3. Eat fast and flavoursome food
Next to us, Angie has been running [Malaysian restaurant] Sri Pinang for more than 30 years. It’s BYOB – grab something at the basic bottle shop across the road, or for something a bit more special pop into Everyday Wine a few minutes’ walk away. Portions are generous and service quick; it’s great before a show, gig or match. I love the laksa, which is so big I can never finish a bowl.
For lunch I often pop into Uncle Man’s, where my daughters like to watch the chefs working – they make the roti to order, flipping, twirling and stretching it. Fort Greene makes huge, flavoursome sandwiches with sourdough they bake before dawn each morning. For a quick lunch meeting I’d go to Fort Greene – their sandwiches are not fussy, with names like “the fish one”, “the reuben”, but they’re delicious, [made] with sourdough they bake before dawn each morning.
4. Enjoy a relaxed Friday lunch
Apero is a wine bar run by partners Mo and Leslie; it’s only open evenings apart from Fridays, when it also opens for lunch. Leslie is the chef; her food is not showy but tastes amazing, from charcuterie and fish crudo to vegetable dishes like pickled mushrooms and roast cauliflower. Mo is one of the city’s best hosts – he reads his customers, knows who wants to talk and who doesn’t, takes all the pretentiousness around wine away and focuses on giving the customer enjoyment. Mo’s wine list isn’t driven by trends, but I’ll often find I’m drinking something obscure, varietals I didn’t even know were around.