Category Archives: Stuffing your face

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…

Popup paella in Elephant?

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If you told us a new restaurant had opened in the soon to be demolished Elephant and Castle shopping centre we’d suggest you rush off to your nearest hair salon to have your temperature checked. But it has! A new pop up paella place (say that 10 times fast) has just opened on the former site of the rather dreary caff ‘Sundial’ next to Boots. 

For the uninitiated, paella is a rice based Spanish dish and one of those things god placed on this earth to make us happy. A bit like Lorraine Kelly. Paella Shack is run by the London Paella School (who knew?) and has been open for a few weeks. It offers seafood, chicken and vegan paella for £6/7 and they also do a side treat in bits of tapas. 

My associate had the seafood paella and she/he described it as being stuffed with seafood, well cooked rice, good portion size, nice oily pepper, and just the right amount of saffron. Your scribe opted for the chicken paella which was presented with big chunks of chicken, saffron, paprika turmeric and oil. A lot of non authentic paellas include things like onion and chorizo, but this one was the real deal and a perfect size for a hearty lunch. 

Paella Shack is open daily and available for takeaway and you can also eat in. We chose the eat in option, which is probably what it feels like to eat in a prison canteen, but there you go. Pop up places are almost by definition not pretty, but this food certainly is.

Theo’s Encore

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Astute readers have probably noticed that we are slightly obsessed with Theo’s Pizzeria in Elephant and Castle. Indeed, it nabbed the #2 spot in our recent ‘top ten’ list a few months back. So on a rainy night recently we decided to recreate the feeling of actually dining there by having a takeaway. 

Theo’s is similar in many ways to other indie artisan setups such as Franco Manca and Pizza Pilgrims. But unlike those, Theo’s isn’t propagating like head lice; in fact there are only two outlets. Their regular menu is strategically small and while they are officially closed features just six of their pizzas. At the heart of these pizzas is their chewy, Neapolitan sourdough base which is crispy but at the same time thin enough that we ate them with a fork. Don’t judge us. 

My associate had the ‘Sausage and sweet roast peppers’ which featured tomatoes, capers, mozzarella, olives, oregano and garlic. The tomato sauce had a good sweet and savoury flavour and the mozzarella was springy and fresh. Your scribe had the ‘Anchovy’ pizza which, in addition to the anchovies, featured tomatoes, capers, oregano, garlic, and mozzarella. You might be thinking ‘salt overload’ here, but the balance was just right. And as you can see in the pictures below, the pizzas are slightly charred, giving them a smoky quality which rounds off the whole affair nicely. 

  • Anchovy
  • Pepper

The two pizzas came in at £23. They are available for collection in person or by delivery (we have suspended our opposition to Deliveroo due to lockdown but don’t worry, it will come back). They are open Wednesday to Saturday, 17:00 to 21:00. As we’ve mentioned before, if these places are going to survive they need our custom now for than ever….Because if they close we’ll all be doomed to a world of…..PAPA JOHNS! 

To burn off the calories from a Theo’s pizza you might need to binge watch Joe Wicks workout videos for the next nine days but what the hell, these are strange times. 

Nue Ground in a new ground

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Rightly or wrongly we may be teetering towards a vague genre of semi-normal – some local pubs are serving takeaway pints and Kennington Park is looking more like the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury. What we never expected to see so soon, however, is a new café opening in Greater Kennington. 

Nue Ground is a very bright and zippy café located on the ground floor of the new ‘Millennials only’ high rise ‘Uncle’ on the Kennington side of Elephant. The original Nue Ground is in Clapham and serves sandwiches and light dinners. The offerings at our outlet are more limited and primarily breakfast related, but maintains the company ethos of being ‘healthy, well balanced and as ethically sourced as possible’. 

My dining partner had the very heartily sized baked eggs which were well cooked and not too hard. It featured some lovely butterbeans and sweet peppers and seasoned with labneh and harissa. Your scribe had a very virtuous granola with huge blackberries and raspberries with a coconut flavoured yogurt and a dusting of pistachios. When we were there we also oogled over some pretty cakes. 

We have the utmost respect for Neu Ground and certainly hope they succeed. The only downsides being that it is kind of expensive for what it is, and the wait staff are still learning how to do their job (we were given cold coffee twice). In these exceptional times we have to take pleasure in the small stuff, and if nothing else it feels very refreshing to walk into an actual establishment and order something from a menu. But if you can’t walk in,  Nue Ground is also on Deliveroo. 

Farming down in the Oval

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When we’re not rearranging our unread collection of classic literature to make them feature more prominently on ‘Zoom’  calls, we often spend our lunch hour treading the local pavements looking for good food and ingredients. A long standing favourite was always Oval Farmers Market in St. Marks churchyard. Rain or shine they offered locals a great selection of fish, cheeses (real cheese, not the Tesco kind that tastes like a pencil eraser), cakes, and herbs – most at prices cheaper than Borough Market. As the market was in a pretty confined space it was doomed when The Event happened, but after six weeks it is back in business just up the road. The resurrection commences this weekend, but the reality of social distancing means that sniffing the merch just isn’t going to happen. 

