I got up full of energy B-)

I went back to Camden Town to get the presents I wanted to buy earlier. Got some things for myself too :0)

London is really expensive. Except for the Dr. Martens… So I tried them on. The sales guy shook my hand and handed over a paper with his phone number. I felt like I was in a movie or something. 

I decided to return to my apartment after my shopping mission since it was really cold and windy, although feeling a bit sad I wouldn’t have some more streetfood there. But is was either having streetfood and freezing or taking a cozy warm nap. I chose the second option.

Woke up at 14h (I really have to catch up some sleep) and went straight to Southbank, the last part of London I wanted to see before going back home.

I wandered on the banks of the Thames and had a strange Japanese chicken dish (yes, streetfood again): Katsu Flavours, which is panco chicken with a sweet/spicy sauce. Not bad, not the best.

While crossing Waterloo Bridge, heading to Nopi, I took some pictures. I found my favorite viewpoint! Look at these pictures :0)

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While standing there, some guy started a little chat with me. I think he’s homeless, but he was really interesting and intelligent. Once again the prove that you can’t judge anyone by his/her appearance. He told me how he enjoyed the peaceful demonstrations that were going on now for a while in London, how he enjoyed sleeping in a tent in the middle of one of the busiest streets in London – these were blocked by the demonstrants- , that this demonstration was so different that the Occupy London movement in 2011-2012, which was less peaceful. When he knew I’m from Belgium, he started to speak fluent French. He referred to a youtube post ‘trouble with mother’, which would give him more hits (?). I searched for it, but unfortunately I didn’t find what he meant. 

I continued my way to Nopi, held up by demonstrants. I arrived just in time.

While preparing for the next service, we took a group picture, as a memory. As the clean shirts and aprons hadn’t arrived yet, some of us broke the dresscode (as you can see. Sorry Mr. Ottolenghi). 

It wasn’t really busy. I mean, the restaurant was full, so the chefs on service were sweating. But everything for the service had been prepared yesterday. And since I wasn’t assisting any chef in service, I did the less interesting things: picking herbs, cleaning and cutting oranges, preparing chili sauce, go and help a hand here and there… 

But, it got better in the end: chef Carlos tried another new side dish. He let me taste it and asked for my opinion. I was honest :0) I told him what I would add/leave out. And… he agreed and followed my advice (yay). So, when you’re going to Nopi, make sure you’ll have the Lavosh with Burnt butter tzatziki (the Gini dip, remember?) and the potato salad, with Gini-influences  B-)

Oh, and I found out what they mean with ‘kepir’.. It’s not ‘kepir’, it’s ‘KP’- short for Kitchen Porter (duh) lol :0)

Carlos knows Marcelo from the Michelin star restaurant Oak really well (I already wrote this, didn’t I? Anyway…). We took a selfie he’d send to Marcelo. 

And that was the last thing I did in Nopi. Time to say goodbye.

I got to know really great people there. I’m sure I’ll keep in touch with some of them.
And I’ll miss the Greek swearing in the kitchen (can’t count the times they were yelling ‘ela re malaka’ – politely translated: come on, man) :0)

After the goodbye hugs, hand shakes and kisses, I went to a pub where I had 2 Pimm’s (I really wanted to try these before going back). I like that sweet cocktail :0)  Next to me there were 4 really happy (tipsy) people having the time of their life, dancing and singing too loud.

I think that was a great British way to end my London/Nopi adventure…