I seem to be chasing the pop-up motions in London at the moment. I’ve started becoming a little obsessed with sharing my food and drink with random strangers, take that how you will. Only a few months ago I hated sharing my small plates with the person next to me, but something about this casual, convivial eating has become addictive and I’ve met so many great people through this way of eating. The newest addition to the London dining scene is the London Cooking Project (previously known as the London Kitchen Project) and located deep in the back streets of a Battersea housing estate. It looks odd here, but I like it. Something about where it is and the feel of the place makes it incredibly attractive, accessible and very casual. Inside it looks great too. A clean canvas with an open kitchen in the centre of it.
As for food here at the London Cooking Project it all changes regularly with a calendar of line-ups throughout the month. Currently one of the regular stints comes from Mark Greenwood who’s set up The Shared Table. As the name suggests it’s all about sharing your table with other people and enjoying good, honest food. Mark’s a Michelin-trained chef and right now is focusing on food influenced by the vibrant flavours of Mexico. We started our flavourful journey here with what turned out to be one of the best things I’ve eaten all year. Epic freshly cooked sourdough bread served with creamy, whipped goats cheese and both fun, but equally delicious selection of sauces served in squirty pots. Richly flavoured toppings of caramelised onions, beetroot and chilli salsa – something vividly yellow also made an appearance though I had no idea what it was, but it went down a treat.
Booze wise here it’s BYOB and our bottles of Champagne and far too many silky smooth Pinot Noir’s from the Co-Op next door went down a treat. As the wine passed by, so did the many sharing dishes. Dunk a serving spoon in and pile your plates – that’s the idea. Tacos were served in the traditional, slightly soft way – ready to fold and fill with as many toppings as you could squeeze in. Salsa was as fresh as could be but sadly the guacamole was in fact too fresh – an avocado needs to be incredibly ripe to make this famous dip and it tasted just a little too fresh here meaning it lacked a depth of flavour – it also needed more coriander and onion.
It’s not all about the salads and vegetables either. Free range pork belly was smothered in a Mexican rub and full of flavour, but the real star was the fish, it was sublime. Line court Spanish mackerel was delicately flavoured, juicy and very flaky – perfect for filling up those gorgeous tacos. A bowl of slaw was also rather good and while it may have been simple, it reminded me so much of the kind my best friends Spanish mother used to put on the table as a kid. There’s nothing better when a dish brings back good memories. Other fillings made their way round the table such as pickled veg and a mango and cucumber salsa.
Those Pinot Noir’s from the Co-Op were certainly taking their toll by this point – we’d now made plans with the group opposite us to head on over to B@1 for cocktails in Clapham after. A bad idea, perhaps – but it just goes to show that dining this way never fails in meeting new people. We finished up on a mango panna cotta which was unfortunately a bit of a fail and smelt overly eggy – but the chocolate truffles to take home were sublime.
The food here from The Shared Table pop-up may not be the best food I’ve ever eaten, but overall it was a nice experience. The venue itself however (London Cooking Project) was absolutely fantastic. With a great space going for it, fantastic staff and a calendar packed full of supperclubs and cookery classes for all ages – this is one pop-up space not be missed. I’m lucky enough to live only across the road.
7/10
