Randomness Guide to London - Differences between Version 44 and Version 13 of Cafe East, SE16 7LH

Version 44	Version 13
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Vietnamese cafe/restaurant in the [[Locale Surrey Quays\|Surrey Quays]] shopping/leisure complex, near the [[Surrey Quays Odeon\|cinema]]. Previously situated on Evelyn Street in [[Locale Deptford\|Deptford]], it moved to Surrey Quays in Spring 2009, with the original premises now housing another Vietnamese cafe, [[Mama Pho, SE8 5DG\|Mama Pho]], run by another member of the same family.	Small cafe in Deptford serving good, authentic Vietnamese food. It has seating for maybe about 25 people. They also offer takeaway and possibly delivery. No alcohol, and it's really a cafe rather than a restaurant, but it is open in the evening.
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In complete contrast to the old street-corner cafe, the new location is large and canteen-like, with bright lighting, hard echoey surfaces, and thin paper tablecloths. There's a small waiting area near the entrance, with a ticketing system used to control waiting times — it's very popular with students, and gets very busy.	<b>Note:</b> As of February 2009, Cafe East has moved to the [[Locale Surrey Quays\|Surrey Quays]] shopping/leisure complex, near the [[Surrey Quays Odeon\|cinema]], and is due to open in mid-March. The original premises is still in the hands of the same landlord, and his son will be opening yet another Vietnamese cafe there around the same time; it'll be called something like Mama Pho (I'm sure about the Pho part, slightly less sure about the Mama part --[[Kake]]).
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[[Kake]] and friends visited on a Wednesday evening in April 2012. The place was full, but we had only a short wait for a table. Even though no music was playing, it was very noisy, with the full room and hard surfaces conspiring to make it a little difficult to hear one's companions.	[[Kake]] and [[doop]] visited the original location on a Saturday evening in December 2007; we'd been warned that we might have to queue, but we got a table straight away.
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Banh cuon (steamed rice wrappers stuffed with mushrooms and pork; £5.50) <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/7092910349/ photo]</small> were fine, but bi cuon (pork skin rolls; £5.50) <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/6946841244/ photo]</small> were fridge-cold and fairly flavourless. Goi cuon (summer rolls; £5) <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/7092911187/ photo]</small> were similarly fridge-cold and also had an unusually low proportion of prawns and pork, with an increased quantity of vermicelli and lettuce used to bulk them out; they were also lacking in the fragrant herbs that might have gone some way to remedy their lack of flavour.	We shared summer rolls to start, then both had pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) - doop had chicken, and Kake had chicken, beef, and prawn. Kake liked everything about hers: the base stock was really clear-tasting; the noodles weren't even slightly stodgy; the prawns were good big ones and not overcooked; and although the beef was well-done, it was still tender and not at all dry. Portions were very generous. Our bill was £18.20 in total, including tea (50p per person) but not service.
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A main course of bun chay/vegetarian BCNTN (vermicelli with salad and vegetarian spring rolls; £7) <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/6946842578/ photo]</small> was a generous portion, but the spring rolls were quite disappointing, with smooth wheatflour wrappers rather than the bubbly, crackly rice paper wrappers [[Kake]] had been hoping for, and a distinct flavour of tinned vegetables in the somewhat mushy filling. However, the com khau (marinated belly pork steak served on rice; £7.50) <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/6946887192/ photo]</small> ordered by another member of our party was better-received, and certainly looked tasty.	Will try the Bun Bo Hue (spicy beef soup) next time, as it's been recommended on Chowhound.
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Our final bill <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/7095614895/ photo]</small> came to £51, or £12.75/head, including tea and water. No indication was given on the bill of whether it already included a service charge.	Note that the owners of Cafe East close up and go on holiday for a month or so every year, generally around August/September.
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It's worth noting that as of April 2012 they are cash only and they don't serve tap water, only bottled mineral water. Also worth noting is that they close up and go on holiday for a month or so every year, generally around August/September.	See also: * [http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/580036 Chowhound thread] * [http://culinaryhags.blogspot.com/2005/04/caf-east.html Culinary Hags review] * [http://www.darren-ferguson.com/2199.aspx Darren Ferguson's review] * [http://food.elitistreview.com/PermaLink,guid,7a2983b9-b761-4d00-bd25-dec5693cc609.aspx Elitist Review review] * [http://frankly-cross-eyed.blogspot.com/2007/10/cafe-east.html Frankly Cross Eyed review]
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[[Kake]]'s verdict: I was a bit disappointed. I'd had the pho at the previous location (in 2007) and thought it was really good, so I'd been expecting the quality to be maintained. I didn't like the ambience in the current location half as much as in the old place, and the food on this visit wasn't good enough to make up for it.	<div class="last_verified">Last visited by [[Kake]] and [[doop]], 1 December 2007.</div>
