Wharf Life, Sept 20-Oct 4, 2023

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what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see

Where? Boisdale Of Canary Wharf Cabot Square

The singer, songwriter and composer stops o at Cabot Square for an acoustic gig celebrating a decade since the release of her debut single.

Oct 11, 9.30pm, from £29 (show only), boisdale.co.uk

Where?

Museum Of London

Docklands

West India Quay

BOOK

Explore the impact of Jewish Londoners on global style with the latest blockbuster exhibition at the museum. Expect Bowie, Hendrix and Jagger.

Oct 13-Apr 14 , 10am-5pm, £12, museumo ondon.org.uk

Where? Boisdale Of Canary Wharf Cabot Square

Welcome to the 97th issue of Wharf Life. Flip the pages to nd cool refreshment from YumTea, how the Notorious BIG gives inspiration to artists and tness professionals and why New York is the jumping-o point for Canary Wharf Group as it markets its 8 Harbord Square development with a special takeover

From Sept 20-23, Wood Wharf is being transformed into a New York neighbourhood with o ers and pop-ups to mark the launch of homes at 8

Expect irresistible invitations to the dance oor from this mid 1970s group such as Walking In Rhythm, I Need You and Rock Creek Park. Much jazz-funk. Oct 18-20, 9.15pm, from £29 (show only), boisdale.co.uk

ash back

How Third Space has launched restorative, relaxing sound baths as part of its regular timetable of tness and wellbeing sessions in Canary Wharf – expect crystal bowls and gentle taps on gongs to help members let go thirdspace.london

Scan this to read our interview with Third Space head of group exercise

Gillian Reeves

want more? @wharfwhispers

Take dining to new heights as Bokan proves it’s still on top

GIG | Laura Mvula

GIG | Blackbyrds

| Fashion City

How Tower Hamlets is rolling out free meals at secondary schools

Harbord Square - see our special report pull-out

on the radar

need to know

We don’t have any details at present, like opening dates or anything like that, but we are starting to get excited that 640East is getting ready to open a second site at Wood Wharf on Water Street, pictured, close to the original venue 640east.co.uk

30

Got a craving for high-end liquorice?

Finally, Canary Wharf has what you need. Lakrids

By Bülow has opened its doors in Cabot Place as the Danish brand spreads Nordic avour around the world. Expect some surprising combinations lakridsbybulow.co.uk

Head to Now Gallery in Greenwich to see a table covered in crystals

Fancy taking on a cafe at Thames Barrier Park in the Royal Docks?

subscribe to our Wharf Whispers newsletter and get our content in your inbox fortnightly

How Bamboo Mat’s second branch in Stratford is spreading Nikkei cuisine across east London – a fusion of Japanese and Peruvian cooking

LADIES CUTS FROM £75 MENS CUTS FROM £50 + AESTHETIC TREATMENTS

Canary Wharf - West India Quay

HAIR | BEAUTY | AESTHETIC TREATMENTS

re action

noun,

apricity

SEE THIS

Queen Nanny Museum Of London Docklands Oct 6, 6.30pm, £12 museumo ondon.org.uk

The West India Quay museum is partnering with The New Black Film Collective for a screening of Queen Nanny: Legendary Maroon Chieftainess. The documentary unearths the story of Jamaica’s only female National Hero – celebrated on the country’s $500 note – her resistance to slavery and her military prowess in leading her people to victory over the British Army. A panel discussion and Q&A will follow the screening.

diary dates, listings and ideas to make your Canary Wharf sweeter..

hot list

rumours tips and rankings

NEW STUFF

Just as we said it would be, Mandala Lab has opened its gates to enlightenment at Union Square (at the end of Water Street past Dishoom). Pop over to experience a little Buddhist philosophy and some calm thoughts...

OUR PICKS

If you do nothing else on the Wharf this fortnight, try these

1. The time could well be right to get into padel tennis, with Padium opening its doors. Check it out – padium.com

2. Don’t let the sun go down too fast, make the most of the dwindling summer on Oysteria’s terrace – oysteria.co.uk

3. Try a Barry’s workout for £9 at the Canary Wharf branch in Crossrail Place with its newbie o er – barrys.com

game review

Everybody’s Golf, Playstation – at Platform, Crossrail Place

>> I tap the button. The perfect amount of power. Then again to zero-in on the perfect amount of accuracy.

I’ve lined up my shot. And there she blows – my driver swings high above my head, then down in a pleasing arc, launching my ball on a majestic trajectory, straight into a lake. Should have checked the wind...

It turns out that, despite the cartoon graphics of Everybody’s Golf on the Playstation, that it’s at least as exacting an approximation of the game as any other console simulator.

Balance the variables of clubs, wind, playing surface and terrain correctly and you’ll be rewarded with birdies and eagles. Fail to do so and

you’ll sink into shot after shot of failed misery. Still, drive successfully and your cheery avatar will punch the air with glee, so play isn’t without its rewards.

I recently read that golf is a metaphor for life on a poster in a pub toilet. Some days the ball will trickle delightfully into the hole, others it will veer o inexplicably. Toil improves things, but a lot of it is luck. Maybe that’s subliminally what the game’s title is telling us. Is it golf for everybody, or an assertion that we are all, on some level, golf?

Jon Massey

>> For bookings or more information about Platform in Crossrail Place, go to experienceplatform.co.uk

food review

Uji Matcha Soft Serve + Oreo, YumTea, Canada Place, £5.25

by Mary Tadpole

What’s more rejuvenating than a Yoga session followed by a nice green tea? Nothing. Exactly. But this happens to be a Sunday, the creamiest day of the week – scones, crumble Baileys’...? – so surely it’s acceptable to have an ice cream. A sundae, if you will.

Fortunately, YumTea in Canada Place has got my back with its Uji Matcha Soft Serve. For those not in the know, this is like a Mr Whippy, only matcha avoured – served in a little cup with a wooden spoon (top sustainability marks – important when seeking tranquillity).

This is o ered on its own or with a choice of three toppings – Oreo, Lotus Bisco or azuki (red bean). Obviously, I choose the Oreo – which comes as a generous sprinkling on top of this delightfully green dessert. You can feel smug as the smuggest yogi while eating the thick ice cream because

The pale green treat can be topped with shards of Oreo, Lotus Bisco or red bean – the latter for greater authenticity

the internet says matcha contains more antioxidants than are typically present in green tea. Apparently, the benets of matcha include protecting the liver, increasing heart health and may even help with weight loss. For anyone arguing this might not, exactly, apply to the matcha ice cream – you have your beliefs and I’ll have mine.

YumTea is especially good for Sundays because it is one of the few places with the cute little seats actually in the malls, where you can step away from the hustle of the Wharf and watch the world go by.

It’s perfect for people watching and, of course, being seen –right just beside the main entrance to Waitrose and near the lifts up to Third Space. Rejuvenation complete, I go o to continue my day. Does anybody know a bar that does matcha Martinis? I’m on a health kick, you see. Go to yumtea.co.uk

CLASSIC MOVIE

Throwback: The Matrix Everyman Cinema, Crossrail Place Oct 8, 8.30pm, £16.50 everymancinema.com

Will you take the red pill or the blue pill? Join Keanu, 24 years on from the release of this philosophical sci- epic and experience the Wachowskis’ nest cinematic o ering in the way it was intended. Or spend the whole time wondering whether the soft, supple sofas of Everyman’s Canary Wharf branch are all an illusion designed to imprison our minds so machines can harvest our life force. We o er only the truth.

popping up

1990 Candles, Waitrose, Canada Square

>> Walk into Waitrose Food And Home in Canary Wharf between September 25 and October 1 and you’ll nd a pop-up store by 1990 Candles.

