I was confronted with a phrase the other day. It was about the Freebie top 5. As I never got married (my mother in law does not have any children), I never considered a list like that. Perhaps it is the benefit of remaining single. Yet, the idea was fun. So I made a top 5. Are these women the ones I want to have sex with the most, or are they the most beautiful women? I wonder if we sometimes can tell the difference honestly within ourselves. That what we desire is tempting in many ways. Can we label a woman as the most beautiful without desiring her carnally?
But then I thought, why stop at those freebies (call me crazy for thinking beyond sex)? It was at this point I started to consider other kinds of Freebies. In my situation, as I consider the reasons of health, there is a magnetic power at play when you consider the past. So I started the food freebie top 5 for London. It is one of places a person never stops missing.
Here is the list:
- Shakespeare’s Head, Great Marlborough Street
- Wagamama, Streatham street
- Sarastro, Drury lane
- Royal India, Stoke Newington
- The Waterway, Formosa Street
I am not even sure if they all still exist. They weren’t chosen for prices or whatever reason you want to eat free at these places. I have memories at all of them and they are all better because the food was really good. You can try to create some gastronomic memory by eating at some award winning place and as such you can deceive yourself. In my mind, some foods are better because they were shared, some foods were better because of the day, the hunger you have and just the luck of getting a really good plate of food.
Shakespeares Head was on a Saturday. I was in London for a while and after walking around Regent Street, Oxford Street and a few other streets, me was getting mighty thirsty! I remember seeing the Gap on Regent Street and a sign. I followed the sign into the alley and decided to take one more gander on my shoes, I took a look at the shops and noticed the entrance to the ‘temple of goodness’ (some refer to such places as ‘bars’). I headed in and yes, my holy thoughts came to bare. They had Old Peculiar. I had two pints and felt so much better. Two of them buggers on an empty stomach and you know the noise of hunger will set in and soon thereafter I learned that they had a restaurant upstairs. I sat down and my eyes saw the option of a piece of Bambi (more commonly known as Venison). It was the beginning of a beautiful evening. My wallet was decently lighter (it was not too expensive) and in all it was a great day. Not sure if sex with the number one on my Freebie top 5 would have made it better in any way, but we can all dream can’t we?
Wagamama is another matter. It is not the case on how we eat, what we need to eat, or what we would like to eat. When you go to any of the Wagamama places you get live around two words ‘Simply Delicious’. The places are so Spartan, barren and the benches are devoid of comfort. It is you, in a well lit room with your choice, which was the best experience! Simplicity in food, delicious and glorious food. My choice, even today remains a seafood ramen with sometimes a few side dishes and a bottle of cold Asahi. The hardship of work washes away from you, the delight of good food takes over. I am even willing to bet that this food alone in silence remains better than shared with blabbering and chatting others. After my first exposure around 1998 I had no idea I could get so addicted to a good bowl of Ramen, I am just happy that they have one in Sydney as well!
Most other places were found in similar ways. I was just in the neighbourhood. That is the magical side of London; a good diner is always just around the corner. Letting good food to be the base of a created memory is one of the most perfect ones. It is about you and the choice you made. If I had not seen the ‘Drury Lane’ sign and I didn’t remember the song, I would not have turned right, hoping to see some Muffin shop and I never would have stopped at Sarastro’s (which is not a Muffin shop). The mind is a curious thing at time! Make no mistake, I have entered the wrong place more than once, even in London, but the fact that after half a century, I still consider a London personal food top 5 is not a coincidence. London is the place to be, for more than one reason. Perhaps at some point I get to see it one more time!
Lawrence van Rijn - Law Lord to be 