Night tale @ Red

With gorgeous fairy-lights, quirky street food stands and delicious cocktail, the Night tale pop up market gracing Shoreditch this winter has got the perfect combination to keep the cold away. However, if you come here looking only for food, then you are in the wrong place; for this car-park-turn-party-ground is a well-balanced mix of music, alcohol and food for those seeking a good-time all night long.

Announced with red dangling lights and a large sign, you might have to wait for a small while to get in through the queue. The canopy design means you are protected against the elements and the coziness of the wooden benches, mismatch stalls and heat lamps all serve to keep you toasty and cheery. Guests DJs are on site to dish out some party tones and a clearing between the picnic benches and music deck gives you plenty of space to dance.

For those who want to enjoy a quieter time and sip some cocktail, the upper floor of the delightful fairy light wrapped structure is the place to go. Consisting of a secluded whiskey cocktail bar, you can enjoy the ambience of a relaxing evening whilst looking down on fellow diners and partyers. Or if you are feeling extra special, you can book a table in advance for £100 per head, which include all-you-can-drink booze, queue jump and free entry, as well as food tokens and tray service.

 

There are only seven street food stalls, the legendary Patty and Bun in their glorious new van is a definite go-to. Next door is the Voodo Ray pizza and other stalls include oriental style buns and slow cooked brisket in Italian baguette from Bathing Cows. Toilets are available between the main ground and the entrance with an attendant, so you can make sure your hands are clean before stumbling onto the dance floor.

The place gets quite busy with all the free benches being taken up by around seven. If all you wish is to grab a bite then this isn’t the right place for you, especially with an entrance fee.

Address: 288-299 Old street

Direction: From Old street station take the subway 1, go up the right flight of stairs and walk straight down the road. You will walk past a fire station and RED is right opposite a Sainsbury Local.

Opening times: Thurs- Sat 5pm – late; £4 entrance fee

http://www.nighttales.co.uk/

Kimchee

I have always been a fan of Korean food, so when my friend suggested we go to Kimchee to celebrate another friend’s birthday (she’s quite a fine diner) as this is her favourite restaurant, I expected grand things from it.

Situated almost equidistant from Holborn to Chancery Lane, the oriental fusion décor of leaf green logo, dark wood panel and glimpse of numerous hollow bamboo stick lanterns inside stood out immediately. Inside is an open plan kitchen with decorative wooden screen and traditional wooden seating.

The exterior of the Kimchee - my first impression is that it resembles more of a fusion place

Matching interior with wood furnishing and open kitchen

I was especially impressed with the hallow space under the chair for storage, as most restaurants fail to address the cramped space issue for diners to stall their belongings. The menu is designed to resemble folded scrolls from ancient times with wooden front and back page.

The foods are listed in phonetic English translation with a brief description below, and although a little more pricey than your average Korean restaurant, there are more choices. Opting for Beef Bolgogi (marinated grill beef wrap in lettuce, served separately) and Yuk Hwae (A classic Korean dish similar to beef tartare with egg yolk as source).

Beef Bolgogi

Yuk Hwaek

The Beef Bolgogi was perfectly marinated and grilled, with some more charcoaled bits that give a perfect crunch alongside the lettuce. However it is the Yuk Hwae that truly captures my tongue. The egg yolk somehow completes the raw beef stripes and the dash of sesame oil with it combine to become an explosion of well-balanced flavor in your mouth. The smoothness and tenderness of the beef was an added factor and in no time everyone was fighting for a bite of it.

Me eagerly digging in :)

With fourteen of us we ended up ordering a lot of food but somehow we managed to get away with only paying £16.20 each – which is not bad for a restaurant charging around £7-8 for a dish.

The full menu is available here:

http://restaurant.kimchee.uk.com/docs/10newmenu_all.pdf

Address: 71 High Holborn, London WC1V 6EA

Opening times: Mon – Fri 12:00 – 15:00, 17:30 – 22:30 ; Sat- Sun 12:00 – 22:30