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Welcome back to Insta Stories, a column examining the London restaurant scene through the often-problematic medium of Instagram. Is this week’s FILTER the MOST INTERESTING FILTER IN THE WORLD?
News of the week
Although Michelin’s platform of choice was the deeply down-with-the-kids Facebook Live, the 2018 ceremony enjoyed a long afterlife on Instagram, as London’s newest stars celebrated each other’s success. And with some genuinely exciting — and, in some cases, slightly unexpected — picks, things got pretty emotional. As they say: scenes.
Rival ceremony of the week
Last Thursday saw a different kind of celebration of excellence: the annual YBFs awards. Food was provided by some of the city’s leading lights; food for thought was provided by one of them, too.
New opening / Insta-prognostication of the week
Andrew Wong’s sort-of sequel to A Wong, Kym’s, is now officially open. And so begins the sport of identifying which dish will find its way into everyone’s Insta-feed over the next month or so, as the virtuous / vicious cycle of PR #invites, curious punters, and ‘gram-collectors-slash-completists takes effect. It’s still early days, but it’s pretty hard to look past this absolute dazzler.
Hand-painted artisanal wooden spoon of the week
When the news broke that La Famiglia Rana had collaborated with Skye Gyngell to produce Insta-friendly pasta kits, complete with “hand-painted artisanal wooden spoon”, would-be pastagrammers can be forgiven for having anxiously asked themselves “But what colour is the hand-painted artisanal wooden spoon?”. This being Instagram in the year of our Lord 2018, fortunately, they didn’t have long to wait. And those walnuts certainly will add texture!
Caption implying that a hilarious misunderstanding has taken place of the week
They do sound quite alike!!!
Deathless trend of the week
Ah, summer 2018. Sunshine, outdoor drinking, the unmistakable sound of an iPhone camera shutter papping the image of a katsu sando. But hang on – what’s this? Yet another riff on the now-familiar formula, with a never-before-seen fishtail accessory? Summer may be over, but it looks like sando season is year-round, folks.
Believable rural vignette of the week
Cosy!
Mucky marketing campaign of the week
Berber&Q’s returning series of wine dinners focused on terroir, Dirt, is one of the forward-looking initiatives that has made the Haggerston grill house and Exmouth Market Shawarma Bar two of the most progressive places to drink in town. If only the same could be said for the poster advertising it. It’s not like natural wine doesn’t have enough issues with labelling conventions as it is.
Visual representation of an age-old dilemma of the week
Well: what came first?
Quote of the week
Fergus Henderson, on cooking sous vide: “It tastes of sadness”. Aren’t water baths supposed to stop you getting burned?
Dish of the week
That’ll do it
Shot of the week
How to eat a pear?