The Prince and The Hawker

It’s no secret that London is full of street food markets. A popular one is Old Spitalfields Market in East London. It is one of the few markets in London open every day of the week. The layout of the market is relatively simple, arranged in concentric squares. On a crowded weekend though, you could easily find yourself lost for hours darting from one shiny stall to another. In the outer layer, individual shop spaces house both retail stores and restaurants. The middle square has artisan market stalls intermixed with small food stands. The innermost square, named “The Kitchens”, houses the larger food stalls.

The market is a huge covered space with a history of over 350 years. Traders had been operating in the very spot the market stands today since the mid-1600s. Throughout the 1700s and 1800s, the market was frequented by the diverse and ever-changing immigrant community in Spitalfields. Through the Victorian era and into the 20th century, Spitalfields and the market went through periods of decline and rejuvenation. The actual market moved northeast to Leyton in 1991 (New Spitalfields Market). The Old Spitalfields Market that now stands in the original space opened in 2005.

One lazy Saturday, I decided to wander through the market in search of a bite to eat. I didn’t necessarily want a full sit-down meal, so I thought the various food stalls in the market would offer the perfect bite. After perusing the stalls offering street food from all around the world, a familiar item jumped out at me from the Pleasant Lady stand.

This outfit served jiānbǐng (traditional Chinese: 煎餅; simplified Chinese:  煎饼), a traditional Chinese street food that can be roughly translated as a pan-fried pancake. These folded crepe-like packages are fairly ubiquitous across China and in locales with large numbers of the Chinese diaspora, like Vancouver, Canada, where I grew up. As a child, I remember seeing jiānbǐng being expertly crafted with plumes of fragrant steam at numerous Asian night markets in Canada.

Time to Eat

I decided to order the original veggie jiānbǐng with no extra filling. The staff behind the counter were very efficient simultaneously taking and preparing orders. The jiānbǐng were made to order so there was a little bit of a queue. But the queue moved quickly and the orders were flying out of the stall.

It was mesmerising to watch the staff prepare the jiānbǐng in front of my eyes. They first spread batter on the flat grill and cracked an egg on top. Once it had cooked for a bit they spread on a sweet and savoury sauce, and then piled on veggies and herbs. I loved seeing the big bunch of coriander they added. Lastly, they add a crispy fried layer before expertly wrapping up the jiānbǐng to serve.

When I received my jiānbǐng, the wonderful aromas made me want to bite straight into it, though I had to wait for it to cool down a bit. Once I could, I found the first bite a mix of textures. The soft exterior combined with the gooey egg and crispy centre made the jiānbǐng interesting from start to finish. The vegetables and herbs inside stayed fresh and crispy and the sauce brought a savoury and warming heat that sat well in my belly. I couldn’t help but be transported back to my childhood, happily nibbling away on this snack that my parents bought me.

Final Thoughts

Old Spitalfields Market is a great place to find a quick bite to eat or a more substantial meal. With all the different outlets, there is something for everybody, even if you have are with a large group of friends.

Pleasant Lady’s jiānbǐng offering is alluring both from the smells and the live preparation while you wait. The preparation style and ingredients gave an air of authenticity to the jiānbǐng. Even though I chose the base veggie version this time, it was still full of flavour and interesting textures. I will definitely stop by again and try the different meat fillings and other snacks and drinks Pleasant Lady has to offer.