World Foodie Guide

If you’re London-based, you’ve probably read about the newly opened Underground Restaurant, which has attracted an enormous amount of favourable publicity. After having read several accounts by food bloggers describing their dinners there, I thought I would take MsMarmitelover up on her request for kitchen volunteers and see what it was like ‘behind the scenes’.

Having grown up in my parents’ restaurants in Germany, but never having helped out (apart from once, when I fainted after the effort), I never really appreciated how hard they worked. I thought that helping out at the Underground Restaurant kitchen might give me a small taster of what it was like. I’ve always wanted to eat at a private kitchen in both Hong Kong and Beijing, but so far haven’t had the opportunity. And I only started cooking quite recently, and wanted to do something outside my comfort zone. Where better to start than at MsMarmitelover’s new venture?

The Underground Restaurant is open only on Saturday evenings and so I volunteered to help out on its fourth night yesterday evening. It’s located in MsMarmitelover’s beautiful apartment somewhere in Kilburn, London, and can seat up to 26 paying diners. As it is illegal to open a restaurant in one’s home, she’s naturally keen to have her address kept secret, although if you have a booking, you’ll be told where to turn up. She prepares home-cooked vegetarian food in her kitchen, while her sister and teenage daughter work front of house.

A few days before the impending date, I was feeling apprehensive and wondering whether I had made the right decision, particularly as I’ve never cooked Mexican food before. After all, I didn’t want to be a hindrance! As always, however, I worried needlessly, as I ended up having a brilliant time at the Underground Restaurant.

MsMarmitelover has already blogged about Mexican night at the Underground Restaurant, so please read her detailed account. What follows are my impressions from behind the scenes!

• 15:45 I turn up at MsMarmitelover’s doorstep and meet her for the first time. She’s already been busy preparing dinner (since Thursday actually!) so I follow her through to the kitchen, after catching a glance at the beautiful dining room, formerly her living room, and am handed an apron. I’m asked what my knife skills are like (non-existent!) and set the task of dicing vine tomatoes for her salsa

• I struggle initially to cut the tomatoes to the tiny size that MsMarmitelover requires, and wonder whether I will ever complete the task. At 16:15, I have cut up one tomato. But chatting with her is fun and I discover more about her reasons for starting up such an incredible project. I get to taste the chili sin carne with chocolate and chipotle, of which there are two gigantic pots

• 17:00 approx, Charlie turns up to help. He has helped out on two previous occasions and hearing that he has worked at The Fat Duck for six weeks makes me nervous again. But he gets on with other tasks, including making the margaritas and politely does not comment on my tomato dicing. Meanwhile, MsMarmitelover’s teenage daughter pops in and out of the kitchen and is sent to the shops for more supplies

• 18:00 approx, Johnny turns up. He is supposed to be front of house, but of course there is still plenty to do in the kitchen. I finally finish dicing the tomatoes and MsMarmitelover seems pleased (that I can move onto something else, probably!) I’m assigned another task – to wet the rims of glasses with lime and dip them in margarita salt. Johnny shows me how to make a cut in the lime wedge and the task becomes really simple and fun

• At some point, MsMarmitelover’s sister turns up. For some reason, we are both surprised to see each other, as if we weren’t expecting to meet! It gets busier in the kitchen as we start cutting, de-seeding and stuffing the baked Jalepeno peppers stuffed with cream cheese and cheddar. I get to blend the cream cheese and cheddar mix, then help slice and de-seed the peppers, but it’s team work involving Johnny and Charlie

• Starters of fresh tomato salsa asado, guacamole and roasted sweet corn, mango & spring onion salsa are ladled into small dishes and placed on the dining tables. Dishes of lime & chipotle popcorn follow. Brown rice is cooked in two rice cookers. Petra from Choc Star arrives. She parks her van outside and needs to run a power cable through MsMarmitelover’s bedroom window. Choc Star is providing spicy chocolate mousse for pudding

• Diners are supposed to turn up at 19:30, but I think the first start trickling in from 19:15 onwards. They are offered margaritas and shown to the dining room where they mingle. Charlie morphs into a guest and we don’t see him in the kitchen much for the rest of the evening. Everyone seems really excited to be there. A German journalist (if memory serves me correctly, from the West Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung, a broadsheet) and her photographer turn up for dinner and to interview MsMarmitelover later

• 20:00 approx MsMarmitelover realises she has forgotten to give her address to journalist and broadcaster Rosie Millard and her husband. More guests arrive, including Rosie and her husband eventually and we serve the tortilla chips so that they can start eating. The staff share some prosecco in the kitchen to kickstart the proceedings

• MsMarmitelover starts heating up the tortillas that she has made the day before. Johnny and teenage daughter start plating up the main course. I stand next to the Aga, holding a basket with a wet tea towel to keep them moist, collect enough hot ones, then offer the basket to guests to have with their chili and rice, before returning to pick up more. I enjoy being both in the kitchen and in the dining room, making sure everyone is supplied with hot tortillas

• Seconds are offered to guests and some have three tortillas each (yes, I counted). I report back to MsMarmitelover, who has been worried about the quality of her tortillas. The staff take a break and have a quick dinner. It’s delicious and of course I have seconds. Then I feel a bit guilty that I’m still eating when everyone is clearing the tables

• 22:00 the German journalist and photographer come to the kitchen to do an interview. I remember to pop outside to visit the Chocstar van as guests are told to go out table by table to collect their spicy chocolate mousses and return to enjoy them in the dining room. It’s very pink inside, hence the colour of the photo! Diners seemed very pleased with their pudding, although thereweren’t enough for the staff to try…

• Coffee is being prepared and we have to find 21 cups. Thomasina Miers’ partner from Wahaca turns up to ask for spoons and ends up chatting for ages. I pop out to give his waiting friends the spoons so that they can eat their puddings

• 23:00 time for me to go home, although I’m one of the earliest to leave. I’m very tired but pleased with the way the evening turned out. To bed at 01:00

I’m still amazed that MsMarmitelover has the energy and determination to run the Underground Restaurant. It’s a huge commitment in terms of time, finance and impact on family life, as each Saturday is meticulously planned during the week and cooking and preparation runs from Thursday through to Saturday evening. I certainly couldn’t do it. Cooking for a few friends is stressful enough!

The price has had to be raised from £15 to £25 per person, in order to cover costs. But you’re paying for an experience – the privilege of dining in someone’s home and having the host cook three courses for you, using fresh and where possible organic ingredients. You’re expected to mingle with other diners, share tables with strangers and pop into the kitchen to get your own water if the staff are rushed off their feet. It’s not a typical restaurant experience and should not be regarded this way.

More details can be found at MsMarmitelover’s blog, including how to make reservations. She’s always looking for volunteers and guest chefs, so do get in touch with her!

The entire set of photos from the evening can be found on Flickr.

Helen Yuet Ling Pang @ World Foodie Guide

Tags: cooking, dining out, food, restaurants, Underground Restaurant, vegetarian