Category Archives: Elephant and Castle

After Taste

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Since realising just how poor value for money Firecracker in central Kennington has become, we’ve been looking for a new Chinese takeaway. What’s been on our radar for a while is a Chinese joint in Elephant called ‘After Taste’. We have to childishly admit that what peaked our curiosity was the name, as ‘After Taste’ are usually the words that come after ‘unpleasant’ or  ‘I have to brush my teeth as I’m getting a bad____’. But our new find is pleasantly none of these things. In fact quite the opposite. 

The first thing that strikes you about After Taste is the size of its menu. At 260 items (say what?!) you’d be hard pressed to find anything they can’t throw your way, and there are a few surprises. My dining partner had one such surprise and it was the deep fried smoke chicken  (number 9 on the dizzying menu). A starter of mains sized proportions, it was ladled liberally with Sichuan peppercorns and was both smoky and blow your head off hot. For the mains the dining partner had Szechuan chicken with egg fried rice (153). It was hot but just this side of sweet, with plenty of dried chilis for added kick (and consumption if you’re feeling dangerous). 

  • Smoke chicken
  • Szechuan chicken. Photographing food is hard work

Your more gastronomically cautious scribe started with some very dandy prawn dumplings called ‘Prawn Ha Kow’ (1). A bit on the small side but meaty and steamingly hot. For the mains I had the king prawn chow mein (140). Lots of noodles, sprouts, and so many huge prawns they had to be eaten on their own. For all this Chinese goodness we paid the princely sum of £22.62. We walked up to get it, but it is also available on Ubereats and Just-Eat. On the value versus taste continuum, we think the place punches far about it’s weight.  Its at the top of Newington Butts, near Theos Pizza.

Those prawns were huge

If you are a purist when it comes to your Chinese cuisine and instead of Lo mein your desires veer towards aorta, brain and intestines, then we suggest the almost haltingly authentic Sevini restaurant in Lambeth North, which we reviewed in 2019. 

The Elephant (not) in the Room

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If you’re the astute sort you’ve probably noticed that the famous statue that used to adorn the primary entrance to the ‘now past tense’ Elephant and Castle shopping centre has been removed. And if you aren’t astute then trust us, it ain’t there anymore. We’re here to tell you more about the Elephant and if we’ll ever see it again. 

The original

When the Elephant and Castle pub closed for redevelopment in 1959 the metal statue was removed and then given a second lease on life as the centrepiece when the new shopping centre opened in 1965, above. Unfortunately it vanished in still mysterious circumstances a few years later and the centre was left without a mascot. Fast forward a few years and our current elephant was fashioned as a fibreglass replica and given pride of place. For over four decades it grew as a loveable mascot of Elephant. Frequently repainted in red and pink, over time it settled into a more grey patina, more suitable for a proud pachyderm. 

The statue has been removed for several months as it is apparently undergoing a million pounds (??!!) in renovation work. According to developers Delancey “We have been keen to keep the Elephant in the local area and are now therefore pleased to announce that the Elephant & Castle statue will be moving to its new home in Castle Square”.  We think this is builder’s parlance for ‘we wanted to get rid of it but Southwark told us we had to keep it’. Castle Square is a surprisingly spiffy little square behind the old shopping centre and is the current but temporary home to many of the centres’ former tenants, as seen below. 

If you have a preoccupation for statues that go missing from one place and then turn up somewhere else, first of all you might want to seek professional help. If the condition persists, have a look at our intriguing article about the mighty South Bank Lion that adorns our fair side of Westminster Bridge. 

Black Cowboy Coffee

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The other day we had properly distanced but still aromatic chat with John Otagburuagu, aka the Black Cowboy, in his eponymously named coffee and snacks emporium in Elephant and Castle. Black Cowboy Coffee was one of the many businesses turfed out of E&C shopping centre in October, but the cowboy has landed his booted feet in a more high profile spot in Elephant Arcade, at the base of Perronet House. 

John is true Greater Kenningtonian,  having spent part of his youth between the Cotton Gardens Estate and Brittany Point in Lollard St. His early career took him from accountancy to Pizza Hut to working as a cameraman for the BBC. When John decided he wanted a fresh start and open skies he relocated to Houston, Texas. Looking for a new role that also incorporated his passion for travel, John decided, as you do,  to become a trucker. 

John spent a number of successful years crisscrossing America in his truck which he bought in cash as soon as he could. He also settled in Houston with a partner and had three children. When all was moving swimmingly down the road for John disaster struck….he was deported. Ever the optimist, John returned to the UK in late 2013 and found that he had to more or less start from scratch. He went to the JobCentre with the concept of wanting to start a coffee shop, and with a bit of effort he was able to obtain a business loan and find a mentor. It took a few years to come together, but 2015 saw the dawn of ‘Black Cowboy’. 

Black Cowboy Coffee features six coffees which you can also purchase bagged, either ground or still in the bean. He uses organic Arabica beans sourced from Brazil, Ethiopia, and Indonesia. The most popular brew and which keeps the customers coming is called ‘Boca Chica’. He also features latte, Americanos, cappuccino, hot chocolate, and an array of teas. If it’s food you’re after the specialities of the house are the Belgian waffle ‘liege’ and bagels made to order (selections above). There are also a range of paninis and baked goods. 

Black Cowboy is a perfect destination for your daily get out of the house perambulation. However, if you aren’t able to leave the house they are available on Uber Eats and soon Deliveroo. Keep on truckin! 

A celebration of Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre

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Well it’s finally happened. Like that scatty aunt you loved dearly but never bothered to visit, Elephant and Castle shopping centre is finally gone forever, and we would like to mark the event with a visual celebration. 