Newish restaurant 24 The Oval in Clapham Road has transformed into a kind of farmer’s market itself recently (OK, about six weeks ago but we’re busy) and we recently popped along to check it out. We had our eyes on some hearty rhubarb, strawberries, huge peppers, and a nice variety of tomatoes. Their craft brewery room downstairs sells a variety of pale ales and lagers and you can take the bottles away again and then get a refill. The Oval also has a small hot takeaway menu of some of their best dishes such as coq au vin, beef sirloin, and beetroot risotto. Their changing menu is on Facebook and Instagram. The downside of 24 The Oval is there is often a lengthy queue to get in. But as they say, good things come to those who wait. Or something. 

    Hem’s Kitchen

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    At this difficult time we all need more carbs and sweets in our lives, and to address this we recently had a socially responsible interview with Kennington cook and baker Hema Sabina,  founder of ‘Hem’s Kitchen’.  However, before the interview we decided to sample some of Hema’s signature Turkish bread. One loaf was flecked with fennel and the other with sesame, and they were delicious. At least we think they were as we ate them in about nine minutes. And after signing a twelve page non disclosure agreement Hema even delivered said loaves to our top secret Runoff HQ. 

    Hema is a true Kennington native having grown up, and still living, in Black Prince Road. Her passion for cooking derives from creating a cookbook of family recipes for her mother. The legacy of these dishes was passed down mostly orally, and with a great deal of trial and error Hema was able to record and preserve them for her family.  This was also the genesis for her other passion, food photography. As you can see by the recent attempt to photograph our takeway, where it looks as if a cat has walked across our plates, photographing food is a real skill and one that Hema has also pursued professionally. 

    A few years ago Hema decided to share her crafty skills in the kitchen by creating some cooking videos which now populate her YouTube channel and are very straightforward. Never one sit idly by, when The Event happened earlier this year Hema decided to share these skills further by delivering some of her delicious baked goods direct to local folk.  The Breads that Hema currently has available are – Sourdough, Turkish Bread, Classic Artisan Bread, and Challah. For the sweet tooth, Hema has on rotation Banana Bread, Oreo Brownies, Banana and Chocolate Chip Muffins, and Rhubarb and Cinnamon Muffins.

    Hema is able to safely deliver to most homes in Greater Kennington and is flexible about how she is paid (details below). Now we would have been remiss without asking Hema the million quid question, ‘ HOW DO YOU SCORE FLOUR?’. She replied that she gets most of her flour at Millars General Store. We’re on the case….

    T: 07956 130 734

    W: www.hemaphotography.com

    I: www.instagram.com/hemskitchen

    Y: www.hemskitchen.com

    A taste of takeaways and pubs

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    We have to face up to the reality that we won’t be eating in a Greater Kennington restaurant any time soon. And when we do, we might encounter the indignity of having to shout ‘hey, can I have some more ketchup please’ from across a socially distanced room. To address this, some local restaurants are offering a takeaway or collection service with a limited menu. The places offering this service generally let you know via social media.

    One of our favourite local takeaways is unsung gem ‘Taste of India’ next to the bike shop in Kennington Road. On a recent visit my associate had lamb korai, which was heavy on the lamb and onions but a bit light on the spice. Your reporter had the prawn bunha, which had a very good mix of spices, thick gravy and full of tomatoes. On previous visits we’ve enjoyed the madras and jalfrezi, which certainly delivered on the spice front.  Side dishes are always a highlight with Indian food, and we recommend the huge, crunchy onion bhajis,  garlc naan bread, and tarka daal. 

    The lamb, or ‘this is why we aren’t food photographers’
    The prawn. Honestly, it tastes better than it looks.

    While it might not possess the Prime Ministerial credentials or razzmatazz of Kennington Tandoori, we think Taste of India *prepares for hate mail* is better. Taste of India doesn’t quite achieve the culinary highs of Gandhi’s, but sadly it isn’t open. And if you don’t fancy Indian food but you still want to sample the fare at ‘Taste of India’, then why not plump for their…..wait for it…….sushi!  

    Over the past week a few local pubs have also opened offering takeaway drinks and a reduced menu, for collection only. We’re very excited about this development and enjoyed a pint at The Doghouse on Friday night, and then another at The Black Prince.  This goes a bit to retaining a sense of normality and also helps these small businesses. We suggest you take your drinks home, however,  to avoid being known as ‘that street drinker who lives a few doors down’. Other pubs further afield might be offering this service, so again check them out on social media and eat safely. 

    The top ten best places to eat in Greater Kennington – no. 1 – Adulis

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    If right now you are thinking ‘my god, it seems like it’s taken a year to get through this top ten list’ then trust me reader, you ain’t the only one. In our crazy reality of face masks and washing hands five times a day, stability seems to be a vacant resource for us all. But your wait has been worth it, as the top spot is awarded to an excellent Eritrean restaurant in Oval which has been a source of continuity in our crib since 1996.