The brand sells candles hand made in France with soy wax in pots and vases, which can be recycled after use. Scents include the likes of co ee and vanilla, oud, vanilla and patchouli as well as monoi, coconut and vanilla.

Founder Katia Bumba said “We are known for our exquisite handmade candles and dedication to creating enchanting ambiances. Our pop-up store will captivate visitors with an array of artisanal candles and decorative pieces, meticulously crafted to elevate spaces and inspire moments of tranquillity.”

Go to en.1990candles.com for more information or to order online

1990 Candles Intense, £25

by Jon Massey

What if I told you I could take £400 and instantly give you an extra £100 to spend at a specific venue in Canary Wharf? Well, I can’t, but WyzePay can. The startup, now based at tech community Level39 in One Canada Square, relies on the premise that businesses will be prepared to offer better prices to customers who pre-pay for their services.

Suppose, for example, I get a coffee from the same place every day on my way into the office (yes, I’m not hybrid working on Fridays or anything like that). It’s habit – a ritual that I enjoy – and it costs me £3.20 per day. For the sake of argument, let’s say I work 47 full weeks each year, so the bill would be £752.

Provided I’m happy to use WyzePay – and cough up the cash up front in chunks of £400 – that cost will only be £601.60. I wonder what I’ll buy with the £150.40 that I’ll save?

“The current way of paying for things – credit and debit cards –has been around since the middle of last century,” said Ian Rae, CEO at WyzePay. “From a consumer perspective, we thought there could be a better way of doing things.”

Born in Mile End, the grandson of a docker, things have somewhat come full circle for Ian. During an extensive career in technology for financial services firms, he’d moved steadily eastwards ending up in Hainault before heading back in, to Wapping High Street.

Ironically, his aunt told him that his grandad hated the building he wound up moving into as it was formerly a sugar warehouse and the commodity was too heavy to nick.

In a sense – albeit completely legal – WyzePay is also about getting something for nothing. Ian and co-founder Joe Channer decided to relocate the firm to the heart of Docklands, following a spell proving the concept in Queen’s Park. They are now engaged on applying its offering across the Canary Wharf estate to continued on Page 8

Maximum discount o ered by retailers such as Boisdale Of Canary Wharf, 640East, The Grandstand Bar and Brick Lane Bagel through WyzePay

becoming a

how WyzePay wants to become the natural way to purchase goods and services on the Wharf

WyzePay o ers users the ability to buy credit in the form of coins dedicated to a speci c retailer. These are then held in a digital wallet and can be spent with the venue via the app. This example shows the di erence in savings by pre-paying for £30 and £500 at Boisdale Of Canary Wharf in Cabot Square

by Chris Ezekiel

from Page 6

demonstrate its benefits both to consumers and businesses.

“When developing the idea, we looked at Starbucks, which in 2018 put its loyalty scheme on an app and raised about $1.5bn in a matter of months,” said Ian. “There was obviously something in the idea that people would be willing to prepay for things they were going to do anyway and that would benefit the retailer.”

For the consumer, the attraction is simple. Pay up front and get a discount on what you’re buying.

It’s the year 2077. AI and robotics have replaced most human jobs, including music and art. Three mega-AI-companies control the world. Two are based in the US and one in China. Governments are subservient to these three organisations. Globalisation has diluted cultural di erences. Wars come and go, played out by AI-controlled robots. For the last decade humans have enjoyed the freedom for leisure and travel.

However, the AI tax – imposed on these three companies that funded the wellbeing of everyone on the planet – is coming to an end. People are realising that unlimited leisure time isn’t such a good thing, especially with no income.

A group of physicists continued their work. They recently discovered a wormhole (a tunnel in space-time) in our own solar system, which leads to the discovery of an earth-like planet in a galaxy far, far away.

The new planet is about twice the size of Earth and doesn’t currently show signs of life. Due to the proximity of the wormhole, it will be possible to transport everyone to the new planet.

However, people face a dilemma. The wormhole only works one way. It only supports the transfer of organic matter and, being a transient wormhole, will disappear in a few months. No computers, mobile phones or even blueprints for building such devices can be transferred.

All the knowledge will have to be in the minds of the travellers. A frenzied debate ensues about which animals and plants should be transported and would they try to build the same technology.

There’s an overwhelming sense of excitement and new hope. Within days, over 70% of the world’s population has signed up to become the rst inter-galactic travellers.

People are excited about the prospect of working again. AI hasn’t destroyed humanity, like many doomsayers of the early 21st century predicted, but the companies that control the AI models – together with ine ective governments – have made it increasingly undesirable to co-exist.

Democratic AI becomes the rst constitutional document for the new planet. Earth is facing a future alone with AI. If this came to pass, what would have been the point?

£500

Scan this code for more information about Creative Virtual or follow @creativevirtual and @chrisezekiel on Twitter

“You’re going to get a better return than from that money just sitting in a current account, so it’s a no-brainer,” said Ian. “The merchant gets the cash up front – which is extremely valuable for a business – and the discount rewards the customer who keeps coming and loves the service.

“It’s buy now, take more later – a bit more responsible than take now and pay later.”

WyzePay is currently undergoing a growth spurt.

Ian and the team are in the process of striking deals with various restaurants, bars and businesses in Canary Wharf, with some already live and available to use. At present, coins can be purchased for The Grandstand Bar, Boisdale Of Canary Wharf, 640East and Brick Lane Bagel with each offering up to 20% – meaning an outlay of £400 gets you £500 of credit at the venue.

Seoul Bird and Obica have also signed up, offering maximum discounts of 11% and 15% respectively. The minimum discount for all venues is 10%.

WyzePay’s tech is blockchain based, allowing it flexibility of form in the future although, at present, credit bought for one business can only be used at that venue.

“We’re in active discussion with several other businesses – it’s important to get the right fit,” said Ian. “In this phase we’re aiming for 10-20 retailers by the end of October with about 1,000-2,000 consumers using the platform.

“That allows us to unlock some more funding and then to push on with the project. Canary Wharf is a great place to do this because it’s that community approach which fits with what we want to do further down the line.

“We have an idea to explore a community coin, where instead of spending the credit with a specific retailer, it would be possible to use it with any of the retailers that are signed up.

“We’d also like to set up an

640East is o ering up to 20% o through WyzePay

Boisdale Of Canary Wharf has signed up to the platform, ideal for music lovers and cigar a cionados

Fans of Seoul Bird in Jubilee Place can get up to 11% o with WyzePay

virtual viewpoint

What if life becomes so undesirable with AI that we choose to abandon Earth via a wormhole?

Chris Ezekiel is founder and CEO of customer engagement solutions specialist Creative Virtual based in Canary Wharf

exchange where credit could be moved from one business to another. Then it becomes an alternative way of paying for things and a way to disrupt some of the lazier players in the market.

“If you look at gift cards, for example, you have an industry that’s really quite inefficient. It’s well known that even though it’s digital, a percentage of the money that’s been paid just sits there and isn’t spent. That’s no good if I’m the giver or the person receiving the gift – we think there is a better way of doing things.

“As a business, our revenue comes from a percentage on the purchase of coins through WyzePay, which is charged to the merchant. However, every time you use a credit card there are charges they are paying and we cost less than that.”

Right now, WyzePay is all about awareness – signing up businesses for its platform and attracting users to give it a go. That includes the likes of sponsoring the Action For Kids Beach Volleyball in Canada Square Park, which runs until September 28 and reaching out to companies on the estate to explain the offer.

