A visit to Koshari Street

Street food is big. Not just in places where eating on the street is the only place many people can afford, but in happening neighbourhoods around the rich world too. Burrito trucks, Korean barbecue in a taco, ceviche, you name it; all are available on the streets of London and Los Angeles, Sydney and San Francisco. They have strange exotic takes on porchetta on the streets of Raleigh, North Carolina, and pizza ovens parked in English railway station forecourts. In many neighbourhods you can barely move for falafels. One of the iconic street foods of Egypt – koshari – is now available in London, in a slightly upmarket hole in the wall place. I've always maintained that this podcast is not about happening restaurants or the latest groovy cocktails, but the chef who made Koshari Street happen happens to be a friend, so on a recent visit, I went to try for myself. And, of course, we talked about far more than the restaurant.   Notes Koshari Street is at 56 St Martin’s Lane, London, WC2N 4EA. And online Anissa Helou is also online and her book Mediterranean Street Food is still available. We were interrupted by Lauren Bohn, and she too has an online presence, although there’s not much evidence there of her interest in food.