Following on from last year’s hugely successful Rumble At The Deli, Rumble: Part Deux has big boots to fill… and that’s exactly what it does.
Presented by Shuttlecock Inc. the exciting and creative quartet of cousins who brought us the intrigue of pop ups such as Mile High, Vieux-Québec, The Great Indian Peninsula Railway and Rumble at The Deli. Their ethos is simple enough – combine food with art, music and interactive theatre and you have a memorable evening. They’re not wrong, and what they do, they do with spectacular flair.
The night kicks of at 7 o’clock – a civilized time, at Hoxton Square, a civilized spot. The former Monikers has been transformed into a rustic French Bistro and you walk in to be greeted by a French flourish of kisses and the comedic entertainment begins.
The evening is eased into with a Kir Royale (it wouldn’t be French without a few bubbles) and the rather fun quest of finding your table…What strikes you straight away is the staff – they’re in perfect character. Shuttlecock has a reputation of immersing themselves entirely in the task at hand and they do so again, rather impressively. The staff, characters, call them what you will, walk around, needlessly adjusting cutlery, furniture, your hand, adding a delicious combination of humour and show.
The whole room was dressed to set the scene from the expected red and white checked table cloths to ‘le cock’, perched high above the bar overseeing the proceedings.
The chefs vary from night to night, so do the dishes. The ingredients are bought fresh each morning and a different concoction is created each night.
With everyone greeted and seated, the rules were explained; two chefs, one night… three main ingredients and three courses each… let the rumble begin:
Course 1: Scallops, Samphire, Grapefruit
Course 1: Whole Scallop, Lemon, Walnut, Beurre
Course 2: Pork with Radish Salad
Course 2: Pork Cheek, Lentils, Celeriac Salad
Course 3: Chocolate and Pistachio Torte
Course 3: Chocolate Fondant
The voting completed and the winner declared the happy diners are left to mingle and sit back in contented reflection. It was a tough competition and we can only imagine that it will get tougher as the nights continue.
The whole affair is a fun and immersive sort of night. The interaction isn’t forced but, rather, familiar. It’s easy, natural. This is culinary cooking at its most raw, its most natural, its most challenging…its most fun.
In terms of pop ups these guys don’t follow the rules they make the rules.
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- The Score Cards
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- Scallops
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- Pork Cheek, Lentils, Celeriac Slaw
£55 tickets for six dishes (a starter, main and dessert from the evening’s two chefs) an aperitif on arrival and bottles and bottles of wine on the table!
