It's
not about playing spies, but yes with a certain undertone of 'danger'
involved, part of the fun really, having to try to avoid being found
out. It's apparently a new trend in London, along The Themes, there are
restaurants with no names. Or maybe they have, but there are no signs of
that on the door. You really have to somehow have visited the place
before you find out what they call themselves, in case you want to refer
to them later in your conversations with friends. In fact, it's illegal
as they don't have the required license to operate as restaurants.
Somebody related the experience. Don't ask who; no names remember? He and company arrived at the place, rang the bell, and when it's answered, gave his password (a phrase) he had been given by e-mail before they were let in. They passed a spacious salon adorned with lilies from the garden, where the presentation of food took place. Amongst the 12 people attending, there was a physiotherapist, an actress, an Indian publicist, a retired couple from New York ... They chatted enthusiastically, drunk with the emotion of the clandestine rendezvous.
The owner of the 'restaurant' is Ms. Marmite Lover, a photographer, gastronomic blogger and keen cook. Each week she opens up her private London home to total strangers. She got the 'underground restaurant' idea after a trip to Cuba. Her salon has the capacity for 26 diners. She charges £25 (€28) for a cocktail, 2 plates, desert and coffee. Wine and drinks not included. Very reasonable indeed, cheap really in London. She stressed, perhaps so as not to tempt the law, that she does not do it for money. She spends all the payment she gets on ingredients, cooking because she loves cooking. I tend to believe her. £25 buys very little in London mind you, that's in 2009, not to say having to work hard at it.
The musician Horton Jupiter runs his secret restaurant too called the 'Secret Ingredients', in his East End of London apartment, where he can take only up to 12 people at one time. He started in mid January. During that first meal for the public he and the diners created a group for food lovers in FaceBook, and the publicity from mouth to ear from the first meal of 6 to 12 in 2 sittings the 2nd week. This trend seems to grow very rapidly and now there are others.
This is certainly not new in Hong Kong. When I lived there I used to go to one flat for their speciality, authentic Indian curry. The apartment is humble, where customers sit was also where his children played, sometimes with a baby crawling on the floor. But in front of that apartment building there were often expensive and fancy cars, Rolls Royce and Bentleys parked, waiting for available space in his apartment. There's also a Korean 'restaurant' where you had to supply a certain name mouthed through the peep-hole to get in, something like 'Joe sent me'!
Current Mood: 
Accomplished
Accomplished
