20 May 2008
Some pig dog stole my trainers from the gym. I left them there by accident and went back the next day and they were gone. How desperate must you be to want to wear someone else's skanky trainers?
Met up with some of the old Saigon bunch after not seeing most of them for about 12 years. It seems like another world. Everyone looked happy and healthy so that was good but they were loud. Acting people are just plain loud or excruciatingly introverted and trying not to be. I fall in the latter category.
Went to Alan Yau's new venture twice last week - the long awaited Cha Cha Moon. I'm sure it was going to be a Szechuan restaurant originally but now it's a Chinese noodle bar type place.
The decor falls between Wagamama and Busaba Eathai - long wooden benches but darker, more subdued lighting. The venue feels subterranean although it's not and the cooling system, which lets out a menacing hiss every now and then, kinda makes you feel like you're in a gas chamber - not so conducive to a casual meal out.
The menu is short at the moment and the prices are low for a few weeks - £3.50 for all food dishes. I'm sure they'll tinker with the menu as they go along. Noodle dishes hail from everywhere which hasn't been covered by Waga and Busaba - so China, HK, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore - not Vietnam. Zhajiang mian was an interesting inclusion and is pretty tasty, although not a patch on good old Esquire Kitchen's version in Malaysia - I've never had a proper Shanghainese version, so can't comment there. It came with a small bowl of soup which was a nice touch and an extraneous dish of chill oil - I like my food spicy but that was one step too spicy. Chow kuay teow was decent with pieces of lap cheong (Chinese salami they call it)and fishcake but not the clams that were advertised in the menu. Guo tie were juicy and flavourful though a trifle chunky, lobak ko tasted okay but a bit squidgy and the Chinese flowering chives were a little old but tasty and extremely garlicky.
The shibuya lychee martini cocktail thingy is a must. Very refreshing.
Portions were small the first time I went but were bigger the second time. I kind of wish they would keep the portions and prices small, then you can try a whole lot more stuff.
Will go again in a few months to see how it develops.
Oh - must mention the queues. I went on the first night and got in fine. Second time a few days days later, there was a massivo queue out the door. If you just want to eat and not socialise, go on your own and you'll be seated straight away (pretty much).
Met up with some of the old Saigon bunch after not seeing most of them for about 12 years. It seems like another world. Everyone looked happy and healthy so that was good but they were loud. Acting people are just plain loud or excruciatingly introverted and trying not to be. I fall in the latter category.
Went to Alan Yau's new venture twice last week - the long awaited Cha Cha Moon. I'm sure it was going to be a Szechuan restaurant originally but now it's a Chinese noodle bar type place.
The decor falls between Wagamama and Busaba Eathai - long wooden benches but darker, more subdued lighting. The venue feels subterranean although it's not and the cooling system, which lets out a menacing hiss every now and then, kinda makes you feel like you're in a gas chamber - not so conducive to a casual meal out.
The menu is short at the moment and the prices are low for a few weeks - £3.50 for all food dishes. I'm sure they'll tinker with the menu as they go along. Noodle dishes hail from everywhere which hasn't been covered by Waga and Busaba - so China, HK, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore - not Vietnam. Zhajiang mian was an interesting inclusion and is pretty tasty, although not a patch on good old Esquire Kitchen's version in Malaysia - I've never had a proper Shanghainese version, so can't comment there. It came with a small bowl of soup which was a nice touch and an extraneous dish of chill oil - I like my food spicy but that was one step too spicy. Chow kuay teow was decent with pieces of lap cheong (Chinese salami they call it)and fishcake but not the clams that were advertised in the menu. Guo tie were juicy and flavourful though a trifle chunky, lobak ko tasted okay but a bit squidgy and the Chinese flowering chives were a little old but tasty and extremely garlicky.
The shibuya lychee martini cocktail thingy is a must. Very refreshing.
Portions were small the first time I went but were bigger the second time. I kind of wish they would keep the portions and prices small, then you can try a whole lot more stuff.
Will go again in a few months to see how it develops.
