Strange things are happening in and around Oval Station and we here at the Observer like what were seeing. Oval tube if you’re reading this (and if not you really should be) we are LOVING the distressed, post-apocalyptic look you’re rocking at the moment and we hope you keep it. However, given the aesthetic bypass also known as Transport for London, we know this is unlikely.

Also new to the area is a Turkish/UK café ‘Roots’ located next to the tube and its here we find ourselves having lunch with the ever ebullient Karen from Finance. She opted for a spinach and feta pie as she thought it looked identical to what she had enjoyed on several occasions in Athens. It’s a super-crisp filo-type pastry encasing a thick layer of spinach, feta, mint with a hint of nutmeg. Karen was sold on the authenticity.  When we pointed out that we were, in fact, in a Turkish café Karen shrugged her shoulders and said ‘yeah whatever….same thing’.

Your scribe ordered the spinach and cheese Gozlene. Gozlene is a kind of stuffed Turkish turnover a bit like Pide but folded over like a calzone. Spinach and  feta is the most common stuffing but it can also include minced meats. Both of ours were toasted, giving them that oozy kick, with the spinach deluding into a vision of it actually being healthy. Well recommended. There’s no use in buying an overpriced drink as they’ll happily give you tap water.

Roots is a family owned café and we have a feeling it was brother and sister out front and dad in the kitchen. In addition to sandwiches and coffee, their big item is the large amount of smoothies on offer. Perfect for your stressful morning commute until someone elbows you in the eyeball. The team also inform us that they will soon have out a breakfast menu, featuring both Turkish and British Fry Up options. So in the immortal words of Arnie —- ‘we’ll be back’.

You probably think that all we do here at the Observer is eat out and drink. While this is largely true, we’re also a cultured office and we like to imbibe a play now and again. So we find ourselves at the White Bear Theatre to see the play ‘Savage’. If you’re not aware of the Bear, it’s a space upstairs at the White Bear pub that’s been focussed on new and cutting edge writing since it was founded in the 80’s.

Our play starts in Copenhagen, 1940, and homosexuality is legal until Nazi tanks roll into town. Nikolai and Zack are enjoying a clandestine relationship that they subtly accept is doomed, and doom is sealed when they are arrested and encounter Dr. Carl Vaernet, who claims to have discovered a cure for homosexuality involving the injection of monkey testosterone. This absurd reality is underlined by a visiting SS officer who takes an  overcurious interest in this innovation as he sips his champagne cocktails to endless, gun toting  abandon. We are strategically avoiding more detail here as we don’t undertake plot spoilers, as that would make us no better than Time Out. But our tale takes us from Copenhagen to Prague to Connecticut via the home of an altruistic nurse.

On this visit your scribe was accompanied by our new Diversity czar Kevin (whose claims of diversity seem to extend to having had a Spanish boyfriend for a few months). He observed the real chemistry between the two leads and noted their passion for one another while anticipating the powers that will doom their love. As a contrast there’s a much more troubled relationship here, but that’s for you to discover, dear reader. This is also a lesson in the privilege that most of us enjoy while others are left to languish in their vulnerability. Brits being repatriated to the UK while locals living in the Middle East can’t escape shouldn’t be ignored here. Another texture for you to ponder in this topical play.

Savages is a vast undertaking and perhaps the tiny venue does it no justice, but is nevertheless worth seeing. Savages is on now and runs until 15 March at the White Bear and tickets can be grabbed here.  While the theatre is situated within the White Bear pub, it is independently owned and not part of the Youngs mega chain. There’s some twee little fake Kennington memorabilia around the pub to distract you and apparently the food is nice, or so say our mega chain loving friends.  

Please note that in this play there is a trigger warning for people offended by nudity. Equally, there is a trigger warning for people who prefer a bit of nudity.

Have you ever stopped and noticed a curious looking steel box in the middle of Elephant and Castle? It’s been there for years, now standing sentinel beside the looming shopping complex as it nears it’s Westfieldian completion. It’s a memorial to Michael Faraday (1791-1867) who was born and raised in nearby Newington Butts. A Chemist and Physicist, Faraday was mostly self educated as his parents had little money. He contributed vastly to electromagnetism and invented the electric motor. In fact, he’s responsible for the little motor inside the device on which you’re reading this. He’s also the dude who used to be on the £20 note (kids, bank notes are something old people used to use to pay for things).

Back to the box. Its 1961 and London Underground needed to construct an electricity substation above ground. The original concept was to encase the substation in glass to allow people a view of what Faraday pioneered. However, out of a fear of vandalism it was designed out of a dimpled stainless steel, giving it an appearance of having been hit repeatedly by a car. Right now you might be thinking ‘vandalism in the Elephant, never!’ but alas, even with its dimpled skin it’s faced indignity in spite of being Grade II listed.

As well as being London’s strangest yet most practical memorial, it comes with the thrilling concept of potential death! (although other buildings in Elephant have proved more lethal). Apparently even if Mr. Faraday in heaven was able to squirrel his way into the box his electromagnetic genius would prove useless and his fate would be sealed in the box, making it the world’s first electromagnetic mausoleum.

The Dragon Flame @ Orbit Brewery

The never ending top ten list has now reached a glistening climax and multi award winner 24 The Oval has been overthrown by….wait for it…a Brewery! Yes, a tiny pop up in our very own Orbit Brewery in Walworth has stolen the crown. And trust us, we tried on a lot of crowns to anoint this little gem. And most had thorns.

The Dragon Flame is the latest food resident at Orbit and has an emphasis on smoked meats that carries through to the special Sunday Roasts menu that contains a number of smoked options alongside the traditional Sunday Roast trimmings. Our guest chose oak-smoked beef brisket (£24.95) on the basis that brisket is the most classic of smoked meats and a good measure  of meat-smoking expertise. Also on the basis that it cost the most and they knew they were getting a freebie. But the freebie was a winner: generous strips of deeply, but not overpoweringly, smoked strips of brisket arrived draped over the classic vegetables. The brisket itself was soft and tender from a long session in the smoker.

Your scribe had the oak smoked half chicken roast (£22.50). Properly smoked chicken has a deep savoury, tender and intense flavour and this ticked all those boxes, in addition to being juicy and moist. The  carrots and parsnips still had some bite and roast potatoes were flavourful. We were pleased to see braised red cabbage, its sweetness complementing the smoky meat well. Sealing the deal as a high quality plate were an enormous and perfect home-made Yorkshire pudding and generous red wine “jus” (that’s posh for gravy). 

The Dragon Flame is a very hot new entrant to the Kennington Sunday roast scene and we hope it makes other pubs up their two overcooked veg stodge game.  Of course, it’s not cheap: even the vegan option is £18.50. However, this strikes an excellent balance between taking a bit of a new direction (smoked meats) yet keeping all the crowd-pleasing Sunday Roast elements you expect. That you can enjoy this alongside one of Orbit’s excellent range of beers surely seals the deal. We’ve given a swerve around their tzatziki flavoured beer until they run out of all the others, but you might be more adventurous.