The Prince and The Hawker

One sunny Sunday afternoon, I was looking for a casual lunch in Nottingham. I was spending the weekend at home getting some things done and wasn’t inspired to cook a meal. I have to admit that I’m not very good at eating out alone, so when I searched Google and found the Streetfood Club on the first floor of Victoria Centre, it sounded like the right place for me to have a low-profile meal by myself.

Walking through Victoria Centre and then into the Streetfood Club, there were multiple seating options – typical two- and four-top tables, picnic style tables for bigger groups, as well as bar-style seating along the tables. You choose a table and then scan the QR code on the table to order your food and drinks from any of the street food stalls. This is great as you can peruse everything there is on offer and everybody in your group can get what they are craving. You can even order from multiple stalls in one order. Payment was slightly more convoluted than the regular Google Pay/Apple Pay style checkout, but it wasn’t too much of a hassle.

Time to Eat

After looking at all the menus, I decided on ordering from Banquet 1415, an Argentinian BBQ outlet. I ordered the Choripán, which is simply a chorizo served inside bread, or pan. You have a choice of sauces when you order any of the sandwiches, and I chose to have the chimichurri and pickled onions. Even taking into account that it was quite late in the afternoon and the place wasn’t that busy, the food was served very quickly. The drink I ordered (from the separate bar) was delivered in 2 minutes, and within 6 minutes, I was called to pick up my sandwich at the Banquet 1415 stall.

Normally, I would never choose to eat what was essentially a hot dog as a meal, except at a fair or amusement park. But this was a whole different experience and felt like an actual meal rather than a snack.

I found the baguette nicely toasted. This was a good contrast to the tangy chimichurri that soaked just the right amount into the bread. The chorizo itself was perfectly grilled, and balanced well with the spiciness of the chimichurri. It wasn’t “burn your mouth off” heat but had the right amount of kick to it. The sandwich was served on a bed of chips that were tossed in a unique-tasting spice blend. When the oils and juices from the sandwich dripped onto the chips, it changed the taste of them slightly and made me want to eat more, even though I found the dish slightly on the salty side. At £8, this satisfying meal was a steal.

Final Thoughts

I think the Streetfood Club is a great concept. I could definitely see myself stopping by for a quick bite to eat while shopping in Victoria Centre, or purposely visiting just to eat at the various stalls. The sandwich I had at Banquet 1415 this time was a tasty treat with multiple layers of flavours. I do wish there was a bit more balance in seasoning, but it’s not something I would complain about. I’ll definitely be back to try the other items on their menu (empanadas!), as well as the other tasty looking outlets.