“We’re focused on hospitality because it’s easy for people to get their heads around,” said Ian. “But really WyzePay can be applied wherever there’s a supply chain. The options are endless –but it’s better to start somewhere to demonstrate what it does.

“We’re also very clear that we won’t be for everyone – the lazy, rich and indolent, for example. It’s for people who want to get a good deal. Our dream is that WyzePay will one day be used as a verb.

Imagine you’re in a restaurant and someone says: ‘I’ll WyzePay that’.”

That, of course, would put it in the big leagues alongside hoover, google and, increasingly, Uber (which hasn’t quite dropped the capital letter yet). Just remember, it got big on the Wharf first. Go to wyzepay.com

Scan this code to find out more about WyzePay or to download

Out dream is that WyzePay will one day be used as a verb. Imagine you’re in a restaurant and someone says: ‘I’ll WyzePay that’

Ian Rae, WyzePay

WyzePay CEO Ian Rae is working to raise awareness of the platform to attract more consumers and local businesses

Image by Jon Massey

4 find an offer

Days that Wharf Wellness activities and discounts will take over the Canary Wharf estate from Sept 27-30

Wharf Wellness, Sept 27-30

While many classes for Wharf Wellness are now booked up, the festival is also a celebration of stores and retailers on the Canary Wharf estate with the a number of businesses running offers across the fourday event. Here’s our pick...

>> Randox Health

Get 15% off all health checks at the Cabot Place clinic booked during the duration of the festival with code WHARFWELLNESS

>> Stretch Inc

Enjoy 20% off any assisted stretch at the Canada Place facility over the four days. Just mention WHARFWELLNESS when making an appointment.

>> Pure

Recently reopened at Cabot Place, the restaurant will be offering 50% off its new Nourish Bowl range. Those with a reusable cup can also get £1 off barista-made drinks.

>> Kiehl’s

The Jubilee Place store will be offering 20% off all products as well as 25% off a £100+ spend. Offer runs Sept 22-Oct 1.

>> Farmer J

The lunchtime favourite will be offering 20% off click and collect orders on the Wharf with code FJAUTUMN20

>> Urban Greens

Have promo code WW20 ready at the till when you visit the Bank Street store and you’ll get 20% off salads.

>> Le Chalet Cryo

The Canada Place facility will be offering more than 40% off its Cryo and Hyperbaric Therapy starter packs with code WHARFWELLNESS

>> Atis

Challenging even the might of Farmer J as the Wharf’s most popular lunch, this saladfocused mini-chain is offering a fifth off bowls with code WHARFWELLNESS

>> Weather And Palette

Head over to the Jubilee Place store for 10% off all skincare products and treatments for the duration of Wharf Wellness.

>> Malmin Dental

The private clinic on South Colonnade will be offering 10% off Invisalign treatments purchased during the festival.

>> Rituals

The Jubilee Place store has 25% off selected products for Wharf Wellness. The offer is valid on a maximum of three items.

>> Get A Drip

Last but not least, the Cabot Place clinic is offering free Vitamin D testing to visitors.

Terms and conditions apply to all offers listed. Find full details on the Canary Wharf app. Download for Apple or Android at canarywharf.com

by Jon Massey

The free Sweat By BXR session – set to take place at Crossrail Place Roof Garden as part of Wharf Wellness – is now full. But don’t let that put you off investigating what the brand has to offer.

The pay-as-you-train studio, located in Crossrail Place itself, is currently offering free sessions

to those new to its offering – so anyone who wants to can try one out. Sweat is a sister business to BXR – a boxing focused gym that takes fighter training as its jumping off point for fitness.

The Canary Wharf facility offers cardio workouts in its VersaClimber studio, strength and conditioning sessions and boxing-inspired exercise as well as Pilates-based classes.

“It’s one of the world’s first elite boxing concept gyms,”

experiencing a

said Gareth Thoo, a trainer at both BXR and Sweat By BXR, who regularly runs sessions at the Canary Wharf facility and is set to take charge of the Wharf Wellness workout.

“The great thing about Sweat By BXR is you have three things to really focus on – cardiovascular exercise, skills-based boxing training and strength and conditioning.

“While most of our clients are continued on Page 12

how Wharfers can try a class at Sweat By BXR for free, even if the Wharf Wellness class is already fully booked

Sweat By BXR trainer Gareth Thoo

Image by Jon Massey

not looking to become professional fighters, they are being coached by people who have fought in the ring and know what it takes to get there.

“The training techniques are very practical but they’re also accessible to everyone. The classes are open to all levels and people with lots of experience, or none, will get something from them.”

Originally from Australia, Gareth knows his stuff. Having trained in mixed martial arts as a youngster, a passion for boxing saw him compete as an amateur and a pro for six years.

But, following a number of injuries, he decided to use the knowledge he’d already gained to become a personal trainer and combines that with working for BXR and Sweat.

After four years working in the fitness industry in Manchester, he’s now brought his skills and expertise to London.

“There are many benefits to the training on offer here – building strength and making changes to your body composition, for example. Then there’s cardiovascular and the boost to your mental health too.

“For people who have desk jobs and spend a lot of time sitting down, the workouts can help counteract the effects of a long day in the office.

“Then with the skills sessions, it’s also nice to be learning something while you’re training.

“These will always start with basic footwork – how to stand and how to move around, which are such important parts of boxing.

“Then they cover techniques like basic punches – straight punches, hooks and how to implement those in combinations, while working the bag effectively, as a boxer would strike it, hard, fast and very precise.

“People might feel, especially if it’s their first time boxing, that a boxing gym could be an intimidating environment.

“But it’s our job as coaches to make sure everyone feels really welcome. Clients might not know initially what their goals are so we structure the classes in a way where we teach the basics very often as everyone needs to know them. Whether you’ve been coming for two months or two years, we’ll be drilling those in, but there will also always be new things to learn.”

In addition to boxing skills, Sweat is known for its VersaClimber sessions – a machine that mimics the motion of rock climbing and can be used in time to music.

“Those are tough classes,” said Gareth. “Two minutes into my first one and my legs were burning, but it’s a really great session, a trademark. Climb To The Beat is fantastic.”

Music is something Gareth also relishes bringing into his sessions, putting together bespoke playlists for his workouts.

“It’s about creating a high-energy vibe when I’m picking the tracks,” he said. “Music is such a massive part of my classes.

“For me there will always be a bit of hip-hop and some bassy house. In any of my classes, you can pretty much guarantee there will be something from the Notorious BIG and Kendrick Lamar.

“Another favourite is an Australian DJ and music producer called Fisher, who people may have heard of.”

In addition to the obvious attraction of the soundtrack, Gareth said the key reason to train at Sweat was the breadth of the offering.

“This isn’t just running on a treadmill and punching a bag –there are so many class concepts and you can do something different every day of the week,” he said. “There’s a real option to mix it up, with a cardiovascular workout one day, a boxing session the next and then maybe a strength class.

“Then, on top of that, you can incorporate sessions where you learn some serious skills and that’s really what makes it a great place to train.”

Wharfers interested in having a go can download the BXR app and book a free class using the discount code CLASSONUS –terms and conditions apply.

Introductory VersaClimber classes and SweatBox sessions cost £30 for three and £40 for four respectively. Sweat is located on Level -2 at Crossrail Place in Canary Wharf.

