By JJ Fox
London is the home of swanky restaurants and chic eateries with enough celebrity chefs to populate a small village. The quality of the food is sky high but so is the price tag and the clientele are certainly not your average Joe. So what happens when you combine great quality food with low prices? ‘It’s not possible!’ I hear you cry. Au contraire, Dalston Yard’s street feast shows that it is easy to have fantastic food without breaking the bank simply by taking things to the street.
Since setting up in 2012, Street Feast has been turning old tube stations, car parks and warehouses into makeshift dining areas for peckish Londoners. The idea is as simple as it gets, good food and a fun, laid back atmosphere equals happy people. Long benches provide communal seating for diners and surrounding them are food stalls, which include culinary delights from almost every corner of the earth. Dalston Yard has been the main venue this year alongside the Model Market on Lewisham High Street.
There is a vast array of nations represented in this old warehouse. However, what they offer is so much more than your typical national fare. Have you ever had a meatball sub? The answer is no. Not until you have experienced Capish’s take on this classic Italian-American creation. Organic, locally sourced beef ground and rolled into guilt-free meatballs, smothered in fresh tomato sauce and then topped with provolone sauce. What about a Thai spiced fried chicken burger served with spicy Asian slaw and chilli mango salad in a fresh Sri Lankan bun? Your biggest challenge will be choosing what to eat! My advice: go with a group, order one of everything and share it all.
The Street Feast warehouse at Dalston Yard truly encapsulates the age-old tradition of sharing a meal with someone, albeit a friend or a stranger. Remember those days, before mobile phones, when people actually used to sit and have a conversation with each other without being interrupted by constant buzzing and furtive glances into your lap? Now is your chance to relive those times and rediscover the art of face-to-face communication over some great food.
The Street Feast is taking place every Friday and Saturday until the 27th September 2014.
Feature photo by Michali K
