I have been to street food markets before, but I was never amazed like I was today. The street feast is nothing like your usual eatery that's often under open skies but more of a special concept combining positive vibes, junk-inspired designs and exceptionally extraordinary food.
Opening during spring and summer season the Street Feast of London event space is always busy. Located in an old yard, a selection of around fifty different vendors gather to offer some of the world's finest meals, but designed for the street. Burgers, pizzas, tacos, rolls, bagels, donuts, pitas, ribs, ice cream... They have it all.
Pay at the entrance where you're welcomed by a popsicle caravan but wait... Wait until you pass the wall to discover the real fiesta. A large space under a very high ceiling, a junkyard or an abandoned factory where corners have been transformed into mini restaurants. People are eating, enjoying their time, smiling and having fun. The concept and vibes, it's all totally fresh.
As I entered, I felt like trying everything. I wanted to eat from each place, the aromas, the smells, they open up all your senses at once making you salivate. Excitement arose, my mouth started watering, I was in heaven.
The space is divided into many sections making things look cozier. You like it fresh, feel like sitting for a while, or simply having a drink, there is something for everyone. An open space at the entrance leads to a large court from which you enter another smaller space surrounded by food stands and a table in the middle before moving on to the third area with a balcony and more eating choices.
I loved the way metal they made use of metal. I enjoyed the lighting and rugged ambiance. Everything seems clean and neat despite the street food spirit. Youngsters prepare food with passion with fresh sights and smells filling the space.
Long tables oblige you to mingle. Sit with strangers and eat the same food, it makes you feel a certain unity. Bars here and there and lots of beer. I liked the way trash bins are made of metal containers and there are fireplaces for a warmer experience.
I fell in love...
Trying to take photos, shoot a video documentary and eat at the same time was not very easy so I chose a couple items to have a general overview of the quality and taste. I had an ice cream, a pork burger, a cheeseburger, a pita sandwich, fries and a tuna taco.
Everything is delicious!
- Since their stand is at the entrance, I started with the LickAlix popsicles. LickAlix make gourmet ice lollies which are natural, healthy and taste amazing. The lollies come in a great range of interesting and unique flavors. Almost all of the lollies are lactose and gluten free. Chocolate banana sea salt is a blackish stick with two banana fingers on top, a dark chocolate richness followed by sea salt which caresses your lips after every bite or lick. Those are good, really, really good.
- Another catchy vendor in the market was found in an old, red Volkswagen caravan selling lobsters and crab. B.O.B.'s Lobster has recreated a New England crab shack at London's Street Feast market, serving up a quarter pound of native lobster meat in a toasted brioche roll, but I preferred to go for the Taco. Ahi Tuna tacos was an amazing portion of three crunchy tacos filled with tuna cubes melting heavenly and topped with a spicy sauce which created a beautifully decorated bite. Tender tuna cubes, black sesame, lettuce and pink onions. It was awesome!
- Bear's Rotisserie, a catchy logo made me want to stop by. Bear’s started at Borough Market in 2013, serving rotisserie free-range chicken to up to 500 people a day. Today at Street Feast in Dalston Yard they're using a rotisserie to produce a juicy bird, finished on a hand-crafted grill for a flame licked, crispy skin and smoky flavor. It is served as whole, or in the hand baked pitta bread, with sides including barbecue pitta chips, avocado butter lettuce salad and Bear’s Great Taste award winning chili jam. Just imagine... Spatchcocked chicken cooked in the rotisserie and finished in the barbecue served with lettuce and avocado dressing. To start with, the bread is unique. I haven't had something that tender with a salty finish in years. Salty bread covered with oil, a light crunch and inside is a juicy chicken, mayonnaise to add flavor, and their exceptional chili jam sauce. The crunch of the bread, the sweetness, the pepper... The juiciness of the chicken... Top!
- Yum Bun looks cute and those white buns made me curious. YumBun proposes white steamed buns filled with pork or mushroom among others choices. A soft steamed pork bun filled with slow roasted belly pork, cucumbers, spring onions and hoisin sauce. A sticky, light colored bun stuffed with one chunk of pork, a light crunch and the sauce, which makes all the difference. That's addictive. A must try for sure.
- Slider Bar has a burger unlike anything you've ever had. Slider Bar put a smile on my face because those burgers are more gourmet than street food. I had the bacon cheeseburger, the killer! The patty is not only aged, but is so amazingly smooth, so juicy, so pleasantly fatty, a meat left as is without any bread and whatever they do to the meat makes it crumble under the teeth like heaven. On top is some American cheese, bacon, mustard, ketchup, pickles and lettuce. Breathtaking! Maybe, or let's say surely, the most flavorful burgers I've had in years. A light, airy soft bun that sticks pleasantly to the teeth filled with a hundred flavors, saltiness, sourness, juiciness... A meat that melts under the teeth like butter. What a dream! That's my favorite tonight.
- Bleeker St. is well known, and you can tell because you have to stand in line to get your order. I paid and was given number 16. I had heard their burgers were majestic but I decided to simply have the fries after everything I'd eaten tonight. Angry fries with blue cheese and a spicy sauce. A generous portion of fries that tickle your nostrils with their intense spiciness, lemony flavors and crunchy fries with interesting blue cheese explosions. Man, that's special. I've never had anything like that before. It's like a drug... Once you start you cannot stop.
I could live here... Trust me the vibes and good food make this a one of kind food haven. You don't want to miss it on your next visit to the British capital.
We enjoyed an amazing night with our friends from FoodieHub and I promised myself that I'd come back soon.
Add it to your schedule.
