When it comes to street food pop-ups, there is little needed effort needed to persuade me to indulge. So when I heard about the Kitchen Hijack event taking over one of my favourite Deptford bars – The Job Centre – I was sold. I headed down on a Friday night to see which street food master would be controlling the kitchen.
The Resident
The idea for Kitchen Hijack, especially considering the lack of in-house kitchen, is ideal for anyone in the area on the lookout for exceptional food in the cosy surrounds of this Deptford hangout. Switching up the resident foodie offering weekly, we were treated Bill or Beak; Vietnamese influenced burgers with tantalising fillings.
The Food
Bill or Beak had two choices, perfect for someone afflicted with a serious case of food envy. The first burger, the Bill, was stuffed with tender braised duck, tempura shallots, fresh mint and spring onions. You could taste the strong Asian elements throughout this bun, which disappeared much faster than I would have liked.
The second burger, my favourite, was the beak. The soft, toasted brioche bun – paired with crunchy garlic croutons – and tempura capers were perfectly balanced with the tender chicken thigh. I have never tasted chicken thigh in a burger, and I can absolutely say that this is now a firm favourite.
Accompanied to this, the chips were the perfect accompaniment. Drenched in hoisin sauce and sprinkled with crunchy duck skin scratchings these crisp, delicious chips easily rank in as some of the best I’ve tried in London.
The Verdict
A buzzing atmosphere, cheap drinks and real vinyl decks all make the Job Centre the ideal venue for a street food takeover. One of the best things about the Kitchen Hijack is the fact it gives emerging vendors a chance to showcase their talents; and hungry punters a chance to gobble up top-notch grub! My advice, get down there while they still have some food, you won’t regret it.
The Kitchen Hijack will become a permanent feature at The Job Centre, and continues this Thursday, Friday and Saturday with the Cheese Truck, boasting some of the finest grilled and melted sandwiches stuffed with British cheeses. Check out the Job Centre Facebook page for more info.
This meal we enjoyed this evening was complimentary, but as always the opinions are my own.
Fancy some pop up grub in Kingston? Check out the awesome Riverside Edge Pocket Kitchens.
After seeing your’s and Kasha’s write ups on this place, me and Alex are heading there tomorrow for the cheese toastie truck! Sounds awesome 🙂
Oh so jealous Ayla, wish I could pop down and stuff myself silly on toasted cheese sandwiches. Just heard back from The Job Centre and they are actually keeping the Kitchen Hijack on as a permanent feature, so there will be plenty more pop-ups happening!