Alchemy is a festival that takes place every year at Southbank. Street food specialists KERB are bringing 30 vendors to Southbank Centre Square, filling it with stalls serving dishes from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.
When my sister visited for the first time in 4 years from US of A, I had to wait for her to arrive before I visited #KERBdoesAlchemy so I did. And I had to share with you all of course. We might have gone slightly overboard but what a great day out.
As tomorrow (30th May) is the last day, make sure you check out the food festival while it done for the year.
So here are my top 5 places to eat at Kerb at the Alchemy Festival…
- Bun Kabab
This is by far my most favourite of the entire food festival. If you want to reminisce your childhood in the streets of Karachi, this is the one for you! I opted for the Beef Bun Kebab. The bun was super soft and a little sweet, which was great because the beef was a little spicy for my liking. But the kebab mixed with some crispy papri was a great combination. To top it all off, they even serve Pakola, Limco and other old school Pakistani drinks, which I love!
Instagram: @bun_kabab
Twitter: @bun_kabab
2. Horn OK Please
Have a craving for chaat like I always do? This is the one to check out for your Indian street food fix.
I opted for the bhel puri, it was so yummy and crunchy! The anaar pieces (aka pomegranate) was the added touch of perfection. It was a little dry to begin with but we managed to get the guy to add in a little more imli chutney (tamarind sauce). Although the conversation we were forced to hear about the economy from the guy behind the counter was a tad bit strange.
Instagram: @horn_please
Twitter: @horn_please
3.Baba G’s Bhangra Burger
All I can say about this is .. Baba G knows how to make a good burger!
We went for the Crispy Tikka Chicken Burger and it was yum! The chicken was not as crispy as I would have liked it to be but it was so delicious. The chicken was so juicy and the bun so soft. Although the flavours seemed more Jamaican than Indian.
Instagram: @bhangraburger
Website: http://www.bhangraburger.com/
4. The Indians Next Door
I might be a little biased but I have a soft spot for this place for my Kenyan roots.
I wish I had room for their Kenyan Biryani, but unfortunately I was feeling relatively obese at this point, so decided to go for a mammoth fresh coconut, or as we say in Kenya Madafu! The coconut was carved in front of us and we had the freshest coconut water I have tasted. It took me right back to being at the Lighthouse in Mombasa and sipping coconut water by the sea. Plus it helped that the guy serving us was a total charmer! Once we had finished all the water, we went back and he carved the coconut into half so we could eat the coconut’s gooey inside. YUM!
Instagram: @theindiansnextdoor
Website: www.theindiansnextdoor.co.uk
5. Blu Top
And last but definitely not least, this has got to be one of my faves. If you want ice cream with a twist this is it!
The flavours were great! I went for the vanilla bean ice cream with salted caramel topping, with Choc Coconut and Cardamom Butter cookies. The salted caramel was so delicious as it was the perfect topping for the vanilla beans
Instagram: @blutopicecream
Overall, it was a little pricey but definitely worth the trip! Kerb at Alchemy is open till 7pm on Monday 30th May 2016 so make sure to check it out!
Final thought…
Who knows what this means… my life motto!!
Closest Station: Waterloo (Jubilee Line)
Address: Belvedere Rd, London SE1 8XX
Website: http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whatson/festivals-series/alchemy