Go to sweatbybxr.com for more information

By BXR

Cost of an intro pack of four SweatBox classes at Sweat By BXR in Canary Wharf – available to new clients

There’s a real option to mix it up, with a cardiovascular workout one day, a boxing session the next and then a strength class

Gareth Thoo, Sweat By BXR

Sweat By BXR has studios that are fully equipped for boxing-inspired and VersaClimber workouts

how Enter Gallery aims to make art accessible and affordable for its customers

by Jon Massey

There’s a blunt clue in the name to the right way of approaching Canary Wharf’s latest pop-up. Brighton-based art dealer Enter Gallery will be in Jubilee Place until October 8, having coated the walls of a vacant unit with all manner of original works and prints to buy.

As its branding suggests, it’s a place that’s all about welcoming people in and allowing them to get up close to the pieces. Works are hung to cover the available space rather than reverentially displayed in acres of white space.

Nevertheless, the gallery has some big names on its list, dealing in the likes of Peter Blake, Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst, Lucy Sparrow, Patricia Caulfield and Gilbert And George.

“We mainly specialise in signed, limited edition prints from established and emerging artists – although we do have originals too,” said Helen Hiett, buying director at Enter Gallery.

“You can find art that’s anywhere from £50 to £50,000 in our Brighton gallery. Art is for everyone and is meant to be accessible.

“When people come in, one of us will usually come and chat to them and tell them a little bit about what’s on display – we try to demystify art. We help to guide them to pieces. We have about 400 pieces on the wall there, all mixed together – emerging artists mixed in with more collectable names, so that people are drawn to something they love.

“We also have a lot of unframed prints in the drawers, so we can get those out and show people. The main thing that hits you when you enter is a lot colour – different types of pieces and a whole range of different artists – more than 100 in total.”

Helen’s current role is, in some ways testament to Enter’s ethos. She was passing by the Brighton gallery and spotted a piece by Dan Hillier, an artist whose work she’d loved while studying illustration at university.

She walked in and handed over a paper CV to a man who turned

out to be owner Lawrence Alkin. An interview followed and, after nine years, she’s never looked back.

“It was fun and it was a very strange way of ending up in a gallery,” she said. “I’d run pop-up galleries and immersive events in London and Brighton, so I knew I wanted to work in the art world.

“But the places I had lived in before hadn’t had the sort of artists that appealed to me – there were a lot of landscapes and more classical pieces.

“I really liked Enter Gallery because it has art for everyone – street art, fine art, illustration and it had people who used to work in fashion but moved into printmaking, so it’s really varied, and you can see that on the walls – that’s what really appealed.

“The art is quite humorous, with quite a lot of colour, a lot of happiness in many of the pieces, with nods to the history of music and pop culture – there’s a bit of everything.”

The Canary Wharf pop-up, which can be found on the main mall level beside Starbucks, is continued on Page 23

Buying director at Enter Gallery Helen Hiett

from Page 14

very much arranged in keeping with the original gallery’s aesthetic. Brightly-coloured prints line the walls, guarded by Buddha Smalls, a statue of the Notorious BIG masquerading as a curvaceous figure of enlightenment. Squatting a metre-high, the piece is cast in resin to resemble ivory and carries a price tag of £10,000 –mo money, mo sculpture.

“He’s by a really funny artist we work with called Ryca, aka Ryan Callanan,” said Helen. “We’ve worked with him for more than 10 years and he makes pop art often to do with music – rap and hip-hop – he’s brilliant.

“We’ve always loved doing pop-ups in London and we thought Canary Wharf would be an exciting place to try.

“We thought it would be a great way to let people see how we can bring a little bit of Brighton to the area, but also all the artists who work for us, so that they can be exposed to a different audience.

“We’ve tried to echo the original Enter Gallery and, while we were setting up, we had someone come in and tell us it really reminded him of somewhere in Brighton –we had to tell him it was us.

“We’ve had a really warm response so far, and we’re really encouraged by that. Even when setting up we have lots of people popping their heads in and asking what is happening and whether they can come and see, which of course they can.

“Our dream with this would be to make a lot of new connections, to collaborate on new projects and then introduce the artists and the art to new clients and groups of people.”

As buying director, Helen’s remit is to fill the walls of Enter Gallery with the right kind of stuff – working with artists to source pieces she thinks will do well.

“My role is a bit of a mixture, really,” she said. “We have artists that come in who we meet, or it might be through other people who visit and recommend something they love.

“It can be through Instagram, and we also have a submissions process on the website. Then we also go to a lot of art fairs like Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair and we go scavenging in Miami every year, because they have a load of emerging artists, and from all over the world.

“Personally, I’m quite fickle when it comes to art – if it’s just come out, I’ll be really interested.

“I like any art that has a story behind it, something to look at that you can really think about or just if it’s funny.

“One of the pieces I like is a really cool new map by Justine

Smith of the Thames. Her work is really hard to appreciate online because it’s really detailed.

“She often uses pieces of different types of banknote and makes a collage of them – there are so many layers of meaning in her work. From far away the pieces just look like an image until you get up close and realise there’s a lot going on.”

Crucial to Enter Gallery is the idea that art need not be expensive or financially cumbersome to acquire.

“We participate in a really good scheme called Own Art, which is backed by Arts Council England – people can buy art and then pay for it over 10 or 20 months interest free,” said Helen.

“It was designed to support artists and the people purchasing, so the artists can make money from their work and it doesn’t break the bank for purchasers.”

Failing that, Wharfers can just pop down and drink in the creativity all over the walls. Go to entergallery.com for more information

Buddha Smalls by Ryca at Enter Gallery

Inhabitants by Justine Smith

Price for Ryca’s statue of the Notorious BIG, Buddha Smalls, on show at Jubilee Place

by Jon Massey

This is the day to talk about what is happening – not letting the pursuit of perfection get in the way of achieving good,” said Brenda Landers, headteacher at Swanlea School in Whitechapel.

Her lunch hall recently provided the backdrop for the launch of Tower Hamlets Council’s extension to its free school meals policy. This sees all secondary school pupils living in the borough and going to statefunded schools within its borders, fed lunch at no cost to them or their parents.

The borough has funded meals for primary school pupils since 2014 on a similar basis – something the Mayor Of London has decided to do city-wide for this academic year. This, however has been billed as an emergency measure to help with the cost of living and it’s unclear how long it will endure.

In any case, Tower Hamlets had already been planning and budgeting for the extension to cover secondary pupils before City Hall’s move was announced. he r orough i g to fund meals at secondary schools, a scheme worth about £550 per child, per year.

Billed as universal, the policy applies to all such families, irrespective of income – meaning ho e ho or o o e e . u h o i ie i e the Winter Fuel Allowance, for example – often come under re or u eri g u e resources on those who don’t really need the support. But means testing is not without its own issues – where do you place the threshold? Who is excluded?

We don’t generally apply such ideas to educational settings themselves. There’s an obvious absurdity to expecting students in a single class to attempt the e e o i h ig i imbalance in resources.

Imagine a cookery session where a third of students had bought the ingredients for a recipe, a third had them provided for free and a third turned up with some, but not all, because they ou or he ho e i . would be impossible for everyone to complete the dish. So why is u h i ere

For

Lutfur Rahman,

Mayor Of

Tower Hamlets, the approach is about trying to ensure children don’t fall through the gaps.

“As a youngster, you need a decent hot meal,” he said. “This is about caring for the people who need support, so we want nothing to come in the way of their attainment and life chances.

“I remember when I was young, I used to line up for school meals and there were times when my father was out of work and I had free school meals or when he was in work and we had to pay.

“Sometimes if we didn’t have the money, I had bread, butter and jam and I didn’t always like it. Variety is important. Hot food is important. Having such a meal every day helps children function, behave better and achieve more.

