Get ready to meet street-food's newest and most intriguing addition...... the Egg Hopper.
Say what.
Since jumping onto London’s exploding-food-scene-social-media-band-wagon, Egg Hoppers have been making weekly appearances on my instagram feed, generating quite the collection of drool-worthy food-porn. Anticipation has been building. Safe to say I have been awaiting this moment for quite some time now.
[Other than having the most energetic name in street food] what is an Egg Hopper. While I will let Chef Emily Dobbs do most of the talking here, in short, it is a Sri Lankan breakfast specialty, consisting of a crêpe-like fermented rice flour and coconut batter, into which is nestled a gently steamed egg, and topped with an assortment of beautifully flavoured sambals and garnishes, among which: the most incredible onion chutney, pomegranate jewels, fresh coriander and lime. *cue mouth-water*
Out of courtesy, you shall receive a fork. But pay little attention, as it shall not come to the rescue. How to proceed upon receipt of your hopper: fold top third of hopper down over egg, fold bottom third of hopper up over top third, gently press, carefully lift, and slowly navigate one end towards mouth. Bite. Savour. And try not to go Jackson-Pollock on your neighbours with your yolk (or self. No comment...).
Literally an explosion of juxtaposed colour, flavours, and textures, coming together in perfect harmony. Once you start, there is no going back; you’ll be wishing you had a Weligama in your kitchen every day.
The only person in all of London to bring you Sri Lanka’s Egg Hopper tradition, (and I’m quite certain you’d be hard-pressed to locate these anywhere else in the world, other than Sri Lanka…) coolest new kid on the street-food block, and whipping up quite the storm all over town, (this original? deservingly so), I can’t help but feel the inconspicuous Druid St. Market (an absolute favourite in London, courtesy of TOAST Magazine) is truly the place to go for the ultimate hopper experience.
All I have left to say is this: I love discovering the best new this that and the other in street food. Particularly in London's ever evolving scene. But originality is often lacking. This here? Best and most innovative damn street food I've tried in a long time. I'm already fantasising about next week's (dessert) Honey Hopper (which I clearly missed out on this week. Such a novice). Even better? Go the whole 9 yards and have yourself a 3 course hopper menu. Uh. Yes please.