The shopping centre was the sight of many ‘firsts’ for staff here at Runoff HQ and will be hugely missed. For example, it was the first time we ever had our shoes nicked at a bowling alley, the first time we were ever frisked before entering a restaurant, and our first ever experience of being sexually aroused by a massage chair.  

The centre was also reminiscent of a bygone era of truly one stop shopping and formica. Where else in London could you buy Christmas ornaments in June, have your phone unlocked, score plantains and have a vegan sausage roll all under one roof?  To be serious, while never fully realising it’s potential even after 55 of years of existence, the wonderfully eclectic centre served a vital function to parts of the population often overlooked by retailers and put food on the tables of the people who worked there. In addition to offering food and clothing from around the world which acted as symbols of our diverse community. 

Some of the smaller independent retailers have set up shop in a temporary structure in Elephant Street, behind the centre. The iconic Elephant sculpture will also find a new home there. However, it is only a matter of time until they close and we’re left with another identikit shopping centre catering to a small element of our varied population. But please remember a better era by the photos we took several years ago. And a mind boggling illustration at the bottom of the Elephant of the future. 

The future site of the now former shopping centre is circled.

Spirits in the Drawing Room

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With the Gasworks gallery closed for now (reopening on 1 Oct) and Newport Street Gallery closed for the foreseeable, you might be feeling a tad culture deprived. We would like to share with you a little gallery in Elephant and Castle that has recently come to our attention, The Drawing Room.

The Drawing Room is a space to discover both historic and contemporary drawing in an open and accessible manner. They have an impressive art library and (probably not right now) have a series of talks, artist led projects, and hands on learning. The show currently on until the end of October is called ‘Not Without My Ghosts: The Artist as Medium’ and features work by Victor Hugo, Yves Tanguy, Sigmar Polke and William Blake, with many newer artists who, unlike those guys, are still very much of this mortal coil. 

It’s hard to overestimate the importance of the metaphysical, occult, and communicating with higher powers to 18th and 19th century society. This was not missed by artists and writers, who often considered themselves to be mediums who could communicate with the dead and other spirits. The output which resulted from this communication was strikingly at odds with prevailing artistic tradition at the time, which was increasingly concerned with learned artistic forms and rigorous training. The exhibit moves into the 20th century by examining current artists who continue using the concept of the unseen to grapple with the ambiguities of the world around us. Quite prescient given how 2020 has unfolded.

Not Without my Ghosts is totally free but it’s best too book first. It should be noted that most of the works in this exhibit are sketches and drawings, so don’t go in expecting a blockbuster experience. But on the bright side, after the show you might find a way to have a nice chat with your auntie Vera who popped her clogs back in 2015.  


Sayer Street

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We hope you are enjoying ‘Eat out to help out’ – or as we call it – ‘The Rishi Sunak £10 meal deal’ as much as we are. In fact, we find ourselves using the 50% discount as a flimsy excuse to eat out twice as much. And as we say with a mouthful of that seventh slice of pizza ‘it’s all about saving local business’. 

The jury is still out as to whether the mind boggling juggernaut that is Elephant Park is actually in the Runoff catchment area (don’t get your hopes up). However, a nifty little street has popped up there in recent months and it is proving quite the go to spot for foodies. Sayer St* has an array of independent food joints that includes Chinese, Italian street food, jerk chicken, ramen, a few coffee places, and more on the way. 

Sayer St. is anchored by a large and swish looking establishment called ‘Bobo Social‘. To us Bobo sounds like the name you’d give a yappy dog sticking out of a handbag, but we decided to go for a drink and check the place out as it received rave reviews in it’s previous location in Fitzrovia. This place ticks all the boxes for what the hip Elephant Park demographic crave at the moment. Brunch – tick. Fancy cocktails – got ‘em, strange but alluring sounding burgers – by the spadeful. Oh and what else is hmm, yes.. small plates! . The small plates that past our way looked and smelled lovely and looked great, such as braised lamb croquettes and chili squid. And as you can guess, the West End prices now sit snugly in Elephant.

A number of Sayer Street restaurants are participating in ‘Eat out to help out’ but remember to make reservations first.

*Sadly not named after washed up 70’s pop star, Leo Sayer.

The Rishi Sunak £10 meal deal

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To stimulate the economy and get people spending again Rishi Sunak –Chancellor of the Exchequer and the most implausible waiter in history –introduced ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ which took effect on 3 August. The scheme entitles diners to 50% off their main meal (no booze) up to a value of £10 in both restaurants and pubs. If you’ve seen the crowds in Greater Kennington restaurants over the past few days, this is the reason. 

We decided to inaugurate the season visiting local French bistro Toulouse Lautrec. TL has been hit by a double whammy of being closed for the past three months both as a restaurant and as a live Jazz venue. Your ravenous scribe had the chicken chasseur; a meaty chicken dish with spiced tomato sauce, well cooked mushrooms, and just the right amount of tarragon. As it was served in the skillet that kept it at the right temperature to be served on a plate with homemade mash. Highly recommended.


My associate indulged in the confit duck burger served deboned on a sesame brioche bun with a surprisingly smoky relish. We don’t usually associate smoky with French food but it worked. Said associate got far too excited about the homemade mayonnaise and chunky chips, which were as massive as they appear in the image. For the dessert, my associate had the (insert breathy female Masterchef porn voice) melting molten chocolate fondant —– with hazelnut ice cream. Without the additives (i.e. wine) our bill came to just under £29, which for a French meal and a pudding ain’t that bad.

There are a lot of local restaurants taking part in this scheme. To see if your favourite is on the list stick your postcode into this snazzy thing to find out. You know you want to…