“This is a poverty-stricken borough, with one of the highest rates of child poverty in the country. For me, education is an important method to escape from poverty. It’s so important to me – it gave me a life chance – so we should do whatever we can do to remove the hurdles to good attainment. It’s my passion and my belief that education should e u i er o er , h e er we can do to assist this, should also be universal. I don’t know what’s happening in individual families, but I don’t want any children to be at risk – to come to school wondering if they will be given the money for tomorrow or a good packed lunch.

“Now every child can line up or he e oo he e o er. It feels good, it feels exciting and I think the take-up over time will be greater than it is currently.

“When the children see they can have a meal – perhaps be with their friends, save some money – I hi he e u h o er.

While hot meals – even free ones – may not compete with the lure of the playground and friends in good weather, Swanlea School is predicting a rise in pupils eating the food cooked by its in-house catering team.

“I don’t expect to see the number shoot up massively right now, but I do expect to see it increase over time,” said Brenda, who joined the school in 2005 as deputy head before taking charge in 2011.

“Coming to school is a habit, eating lunch is a habit, so we will see an increase in youngsters doing that, but I expect it to be steady as our pupils get used to doing it. Some will prefer a

£550

Expected saving per child that households of secondary school pupils can expect following the extension of the borough’s free meals scheme this September

how Tower Hamlets Council has extended free lunches to all state secondary schools in the borough

Secondary schools in Tower Hamlets now o er free meals to all pupils living in the borough

making the free a reality in schools

packed lunch – these are teenagers and they will make decisions about those things.

he e u io e e i really a point for discussion for e i u goo i i e or children to eat. They can have a goo e h e ough. o, i h u i er i , here o ure u r ro he hoo oi o ie h u e igh u . e ier or he school to manage and parents are pleased – especially those who would be considered the working poor. About 50% of our youngsters would be getting free school meals anyway, which is a very high percentage – but the next couple of layers up are still poor, u o oor e ough o u i . he re he o e h get hit whenever you have a e e e e e here i u o oi .

“Having a meal allows pupils to focus, to concentrate and it says that we care about them. It gives them time to sit down with their friends, have a nice chat and a nice time.

“Today, lunch was roast potatoes, gravy, vegetables and a hi e u r er, i h ege ri option of lasagne. If we wanted to e o u r, e gi e he e, ri hi u o e o . here re er ri guidelines on nutrition. eri g ree e i u a good thing to do and also the right thing. In a country as wealthy as this, no child should go o e hu gr . he e e got good mums and dads doing everything that we say they should and they still struggle to ee heir hi re , h u o righ i e ur Bri i . h ee , ee o e i e this is part of the solution.”

The situation for children living in the borough and going to school elsewhere or vice versa is less clear, with the council asking parents to contact it or other u hori ie or e i i e. Nevertheless the move begs the ue io h , i o er e can do this and the Mayor Of London can go city-wide for ri r u i , h o her boroughs in the capital – or the whole country – do the same? Go to towerhamlets.gov.uk

Wapping - Limehouse - Shadwell - Whitechapel

what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see

Where?

Half Moon Theatre Limehouse

KIDS | One Click Away

This immersive dance show for ages 3-11 promises a half hour of parcels and packaging materials as four performers build landscapes out of cardboard. Oct 21, 11am, 1pm, 3pm, £7, halfmoon.org.uk

Where?

Troxy Limehouse

EVENT | Entropy

Infected Mushroom, Vegas, No Comment, Kristian and Melodic Noise all join the line-up as the Illuminaughty put on a mammoth ve-hour show. Oct 7, 10pm-5am, £48.80, troxy.co.uk

Where? Wilton’s Music Hall Wapping

STAGE | What It Means

Richard Cant stars as Merle Miller, former editor of Harper’s in a play that focuses on the magazine’s coverage of the Stonewall Riots. Oct 4-28, times vary, from £15.50, wiltons.org.uk

catch this

Canadian indie powerhouse (known for playing tracks together on a single guitar) Walk O The Earth are set to play Troxy in Limehouse on October 17. Tickets for the gig, which is likely to be popular, start at £40 troxy.co.uk

Scan this code to nd out more about Walk O The Earth’s show at Troxy or to book tickets

want more? @wharfwhispers

O ering free meals is just a good thing to do and the right thing. In a country as wealthy as this, no child should go to bed hungry

Brenda Landers, Swanlea School

Tower Hamlets Mayor Lutfur Rahman, right, eats lunch with sta and pupils at Swanlea School to mark the extension of the scheme

Pupils celebrate the launch Swanlea School headteacher Brenda Landers

Clockwise from top left, borlotti beans, cod cheek, clear raviolo, duck breast, scallop, Bokan vacherin, short rib and amuse bouche were served up to this sublime view

the highest

how Bokan delivers some of the

useful stu need to know

There are two reasons to go to Bokan – the bar and restaurant complex that occupies the top three oors of the Isle Of Dogs’ Novotel on Marsh Wall. Spoiler, they’re both zingers. The rst is a matter of physics and geography.

Ironically, for an area with more tall buildings than any other in London, there are almost no publicly available opportunities to get up high in Canary Wharf or east London for that matter.

With the Sky Bar at Capeesh now closed, the options for serious elevation are either the Acelor Mittal Orbit in Stratford or the 37th, 38th and 39th oors that Bokan is spread over.

Frankly, it’s no contest. The steely sculpture has nothing on the comfortable woods and leathers of the E14 venue, which enjoys views over Canary Wharf, the Isle Of Dogs and – most impressively – the central London skyline, complete with a curving ribbon of river.

It’s spectacular. Well worth catching a sunset in – even if you’re just popping up for a drink at either its main bar or open air terrace at the very top of the tower. The venue’s website lists the daily sundown time for a reason.

There’s a decent cocktail list on o er, with core drinks priced at £14. I choose Chaos On The River to kick the evening o and its blend of Campari, Orgeat and Lemon turns out to be anything but a swirling barrage of silty ingredients. Instead it’s a well-balanced, scalpel sharp marriage of the sweet almond and rose water syrup with the bitterness and acid of the alcohol and citrus.

But to visit Bokan and just go

● Bokan’s bar is open Mon-Weds 4pm-11pm Thurs 4pm-midnight Fri 1pm-1am Sat noon-1am Sun noon-11pm

● The restaurant is open Tues-Sat 6pm-11pm and for brunch sittings on Sat 12.30pm-4.30pm

● Bookings for more than eight should be made via events@bokanlondon.co.uk

● De nitely try and catch a sunset at Bokan, if you can manage it

for a drink would be a shame.

Then you’d be missing out on the second reason for visiting – the cooking of executive chef Robert Manea. Having migrated from L’Atelier De Joel Robouchon alongside original top cook Aurelie Altemaire, the Romanian clearly deserves his rise.

The venue o ers a seven-course tasting menu for £99 to show o the talent in its kitchen, a price that turns out to be very good value indeed.

There’s skill, wit and re nement here. Bluntly written (none of the dishes boast more than three ingredients on the page), it’s clear as soon as the bonus amuse bouche arrives that Robert prefers to talk with his cooking rather than waste diners’ time with orid descriptions.

So let me help him out. The rst taste is a little orb of cream crowned with what seems to be a tomato gel plus an expertly placed leaf to o set the quivering sphere. Gone in a ash, but what a burst of avour, the potent fruit smoothed o by the cream.

Then it’s on to the menu proper. Borlotti beans come with twisted noodles of con t leek that taste fresh and bold. Deep-fried and rich cod cheeks are spruced up with ras el hanout and “lemon condiment” an almost o ensively bland term for such an exacting polish of avour delivered by its nely placed blobs.

