United Kingdom

London

Cafe

Food

Hot4U

During the infancy of a global pandemic and Chefs Matthew and Eddy needing to relieve their creative itch somehow, Hot 4 U was born. Their mission was to deliver fun to peoples homes and blow the blues away with some distractions whilst remaining true to our ethical roots. 

I mean I guess the reason we love London for its connection to food is for the list below. It doesn’t matter which side of midnight you are, you’re always guaranteed some good munch.

Walk in and show yourself to a table. Order the off-menu ox heart and thank me later. It’s a 420 hotbox heaven of smoke. Like the tastiest damn smoke there is. If we powered London on Umut lamb rib smoke, I guarantee we’d be much happier little city dwellers. Cash only, so don’t be a dum dum and remember your purse. Be nice and they’ll give you a T-shirt. I was laughed at for eating their hottest chilli and the chef kindly patted me on the back with a heavy shovel-esque hand as if I was one of his own. I lost full sight for a few minutes. Tears streamed from my eyes. The only thing holding me down in reality was that damn delicious smoke.

You’re up at 3am. It’s not because you’re still up, wide awake, listening to your mate recalling his favourite house mixes. It’s because you are heading to fish Mecca, Billingsgate Fish Market. Get there early and you’ll see pallet trucks loaded high with goods and bounty. Marked and labelled, ready for dispatch to the likes of Ikoyi, Koya and other spots that flex that primo stuff. Before you even begin to search out your treasure across this vista of wet floors and raincoats, turn left. Take yourself into the cafe immediately. Don’t worry about the guy in front taking the crab you had your eye on, there’s more in the back. Just focus on you. A bacon and scallop roll is everything. Vinegary ketchup, butter not spread to the corners, served in a white paper bag. It feels like the joy of surf and turf - shabby chic, boujee trash - is unadulterated in every way. In that moment, right there, polystyrene cup of tea in hand you have made it to heaven.

In a parallel universe where turkey twizzlers don’t exist, this is the kinda food I wish I grew up eating.
It feels strangely like I already did. It’s all so familiar.
Walking into the gardens of an old school it feels as if you’ve already been there a thousand times. Like meeting yourself in another life.
It’s homely. I always leave feeling as if I’ve eaten amongst friends even when out for lunch alone. It’s a place where I feel safe in whatever menu choices I decide on.
As well as never ending banging menu (lunch and dinner), the wine list is always a winner and the negronis are strong as an ox.
I go for something fried, something salad-y, a fish and a potatoes pretty much every time. That said I massively over order and take some home for midnight feasting so it’s a win/win.
I have an awful lot of time for Rochelle and a deep place in my heart for it always.

My friend Siri rocks. The most humble, hardworking and genius one man show I’ve ever known. He feeds me food I’ve never tasted before. I find it incredibly inspiring to try foods like this. It widens the sandbox for me when I think of my own menus.
It makes me question ingredients and their applications.
The food always seems to be at the very peak of its flavour.
How you can push so much concentrated flavour into a stock defeats me. This is truly precision cooking with expertise.
Order EVERYTHING on the specials board.
It changes on the regular.
Memorable dishes are a spicy as fuck rabbit laab, the clams and the pomelo salad.
Remember to say ‘hi’ when you go to the toilet as you have to pass through the dish pit to get there.

Douglas McMaster treated everyone in London the day he relocated Silo from Brighton to Hackney Wick.
Read his book, take the time to understand zero waste and how we can all better our approach to reducing waste where possible or, by turning it into truly delicious, mind blowing food sorcery as Douglas does.
Sustainability can be sexy. Luxury doesn’t need to be wasteful.
There was this one dish of a humble pink fir potato with a hollandaise sauce.
The potato was brined, cooked, peeled, smoked and then introduced to a bath of brown butter. That’s a lot of process. When you eat it, you’ll understand.
They work with some fab favourites such as Flourish Farm, Duchess Farm, Fin and Flounder and Estate Dairy.
Also pop in during lockdown and grab some coffee from the white building market. Stephen and Georgia make ridiculously mean coffee.

Rochelle Canteen

Related Guides