    If Eritrean food is new to you, or even if it isn’t, the best launching point at Adulis is the sampler plate  called ‘Kirchat’ (there is a vegetarian version as well). It is fundamentally a selection of their best meat and veg dishes served on a platter usually featuring Kifto, which is tender meat in Ghee and to die for. All of the dishes haver have a sweet and sour, almost vinegary tinge to them. They gladly pimped our 2 person serving up to 3 as we had a third diner, and the pic is below.  Please don’t let our bad photo below put you off, as not all Eritrean dishes look like cat food.

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    The dish above is served on a platter with a base of bread called ‘injera’, which is a leavened pancake made with sourdough (and if you run out you can get more for free). Almost all meals here are served with it and the whole shebang is to be eaten with your good hands (remember those days?). We also recommend the chicken stew ‘dorho’ with loads of herbs and also the prawns. They also have some fine looking vegan options.

    On the drinks front, we usually have the Kenyan beer ‘Tusker’ or a South African white. Having said that, the speciality of the house is their Adulis honey wine. We’ve had this previously and let’s just place it in the category of ‘experimental’. The place has a slightly retro Eritrean feel to it with memetoes both current and from the past. The staff are very friendly and a good chunk of the punters are (tick!) Eritrean themselves. The place also wafts with the aroma of their coffee and popcorn ceremony.

    Adulis is closed at the moment and we can’t see if they deliver by the usual sources. Keep looking online, give them or call to see if you can pop for a takeaway. Failing that,  stick it in your pocket diary as all of our venues will need our support in order to survive. As they say in Eritrea, Tsibuk E’dl!!!

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    The top ten best places to eat in Greater Kennington – no. 2 – Theo’s

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    The finish line is in sight and grabbing the number two spot is newish Elephant and Castle pizza restaurant ‘Theos’ . As with everything on our countdown, Theo’s is closed for ‘dining in’ customers but they do a very brisk delivery business (it is pizza after call) via Deliveroo and Uber Eats. Theo’s Elephant is the small brother to its big bro in Camberwell. As a small and local business in these troubled times, it needs our support now more than ever.

    Hands down, we think that Theo’s is the best pizza place in Greater Kennington and one of the best in London. But don’t take our carb obsessed word for it, the secret is out and this is a sentiment shared by Time Out. The pizza is Neapolitan with a sourdough base that’s soft and chewy on top and crisp underneath. The power is in the dough at Theo’s, and those slightly charred bases makes the toppings almost secondary.

    As with most good restaurants, the menu at Theos is very small and focusses squarely on the thing they do best. None of this pasta malarkey. I had the Napoli Salami pizza (below) which was spicy, full of cheese, and presented with a crust so fine that it had be eaten with a fork. My dining partner had the Nduja and Ricotta pizza. It featured sun dried tomatoes and golf ball mounds of ricotta. Also on offer is sone tasty Italian wines and cocktails.

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    As you can see from the bill below, the price point is very reasonable, with pizzas coming in at £10 or less. As you can also see from the bill below our bar tab was more than the food bill, but don’t judge us. When Theo’s opens normally again you’ll encounter a youngish clientele but not so young that they shy away from playing 80’s music. The venue is bright, airy and staff very friendly.

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    The top ten best places to eat in Greater Kennington – no. 3 – Prince of Wales

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    The number 3 slot is awarded to Kennington stalwart and our own little country pub ‘The Prince of Wales’ in Cleaver Square. The Prince of Wales is of course not open and they do not deliver. However. if our local pubs and restaurants are to survive this crisis they’ll need our patronage once they reopen, so stick this gem in your bejewelled pocket diary.

    The Prince of Wales did the seemingly unthinkable last year by changing hands from being run by a major chain to being independently owned and operated. Armed with a a new menu and a spanking new chef, we decided to give it a twirl last year and we were duly impressed. In addition to the menu we were pleased to note that they also had new cask ales and an improved wine list.

    My dining partner had the spiced buttermilk chicken burger on a glazed brioche bun. This undefined person got a nice spice hit from the chipotle mayo and the chicken was soft and made succulent with the creamy buttermilk. The chips were big, triple cooked and definitely not out of the freezer. The portions were definitely something to be admired.

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    Your author had the cornfed chicken and chorizo hash. Mine was a mighty chunk of chicken served with a confident splash of bourguignon sauce. The hash was really more of chunky mash potato with very spicy, paprika punched chorizo. I never got to the bottom of the hispy cabbage affair, but it bulked up the plate and acted as a crunchy counterpoint.

    The Prince of Wales and other independent pubs are certainly vulnerable, but we think they will make it. In conclusion, if you crave some excellent pub grub and want a place without music, shouting or people coming up to you every two seconds asking  ‘are are alright’, then the POW might be your thing. IMG_0054