I want to enter my thirties like I entered Mona’s Chaat House; illuminated by curiosity, respect and a hunger to learn. Pics from two years ago before turning 28. Now - reflections whilst the 3.0 feels, stir.
I used to bounce around the streets into little eateries with my camera and pen - talk to the owners, delve into cultures, soak in photos from home on the walls; appreciate these transforming tucked-away spaces, for unlocking connections in vast city spaces - to listen and learn.
Then came Covid - I think things shifted. Food writing and exploring became heavied with sadness, more - shit got real; spaces fading irl, favourite dumpling houses closing doors. Social media anxiety, scrolling the world in ever mushrooming crisis, mis-jolted your sense of worth.
You're writing about a freshly cooked samosa when the planet is dying? An internet feed of forest fires and nuclear wars next to tiktok lols, half-naked selfies, cute cats and 'wellness' overload - isn't that enough to make anyone question their place in it all?
Am I selfish for getting lost in a moment? Dipping my paratha into a chaat soup (sav usal) I've never seen before?
I’ve just experienced the best bhel puri of my life - and need to yell it from the door! Knowledge-up those good friends who get the yearn. Talk to the lady who cooked it, ask and be asked those soupily-rooting reciprocal questions - including so, where are you from?
Fascination poked by eachother's open love for spices and textures, oohs and yums leading this lexicon really serves.
Migration has sieved lost souls across continents and countries, and sometimes from the tragedies treasures have evolved - people healing trauma through nostalgic recipes alchemising a joy so forcible it hurts.
Don't always go to youtube when you can digest the unexpected - touch base with wonder, trotting a few steps from your door.
I been spending less time breaking bread with friends laughing over giant lamb kebabs and getting enlightened by the owner’s words. But, never lose your sense of curiosity - no matter how crisis-filled the world becomes you need to find your small.
Hospitality is an act of co-creation, our conversations will break our fall.
Go to Mona’s chaat house or the food stalls in East Ham and taste a dish you’ve never heard of before. remember there is always a kind face waiting to guide you - a superfan customer who knows the best dishes and side-sauce.