Tuesday 3 December 2013

Street Feast @ Hawker House

For those of you who don't know, Street Feast is a 'nomadic street food circus' that curates vibrant experiences for food lovers. 

Myself and a few mates headed to Hawker House on Friday to see what it was all about, and what a treat it was...



When presented with a queue the size of what it was on Friday night, in any other situation I'm pretty sure that I'd be kicking and screaming my way to the front door, preparing to mutter at least one or two expletives under my breath at the door man. 

Nothing of the sort. On this occasion there was an overriding sense of contentment throughout the punters in the queue. I'd say calmness, but maintaining this state of being was an impossible task. I'm pretty sure that this was down to the unassuming showmanship of the Mama's Jerk Station chef, who casually flipped and basted the mountains of chicken thighs. Every flip would send out a puff of smoke into the queue. Breathe in through the nose... and exhale: 'aahhhhhhhhhhh!'

The drool trail guided us to the next stage of the queue - Smokestak with their 4.5 tonne custom built smoker. Uh oh. The chef opened up the smoker to reveal the bubbly glaze of the BBQ ribs, which was then followed by an eruption of smoke onto the onlookers. This was too much. Get me inside. NOW!



When we finally made it through the door for the more than reasonable price of £3, the sense-assault then began. The sights, sounds and smells were unreal. The combination of the food, the music, the dim lighting and the warmth, created an atmosphere and vibrancy that can only be described as exceptional. 



Moving through the venue to meet our friends who were 'holding down positions at the Whiskey Bar', we managed to get our bearings and scope out what were going to eat. The conclusion was pretty simple - we'd have the lot.

For the majority of the evening we stood propped-up at the Whiskey Bar, re-fuelling ourselves with cocktails whilst one recon man at a time would move out to collect some nourishment.

First on the list was Yum Bun's Pork in a steamed bun. Now for those of you who read my last post will appreciate that these aren't for me. But rest assured that everyone else was blown away. 

Next were the Slider Bar's mini burgers in the form of a cheeseburger and a 5 chilli cheeseburger. For me it's really hard to get the feel for a burger when there is only two bites-worth of goodness, but in the spirit of tasting everything on offer these were more than enough, and DAMN good. 



Back to the bar and a few more 'Barman's Choice' whiskeys down, we then moved onto the Rola Wala's special, which for the average punter can only be described as an Indian pizzas. We ordered two (Organic Pulled Pork and Channa Dal) and passed them round one-another until they were gone, 'hhmmming' and 'aahhhhing' with every breath, trying to savour every last crispy bite of the spicy pizzas. They didn't last long and there were absolutely delicious. 

Without a break we then moved onto the Rib Tips by Smokestak. Presented in a paper bag these sticky little dudes were unbelievable, the kind of rich smokiness that makes you cough every time you swallow. For me this is how it should be. To be reminded with every bite that these weren't just cooked, they were barbecued in a 4.5 tonne custom-built smoker with all the TLC that ribs deserve.



The following couple of hours involved many other treats from the likes of Breddos Tacos, Bob's Lobster and Mama's Jerk Station. If I wrote about all of them we would be here for hours, but all in all I was blown away. The whole atmosphere of the place put smiles on the faces of everyone around us. People with one common interest in one perfectly curated experience. 

I can still smell the smoke on my clothes now. It reminds me of the scene in The Simpsons when Bart refuses to wash his hand for fear of losing the scent of the girl he had a crush on...

..I can't stop thinking about you Street Feast