The New Golden Orient
photo by D.MiddleburghOk - these photos were taken on a nostalgic walkabout early one rainy morning!!!
When I was 11 My parents sometimes used to leave me in front of the TV with some food whilst they went out playing cards. Unknown to them, if i had any money, I slipped down to Leytonstone for a take away. My first indian meal ever was a sit down chicken vindaloo (chepaest on the menu). The waiter worked out I knew nothing about Indian food so the next time he made a recommendation and took what I had even though it didn't cover the cost. Over a year he systematically introduced me to different indian dishes.
Is it any wonder I have fond memories for this place even though it's undoubtedly gone up market!!.
Kams Restaurant
photo by D.MiddleburghThis, just down the road to The New Golden Orient is where I used to buy pancake rolls on Wednesdays on my way back from a local the youth club,: Even though I now live in china, these were, in my opinion, the best pancake rolls I even had: Peppery, filled with char sui; prawns; bean sprouts; other vegetables and meats, they were more like Thai spring rolls - but bigger!!
Lighthouse
photo by D.MiddleburghA fitting name for a fish and chip shop: I remember going here when I was at school. These days fish and chips are much more expensive and the place is run by a Chinese family: (As I remember in Ireland and Australia(Melbourne) most fish and chip shops were run by Italians – stuff for a sociology project !!!) Every time I return to the UK this is first port of call: haddock, chips, picked onion, or occasionally cod roe chips and mushy peas. EXCELLENT the queue has been known to go down the street
DUNHUANG HOUSE
photo by D.MiddleburghOpposite the George Pub - affordable and eatable but unfortunately at the other end of the high street to the Travel Inn and my aged mother's, so the food was always cold by time we get it home. There are 4 other asian eateries in High Street not including the China Palace takeaway two doors up from Loon Yee which has been shut for a year. Namans the Vietnamese is actually closer to the George (next door)
Loon Yee Chinese Restaurant
photo by D.MiddleburghAt far end of high street, in Snaresbrook (by the station), this is an authentic Chinese restaurant: Staff are from Hong Kong and Cantonese speaking customers (other than my partner) have been seen here. We like this one !!
Oriental Chef
photo by D.MiddleburghAverage food but meritorious for its cabaret. You have to understand Cantonese to appreciate it though. Last year whilst waiting for our order the Owner/manageress entertained patrons by give out to the other staff about the delivery boy who had just taken the wrong order and wasn't answering his mobile: I am told the language used was so colorful that in Hong Kong it would probably qualified for jail time.
Pibasha restaurant
photo by D.MiddleburghI confess I haven't been to the Purbani (the indian restaurant near the George) so I can’t comment on food or service but I have been to this one which is tucked away down Nightingale Lane just off High Street: The food was good, service attentive and it was all very reasonably priced: I will go again !!
Gotico's
photo by D.MiddleburghOtherwise known (in my school days), as Grotti Goti's”. Its signature dish was “spagetti bolognaise” and its chief claim to fame was the pool table in the back where students honed their non academic skills and some who no doubt went on to be commodity traders in the city cut their teeth by running their own soft drugs bourse . The place has since gone up market, and was the “in place” to go for a meal (they must have changed the menu) The title of “in place” has now passed to Hadley House
Bungalo Cafe
photo by D.MiddleburghThe UK has a network of "transports cafes" known only to the cognescenti. Typically frequented by lorry drivers, construction workers etc who need a hearty breakfast or lunch: This is where they get proper English breakfasts and simple traditional meat and 2 vegetable lunches. They are the elite of the greasy spoon catering sector and this one is has a good reputation. When Goti's went off limits, students, displaced from its’ cozy embrace relocated here, minus the pool table. As a matter of principle I patronize it rather than any of the johny-come-lately's which have opened up in the High Street, most of whom aspire to emulate French pavement cafes.
Hadley House
photo by D.MiddleburghNext door to the Oriental Palace, and a stones throw from the Cuckfield Pub this, according to my mother, is the“in place”. It has been extensively reviewed (google “Hadley House”+ Wanstead). The reviews are mixed. As a poor tourist from China on a limited budget used to spending 35$HK for a bowl of noodles I am still having difficulty wrapping my mind around 320$HK per person for a 2 course meal. In fact today Mothering Sunday in HK, lunch cost 670$HK for 13 (thirteen) people.
Gastrodome
photo by D.MiddleburghWell here's the thing .. I arrived from HK, strolled down to the Lighthouse for my supper and the Gastrodome was shut, with exception of the piles of mail inside door it looked as if they had been not cleaned after lunch but left till later.. The following evening no change just more mail... and a suspicion that the owners had done a runner... The only thing was, that the spirits hadn't been cleared from behind the bar... (absconding HK owners usually flee with stocks of abalones and brandy) was this a sign that subprime crisis was affecting the restaurant trade. ?
Asta la Pasta
photo by D.MiddleburghThis eatery was also closed. It had a sign up indicating that it was closed for renovations: Funny thing was that one evening as I walked past there was a couple walking the other way and man said to his wife " I think they have done a runner" It was all a bit serendipidous
Ichiban
photo by D.MiddleburghNew to me - I hope it is still there (in Leytonstone) next year when I revisit with my partner (who is Chinese) : It’s a challenge finding a Chinese restaurant in Europe where the food is authentic as opposed to tuned for western tastes. This at least offers the promise of being a close approximation to a Hong Kong noodle bar even if the food is nominally Japanese.
Delicataste
photo by D.MiddleburghThis is my one exception to my aversion to the pavement cafes in Wanstead. The reason is simple... it’s the only one serving soul food - salmon bagaels and salt beef sandwiches a delicacy which is not readily available in Hong Kong (there is a desperate thread on an expat site (http://hongkong.asiaxpat.com/forums/hong-kong-restaurants/threads/113274/salt-beef-sandwich!!/) from someone searching for salt beef in Hong Kong – it would be funny if it were not sadly true).
Papa Johns
photo by D.MiddleburghThis has been included not because its any good: In fact I hope its better than the ones in HK and Shenzhen . I can only vouch that the Wanstead branch take good care of their delivery bikes. Frankly I am surprised that they have not been ram raided and the bikes nicked. Must be all the CCTVs in the area which the police have now been advised aren't worth squat, so it will only be a matter of time. The real reason its included is to point out that if you are interested there are more photos and comments on my flickr site
posted by David Middleburgh on Monday, May 12, 2008
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