Last Friday I called my brother to see what he was doing that evening, he mentioned he was going going to a Wes Anderson themed restaurant with a friend. This got me pretty excited. A little research later and I discovered it was a themed pop-up at the Swedish restaurant
Fika at the top of Brick Lane. Josh and I decided to play an elaborate practical joke (seriously!) and surprise George! We searched for all the perfect components to turn ourselves into characters from Wes' films. I dressed as Suzy Bishop from Moonrise Kingdom and Josh dressed as Steve Zissou from The Life Aquatic. Having constructed a pair of binoculars out of an old tube of wrapping paper we were off on our adventure. Once we arrived we nearly chickened out, George was already there and sat with his friend and we wondered if what we were doing was a bit stalker rather than funny. We managed to pull ourselves together and took a seat right next to their table, I stared at George through my binoculars and he looked up and chortled. WAHOO success, we didn't freak them out too much (well if we did they didn't let on..)
SO more importantly the food! It was a delight. On entering we were presented with the most beautifully illustrated map of New Penzance Island detailing the dishes on the menu. We were then given a book which contained the drinks list, Josh and I both had cocktails from the specially put together menu (they do offer non themed drinks too). I had The Life Aquatic; a concoction of dill vodka and elderflower liquor served in a goldfish bag, it was one of the most delicious cocktails that I've had in a long time, light, refreshing and beautiful. I sadly can't remember the name of Josh's drink but it was very alcoholic! From the menu Josh opted for the Tenenbaum's Dinner and I had Pitch Perfect Meatballs. Mine was a take on swedish meatballs, with amazing thick gravy and lingonberry jam. Josh's, three sliders filled one with goats cheese, the other applewood cheddar and another with brie. We both thought they were very beautifully put together and the only complaint we had was that the mash could have been seasoned a little better. We managed to squeeze in a small bit of pudding in the form of some ice cream and a bit of George's desert Kladdkaka (a a very intense Swedish chocolate cake). The ice cream was a little bit of a let down after such a delicious main course, it was a little lack lustre. However, I did see someone on another table being delivered the peanut butter & jelly sandwich which looked amazing and the Kladdkaka was delicious!
I should also say that the restaurant have really gone the extra mile with the details; props from Wes' films lined the walls including: Max Fischer's beret, Margot Tenebaum's novel and Suzy Bishop's binoculars. The staff were all dressed in yellow overalls and boots looking just like they'd stepped of Steve Zissou's expedition. Overall it was a great night and hopefully I'll be back soon to sample other dishes from Fika's menu
