Pub #9: College Arms, Bloomsbury

The College Arms in Bloomsbury is conveniently located within a short walking distance to SOAS.  Although many students prefer to knock back drinks at the SOAS bar in the basement, some folks prefer to do their drinking in a proper pub.

Having dropped Japanese Modernity II in favour of my Anthropology of Space, Place & Architecture course, I’ve met my former coursemates from Japanese Modernity at the College Arms a couple of times this term for some pints.  The most recent meet-up last Monday I met up with them after work and a quick visit to the SOAS library.  They had all just finished up class for the evening, and had already settled into their pints by the time I had arrived.

Despite its name, the College Arms shouldn’t give any sort of frat boy connotation to the North American reader.  It is a nice little pub with a selection of ales sure to please any fan of good beer.  My ex-coursemate Ravi recommended the Broadside ale, which I can affirm is amazingly good.  A pint will set you back £3.20, which is more than what a pint of beer costs at the SOAS or IoE bars, but you can’t get Broadside ale in either of those places, if I’m not mistaken.

And some of that £3.20 is atmosphere, I’m sure.

This most recent visit, I also ordered a bowl of soup, which that day was the pea soup.  It was a sizable bowl at £3.75, complete with four slices of delicious bread, however I felt the soup could have done with a little bit of salt–it was a bit bland.  But then again, pea soup may be bland by nature for all I know.  Ravi had ordered a meal as well, and forgive me for not remember what he ordered–but he said it was good!  Apparently he had heard the pies at the College Arms are supposed to be really good, so I think I may try that next time.

Located on Store Street, the College Arms is between Gower Street and Tottenham Court Road nestled near a few cafes and Hanna Supermarket, a nice Korean shop where I’ve bought some kimchee among other purchases of an East Asian ilk.  The two times I’ve been, the place has had its share of the more mature post-graduate students as opposed to the undergraduates.  Since both of the times I’ve been in have been Mondays, the place wasn’t particularly busy, although I’m sure the clientele can be quite numerous as the week progresses.

Pub #8: Biddles, Lower Clapton

I’ve been running a bit behind lately on the 100 Pubs Project.  I’ve got three pubs to write about, and here is the first one.

Biddles on Lower Clapton Road is the place my friends living in Hackney Downs call their local, and I’ve been there at least a couple of times prior before this Project visit, including one memorable trip when Declan managed to convince some guy from South Africa I was Irish.

Which was kind of funny.

This particular trip was made on a Saturday evening in the company of Aru, Declan and a couple of Declan’s friends who were in from Ireland, one of whom was on her way to Israel the next morning.  The place was quite full, but there was enough room to squeeze in sort of.  However, I delayed having my drink until I was able to secure a place at the bar.

Biddles doesn’t particularly have many ales.  The times prior, I’ve gotten pints of cider, but this evening, I went for Staroprammen, a pint of which cost me £3.20.  It’s cash-only at Biddles as well, so be sure to have some bills or a heavy change purse before trying to buy a pint or three.  Biddles also doesn’t serve food, from my understanding, although I did see a menu of Italian dishes that seemed to be sourced from the Italian grocery shop next to the pub.  Presumably, one would order at the pub and a member of the staff would go next door and order it for you.  However, I’ve never seen this done in person, as the times I’ve been in Biddles the shop next door was closed.

They have live performances from people at Biddles.  One night, I was there with Aru, Declan and Derry when there was a jazz band playing, which was quite good.  This evening, there was some sort of folk/blues performance that seemed to be getting mixed reviews from the crowd.  I overheard one young woman telling her male companion that the music was amazing, but Alex, Declan’s friend, had declared the sounds horrible.  My take: the music was okay, but I preferred jazz night.

Although Biddles may not have a huge selection of ales, it’s got a very nice atmosphere with a mixed crowd of young trendsetters mingling with more established patrons and peppered with other locals.  The pub is made up of three rooms, with the third room being downstairs leading to the toilets with a communal sink.  The other two rooms are on the ground floor, with the bar extending into the second room for drink service.  The stage is in the second room, but the music can generally be heard throughout the pub if it’s a live performance.

This visit to Biddles was a short one, since we had gotten there quite late in the evening.  The staff were ringing a bell to announce the last orders shortly before midnight, and Aru and I left not long after the second bell was rung to go back to their house.

Hopefully next time I’m there, the jazz players will be back.

Abeno in the Afternoon

Last week, after making a lovely purchase of Black Jack manga from Gosh!, I went to Abeno, an okonomiyaki restaurant I had heard about ages ago from one of the professors of Anthropology during the SOAS Anthropology post-grad party at The Lamb.  She had said it was in front of the British Museum, and I originally didn’t see it because of construction on Museum Street.  After confirmation from one of the Goshers that, yes, there was okonomiyaki to be had in the area, I continued my search and eventually stumbled upon Abeno on the other side of the construction area.

Sweet.

