Wednesday 3rd April 2024

Had left Aki a birthday card, some chocolates, some drink freezer stones, and a small bottle of champagne out on the dining room table for her to stumble across this morning. She was up with the alarm to prepare for Rowing Club, and cycled off before I got up and porridged at the computer. Worked until 1230...broke for my constitutional, and walked up Highgate Hill. Had a mushroom quiche and a latte at Gail's at the top of the hill, then walked back down, popping into Archway Library on the way. Bumped into Katherine, who said she'd just delivered some winter greens from her Community Garden to Aki. 

Bumped into Claire outside her house at No.88...she declared she thought she had Covid, as she'd lost her sense of taste...I told her I was taking Aki out for a very expensive meal tonight, and edged away. Aki was in when I got back, sorting through Katherine's greens...dunno what we're going to do with them all! Helen and Martin called round to wish Aki a Happy Birthday...they stopped for a mug of tea, and we had a catch up. 

We ventured out at 1800 and caught a No.91 bus for Caledonian Road, where we changed to the Overground and made for Hackney Wick. Train was busy...lots of young people now living in Hackney Wick...a small city has gone up over the last ten years. We found our way to Silo, on the upper floor of an old Victorian era warehouse fronting onto the River Lea Navigation (Aki passes it often every time she goes rowing). Nicely kitted out inside...very simple, and very modern. We partook of the £75 a head sample tasting menu...the maitre d' was cognisant of Aki's birthday, and produced a couple of glasses of complimentary fizzy wine. The small plates came one at a time, and with the exception of the minced rabbit in a sourdough dumpling, were very flavoursome. The pork char sui was especially good, with a salsa verde and pureed beans. 

They brought out a tiny chocolate brownie with a candle stuck in it at the end of the meal. We chatted with the maitre d' about the origins of the eaterie, and their unusual sustainability aims...they re-use as much of the food waste as they can...for example, their sourdough loaf leaves some spent sourdough, which they use to make the biscuit in the ice-cream sandwich. And they are working with a neighbouring ceramicist on producing small plates made from crushed glass and clay waste. He got our coats, and we headed home the way we had come, just managing to miss the Arsenal supporters coming out of the Emirates after their game against Luton Town...