Chinese New Year eating – Shanghai in Hackney
Eel pie and mash shops used to be a prominent part of the East End. They’re almost all gone now – somehow, their pies and the virulent green ‘liquor’ which went with them don’t appeal to the sensibility of the average post-modern man-about-town.
But at 41 Kingsland Road you can find a stunning example of the eel pie and mash shop – now turned into a Chinese restaurant.
The long bar in the front room is the original pie and mash shop’s counter. And every little detail is significant – little entwined fishes form the clips that hold up the mirrors, the floor has tiled mosaic. It’s a real palace.
The back room, though, is more conventional – though more comfortable to eat in.
The food is good – particularly the dim sum. In fact, rather than go for the whole Chinese meal, I’d suggest you pick and choose from the smaller dishes. There seems to be a nice spiciness to a lot of the cooking here which is often missing in other Chinese restaurants.
But I don’t think they do eels any more. Rather a pity!
1 Comment
I have never had eel pie but just the thought of jellied eels and whelks still makes me shudder…they were a favorite at most seaside resorts!