Eat & Drink
Originally published on Tuesday, 19th April 2011
Bursting the Bubble
Foreign foodie fancies hit the mainstream.
The beauty of living in a cosmopolitan city like London is that, when correctly directed, you can pretty much find anything. Our Asiana expats know exactly where to go for Pocky Sticks and chocolate Koalas that don’t come at Harvey Nic’s prices. The Stateside contingent hankering after imported American candy head to the two locations you can find Pop Tarts and Fruit Loops in the city. And ze Deutsche (yeah alright, we have half of one of those too), can sniff out a proper wurst any day.
But it’s looking like you don’t have to dive into concealed corners to get your foreign fix these days, as more mini morsels go mainstream. Case in point the humble banh mi sandwiches at Kêu ! which now has queues cornering the block. UJ’s own office block has just gotten an island influx thanks to Kua’Aina; a Hawaiian sandwich shack from Honolulu decked out with rattan roof, surf boards and a menu boasting grilled mahi sandwiches (we liked), pineapple burgers and choc chip pancakes for breakfast.
Then there’s the Taiwanese speciality ‘bubble tea’. Whereas once you had to skirt Chinatown for a sip, now you can get your fix on Rupert Street (aside from the XXX DVDs and shops, it’s becoming quite the filthy food fest with Spuntino in residence and Patrick Cox’s cupcakes around the corner). Being hailed as the ‘new frappuccino’, Bubbleology is bringing both the milky and the fruity varieties of this tea-based drink to the fore, which features tapioca pearls to be sucked up from the bottom with extra-wide straws. Flavours include coconut, almond, vanilla, mango, ginger, kumquat and apple, either green or with a shot of the fully caffeinated black stuff.
Little pearl of wisdoms or dirty little secret? Either way – it’s officially out in the open.
INFO
Kua’Aina is open now. 26 Foubert’s Place, W1F 7PP.
Bubbleology opens 21st April. 49 Rupert Street, W1D 7PF.