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Accessibility: There is step-free access, but this involves negotiating a very steep ramp and a sharp turn.	Comment added by M: Went to their new location yesterday and it looked like a bomb site. This is only a personal opinion,I doubt it will open in March. Possibly early April?
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<div class="getting_here"><b>Getting here:</b> On the map, Cafe East is on the corner of Redriff Road and Quebec Way; however, the frontage and entrance face west, across the carpark and towards the bowling alley and cinema. The photo on this page was taken from the carpark.</div>	Comment added by MC: New site is now open (Easter weekend 2009). Been far too long since I've had my Cafe East fix. I was so full after eating I couldn't move. It was great :)
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See also: * Photos of the menu as of April 2012: [http://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/6935097152/sizes/l/ page 1], [http://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/7081172175/sizes/l/ page 2], [http://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/7081175069/sizes/l/ page 3], [http://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/6935102952/sizes/l/ page 4], [http://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/6935104846/sizes/l/ page 5], [http://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/7081179271/sizes/l/ page 6], [http://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/6935106886/sizes/l/ page 7] * [http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/mar/20/restaurant-review-jay-rayner-cafe-east The Observer review] (Jay Rayner) * [http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/580036 Chowhound thread] (covers both the old and new locations) * [http://www.tehbus.com/2009/06/eat-vietnamese-cafe-east-surrey-quays.html A Rather Unusual Chinaman review] * [http://bellaphon.blogspot.com/2009/05/cafe-east.html Bellaphon's review] * [http://cheap-eat-london.com/2009/07/25/cafe-east/ Cheap Eats In London review] * [http://cheesenbiscuits.blogspot.com/2010/10/cafe-east-surrey-quays.html Cheese and Biscuits review] * [http://www.eatdrinksleepshop.com/2011/11/cafe-east.html Eat Drink Sleep Shop review] * [http://littlemissrandom.blogspot.com/2009/05/two-weekends-ago-we-capped-off-my-best.html Eternally Neurotic review] * [http://helengraves.co.uk/?p=820 Food Stories review] * [http://fatcc.blogspot.com/2010/01/cafe-east.html Gluttonous Sins review] * [http://lizzieeatslondon.blogspot.com/2009/05/cafe-east-vietnamese-feast.html Hollow Legs review] * [http://cooksloweatfast.blogspot.com/2009/04/cafe-east-version-20-surrey-quays.html Not Another Big Menu review] * [http://promisesandpie.wordpress.com/2014/09/20/cafe-east-pho/ Promises And Pie review] * [http://www.thecattylife.com/2009/09/spongy-squidgy-noodles-cafe-east-and-my-exemplary-gastronomic-vocabulary/ thecattylife review] * [http://www.pigpigscorner.com/2010/03/cafe-east-london-cheap-eats.html Wild Boar review]	Prices have gone up marginally. Plenty of parking available (end of hollywood bowl car park), seats around 100 and there is now a waiting area.
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<div class="last_verified">Last visited by [[Kake]] and friends, April 2012. Opening hours taken from menu on that visit.</div> address='100 Redriff Road' category='Cafes,Restaurants,Step-Free Access,Takeaway,Vietnamese Food' edit_type='Minor tidying'	Think I might have to go again this week.... Comment added by MC: New site is on the corner of Redriff Road and Quebec Way: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?sourceid=chrome&q=surrey+quays&ie=UTF8&hl=en&layer=c&cbll=51.496147,-0.041339&panoid=OXoxD8TjjzBnsBAXq15ieg&cbp=11,351.8676254620853,,0,-1.5000000000000018&ll=51.496,-0.044138&spn=0.001516,0.013733&z=17&iwloc=B Parking entrance is the same as cinema/bowling car park address='24 Evelyn Street' category='Cafes,Restaurants,Takeaway,Temporarily Closed,Vietnamese Food' edit_type='Normal edit'
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formatted_website_text='cafeeast.co.uk' host='2a00:1098:86:4d:c0ff:ee:15:900d' hours_text='11am-3pm, 5:30pm-10:30pm Mon; closed Tue; 11am-3pm, 5:30pm-10:30pm Wed-Fri; 11am-10:30pm Sat; noon-10pm Sun' latitude='51.496389' locale='Rotherhithe,SE16,Surrey Quays' longitude='-0.041593' major_change='0' map_link='http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=536042&y=179312' node_image='https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3512/3465473077_6677186a0a_m.jpg'	formatted_website_text='' host='212.183.134.209' hours_text='' latitude='51.488135' locale='Deptford,SE8' longitude='-0.038650' major_change='1' map_link='http://streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=536159&y=178454' node_image='https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2132/2524793040_d5b5452757_m_d.jpg'
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node_image_url='https://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/3465473077/' opening_hours_text='11am-3pm, 5:30pm-10:30pm Mon; closed Tue; 11am-3pm, 5:30pm-10:30pm Wed-Fri; 11am-10:30pm Sat; noon-10pm Sun' os_x='536042' os_y='179312' phone='020 7252 1212' postcode='SE16 7LH' summary='Vietnamese canteen in Surrey Quays.' website='' website='http://www.cafeeast.co.uk/'	node_image_url='https://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/2524793040/' opening_hours_text='' os_x='536159' os_y='178454' phone='020 8691 7777' postcode='SE8 5DG' summary='Small cafe in Deptford serving good, authentic Vietnamese food - now moved to Surrey Quays and reopening in mid March 2009.' website='' website='http://www.cafeeast.co.uk/'

