Out On The Town: Boxpark Croydon

Last Friday I paid my first visit to the brand new Boxpark at Croydon. After previously having been to the Shoreditch site that is full of plenty of pop-up shops and restaurants I was very excited about the new 'bigger and better' Boxpark. One key difference between the sites, apart from the size, is that Boxpark Croydon is only food and drink, and will be playing host to over 200 events each year, the line-up looks like we're in for a treat! Impossible to miss, the new shopping extravaganza is on the right-hand side as you walk out of East Croydon train station- and if you do manage to miss it just look for the giant lit-up BOXPARK sign...

The list of food and drink pop-ups on the site is incredible (including one of my favourites Dum Dum Donutterie!). Unfortunately, my first visit was slightly rushed as we needed to grab dinner and head out for a friends Birthday, so we only got to visit just the one this time...

We chose the delicious Bang Bang Vietnamese for dinner, and what a great choice it was! I'm really into my asian food, spices are my thing, so this was the perfect choice for our meal. Some of the pop-up restaurants offer seats inside, to create more of a dinner-date feel, giving you the choice of sitting inside or in the Boxpark centre. We chose to eat in the restaurant which was decorated in a quirky, fun, and bright coloured manner with plenty of Film Noir memorabilia... 

Not only was the quality of the food exceptionally good, but it was also really good value for money! I chose the Pho Bo Gau: A Classic Vietnamese Soup with Beef Brisket and my friend went for the Pho Tom, which is the same but with king prawns. As you can see below each of us got plenty, and it was the perfect amount of spice for my taste buds, which is a big bonus as I usually have to add extra chilli sauce. 

We also found our new favourite beer, Lucky Buddha! I need to find out where else I can buy these as they were light and super refreshing, plus the bottles are pretty darn cool! 

I can't wait to go back to the Boxpark and try out all of the other food and drink stalls! I hope you have enjoyed this post, and it has possibly convinced you to take a trip! 

Love,

K.

A Night Out On The Town At Buster Mantis

I was lucky enough to attend the press launch of the amazing bar, club, art space-come restaurant Buster Mantis on Wednesday Evening. Hidden in the depths of the Deptford railway arches, it's definitely a gem worth seeking out. 

Firstly, let's talk about the name: Buster Mantis. The name of the restaurant has taken inspiration from its roots, Jamaica, and has been named after Jamaica's first Prime Minister Alexander Busatmante. We only found this out after having a nice chat with the owner and asking for ourselves, but for those of you who are looking at going here, you'll soon be able to see a dollar note with his face on framed within its confines. I like it when a unique restaurant that grasps the delicious drinks and food from a culture, has thought, meaning and love behind it, rather than just being a businessman's concept and marketing. 

Second, the cocktails. This one is a key highlight of the evening, and I myself sampled three different cocktails. But as well as these tasty drinks, they also stock local bears such as Peckham Pils. For any who are looking for a cultural experience, you'll want the Rum Punch, and it's not called punch for no reason! It's definitely got a kick to it, with a great fusion of fruity essences and gorgeous blood orange. A gin lover? No worries! Try out their Pear & Ginger Gin Sour, this wasn't my cup of tea, but my boyfriend who is a big gin fan absolutely loved it. The Harmoniser was also delicious, East London Vodka, Coconut Rum, Pineapple, Cranberry, Lime and Sugar, this was my favourite as I love fruity cocktails. 

Third, the food. Well, we tried just about everything, and let me say it's far better than any other Caribbean/Jamaican chain I've tried. The jerk chicken was great, I even asked for extra sauce and tipped all the other dishes in it because it was so tasty! It was pretty spicy though, so be careful if you aren't a fan of chili. The fish patties were great, and I'm not massive of fish, in fact, their swordfish dumplings were great too! They managed to balance the fresh fish taste with herbs and spices, along with a sweet tasty pastry. Next was the prawn skewers with mango salsa... one word amazing. So there you go, the food was perfect, not one fault, delicious, crisp and a great fusion of flavours that shows all the great aspects of Jamaican cooking. 

So there you have it! A great night with cocktails, food, and most evenings they also have live DJs, entertainment, art exhibitions and talks. It's definitely my type of place, I just wish it was closer to home! If they opened one around Wimbledon way I'd be there every weekend! 

Love,

K.