The very best thing about Miss Tania having just moved over to Shoreditch (aside from the fact that she’s now in the UK and not the other side of the world like this time last year…) is that it gives me a great excuse to explore a part of London I’m not familiar with at all! Up until a couple of weeks ago the only time I’d ever really explored the Shoreditch/Brick Lane area of London was during a trip to the vintage shops a year or so ago, and so last week Tania and I set aside a bit of time dedicated solely to exploring her new home turf.

Turns out, by ‘explore’ we meant ‘get lost on so-simple-they-should-be-idiot-proof 5 minute journies, and then continue to walk the wrong way even after resorting to using our phones as sat navs’! I’m not sure which of us has a worse sense of direction, to be honest with you- thank goodness Shoreditch has such awesome street art it wasn’t a hardship walking down so many roads necessarily! ;)
 

What I wore :: Chambray shirt || Jeans || Loafers (originally via Boden) || Watch || Handbag

First place on our hitlist was The Albion, for coffees and chit chat. I’d never even heard of the place before last week, and am so very glad we’ve been introduced, Albion and I, since it’s totally divine. A photographer’s dream, too! I actually let out a little gasp of happiness when we rounded the corner and I saw how beautifully arranged all the fruit and veg was outside the front of the deli, because the past almost three years of camera-wielding have turned me into an all out dork when it comes to things like this. Is vegetable-arranger/cafe organiser a job? If so, I’d like to apply for the position. Maybe I’d call myself a Curator of Produce. A Professional Flora Stylist. ANYWAY. I’ve been sidetracked…

^^ A flat white for me (as always, I’m so predictable) and an elderflower/mint concoction for Tan. Don’t you love the school dining hall table set up? ^^

We very nearly were tempted by the array of cakes and sweet treats on offer, but decided to save our appetites for the next spot on our agenda…Mother Clucker!

I can’t remember how I found out about Mother Clucker, but I’ve known about their magical, wondrous existence for easily 18 months now and have been trying to make plans to visit this whole time. And you know what? It was totally worth the wait. Mother Clucker are based in the Truman Brewery just off Brick Lane, and serve up fried chicken that knocks KFC’s offering clean out of the park! The chicken gets brined then dipped in a buttermilk batter (twice, so says the MC site!), and fried to crispy perfection. The Cajun fries are equally delicious (I’d go so far as to say they’re maybe the tastiest I’ve ever eaten)- loaded with salt and with a hint of spice. Nothing short of glorious.

 Would’ya look at that? Tania and I shared a portion of the Cajun fries and strips, and both agreed you’d have to be *really* hungry to eat a whole portion to yourself. Also on the menu is the ‘Cluckwitch’- strips of fried chicken in a brioche bun with homemade hot sauce, lime mayo, and picked peppers- that I’m pretty keen to try next time I’m nearby one of their trucks. And not as if we needed a reason to go back, but their famous Mac n Cheese wasn’t available from the Truman Brewery truck (it’s Camden only apparently, boo!) so another visit might just be on the cards. With Jason next time too, since he was green with envy when I showed him these photos!

Since we couldn’t get the mac n cheese we’d been counting on, Tania suggested we sample one of the South American ‘arepas’ being served from the next truck along instead. I’ve clean forgotten the name of that food truck, but I’ve honestly not stopped thinking about the slow cooked beef arepas they were serving ever since. The beef was melt in the mouth delicious, smashed together with black beans, cheese, red onion, avocado, and fresh tomato, all served inside a warm flatbread made from ground maize. The bread sort of reminded me of gnocchi…maybe gnocchi crossed with pita bread? I’m not sure, but it was carby and delicious and *very* filling.

All in all, it wasn’t a bad way to spend an afternoon! And just to reassure you we did do something else other than just…eat, Tania and I did also stop into a couple of vintage shops, but left pretty sharpish after realising that the vintage dresses we were trying on made us look like sister wives. So, that was that! ;)

** Both food trucks are located in Elys Yard at the Truman Brewery, and Mother Clucker deliver (via Deliveroo) within London. Now, just *when* is Surrey going to get a delivery service to match London’s, hey?