WeFeast

Tobacco Dock, London

The Long Table was the first night market I visited in London. I would never have thought people in London would queue up in the cold, on a rainy day, to go to an uncovered venue for food. Not everyone loved the idea but there was certainly enough demand to start the ‘night food market trend’. And a few other bigger food markets such as TheStockMKT and WeFeast have proven to be highly successful since then.

A few weeks ago I went to WeFeast at Tobacco Dock – a converted warehouse in Wapping. The venue was 80% covered, and set up with several communal tables. More than 20 street food vendors had participated in this event. They were evenly spread out on the ground and first floors, leaving plenty of room for the guests to explore, and more importantly to form queues. At first I found the entry fee a bit pricey (starting at £8 + booking fee), but in return we got a line-up of some of London’s best street vendors and restaurants. Together with the entertainment and the very helpful on-site staff, the price seemed reasonable.

So, as the name of the event stated, it was a feast so we ate a lot. Besides my favourites - Elliot’s Café, Bone Daddies, The Bowler and Pizza Pilgrims - I also had my first tastes of Patty and Bun, Meringue Girls, The Last Days of Pisco and Hix Fish Dog. Among those, the sea bass ceviche by The Last Days of Pisco and the ginger and rhubarb Eton mess by the Meringue Girls were the real highpoints of the night. I even convinced Pizza Pilgrims to make me a custom oyster pizza. I know it sounds disgusting but with the addition of nduja it tasted SO GOOD.

Full set of photos here. Keep your eyes peeled for the next Feast!

WeFeast

The Long Table

The Long Table, Dalston

It was four weeks before Christmas, and it was cold. Most people were busy doing their Christmas shopping, or relaxing somewhere warm with a glass or two. This certainly did not apply to the crowd queuing outside a disused car park on Abbot Street in Dalston. The Long Table is a joint venture by the Bootstrap Company and Nuno Mendes, the man behind The Loft Project and Viajante. It is an outdoor food market featuring live music, visual art and the best food stalls in London.

I grew up in South East Asia, so street food is in my genes. There is no better environment to bring people together. I love the noise, the interaction with the vendors, chatting with people in the queues, and of course the delicious food. The Long Table is a great way to experience the vibe of East London. Expect to queue for at least an hour if you cannot make it before six o’clock. But do not be put off by this, as it is well worth the wait...

Several communal tables were set up under a huge marquee, where people were chatting away while tasting varieties of food and drinks. Log fires were set up to keep us warm, which together with the live music, created a very cosy atmosphere.

Graffiti covered walls, London Fields Brewery, Okonomiyaki by Sho Foo Doh 松風堂

Big Apple Hot Dog, as good as the ones you can get in New York, if not better.

Yakimochi with sweet red bean paste by Matcha

Beef taco by L.A Suenos

Takoyaki (Octopus balls)

Barbeque beef short ribs with Shiitake mushroom, served with mushroom caramel by The Loft Project. The meat was so tender that it just fell off the bone. No wonder it had the longest queue!

Pork belly in steamed white bun by Yum Bun. It was another popular stall, but the fluffy soft buns were certainly worth waiting for.

Amazing cocktails by Alex Mckechnie. For the girls - Cucumber, mint, gin, elderflower and lemon bubbles. For the boys - Old fashioned handmade spiced rum. I had both :)

Bacon cheese burger by Lucky Chip. Hand pressed burger, melted cheese, strips of bacon and the steamy buns, this is possibly the best burger in the world. I am seriously considering travelling from South London just to have this burger again.

We did not get to try these but they looked really good - Home made Bengali curries by Gastrogeek, pizza by Home Slice Pizza.

Brave the cold and find out what East London is about!

The Long Table