I entered the restaurant, and heard a cheerful “Irrashaimase!” from a young Japanese woman near the counter.  I was ushered towards a table that had cooking space in the center and had a seat.  For a rather gloomy Tuesday afternoon, the wooden decor and friendly service at Abeno was quite a nice respite.  I was the sole customer aside from another gentleman who was just finishing up his meal as I was getting settled in.  One may interpret this as a bad sign, but I was arriving at Abeno around four in the afternoon or shortly past.  Most people were still in their offices or retail jobs, so I showed up at an off-time.

Okay, confession: Despite living in Japan for seven years, I don’t recall eating okonomiyaki.  That isn’t to say I didn’t eat it, but, you know, I was like ten or whatever.  All I wanted to eat when I was ten were Big Macs and ice cream.  And when I was twelve, I became vegetarian, and began my diet of cheese pizza, french fries and candy bars that was my standard diet until I hit my twenties.  I remember having yakitori before I became veg, I remember yakisoba, but okonomiyaki…. can’t recall.  Maybe my pa can remember, but none of my food recollections in Japan include the dish that’s even more quintessentially Japanese than its sushi brethren.

So yeah, as far as I know, this was to be my first experience with okonomiyaki.  I was quite excited.

After looking at the menu at Abeno, the okonomiyaki options for vegetarians who don’t eat meat or fish are pretty much limited to the tofu deluxe (£9.80), so that’s what I ordered.  The components for the okonomiyaki were prepared in the kitchen, which involved lots of slicing-up veg.  This did take some time, so if you’re planning on a quick dish to scarf down between classes or during lunch hour, you probably should pass on Abeno.  I went through quite a bit of my first volume of Black Jack while waiting for the meal.

This doesn’t mean the service was slow, but it was thorough.  When the fabulous okonomiyaki chef appeared, he explained every ingredient and vigorously whipped up the okonomiyaki mixture of egg and shredded veggies at the table.  Now, this could have easily been done away from my gaze in the kitchen, but as a food nerd, I appreciated this presentation of watching the food being mixed (vigorously) and poured expertly onto the griddle plate on the table.

If you are an expert okonomiyaki cook, you can fiddle with the spatulas to cook your okonomiyaki to your discerning tastes.  I, however, as a dilettante in the world of okonomiyakidom had to rely on the expert cook who came to my table periodically to check on the okonomiyaki underneath the lid it was under as it cooked on the griddle.  He also provided an array of sauces and toppings for the okonomiyaki, including bonito flakes which I needed to nix, as bonito flakes are from fish.  I tried all the sauces in little dabs on the side of my plate.  I think okonomiyaki is the only context where I will willingly add mayonnaise to a dish, although not a heavy amount, and not to the whole thing.  The other sauces included a sweetish brown sauce that was introduced to me as “Japanese HP sauce,” a chili sauce that was only slightly spicy and tamari sauce, which was my favourite sauce to use.

The tofu deluxe okonomiyaki was delicious, but my only critique would be that the chunks of tofu were left too big.  I’d like to have a go at mixing in the tofu into the batter as opposed to having it placed in thick chunks sandwiched in the middle, as the okonomiyaki might not have fallen apart as much when squidged between two chopsticks.

After savouring my tofu deluxe, I was keen to try a dessert.  Perusing the options, I went for an order of the wafu hot cake (£4.50), which featured adzuki beans and little mochi cakes cooked into the pancake, served with a side of green tea ice cream.  Again, the preparation took place in front of me on the griddle, and I was very excited as the pancake sizzled joyfully in front of me.  The pancake was delicious, and it was a wonderful ending to my little solo meal of okonomiyaki and Black Jack.

All in all, the experience at Abeno was quite lovely.  The service was excellent, the food was tasty, and the anticipation for the okonomiyaki or the pancake to be ready to eat only added to the enjoyment.  Not only is there an Abeno on Museum Street, but there’s an “Abeno Too” on Great Newport Street, and apparently an “Abeno San” to be opening on Heath Street in NW3.  A pity I can’t spend £10 or so on a meal as much as I’d like; if I had the funds, Abeno would be a lovely little Tuesday ritual, complete with a visit to Gosh prior to pick up another volume of Black Jack to be read while okonomiyaki cheerfully sizzled before me.

Duckie St Valentine’s Day Ball at the BAC

I hate Valentine’s Day.  Really, if I am a grinch of any sort of holiday, it would be this one.  Doesn’t matter if I am single or in a relationship, I always viewed St Valentine’s Day with narrowed eyes.  The commercials for jewellery, the pressure to spend more money on gifts when you’re still dealing with Christmas credit debt, the profusion of low-quality chocolate, the stupid stuffed animals with plushy hearts saying “I WUV U”–which irritates me more because I hate stupid shortening of words only three or four letters long.  Seriously, Valentine’s Day gets a punch in the face.  It’s a sham of a holiday centered around the gross consumerism of items pressuring conformity in the complex realm of emotions.

Couple the annoyance of Valentine’s Day with the status of being single, and in a big city you haven’t lived in for that long (although it will be five months… tomorrow!)… yeah, wasn’t expecting much for Valentine’s Day.  And what’s there to expect?  Stressed-out couples who can’t get the reservation they wanted, mopey singles boozing it up at the bar?  Ooooh, yeah, no.