Then there’s the scallops. Presented on a Yin-Yang disc of sauces, these are the star of the night for me – unapologetically meaty and served with clams in a bath of unctuous, salty liquor.

Sure, the Merri eld duck breast is a deep red with aromatic red cabbage kimchi and the short ribs glisten pink and tender amid parsnip and shiitake mushroom. But its the shell sh that win the day – especially alongside a glass of La Loupe 2022, a forgiving, versatile Grenache Blanc selected by the sommelier.

Beauty is key too, with the nal courses featuring a transparent raviolo and a sweet and fruity sculpture of meringue topped o with a beautiful honeycomb decoration.

In short, it’s a sedate blizzard of ingredients, designs and charm that add up to a remarkable, balanced and intriguing meal. The service is understated and friendly throughout – a welcoming backdrop to the main attractions of view and food. Combined, they make for one of the most compelling o erings in east London

Bokan is also now taking bookings for festive parties, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve. Go to bokanlondon.co.uk for more information

Scan this code to nd out more about Bokan

what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see

Where? The Space Isle Of Dogs

STAGE | Adrift

This new, one act play follows a man struggling to cling on to life and an AI that’s desperate to nd out what it means to live. Dark, with themes of isolation. Oct 4-7, 7.30pm, pay-what-you-choose, space.org.uk

Where? Poplar Union Isle Of Dogs

GIG | Jay Johnson Live

The musician is set to perform a selection of his works from the last decade, followed by an optional song writing workshop after this east London gig. Oct 7, 7pm, free, poplarunion.com

Where? The Space Isle Of Dogs

STAGE

This new opera follows the life of this monarch – a nurse in the First World War, a diplomat at Versailles and a promoter of peace between nations. Oct 12-14, 8pm, £18, space.org.uk

ash back

Lanterns Studio Theatre on the Isle Of Dogs is set to host three programmes of Ballet Nights performances over six evenings featuring top dancers from the likes of The Royal Ballet and English National Ballet balletnights.com

Scan this code to nd out more about Ballet Nights or for September, October and November listings

want more? @wharfwhispers

| Queen Marie Of Romania

best food in east London with unquestionably the most beautiful skyline views

by Jon Massey

● The Dockland Settlements aims to provide support to local communities who live close to our centres in Newham, Southwark and Tower Hamlets.

● As a charity we provide sporting, social, recreational and educational activities as well as low cost playcare to help parents go back to work or remain in work.

● The Calder’s Wharf centre opened its doors on the Isle of Dogs in January 2020. It hosts playcare services and its halls are home to a variety of activities for the community including sporting, social, recreational and educational activities. The centre also has a spa room which is used for massages and beauty related activities. Its halls are also available for hire.

Rotherhithe - Deptford - Bermondsey

£10.95

Price of Sheldon K Goodman’s An Opinionated Guide To Historic London, published by Hoxton Mini Press

opining on the

what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see

Where? The Albany Deptford

how historian and tour guide Sheldon K Goodman is set to celebrate the launch of new book Historic London

by Jon Massey

Sheldon K Goodman is all set to give a talk. The historian and tour guide – known for his passionate love of cemeteries and the stories they hold – has written a book and is gearing up to promote it via an evening at the Brunel Museum in Rotherhithe.

An Opinionated Guide To Historic London was published by Hoxton Mini Press in August and features pieces on some 55 places to visit in the capital.

These include the likes of Hampton Court Palace, the

Museum Of London Docklands, James Smith & Sons on New Oxford Street and Leighton House.

Also within are St Bartholomew’s Hospital Museum, The Black Friar Pub and Shad Thames.

Sheldon writes: “History is boring. No, history is alive. And this is your opinionated guide to London’s very present past.

“Whether you want to walk the hidden corridors above St Paul’s, shop in London’s oldest cigar store, ride the Mail Rail or e o r i o ee i or e Victorian lavatory, it’s time for a new look at the old.”

The carbon neutral tome also includes three walks and a map

to help readers get about on their adventures. His talk in the Brunel Museum’s Thames Tunnel shaft is set to take place on October 19 from 6.30pm and will feature a representative from the publisher and the author. ● Sheldon’s book is priced £10.95 and is available direct from Hoxton Mini Press. For more information about the talk, go to thebrunelmuseum.com

Scan this code to nd out more about the talk

TRY | How To Access Arts Council England Grants

Join relationship manager at ACE Jessica AntwiBoasiako for this workshop about upcoming changes to the application process. Oct 11, 9.30am-1pm, free, thealbany.org.uk

Where? London Metropolitan Archives Clerkenwell

SEE | Thames Tunnel Watercolours

Ok, this one’s not in Rotherhithe, but the Brunel Museum is o ering visitors a chance to see its collection of tunnelling images in central London. Oct 6, 10.30am-noon, £15, thebrunelmuseum.com

Where?

The Albany Deptford

DANCE | Groundation

Participate in this research and development programme building on 38 years of performance from Irie! Dance Theatre through new artists Oct 10, 2pm, 7.30pm, £15, thealbany.org.uk

ash back Photographer Jerome Favre has produced a book capturing Millwall Football Club supporters called No One Likes Us, the result of a ve-year project to record and reveal the true nature of the notorious team’s fans jeromefavrephotography.com

Scan this code to read Wharf Life’s interview with Jerome Favre about his latest book

want more? @wharfwhispers

Historian and tour guide Sheldon K Goodman is set to give a talk at the Brunel Museum

take a breath

by David Lefebvre Sell

see

The Great Supper by Sara Shakeel

While Design District as a whole is participating in the London Design Festival in September, our top pick to view is a glittering artwork that’s in place at Now Gallery on Greenwich Peninsula until October 15. The Great Supper was initially commissioned by the gallery in 2019 and returns for a second, limited run at the venue.

David says socially acceptable mischief is like a pressure valve for society - don’t have nightmares

As a Canadian living in London – for 20 years now – one of the few things I miss is Canadian Halloweens, especially after having kids. I just wish they could experience what it was like for me growing up.

Hordes of kids on every street, home-made Ghostbusters costumes (yes, I’m that old), and a pillow case full of candy. It was basically exactly like in Stranger Things

And don’t give me the “oh it’s just an American invention”. They didn’t invent it, they just rebranded it, like Santa Claus. When you’re older, it’s an excuse to have fancy dress parties, horror movie marathons and a nasty midweek hangover.

But what’s the point of something like Halloween? Socially acceptable mischief is like a pressure valve for society, and controlled fear and horror has the same e ect for the individual. In the words of Stephen King: “We make up horrors to help us cope with the real ones”. After the First World War, there was an explosion of interest in spiritualism and the occult in Britain.

Early in the Cold War the US went through an alien invasion horror boom. I’m not sure what the next great horror genre will be, but it will probably have something to do with rich people screwing everything up and then escaping to their tax havens. Growing up is scary, adulthood is also scary. So we send our kids out in the dark once a year to knock on strangers’ doors. It’s not every one’s idea of a good time, but there is a catharsis in going through some fear and coming out the other side.

That basic lesson – to lean into the fear, to be curious about it, possibly while stu ng your face with chocolate – is a very impor tant one. That’s especially true when you’re old enough to wish your biggest fear was a dark bedroom.

David Lefebvre Sell is a Greenwich-based psychotherapist and Yoga instructor who teaches at Third Space in Canary Wharf

Follow @davetheyogi on Twitter and Instagram and @DavidLefebvreSellYogaAndPsychotherapy on FB

Scan this code for information about David’s work as a transpersonal counsellor and psychotherapist

Sara Shakeel’s sculpture features a dining table, complete with chairs, food, cutlery and ornaments, encrusted with Swarovski crystals. Famed for her Instagram output, the Pakistani artist makes frequent use of crystals, re ection and refraction in her work.

