Seven Dials Market, a food review pt. 1
I try (some of) the best veggie stuff the Banana Warehouse has to offer
I like food and would like to review it.
I am also a vegetarian/part-time pescetarian with IBS(ish, don’t ask).
Whilst it should make things theoretically more difficult for reviewing, I am determined nevertheless to give you my opinion on good veggie eats (one day I’ll write a sparkling essay about how my spiteful bowel movements have actually made me enjoy food more, but alas, another day!)
So here are, the first of my foodie series kicking off at Seven Dials Market, a converted banana warehouse (no really) on Earlham Street offering a wide selection of independent food and drink vendors. It has a bright colourful interior, and there are a few cute stalls offering samples a la Borough Market before you turn into the bougiest pastel coloured school canteen you’ve ever seen.
I have managed to visit three of the establishments within so far, and will update with another version once I give the others a go.
Yum Bun
I visited BAO in Fitzrovia not that long ago and I was converted to the steamed bun train. However slightly less converting was the price and therefore it has been consigned to the very very very occasional treat. Since then, I’ve been looking for a more budget-y option to fill the Bao-shaped hole in my heart.
Enter Yum Bun.
Named one of the World’s best Street Foods by the Sunday Times, this 2-buns-for-£8.50 goodness landed on my table and wallet as a nice surprise. Whilst unfortunately the Seven Dials shop only has the one veggie option at the moment, I had in the end their Tofu bun and Tumeric Hake and I can say now I would have happily eaten a mountain of either.
Firstly the Tofu one showed what Tofu can be if you actually know what to do with it. It was crispy and delicious when paired with black bean mayo and garlic pak choi (heads up for the gastrically challlenged like myself, it does have a load of chillis on top but are easy to remove if desired and remains full of flavour). The Tumeric Hake was also a winning combination of crispy fried batter, veg and delicious green sauce (I did not catch the name but equally great).
From what I gathered, my friend wasn’t as wowed by the meat options, but probably worth trying for yourself. Veggie options however I would recommend any day, every day.
Truffle
Whilst it makes me feel a traitor to my class, I have to admit I love truffle. Borough Market is full of enough freebie tasters to get you hooked at the peril of your salary.(I do recommend the Sainsbury’s Truffle flavour oil, which at £2.50 is not only a steal but can be added to chip butties if you really want to get your ancestors going full rotisserie chicken in their graves).
Therefore I admire Tom Bicker’s chain for just wholeheartedly embracing it as a theme and no doubt milking middle class city folk for all their worth. This is the most expensive meal we had, considering it is a fancy burger and chip stand but the quality generally redeems it.
As veggie burgers go, it was pretty good; the Beyond Meat burger patty gets special commendation for holding it together. More often than not, veggie substitutes tend to fall apart under duress in a manner not dissimilar to final year students heading towards their dissertation deadline. The croquettes were okay and the surprise cheese centres was gooey although a little rubbery tasting.
The real star of the show however was the Truffle Parmesan Fries. Salty, crispy, full of flavour, everything you want in a fry(?) (Honestly could write a whole article on potatoes in their various forms but alas, not today!). I made an involuntary sound when I tried them they were that good.
Overall pretty good, but maybe invest in the fries and a bao if you’re into sacrilege.
The upper level offers a bit more traditional restaurant seating experience, and for my anniversary we went to Camden favourite The Cheese Bar’s newest extension, a Yo Sushi-style conveyor belt bar:
Pick & Cheese
Investor crowdfunded, you can’t help but admire the business, especially if you’re cheese nerds like me and my partner are. The British Cheese scene (yes it’s a thing) has gone under a real resurgence after varieties such as Bath Blue and Gorwydd Caerphilly have taken top prizes at the World Cheese awards, and Pick’n’Cheese’s products subsequently are all British and Irish based dairies, which scores bonus sustainability points.
The plates range from £2.95 to £6.10 so it’s adjustable to your budget (when we went, we had about 6 dishes and spent about £12 each so definitely affordable for a nicer meal out.
In terms of the food itself, it was simply delightful and a good introduction into the multitudes cheese has to offer (bear in mind until about 3 years ago I only really knew of Cheddar and Mozzarella, so even the mild amongst us can find something).
Firstly, I would recommend working your way up from mild to blue to appreciate all the flavours but I will say what the restaurant excels at most is its pairings. In most cases, these pairings brought together tang with sweetness to exceedingly good effect, whether it was tomato relish and clothbound Cheddar, Beauvale with Sticky Pear Jam or Stilton with Chocolate and Oat cookie. My highlight in particular was the Cornish Gouda with Hazelnut Praline wear not only was it sweet with savoury but the hazelnut brought out the cheese’s own nuttiness. (as I understand it now, the praline in the restaurant is now cumin praline, which may bring out a different element)
The only downside from all of this was the meal remains surprising low on carbohydrates which meant that whilst we weren’t overly full on it, you may find yourself getting peckish again sooner than you realise.
That’s all for my review for now, but if you have any cheap recs or anything you want me to review do let me know!