Until I was in First Out earlier this week and saw a flyer for THIS!!

What?!  Queers and old dears?  Heteros and hipsters?  Lovers and loners?  Those people sound awesome!  And what an elegantly-designed flyer as well.  Love the font.  How elegant the women look!  Actually, one of them looks like my friend Aru.  How funny.

Anyway, oh fantastic and fortuitous flyer, tell me more about this magic land of Variety and Valentines!

£10?  Hmm… a little pricey, but there’s a dinner buffet included?  Why, in that case, that isn’t expensive at all!  With some interesting acts performed by individuals with interesting names, such as The Sugar Dancers and Miss High Leg Kick?  Superb!  And there’s a DJ called Mr Wonderful?  Why, he sounds… wonderful!

Sorry, couldn’t help myself there.

But no, really, this event, held at the Grand Hall of the Battersea Arts Centre, sounds like a really swell event.  Better than the alternative of sitting in my flat with a six-pack or a bottle of cava, or even better than commiserating with other singlies at the pub or at someone’s house, which was another likely scenario.  Or, the more likely situation of studying and doing the readings for my classes.

Which would be really, really pitiful.

Nope, I’m going to the ball!  I’ve paid my £10 and gotten an e-receipt in my e-mail’s inbox, assuring that I may pick up my ticket within the certain perimeters of when the box office is open.  I hope to see a good share of queers and old dears, lovers and loners and so forth there, and I hope the buffet will be nice.  Am I going to hope for a Prince Charming to sweep me off my feet at the ball?  Hardly.  I’ll settle for a Prince or Princess Nice To Talk To, thank you.  At least I know there’ll be a Mr Wonderful.

And do you know how fun it is to say I’m going to a ball?  I feel all Cinderella-y.

Now I have something far more exciting to do rather than wait for all the Valentine’s Day chocolate to go on sale.

Pub #7: Pub on the Park, London Fields

I went to this place ages ago now, but essays I had to complete (or in my case, half-ass) took precedence over writing about Pub on the Park in London Fields, the latest pub in the 100 Pubs Project.  Now that I am freed of those stressful obligations, at least until the end of this term, I am able to go back to the project and continue with my ongoing London pub ethnography.

Yes, that’s what I’m calling it now, or one of many terms I’m going with to make me sound smart and clever.

My Pub on the Park visit was a short one.  I walked in, and there was a bit of a smell, an odd smell.  Now, I should preface this by saying I have a rather keenish nose.  I mean, it’s not the keenest nose, but I tend to smell things other people don’t happen to smell.  In this case, Pub on the Park kind of smelled like, um, a bathroom.  Seriously.  Not trying to be mean, and if the Pub on the Park is your local, don’t be cranky with me.  But on this occasion, the Pub on the Park smelled like a bathroom.  Not a piss-smelling toilet or any real foul smell, mind you, but that distinct “bathroom/toilet” smell of water and perhaps some sort of quasi-neutralizing bathroom cake/air freshener that actually works to make the bathroom smell more like a bathroom.

Know what I mean?

Well, it was this smell that sort of made me rethink my idea of participating in pubbery in Pub on the Park.  It was the afternoon.  I wasn’t *really* needing a beer.  But, you know, once you walk into a pub, you kind of have to follow through, especially if you are alone, which I was.

I opted for a half of the Flowers IPA, poured for me by the very nice lady behind the bar who was probably thinking I was a bit odd for my hesitation after entering.  The cost was £1.55, so presumably a full pint would be £3.10, which is quite decent outside of student bars.  I sat at a table with my half, and had a look around.  Despite the place smelling like a toilet (am I the only one who smelled this?), the pub was decently full for a Saturday afternoon.  I was coming from Broadway Market en route back to Hackney Downs, and I imagine many of the folks were in similar modes of transit.  I remember overhearing a lot of North American accents, and a lot of people with bags from Primark, having done some post-holiday shopping possibly at the one in Hackney Central.  Aside from a small contingent of older men in the corner right as I walked in, the crowd was fairly youngish 20-somethings and 30-somethings, perhaps even a few early 40-somethings.  The staff of Pub on the Park seemed really friendly; one of them was trying in vain to fix a wobbly table for a couple or group seated around it.  The place serves food, but I didn’t have the time nor money to indulge in it, having spent a considerable amount of my pocket change on fudge at Broadway market.  And nothing really jumped out at me on the menu written on the chalkboard, to be honest.  I was getting over my cold still that I had over Christmas, so my appetite was (and still is) minimal (aside from desiring copious amounts of fudge).  On the television screen, a game of football was being played.

Overall impression of Pub on the Park: it’s a pub, on the park.  Not bad if you’re in the area.  London Fields is a nice place to walk through, and Pub on the Park, despite smelling a bit odd, seemed like a comfortable place to set one’s shopping down and have a pint (or half) before carrying on back home.