And that's exactly what I just did especially after the week and my work posse had, having just done a tasting menu for the spring/summer period for the client at work.
My original plan was to only have a few beers before going home and waiting for the Mrs to arrive. But as usual like everyone that knows me one pint lead to another and as time went on I thought I might as well hang around and meet her at Liverpool Street station and go home that way. Before I knew it I was downing more alcohol than I intended but I was having such a great time with my executive chef and general manager that it turned out to be a great evening.
They kindly invited me to hang out with them and their girlfriends for something to eat and both knew a ton of cool, funky places to visit. There was no way I was going to turn down an opportunity like that.
I love working in East London and one of the main reasons why that is, is that it has an amazing buzz, full of life and character. I love the scene, pubs, bars, and restaurants around the area and it was to no surprise that my exec chef knew of an awesome place that would do the job and leave us more than satisfied for the rest of the night.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Hotbox along Commercial street. This place is a permanent fixture there after making a name for itself from pop up restaurants to festivals. It delivers tasty meat packed dishes from Smokey beef rib tacos to pulled pork to hot link sausage sliders. Its a great place go to with friends and enjoy an abundance of refreshing cocktails and packing away a whole load of meat.
Hotbox epitomises what East London is all about right now. The staff and the diners are young, trendy, down to earth and give a feel good factor about the place. On top of that the food and drink is damn tasty.
The menu is very straightforward, simple and concise. For me its got the perfect amount of mains, sides and desserts to choose from and every single item on the menu looked and sounded appetising.
The great thing about dining in a small group is that everyone picks a main and a few sides and shares the wealth. Its definitely a great way of sampling the food from any restaurant.
Everyone went in with beers and wine but I went straight in with a cocktail named Bruce Springsteam. Just because of the name I ordered it without even reading what it consisted of.
This cocktail seriously means business and is probably the most refreshing cocktail's I have ever had. It contains a mix of Kamm &Sons (British aperitif), Whiskey, Lemon and Steam beer. What a great way to start the evening of eating.
The food came out of the kitchen quickly which was great for us as we were all starving and needed to soak up the alcohol.
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| The smokey bandit (Aged patty, smoked short rib, jalapeño, red cheddar) , Beets and roquefort |
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| Hotbox smoked selection ( Beef short rib, pork rib, chicken thigh, hot link sausage, pulled pork) |
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| Sweet potato fries, ham hock & pinto beans, grilled elote, smoked mac & cheese |
The mains and sides were incredible, packed with so much flavour and it most definitely put a smile on everyone's faces.
My burger was to die for and like a bad man I had it rare and bloody just the way I like it. It was messy but in true FoodPunk style I devoured it in no time at all. The meat just crumbled every time I bit into it and better yet it was juicy and packed a good punch from the spicy jalapenos.
The sides were a great accompaniment to the mains that we had and surprisingly my favourite was the beetroot with the Roquefort. The combination of the two was like a marriage made in heaven. The saltiness from the cheese, the sweetness from the apple and the sharpness from the pickling of the beetroot balanced really well with no component outdoing the other.
Recently I've come to the conclusion that the older I get (yeah, yeah I know im only 26) the less of a sweet tooth I have but there was no way I could not order this bad boy. Check this pic out!!!!
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| Deep fried Oreos |
That's right!!!! DEEP FRIED OREOS BABY!!!!!. What a creation. If you, no hang on, when you visit Hotbox you have to order this and like me just smother those beauties in the rich dark chocolate sauce and scoop it all up with the ice cream.
There is no other way. Just go to town and who cares if you get chocolate all over your face, its worth it. I did hold myself back though, even though it was tempting, I made sure I didn't pick up the plate and lick it.
After an evening of boos and a meat fest what better way than to be sophisticated., drinking a nice hot pot of Earl Grey Tea. Like I say on a regular basis, "Ohhhhhhhhhhh Matron".
I had plenty of banging food and drink that evening and lets just say my cholesterol levels and guts took a battering but who cares right? PARTY HARD!!!
I had such a brilliant night. Being spontaneous led to me having a great time with my work mates and eating at Hotbox which I feel is one of the coolest places in the East End. Everyone get your asses down to this place and enjoy their smoked meats and cocktails. You certainly wont be disappointed.
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