After a quiet couple of years, the Fresser Oyster card is taking a bashing. With a lot more tapping to come.
Today I’ve come to an area with very Jewish roots — Commercial Street in London’s East End — for a catch up with two of my favourite foodie people, Helen Graham and Marc Summers.
Helen Graham and Marc Summers - adding to their (restaurant) brood
The friends (both talented chefs) opened their tiny Middle Eastern-influenced, vegetarian restaurant Bubala pre-pandemic here. Marc looks after front of house while Helen mans the stoves.
Their nosh is knock-out. I still drool at the memory of a meal I ate there back in 2019. I wasn’t the only one to fall in love with their flavours. There was critical acclaim across the board. No frills and finery, just deliciously interesting dishes.
Having worked hard to bring up their first Bubala — and grown their family of staff — the pair have taken the decision to expand the family. The second restaurant will be in Soho and is due to open next month. They've told me all about it — watch out for the skinny on that soon — in JC newspaper and here on our website.
Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer are settling into their Bloomsbury outpost Photo: Patricia Niven