.

Finally we wandered up to the top floor, for the piece de resistance Penthouse. It is a lovely bright and airy room with awesome views of the Olympic Stadium and grounds. It was hard to imagine the hype and frenzy of the events when it was so silent outside, but I anticipate this room being an exhilarating place to experience the games. Moet champagne flowed for opening night and Rhubarb Catering’s canapés steadily emerged from the kitchen: lobster cornets, foie gras lollipops, roast lamb with rosemary, hot Welsh rarebit bites, and many more exceedingly yummy snackettes. We were treated like royalty and I soaked up the experience knowing I was unlikely to be rich or cool enough to get a ticket when The Fringe is open for real!

Goodie bags were given out with miniature bottles of Belvedere citrus vodka and bags of Rhubarb chocolates, a perfect nightcap for the journey home!

Open for just 51 days (20th July – 9th September) space at The Fringe is limited, so I’d recommend booking now to secure your place in this exclusive club. More information here.

Swan Wharf, E3 2NG (Pre-booking only)

Individual tickets start from £90 per day with the option of multiple day tickets and group bookings. The top two floors are available for private bookings and events, which can be tailored to meet personalized entertaining needs. Bespoke food and drink is available for both floors. The top floor Penthouse offers a private terrace and concierge service making it an ideal flexible, entertaining space. The venue’s four floors boast 40,000 square feet holding up to 2,500 occupants and will serve as an all day and all night retreat from 9.00am until 2.00am. The Fringe 2012 offers premium food, bar and cocktail lounges and LCD screens broadcasting the main Olympic events as well as the best of British food at the ‘Great British Food Market’.

Pret-a-Diner, Italians do it Better

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Pret-a-diner is the most exciting dining concept of the year, but you’d be very mistaken if you thought it was just a culinary experience. The German company Kofler & Kompanie first set up their successful pop-up restaurant, the Minotaur last year at the Old Vic Tunnels – celebrities, foodies and critics were all begging for a table. I went along for the opening of Minotaur but regretfully never had the chance to try the food. This year I ignorantly turned up at the same location for this season’s ‘Italians do it Better’… and had to sprint across London to find the new, correct venue.

Through the doors of Mayfair’s 50 St James’s is a magical world of temptation and titillation. Pret-a-diner has temporarily occupied this tired and dated building transforming it into a wild and wonderful place of mysterious allure… opulent and extravagant decor, eccentric and thought-provoking art and best of all, some of Italy’s most talented Michelin chefs have been invited for a ten day residency each, including Viviana Varese, Norbert Niederkofler, Accursio Craparo and the Costardi brothers. There is a choice of two menus each evening – a classic and a more creative option.

The main hall is set up like a magnificent and crazy basketball pitch lit to the extreme and dressed with wacky contemporary artworks. It’s designed by Benjamin and Philip Wyatt with an art exhibition by the prestigious Gazelli Art House and fabulous installations including some Emin-esque neon signs by Olivia Steele, and other works by Monica Bonvicini, Aron Demetz, Vittorio Corsini and Giovani Ozzola. Downstairs the stylish cocktail bar is controlled by cocktail coinesseurs 69 Colebrooke Row which I was lucky enough to review quite recently.

I went to try Viviana Varese‘s simple but innovative menu on her opening evening.  A group of excited individuals, we sat at a beautifully decorated wooden table, with the pret a diner newspaper, Il Corriere as the unusual place mat. The set menu is priced at £75 per person, which is expensive for a concept that intends to make fine dining fun, however after the experience it seemed worth it… and is certainly very memorable.

Amuse bouches arrived first along with steaming brown paper bags of bread. To start the Viviana presents ‘Spoonwise’ a soft and fleshy zucchini flower, stuffed with fluffy creamy ricotta and floating in vibrant light tomato water. It was my ideal first course, light and full of flavour… courgette flowers are seriously underrated, paired with the right flavours they are an exemplary ingredient.

I avoided most of the next course, due to my aversion to seafood. ‘King Polpo’ is octopus with a duet of potatoes elegantly arranged in a glass with a succulent sauce, the dish is a bizarre combination of hot and cold, each mouthful is different. The table nodded in appreciation, apparently the octopus was the softest ever tasted.

The main was perhaps the most imaginative and artistic course: a clever dish with duck breast, foie gras and raspberry. Rich and fruity with a wonderful cut of meat and creamy foie gras… the raspberry took some getting used to but was a distinctive and attractive accompanying flavour. There is the option to ‘pimp it like an Italian’ – upgrading the dish to beef fillet with parsnip, edamame and Asia jus, but for this privilege you must find a further £13!

Dessert was my favourite, and after finishing my own, I proceeded to take donations from the rest of the table, I savoured every mouthful. The ‘Golden Dome’ (pastieries, candid lemon-orange peel and vanilla) is a light, airy and sweet pudding, a genius combination of vanilla and citrus components.

The food is the star of Pret-a-Diner, but it is about so much more… when I visited I was overwhelmed by the sensory overload, an explosion of invention, creativity and expertise. I cannot wait to see and taste whatever Kofler & Kompanie have next in store for us…

Pret a Diner is open until 30th June and The Costardi Brothers’ menu has just begun. Christian and Manuel Costardi run Cinzia of Vercelli, a hotel and restaurant that has been in their family for generations; their motto is ‘tradition and innovation’ and their dishes are their way of expressing their love for the important people in their lives. Their menu promises to be spectacular.

For more information and to book visit: www.pretadiner.com

British Airways Flight BA 2012 Pop-Up, Shoreditch

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British Airways Flight BA2012 landed in London for a short two weeks receiving a frenzied response. This pop up event documents the Great Britons project and showcases the work of three chosen creatives who are mentored by famous experts in their fields: chef Simon Holstone with Heston Blumenthal, Pascal Anson with Tracey Emin and Prasanna Purwanarajah with Richard E Grant

The relaxed lounge houses artwork by Brighton born artist Pascal Anson. Influenced by the dove and motifs of feathers and flying, Pascal has developed a plane design which has been used to create nine limited edition aircraft that will take to the skies this month.

Leaving the lounge and down a corridor, you come to a smart viewing room where Prasanna Purwanarajah’s touching film, BOY is played for all to watch. Timothy Spall stars as a father who struggles to overcome the grief of losing his cyclist son. Particularly poignant without words, it is a moving story that manages to make a strong impression despite only running for a few minutes.

Perhaps the most exciting part of the project though is the food. Michelin-starred Head Chef from the Elephant in Torquay, Simon Holstone has created an appropriately British menu to be served specially for BA during the Olympic Games, with valuable assistance from food magician Heston Blumenthal. It is inspired by the menu on-board British Airways in 1948 – the last time that the Olympics were held in the UK. A recreated British Airways aeroplane seats the lucky diners who manage to book tickets for dinner, but for the visiting public a £10 tasting plate is available from the bar. I thought the Salad of golden beetroot, peppered goats curd, micro watercress with an elderflower dressing was particularly well balanced and delicious.

Simon’s four menus will be available on long-haul flights from London Heathrow from July in First, Club, World Traveller Plus and World Traveller cabins.

Flight BA2012 has now taken off into the stratosphere, but if you can afford a first class plane ticket, the Simon Holstone food is a treat.