Archies Bar, Deptford Market Yard

The newly opened Deptford Market Yard

Last weekend Becks and I popped down to the newly opened Deptford Market Yard for a spot of lunch. The approach to the station has been completely transformed by the new, wide public square and the railway arches which have been converted into small business units. Even on a slightly dreary and damp day the area was looking good.

There are a few options for lunch and we selected Archie's for some grilled cheese sandwiches.

Queso Fundido and chorizo

We completely over ordered and I spent the rest of the day in a pleasant cheese coma.

Of the savoury dishes we chose my favourite was the posh cheese and onion toastie that is made with Keen's cheddar, ogleshield and onion. You could definitely taste the quality of the cheese which has been grilled until it came oozing out of our sandwich.

Goats cheese toastie

The highlight though, without doubt, was the ricotta cheesecake. It was unlike any other cheesecake that I've had before being much softer and creamier. Unlike most ricotta cheesecakes I'm guessing that it hadn't been baked. It came in a delightfully generous slice too, but something tasting this good can't be good for you....

Posh cheddar and onion

The staff were super friendly and they have fitted out the small railway arch well. The short menu is full on cheese so make sure you, and all of your party, are in the mood for cheese before you go as there aren't any options besides cheese, cheese and more glorious cheese.

Ricotta cheesecake

Archie's Bar London
Deptford Market Yard
London
SE8

Restaurant Review: Big Red, Deptford

On the top deck of the Big Red

A couple of Saturday's ago I visited the Big Red Pizza Bus in Deptford. I was hearing good things about this place even before I came back to the UK, but it has taken me eighteen months to finally get there.

The Big Red is a deceptive venue. Tucked behind the Birds Nest pub it doesn't look like the most promising location in Deptford and, being frank, the bus looks a little shabby too. However, stepping into the venue it opens up into a large covered courtyard which has been done out with chunky wooden furniture. It was larger and quirkier than the outside would have you believe.

We were offered seats in the courtyard, but it had to be the bus for our first visit and we took a table on the top deck.

Pizza of the day: goats cheese, beetroot and rocket

I ordered the goats cheese, beetroot and rocket pizza of the day. It was a good pizza with a thin base and just a touch of char. I would have preferred a bit more goats cheese in the topping, but otherwise was pretty impressed.

The Italiano had the same thin base and was draped with parma ham.

Italiano

On the way home we swung by the Lai Loi Vietnamese supermarket on Deptford High St. I haven't explored all of the Asian grocers on the high street, but it is my favourite of the one I've stumbled in so far.

The two girls who run the place were telling me about their plans to set up cookery classes next year. I was doing my best to encourage them.


30 Deptford Church St
Deptford
London
SE8 4RZ

A night in Deptford: Viet Rest and Little Nan's Bar

Showing my pinkie at Little Nan's

While watching the London Marathon we hatched a plan for a night out in Deptford. I suspect that Deptford isn't the top of many people's list for a night out, and I can't remember ever visiting before I went to Australia, but since I've been back I have enjoyed the daytime economy. Now it was time to check out what the nighttime economy had to offer.

Vietnamese seemed the obvious choice for dinner and we decided upon Viet Rest close to the station. Armed with a few suggestions from my friend Angie we set about ordering a feast for our hungry mouths.

The summer rolls looked bright and fresh, perfect for the early summer vibe which was taking over London last weekend. They tasted pretty good drenched in the accompanying dipping sauce too.

Summer rolls at Viet Rest

The favourite dish of my dining companions was the special steamed rolls. The rice noodle rolls were filled with pork mince, covered with crispy shallots and served with sliced meat balls.

My favourite was the braised BBQ pork which came served in a tasty broth. It's hard for pork belly to ever go wrong. The noodle soups were solid, but not the best I've tried, while I definitely prefer the Thai version of stir fried morning glory (although this was the first time I've tried the Vietnamese version so perhaps we had a bad one).

Dinner for four was excellent value at £45 including (non alcoholic) drinks. We tried to live a £5 tip and it was handed back to us indicating we shouldn't over pay. Is it offensive to tip in Vietnam?

 Special steamed roll

After dinner, and once we'd resolved my geographical incompetence, we visited Little Nan's Bar for some cocktails. The small bar is arranged like your nan's living room, with comfy chairs and drinks served in tea cups. All of the cocktails have excellent names like Queen Victoria, Mojito of Kent and The Paddy Ashdown.

