Hot concepts—the back catalogue 6

The trend for simple, specialized concepts in the capital has continued by way of Tramshed, Mark Hix’s latest venture on Rivington Street in Shoreditch (pictured). It makes a virtue of its no-choice approach, serving up main course options of top-notch chicken and steak only, plus starters of Yorkshire puddings and a couple of desserts. There’s also a good—and slightly more extensive—takeaway offer. It’s a bold move to be so restrictive, but the reviews and crowds suggest Hix has made another smart move. Nando’s has had the chicken market sewn up for a long time, but with Roost planning another pop-up and The Soho House Group launching a chicken-focused opening of its own, The Chicken Shop, in the autumn, the choice is about to widen up.
See the Tramshed website.

Joining Tramshed on the steak tip is FlatIron, a new Shoreditch steakhouse that is open from Tuesday to Saturday evenings only. Having built up interest via Twitter and Facebook, it is pulling a crowd to its home, for now, in the upstairs part of the Owl and Pussycat pub.
See the FlatIron website.

King’s Cross remains a great place to go to check out the latest street food-based, pop-up and more permanent concepts, and recent additions include Shrimpy’s, the capital’s latest take on American-Mexican food. It’s on the site of the old filling station on Goods Way behind King’s Cross.
See the Shrimpy’s website.

Elsewhere in King’s Cross, Caravan’s arrival at the Granary Building will be an opening to watch. It will have a roastery, all-day open kitchen and bar, plus outside seating. Ahead of its opening in late July or early August, the original Caravan in Farringdon’s Exmouth Market is well worth a look.
See the Caravan website.

Korean food is making waves in the capital, with Bi Bim Bap on Greek Street in Soho gathering great reviews and striking a chord with fresh, healthy dishes, great flavours and sharp, modern design. It is a cut above most Korean openings of recent years, and with indigenous chain Bibigo due to open on Great Marlborough Street in September, the country's food could be one to watch.
See the Bi Bim Bap website.

Hard by on Greek Street is 10 Greek Street, the latest in the trend for small, back-to-basics and no-reservation joints in Soho. From the team behind the Wapping Project, it also shares with nearby places like Duck Soup the fashion for limited choice and constantly changing menus.
See the 10 Greek Street website.

Like Korean, the trend for Peruvian food has continued apace, with Virgilio Martinez’s Lima joining the now well-established Ceviche on the scene. Reviews have been excellent, highlighting the freshness and the two restaurants, catering for the upscale and more casual markets respectively, should work well together in promoting Peruvian food; it seems likely that more will follow them into the capital.
For much more on the Peruvian concepts and the trend for Latin American food, see the next issue of Peach Report.
See the Lima website.

The latest venture from Chris Corbin and Jeremy King, Brasserie Zedel on Sherwood Street near Piccadilly Circus, is—like just about all their openings—a hit. It has the Parisian brasserie formula off to a tee, right down to the cabaret and cocktail bar, and prices are distinctlvely competitive, suggesting this will be a more mass market proposition than some of Corbin and King’s other openings.
See the Brasserie Zedel website.

As standards of catering at airports and train stations continues to soar, Corney & Barrow’s new C&B Cabin concept at Waterloo will be well worth checking out when it opens at the end of July. Promising interiors inspired by the Orient Express, bespoke takeaway hampers and some dangerous-sounding self-service wine machines, it promises to be a cut above the usual railway fare. It is part of a new retail development at Waterloo, joining its counterpart at King’s Cross. Airport-wise, Jamie Oliver’s new complex at Gatwick, comprising elements of his Union Jacks, Jamie’s Italian and bakery ventures, is an interesting use of his hugely powerful brand and operations.
See the Corney & Barrow and Jamie Oliver websites.

Something completely different is Mayfair’s 42°, a raw food concept with the name coming from the temperature under which all the food is ‘cooked’ so that no nutrients are lost. It is a sister site to the original 42° in Copenhagen and should play well to the Mayfair crowd—though some early reviews have not been great.
See the 42° website.