Another day in London

by asi

Friday – lunch with Udy. When we saw the endless queuing at Hare & Tortoise, our regular, Udy suggested a “weird Korean restaurant, basic food, very cheap”. Sababa, I said. “It’s not exactly a restaurant, its more a Korean grocery shop that serves some food as well…very weird place" he said cryptically. Halfhearted, I followed him (its not that I don’t like weird places, its Udy’s taste in food that I was worried about…). We arrived to Hanna Supermarket, indeed a Korean grocery shop. What a lovely secret place! it’s exactly these kind of surprises that make me feel very fortunate that i’m I’m living in London. At the cashier, you have a choice of two rice dishes, 3.5£ each.

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We paid and went inside the shop – I can’t see any tables…Then we took the stairs down and to my great surprise I find myself in a room with a few very low-key tables. the whole place looks utterly improvised.

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You can see for yourself: thousands of Korean VHS tapes all over the room, and one wall has around 50 Video players/recorders. Although very organized, and most probably legal, it looks very very weird, (not to say doggy) in that context. They even a have a small ‘function room’ with surreal wall papers all over it.

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Completely bizarre.Very entrepreneurial. Hilarious!Food was very simple but fresh and is served with Korean pickles and miso soup. Definitely good value for money.

 

Leaving Udy to continue providing (that is, back to work) I planned to catch a movie and to visit some gallery (the difficult life of the unemployed…). Thus, exactly  3 hours after the Korean surprise, i found myself in Sketch,(you can take a tour in their beautiful website), astounding, ultra-designed multi-spaces complex for food art and music that has , bars, gallery,3* Michelin restaurant and many more surprises, especially their unearthly toilets. A must see.