We tried three tea pots, which serve 4/6 cups and are amazing value at £12 each. While enjoying the retro sound track and having a good old natter. It was just a shame I forgot my knitting.....

Cocktails in tea cups

More food porn from Viet Rest:

Stir fried morning glory

Braised BBQ pork

Pho Bo

Duck Vermicelli Soup

Check out all of the places I've eaten at in London on my map. My top choices are marked with pink pins.

Viet Rest
113 Deptford High St
London 
SE8 4NS 

Restaurant Review: Panda Panda, Deptford

Stewed beef soup at Panda Panda in Deptford

Vietnamese food is a cuisine I love and struggle with all at the same time. The best Vietnamese meals I've had have been with friends who have ordered all of the dishes. I, stupidly, have never taken note of what we've eaten and am then flummoxed when I try and go solo.

Discovering, to my surprise, that Deptford has quite a few Vietnamese restaurants I decided to check one of them out by visiting Panda Panda for a quick Friday lunch. Panda Panda's menu has been entirely Anglicised with the banh mi simply called 'baguettes' and is the 'stewed beef soup' a pho?

Mango bubble tea

Becks started with a mango bubble tea (£2.50) that I drank quite a lot of. I tasted just like a mango lassi with bubbles. I ordered the triple pork special noodles (£6.50). A bowl of rice noodles topped with beansprouts, cucumber, coriander, mint, chopped peanut and chilli and three different types of pork. It was tasty, filling and I have no idea if it is an authentic Vietnamese dish.

 Triple pork special

The stewed beef soup (£5.50) had a tasty broth filled with a lot of carrots and beef. It was a tasty soup but all those carrots made it different from the pho I've had before. (I have since been told it isn't a pho.)

My sweet tooth got the better of me so I decided to order the mango sago pudding (£2.50) for dessert. I was a bit surprised when it came in the form of a drink. It was nice enough, but I preferred the bubble tea / mango lassi.

Mango sago pudding

Panda Panda was a good way to ease into Deptford's Vietnamese scene. Now to try somewhere where the menu is written in Vietnamese....

Panda Panda
8 Deptford Broadway
London
SE8 4PA

Restaurant Review: Chaconia, Deptford

Chicken with Rice n' Peas at Chaconia in Deptford

When I knew that I was moving back to Brockley I bookmarked Hollow Legs post rounding up some of her favourite places in the area. One of her recommendations was Chaconia on Deptford High St, a Trinidadian restaurant specialising in roti.

The small café is run by a very friendly lady who is keen to chat with her customers, explain the food and obviously very proud in what she serves making everything from scratch in the kitchen to old family recipes she learnt growing up the in Caribbean.

Her passion for cooking and entrepreneurial flair obviously started young as she told me today that she used to make coconut biscuits when she was young to take into school and sell them at lunchtime. She still makes the same coconut and ginger biscuits today, but can no longer collect the coconuts for free as they don't grow so well in the snow of Deptford.

Curry goat roti

On my first visit I ordered the curry goat roti. The soft and chewy roti was filled with the tender goat that was meltingly soft. As you'd expect from Caribbean cooking there was a fragrant chilli coming through.

I couldn't resist something sweet to counteract the heat of the roti so picked up some kuriya to munch on my way home. Simple dough fried biscuits that were covered in sugar. A cheap, sweet and filling snack.

 

Kuriya

On my second visit I tried the curry chicken with rice 'n peas, pointed cabbage and sweet pumpkin (£4.70 large size). The chicken is cooked on the bone and is marinaded in herbs and then cooked to her secret recipe. I added some of the fragrant homemade chilli sauce which she promised would clear my cold and keep me warm on the inside. It definitely made my nose run and did keep me warm for a couple of hours! The sweet pumpkin was a lovely way to counteract some of the heat.

Just like on my first visit I fancied something sweet to sooth my tingling mouth and couldn't resist one of the coconut and ginger biscuits the owner has been cooking since she was a school girl. A bit of a teeth breaker they tasted very sweet and I can't quite believe the owners promise they didn't actually contain much sugar.

Chaconia is a great value lunch spot and a wonderful opportunity to learn something about Trinni food. On both my visits there were dishes available that weren't on the menu so it is definitely worth asking what they have on offer when you visit.

Chaconia
26 Deptford High Street
London 

SE8 4AF