Oh - must mention the queues. I went on the first night and got in fine. Second time a few days days later, there was a massivo queue out the door. If you just want to eat and not socialise, go on your own and you'll be seated straight away (pretty much).
# posted by gilamonster : 08:55
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Hey there,I stumbled across your blog by accident and am thinking of moving to East Dulwich. I'm Chinese, but a bit of an international vagrant having been raised in the Us, Switzerland and here -I'm making the move later this month and just wondered how long you've lived in dulwich and what things you'd reccomend to a newbie to the area? I work in national creative arts industry
so am inclined I suppose towards the leftfield and the guardian.
Cantonese, so I am obsessed with food and stuff in general. would love to hear back,
G
so am inclined I suppose towards the leftfield and the guardian.
Cantonese, so I am obsessed with food and stuff in general. would love to hear back,
G
Hi there! I've been living in East Dulwich for 11 years and seen it rise up from being a place you drive through to get to somewhere else to a destination in itself! Nonetheless, it still has a really nice villagey neighbourhood feel and amenities are definitely better than they were.
If you're an artsy type, as I like to believe I am, there's the Horniman Museum to visit, always events on at Dulwich Gallery and little galleries dotted all over the place. Lots of actors/performers live in E Dulwich too (because it used to be relatively cheap) and there's a dance studio called Push Studios that also does personal training. There's also a more physio based gym called ESPH on the main drag near the organic butchers which does Pilates etc. There's an Arts Festival every year as well as a community festival. Regular tango, ballroom and salsa classes go on in Thomas More Hall on Lordship Lane too. There's also a local film club called Dulwich Paradiso and a comedy club at the East Dulwich Tavern.
My favourite things to do - potter round Horniman Museum, which is very eclectic, and classes at Push Studios.
Places to eat - no good Chinese places at all. Cafe Noodle is cheap and the cooking is pretty decent for a bog standard neighbourhood Chinese. Buddha Jazz nr Denmark Hill station is a pretty good Vietnamese - especially the starters. The Bishop does a good massive roast on Sundays and Liquorish does a well-cooked more manageable portion. Black Cherry has just started doing fantastic specials at the weekend.
The organic butcher is actually worth the long queue - the meat lasts for ages and not too expensive.
If you have any specific questions, I'm more than happy to answer them.
If you move to the area, you want to be near the North end of Lordship Lane - say from the Plough northwards and not beyond Barry Road to the east.
The East Dulwich forum is a good read - there's a link on my blog.
Hope that all helps!
M
If you're an artsy type, as I like to believe I am, there's the Horniman Museum to visit, always events on at Dulwich Gallery and little galleries dotted all over the place. Lots of actors/performers live in E Dulwich too (because it used to be relatively cheap) and there's a dance studio called Push Studios that also does personal training. There's also a more physio based gym called ESPH on the main drag near the organic butchers which does Pilates etc. There's an Arts Festival every year as well as a community festival. Regular tango, ballroom and salsa classes go on in Thomas More Hall on Lordship Lane too. There's also a local film club called Dulwich Paradiso and a comedy club at the East Dulwich Tavern.
My favourite things to do - potter round Horniman Museum, which is very eclectic, and classes at Push Studios.
Places to eat - no good Chinese places at all. Cafe Noodle is cheap and the cooking is pretty decent for a bog standard neighbourhood Chinese. Buddha Jazz nr Denmark Hill station is a pretty good Vietnamese - especially the starters. The Bishop does a good massive roast on Sundays and Liquorish does a well-cooked more manageable portion. Black Cherry has just started doing fantastic specials at the weekend.
The organic butcher is actually worth the long queue - the meat lasts for ages and not too expensive.
If you have any specific questions, I'm more than happy to answer them.
If you move to the area, you want to be near the North end of Lordship Lane - say from the Plough northwards and not beyond Barry Road to the east.
The East Dulwich forum is a good read - there's a link on my blog.
Hope that all helps!
M
Just realised that it sounds harsh about the Chinese eateries, but as you're Chinese you'll probably know what I mean.
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