2nd January 2007
The Green Papaya, A Viet reverie in Hackney
Dinner for 2: 25-35
2 starters 2 mains, rice tea and wine
On my first visit I was tailed in by a shifty middle age lady who proceeded over the next 10 minutes to lift my phone out of my jacket pocket as I was being further enchanted by my dinner date. The astute and discreet waitress promptly came over and asked me to check my pockets as the woman stood outside pretending to talk on her phone. On realising the larceny I swiftly ran out the door and confronted her where she gave an unenthused performance of innocence. When she offered herself up to be searched with the 3 mobiles she already had in her hands, her jacket fell open and the leather strap of my phone hung out of her jeans pocket like a mouses tail from a cats mouth.. I grabbed the strap and out it popped, almost with a comic ZOINK where upon I thanked her and marched back to the restaurant.
I also thanked the waitress, this time for her shrewd observation, and ordered the dinner with shaky hands, green tea to start. What happened obviously was no reflection on the Green Papaya but of where it lives, in the heart of Hackney. A true melting pot of cultures, it sits amongst kebab shops, fried chicken places, Caribbean takeaways, a pub and another Viet restaurant..
In the middle of winter the Green Papaya offers a warm intimate front dining room with the right amount of light to see the food and flatter your wet and wind swept features, I think it's the nice shade of marron on the walls that really makes this. The back room, ideal for families and groups is lighter with a large windowed wall to the garden, a perfect place for summer dining. The tables are of a reassuring strong stable thickness, they're obviously not from Ikea and I liked that, and they're spread far enough apart to keep you from feeling crowded. The water closets found down stairs are clean and tidy. All in all the setting for a good dinner, be it a quick one on the way to somewhere or spending a night of it with friends.
We went with the second white on the list, a blend I hadn't tried before and I found the description to be accurate which is always reassuring.
Starters were:
Vietnamese Herb Rolls with Prawns (2) 3.25
Vietnamese Spring Rolls (2) 3.25
Both served with Nuoc Cham, to hit you right in the umami sensors (the chilli Vietnamese dipping sauce made with dried red chillies, garlic sugar, fish sauce, vinegar and lemon juice) on a bed of lettuce the prawns were a little over cooked and rubbery with a slight fishy taste (maybe a day or two from their best, but we visited on the 30th of dec so we'll give them another chance). But the spring rolls were lovely, large and not to greasy.
Mains:
Stir Fried Beef with Tomatoes, Spring Onions and Purple Basil 5.50
Slow Cooked Lamb Cubes with Galangal, Lemon Grass and Coconut Milk5.95
Barbecued Chicken with Satay Sauce 5.00
Stir Fried Smoked Tofu with Mange Tout 5.50
This is obviously way too much, I recommend a starter and a main each and share it all! However all these left overs were perfect new years day recovery fodder.
Most notable for me had to be the slow cooked lamb, oh my god, the meat was so tender, and the cubes were from nice lean cuts. Each chew seemed to just fill my mouth with a creamy freshness that comes from the galangal and coconut cream. I love galangal its like aromatic and peppery version of ginger that almost hurts to eat, oh and don't make the mistake of eating the lemongrass.. It's there for flavouring too. His was the Stir-fried beef, tasty and straightforward the tomatoes were a refreshing relief to the rich coconut cream sauce.
The other point of interest was the smoked tofu, the waitress was quick to ask if one of us was a vegetarian, she said it tasted like ham which some veges may not appreciate, and she was right, it did! My love affair was with the garlic in this dish, my last dining moments were spent with it mixed with sauce and jasmine rice mmmm
The service was friendly and unobtrusive and the waitress who saved my phone certainly got a tip. I'd definitely recommend this small relief in the heart of Hackney, it really is the definition of cheap and cheerful.And you'll be pleased to note nothing quite as dramatic happened on further visits I still retain all my possessions and even gained a little something.
Loading...
View & Add comments (1)
Post to facebook
Share with friends
(7/7 found this review helpful)
