StreetHawker is a little gem of a restaurant, situated right next to Maida Vale tube station (turn…read moreleft as you come out of the station). It's been there for absolutely ages, yet it doesn't seem so. I grew up in a large house, just opposite, on the Maida Vale, and I remember when the site where StreetHawker is now, used to be a very different, unique kind of shop. The previous owner had created some sort of videoshop-cum-coldcurry house take away joint. I know that sounds silly, but this was the case. You walked in, and everything was decked out in white, with splashes of red highlights; like a giant Kit Kat wrapper. On the wall was a selection of B-movies for rent (think "American Ninja", you know, that kind of stuff; and on the counter were onion bahjis, samosas and pre-cooked boiled rice. (etc). So you could rent a video and grab a half-coldcurry, simultaneously. Genius. That man was way ahead of our time. He vanished into thin air, and suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, sprung up 'Streethawker'; and it was like Maida Vale (the area around the tube station) had suddenly acquired a little chicness into its life (the restaurant is nicely built into the tube station's red tiled facade).
It's a smallish restaurant, with a galleried dining area, to the left, which is slightly elevated from ground level, and a larger, deeper area, consisting of about 10 or 12 square picnic-styled dining tables, situated to the right. There are a few large mirrors hanging on the wall, that seem to add more space to the whole effect. The front door is slap bang in the middle of the restaurant, and right in front of the front door is the counter, with a little seating bench by the window, which makes take-awaying a real breeze. The whole restaurant is windowed. Behind the counter, is the door to what I refer to as, the 'Magic kitchen'. If you ever have the pleasure of ordering some food there for takeaway one day, and watch one of the waiters open the kitchen door, you will see what I mean. To cut the long story short, the kitchen is about the same size as a red London telephone box. It's amazing. How do they make all that food in such a small space?! I think it may be an optical illusion, and (for the past 15 years) I have always suspected that this kitchen goes deeper than the eye can see.
The Food: Well, if you like Phad Thai, then you're in for a treat here. My brother and I (he now lives in Singapore, so he knows a thing or two about oriental food) have had numerous conversations about Street Hawker's 'Phad Thai' (a noodle dish cooked with flat noodles, crushed nuts, king prawn or chicken or pork, and little bits of vegetables) , during the past 10 years or so. There's something about it. It's not 'amazing' (as in like fireworks start the second you place the first mouthful into your mouth), (sorry if I raised your expectations there), and it's not bland. It's unbelievably well-balanced. I have deliberately ordered Phad Thais when out at expensive oriental restaurants, just to compare the dish to the Streethawker's one. Ditto with chinese/thai delivery companies. None of them even come close to Streethawker's Phad Thai. God knows what they put in it, or where the ingredients are from (or more to the point, the quantities of each ingredient put in), but it's just spot on. I can only comment on the dishes I've ordered; which include Q4 (used to be Q5, for 10 years), which is little slabs of grilled pork, glazed in some kind of blackbean style sauce (Q5 is now the chicken equivalent!), which is chewy and delicious. 'Moneybags', which is a simple, popular oriental dish, consisting of 3 or 4 crispy pastry balls filled with a mixture of meats and veg etc. The last time I went in, I mistakenly ordered a portion of 'money-balls', forgetting that they were called 'money-bags', and got my Q 5's mixed up with my Q 4's. The waiter was quick to point out to me that, it's been a long time, hasn't it?, to which I replied, "yes, I've been having a few late nights recently; can't you tell from the two big black balls dangling beneath my eyes?". Then I said "chop chop, I don't have all day; there's a good footbag match on tonight, it's starting in about 10 minutes; oh, and can I have my food doubleballed please, just incase it does a Tesco on me, on my way home."
The staff are friendly and attentive (Just be wary of a certain young oriental lady that works/worked there. She's nice, but she doesn't take ish from no-one. She will have you for breakfast. Whatever you do, don't get fresh with her, because you will lose. Period; (think 'the oriental girl from the group Miss Frank on the X-factor)). When ordering your food with her, at the counter, just smile ever so slightly, talk in a soft, clear voice, and try to avert your gaze slightly, so as not to make direct eye-contact. One verbal slip-up here, and you'll find yourself in the frying pan before you can say 'Ho Chi Minh'. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
Funnily enough, the manager of