“My creative style of mixing crystal patterns with ordinary objects stems from seeing my grandmother’s collection of jewellery and Swarovski crystals,” said Sara.

“I have always been fascinated by the re ection and refraction of light, so you can say this memory remained with me since I was a child and now continues to fuel my creative output.

“Seeing my artwork resonate with so many people around the world and it being showcased for the second time at Greenwich Peninsula as part London Design Festival, is wonderful and a great achievement.”

Go to nowgallery.co.uk for more information

That basic lesson – to lean into fear, possibly while stu ng your face with chocolate – is a very important one

David Lefebvre Sell

I have always been fascinated by the re ection and refraction of light, so you can say this memory remained with me since I was a child and now continues to fuel my creative output

Sara Shakeel, Artist

Greenwich - Peninsula - Woolwich

what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see

Where? The O2 Arena Peninsula

glitters all that

GIG | Blink-182

With only a handful of tickets left over the two dates, the American rockers are all set to bring the house down with hit tracks and some newer material. Oct 11-12, 6.30pm, from £99.85, theo2.co.uk

Where?

Visitors’ Book Cafe Woolwich Works

GIG | Lullaby With Manasamitra

Part of the Sounds Of Now series, this performance will feature traditional Indian lullabies from Supriya Nagarajan, Duncan Chapman and Lucy Nolan. Oct 5, 6.30pm, £15.50, woolwich.works

Where? Greenwich Theatre Greenwich

STAGE | We Are What We Overcome

Matt McGuinness brings his unwritten show of personal, di cult and eclectic stories to the stage interspersed with the odd original song. Oct 5-7, 7.30pm, £17.50, greenwichtheatre.org.uk

ash back

how Greenwich Co-operative Development Agency has launched a crowdfunding appeal to help it raise money to kit out a new community hub on the ground oor of London Square’s Royal Hill building gcda.coop

Scan this code to read our interview with GCDA director Claire Pritchard and nd out more about its plans

want more? @wharfwhispers

nd our advertisers’ messages here

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PUBLIC NOTICE

LONDON BOROUGH OF TOWER HAMLETS SPECIAL TREATMENT LICENCES

Notice is given that: Dominic Sauls.

Has applied to the London Borough Of Tower Hamlets for a special treatment licence for: Vitality Pool.

Licence for the premises: The Collective, 20 Crossharbour Plaza, London, E14 9YF

Anyone wishing to oppose the application must give notice in writing to David Tolley, Head of Environmental Health and Trading Standards, Environmental Health and Trading Standards, Place Directorate, 4th Floor Tower Hamlets Town Hall 160 Whitechapel Road, London, E1 1BJ WITHIN THREE WEEKS specifying the grounds of opposition. Persons objecting to the grant of a licence must be prepared to attend in person at a hearing before a Committee of the Council.

CLEANING

CARPET

Years is the length of the lease the Royal Docks Team is looking for a new operator to sign on the Thames Barrier Park property 6.5

giving operators a to open on the Thames

how a community asset is being brought back into use as Thames Barrier Park Cafe is set for rebirth

by Jon Massey

Thames Barrier Park is hardly the only green space in east London to have a currently defunct cafe. Island Gardens on the Isle Of Dogs, for example, has a structure that’s been long in the reopening.

Still, things are nally stirring over in E16. The Royal Docks Team is currently inviting expressions of interest from experienced operators to take on a 6.5-year lease to build a

business in the area’s largest park.

Located opposite the Thames Barrier (obviously), the once shabby premises have undergone a refurbishment and include a fully equipped kitchen, a pizza oven, new internal and external decking with additional seating and planting.

All facilities are fully accessible and include a changing area for babies and young children. With Royal Wharf (and its residents on the doorstep), the area has come a long way since the previous operation dwindled away.

Interested parties have

until October 27 to make themselves known to the Royal Docks Team. Priority will be given to those who can demonstrate a commitment to working with the local stakeholders. It is hoped that the facility will be able to reopen by Spring 2024. Go to royaldocks.london for more information or to express interest in the project

Scan this code for more about the opportunity

what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see

Where?

Husk Canning Town

VISIT | Husk

Check out Royal Docks craft brewery, Husk, as it settles into its new location. There’s even a comedy night on Sept 28, even funnier with a few beers. Open Weds-Sun, huskbrewing.com

Where?

Excel

Royal Victoria Dock

EVENT | New Scientist Live

The annual gathering of all people and ideas scienti c returns to Royal Docks with a packed schedule of exhibitors, talks and innovations. Oct 7-8, 10am-5pm, £43, live.newscientist.com

Where? Social Convention Canning Town

TRY | Act Up

Head to the venue for a weekly drama class run by Sadiyah and Tiarnan. Explore and express your creativity through games and improv challenges. Oct 4, 7pm, £5, socialconvention.org

still time

0º00 Navigation – an exhibition by artist Simon Faithful comprising two strands will be on show at Cody Dock in Canning Town until October 1, so be quick. Also spot his engraved paving stones along the Lea the-line.org

Scan this code to nd out more about 0º00 Navigation at Cody Dock and Simon’s work for The Line

want more? @wharfwhispers

Before and after: The Thames Barrier Cafe has gone through an extensive refurbishment

flavours balancing life with other

how Bamboo Mat has wowed critics and is now delivering its exciting Nikkei fusion cuisine at a second east London site

by Laura En eld

You would not expect a Moldovan teenager to know much about Japanese food. But that is where Denis Gobjila’s story starts. Well, like all of us, it actually started with him as a baby, but we’ll skip to the food part.

Today the 34-year-old is co-owner of Stratford’s Bamboo Mat, a rare London restaurant serving Nikkei food.

The cuisine brings together the clean simplicity of Japanese ui i e i h he er e u er e of Peruvian food and has developed organically since the late 1800s, when a wave of east Asian immigrants arrived in South America.

he r i e rie i ei i our he oo , fl our i our ou h, i e i .

o re h hough hi is the next level of food’.”

Bamboo Mat’s menu includes Padron peppers drizzled with mango miso, grilled octopus paired with lentil mash, crispy chicken thighs coated in anticucho u e, e o i i g h o e i h u u ru e o smorgasboard of sushi, sashimi and nigiri.

Much like these dishes, the venue was created using a fusion of skill, patience and passion. But it is literally hundreds of miles from where Denis started. He grew up in Moldova helping his grandparents tend their small farm and baking with his mum. o o e ou i o culinary school and my starting io e , u o do very little and don’t really like r flour, he i .

Enter Japanese cuisine. After r i i g, he go hi r o i at Sushi Studiya in Chisinau, the capital of Moldova, and over a period of three years, worked his way up to head chef.

On arriving in London he then landed a job as sous chef at Vietnamese restaurant Namo near Victoria Park.

But it was a random interview

at a new restaurant opening in Hackney that set his tastebuds ablaze.

“They said Jordan Sclare had created some of the dishes and he ere o goo e r igh home, googled him and found he was executive chef at Chotto e, i e i . e here the next day knocking on the door and asking for a job.

“The sushi head chef, Keita Sato, said they didn’t really need o e u e e o er or, hi , e h , . i o problem’.”

Denis instantly became immersed in the world of Nikkei, e r i g e i i u i g h, cooking rice, preparing vegetables and decoration – all the while re i g hi e h i ue i hi i, sushi and maki.

