halwa puri for one please. spontaneous wander round norbury, thornton heath, sooo many beautiful looking places but this one sung to me; two cups two two cups of chai masala, while u sit through and think over things.
served by farhad 👆🏼, became friends by the end. invited me back for paya (goat foot soup) he points to his. "halwa puri is a pakistani breakfast or lunch dish. but we are halwa puri house - so we do halwa puri alllll hours round!" Puri is my favourite type of bread coz its so light and eeeeasi, it is wonder full.
do you cook?
"no… but my wife, ahhh, she is Master Chef!" and he flips out his phone to reveal an albums of her dishes - chicken meatballs, biryani, rice with nuts and sweets and galabjamen rolled in, dahi wada soaked dumplings, “ how lucky i am” his pride bubbles in.
Recommends more places - oooh its even better here than in tooting! Tells me my name, Tara means Star in Urdu. “You are a star” - what i need to hear today. some times it is hard to keep believing in ur why ur here.
when i ask to take his picture, (you have a youtube channel?) we discuss “for what purpose”, the purpose of things.
it is this that i love; walking into a place to sit and breath. be filled, making connections with a stranger while you can just sit and be. the beauty of old places on the high street - and who you see come in. the meaning they thread, the cultures "where are you from" observer; outsider but not one, a sense of belonging, perhaps for that i am searching. im searching, and in these spaces - acceptance and humility no expectations.
Halwa Poori has been here 10 years. the charm of the paper thali, chubby yellow mug, flaky balloon that breaks like tissue when you pierce and drag through the chickepeas - with potato curry all so light and this one non greasy; halva treacle sweet but ooh so subtle not to sweet. Farahad’s motor bike like hat mask attire that make me smile; how connections and hospitality scenes, warm, slowly, unfold. watching the young couple tuck into their"half fried eggs", paratha and the family that come in for weekend specials biryani. conversations in a language i dont understand but i get the food one.
and i keep thinking over what he said:
for what purpose is this?
for what purpose is this?
for what purpose is this?
to “override your nature”, if you want to walk to china you can walk to china. whats wrong, what is.