Small cafe in Deptford serving good, authentic Vietnamese food. It has seating for maybe about 25 people. They also offer takeaway and possibly delivery. No alcohol, and it's really a cafe rather than a restaurant, but it is open in the evening.

Note: As of February 2009, Cafe East has moved to the Surrey Quays shopping/leisure complex, near the cinema, and is due to open in mid-March. The original premises is still in the hands of the same landlord, and his son will be opening yet another Vietnamese cafe there around the same time; it'll be called something like Mama Pho (I'm sure about the Pho part, slightly less sure about the Mama part --Kake).

Kake and doop visited the original location on a Saturday evening in December 2007; we'd been warned that we might have to queue, but we got a table straight away.

We shared summer rolls to start, then both had pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) - doop had chicken, and Kake had chicken, beef, and prawn. Kake liked everything about hers: the base stock was really clear-tasting; the noodles weren't even slightly stodgy; the prawns were good big ones and not overcooked; and although the beef was well-done, it was still tender and not at all dry. Portions were very generous. Our bill was £18.20 in total, including tea (50p per person) but not service.

Will try the Bun Bo Hue (spicy beef soup) next time, as it's been recommended on Chowhound.

Note that the owners of Cafe East close up and go on holiday for a month or so every year, generally around August/September.

Randomness Guide to London Menu

Randomness Guide to London - Differences between Version 44 and Version 13 of Cafe East, SE16 7LH