“They gave me opportunities or eri g i gre ie all the time and creating dishes,” he i . o here he e his now business partner Victor Rosca who previously worked at Sushisamba, Roka, and Lucky Cat by Gordon Ramsay.

Denis began creating his own menu in his head, but it would e o her e e r e ore he actually got to serve the dishes. go rrie , i ho itality, it’s hard to maintain family i e, o e he i he or e years and worked in my wife’s accounting company,” he said.

“But the dream was always in my mind because, for me, an o e o i ori g. e oo i g or o e hi g i happened.”

Fate stepped in when a friend’s seafood restaurant in Leyton

There aren’t many Nikkei restaurants in London. I think that’s because it’s quite tricky. Our menu works because it is a good balance

Denis Gobjila, Bamboo Mat

collapsed after Covid.

“They were very upset and had some outstanding balance to pay to the landlords, so they were going to take that place from them u ui e e i oo it over,” he said.

h ee oo i g or o ething smaller, like a takeaway concept but, when that opportui e u , e ui h ge our plans and designed the menu. h i i i or he e e r , o i i e o g. he e ue o e e i but what they did struggle with was ingredients.

he h he h r e o get because we were looking at central London suppliers and they had never come East before,” i e i . u e o ri e o e hro ir or o ge he h e er hree u i e got more sales and convinced them to come out this way.” , he uo h e osion of popularity overnight, thanks to a few carefully written paragraphs in the summer of .

“Grace Dent’s review in the Guardian changed our lives because after that, it was crazy, crazy,” said Denis. i e e re ur , we went from doing a few a night to minimum of 60 covers . i o ho u very good. We believed in the restaurant and knew it would be ui e u e u , u e e i e i e e i h ui . e we deserved it, or maybe we were u o o .

Keen to capitalize, by August they had found the Stratford venue and this time they got to design it from scratch.

i u h igger e, i h room for 68 people inside as well as a 10-seater private dining area e ou i e.

i he e o e Leyton, but because it’s bigger, it has more opportunities in the kitchen so we can create more,” said Denis.

goo o io , gree

e e u e re ui e young as businesspeople, our budget was not too big because

Co-owners Denis Gobjila, left, and Victor Rosca

The Stratford branch, above and right

Years Denis spent planning the menu in his head

what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see

Where? London Stadium Stratford

EVENT | Stadium Golf

Want to swing a few irons in a stadium? Then this is the event for you. Teams of up to eight will be able to play on a specially constructed nine-hole course. Oct 12-15, 9am-6pm, £55, stadiumgolftour.com

Where? Cart And Horses Stratford

weekend plans

Bamboo Mat’s newly launched brunch is available at the Stratford restaurant from 12-4pm at weekends. The menu includes eight signature dishes and costs £35pp with a vegetarian version for £30pp. Bottomless alcohol add-on cost is £18pp or £12pp for soft drinks

we don’t have any investors.

“We basically made everything here by ourselves or with friends and created it organically with our own hands.”

From the outside, it looks, dare I say it, pleasantly dull. But inside it is joyous with a neon rope interior created by Peruvian designer Sabastian Salas. The vivaciously colourful food includes a newly launched bottomless brunch at weekends.

This features signature sushi, seabass ceviche with aji amarillo tiger’s milk, sweet potato, red onion, chancha corn and artichoke tostada with salsa criolla and salsa er e ru h e i flu pork or nasu (Japanese aubergine) bao buns. The restaurant opened in December last year with what was supposed to be a soft launch.

“It wasn’t at all soft,” said Denis. “I think we did 250 covers or he r our . really, really hard.

“When you create something, it’s scary because you invest everything and don’t know how people will react – you only know its nice for your own taste.

“When people appreciate the food you feel really positive because people like what you’re doing. So it’s enjoyable to get that busy and get crazy shifts, especially because this cuisine is not well know in the industry here.

“There aren’t many Nikkei restaurants in London. I think that’s because it’s quite tricky.

“It’s a bit sour, a bit spicy i ere fl our u our menu works because it is a good balance.”

There is, however, one dish

which is secretly very traditional for Denis. It pays homage to the person who gave him his love of the freshest ingredients.

“We have one salad on the menu inspired by my grandmother,” he said. “Moldovan ui i e i er i ere e u e it is a poor country, so we cooked what we grew in the garden.

“My grandparents had a small farm and, in the summertime, she used to cook Romano peppers on charcoal and it was just amazing – so smoky. At Bamboo Mat, we have a fresh salad with cabbage, carrot and beetroot served with a smoked sauce.”

Family is in fact still the driving force for Denis. Many young chefs seem swallowed up by their success and struggle to have a personal life outside work. But the Romford resident is home most days by 5pm.

“I have two kids, a son aged three and a seven-month old daughter and that’s the priority,” he said. “If you manage everything properly, and it is under control, you can have the free time. Also, my wife is a very, very good woman, very supportive, Sometimes she’s mad at me, but I’m trying to make life better for my family, not just for myself.”

I’d call that perfectly balanced fusion.

Find out more at bamboo-mat.co.uk

GIG

Hear the post-rockers all the way from Rome, whose music has evolved from ambient soundscapes to whole walls of sound. Support from In Violet. Oct 11, 7.30pm, £8, cartandhorses.london

Where? Theatre Royal Stratford East Stratford

COMEDY | Ed Gamble

The comic, riding high as co-host of the O Menu podcast, plays Stratford with support from Desiree Birch, Emma Sidi and Jack Barry. Chortles all round. Oct 13, 8pm, from £22, stratfordeast.com

ash back

Scan this code to read Wharf Life’s interview with Katie online at wharf-life.com

want more? @wharfwhispers

This is Katie Wyle, Unibail-RodamcoWest eld’s head of shopping centre management and the person in charge of West eld Stratford City – nd out what’s in store for the mall in our interview with her west eld.com

| Il Giardino Degli Specchi

From left, lamb chops in anticucho sauce, £18, padron peppers with mango miso, £5.50, and vegetarian cerviche with passion fruit and mango tiger’s milk, £9.50

The interior, designed by Sabastian Salas

Images by Matt Grayson – nd more of his work at graysonphotos.co.uk or @mattgrayson_photo on Insta

Nigiri with salmon and tuna

Sudoku

Take a break from that phone

How to play

To complete Sudoku, ll the board by entering numbers one to nine such that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely.

More to play

You can nd more Sudoku puzzles and a wide selection of other brainteasers available to download for free at puzzles.ca

Notes

crossword

Cryptic Quick Down

1, 3, 14 acc. Jane joins wisdom and feeling (5,3,11)

2. Mother gets murderous son back – lunatic! (6)

3. See 1 dn...

4. Canal surrounds you, we hear, and leaves a gap (6)

5. He scores, so sticks together (7)

8. Sounds like the stingy girl arrives before time (7)

11. Beef stew is comparatively weaker (7)

13. Mountaineer is taut, like a small choir? (7)

15. The seasonal clause Groucho will not tear up (6)

16. Initially, Eliot surrounds a train to make paths (6)

17. Sounds like it’s strange we reverse 21 to make this pong (5)

20. Backwards or forwards, it’s a small hit! (3)

beating the whether

cryptic

or synonym solver in it for quick wins, this should satisfy

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THE UK’S LARGEST FREE WEIGHT SPACE

UNLIMITED ACCESS TO OVER 350 CLASSES PER WEEK

LONDON’S LARGEST MULTI-PURPOSE TRAINING SPACE

STATE OF THE ART COMBAT AREA

13M HIGH CLIMBING WALL

THIRDSPACE.LONDON