It was a dull, hot spring weekend and my boyfriend and I didn't know what to do. I was bored and scrolling through my Facebook feed and quite suddenly, I finally found the perfect activity for the night: a date at London Night Market.
London Night Market takes place in June to celebrate Food Month. With its 50 food stands, live music and open air cinema sponsored by Westfield — this night market is the perfect place for an original and fun date.
First Impression
This is what the market looked like right after the security check. It was fairly crowded but thankfully not overly so; the food smelled delicious and there were plenty of seats and pods on the field. The music was great as well: London Night Market offers a variety of DJs, including Norman Jay MBE (who opened the first night), Jimmy K-Tel, Ruby Savage and many more.
Since we were undecided on what to try and honestly, were enticed by just about everything, we had to take a couple of tours in the park before finally settling down.
Leong's Legend
Leong's Legend is a lovely Taiwanese restaurant situated in Chinatown. Since it's simultaneously inexpensive an mouthing watering, it's totally student-friendly. At first, we decided to take the slow cooked Pork Belly, Pork Bao and the 3'' Cup Chicken. Later on we came back for some other baos.
On the left is the slow cooked pork and on the right the pork bao (the chicken was used as a sacrifice to survive the queue). It may be difficult to see from the picture, but the portions are rather abundant considering the price and the fact that we were at a festival. The pork was so soft it melted in our mouths and the bao was fresh and overfilled.
Rating: Considering the short queue, the low price and the quality of food, Leong's Legend's stand earns a solid 8/10.
The Mews Of Mayfair
The Mews Of Mayfair is for all the BBQ and posh-burgers fans out there. While burgers aren't really my thing — mostly because I cannot eat that comforting doughy pleasure — Simeng loves them, that's why a trip there was impossible to escape. He ordered the truffle burger with extra bacon (left in the picture), while I took some lamb lollipops with green sauce (up right).
The lamb was perfectly cooked, slightly smoky and tender — indeed, I was able to eat it without cutlery. The green sauce was well balanced and not too aggressive; it was possible to feel the different ingredients — oil, garlic, mint and the other herbs. It offered a fresh albeit light relief to the bitterness that lamb often leaves in the mouth.
Regarding the burger, I was told only good things. At first sight, it didn't appear excessively greasy — bonus points since there weren't any napkins. The meat was medium cooked and well seasoned, the bacon wasn't overly crispy and the cheese melted to perfection. However, the true hero of this burger was the truffle: you could clearly smell it — and apparently taste as well — elevating the burger to a whole new level.
Rating: I have no choice but to give Mews of Mayfair a high score. The queue was fairly long, but it was handled quickly and professionally. I didn't expect the lamb to be so tender and juicy, nor the burger to actually taste like truffle. It was slightly more expensive than Leong's Legend, totalling at £18.80. However, that was the best BBQ I have had insofar — totally worth a 9/10 and a visit on a Friday night.
Elephant Juice Bar
We decided to opt for a health kick when it came to drinks and went for the Elephant Juice Bar stand. I have absolutely no objections to this one: perfect cup, fresh ingredients with a sharp flavour, refreshing, light, dairy-free and cheap. The first round was a Berry Juice for me (green apple, banana, orange, strawberries and blueberries) and a Red Juice for Simeng (beetroot, carrot, green apple and ginger).
At the end of our date at the London Night Market, we decided to go for a second and final round of juice. Here's the turning point that made the Elephant Juice Bar the winner of the night: since it was closing hour, they were giving drinks for free. I stayed loyal to my Berry Juice, while Simeng tried the Passion Juice (green apple, banana, orange, passion fruit and mango).
Rating: If you see an Elephant Juice Bar stand around London, I absolutely recommend to stop there and take something to drink. It's the perfect vegan-friendly weapon against these hot summer days: 10/10.
London Night Market's Hidden Beauty
With satisfied tummies and thankful taste buds, we decided to roam around after dinner and see what the London Night Market had to offer aside from food. With plenty of seating everywhere and cocktails served in several stands, the market started filling up with dancing people and families enjoying the fresh and clear night. The darker it became, the more beautiful it was. The lights made the field look fairy and festive, adding a magical touch to the market.
Farewell, my friend
Leaving the London Night Market was pretty sad. Our date there was lovely: funny, full of food, drinks, and happy people enjoying a fresh Spring night.
Generally speaking, the market was well organised - the stands' layout, the security, the cleaning service — everything was perfect. The only flaw that I could see is that the open air cinema closed really early: nothing was screened at night, which was a real pity considering the (rare) perfect weathe
Final rating: To conclude, I award the London Night Market a pretty enthusiastic 8/10. Entertainment and variety could have been better, but the food and the drinks we tasted were delicious, the location was near two tube stations and the organisation was amazing. Looking forward to next year's market! Farewell, my friend.