pockets
Takeout Restaurant · Hackney Central ·
Steamed pitas stuffed with falafel, salads, hummus, tahini, zhoug
Steamed pitas stuffed with falafel, salads, hummus, tahini, zhoug
"Although Pockets opened at the very backend of 2020 there’s no contesting that it’s one of 2021 most impressive and important restaurant openings. Would the takeaway-only falafel stall in London Fields be as popular without all the outdoor dining rules? One bite will answer that." - jake missing, rianne shlebak
"It’s great when people get it. What ‘it’ is always tends to be pretty nebulous, but hugely important. And in the case of Pockets - a little falafel stall in London Fields - they get it. They get that a pitta needs to be layered. A crisp still-hot falafel, cabbage salad, hummus, zhoug, a drizzle of amba, tahini. Repeat. No one thing is hidden, no one perfect bite combining the falafel, the sauces, the tart crunch of cabbage and the hit of (essential) pickled chilli is rationed. It’s the full shebang 100% of the time. But even before they started layering everything into their soft, pillow-y pockets, we asked “what’s that?” nodding towards a crispy wedge waiting to be slipped on top at the end. “It’s a deep-fried potato”. They get it." - heidi lauth beasley, jake missing
"From a mono-product street food stall in Netil Market, warm, fluffy steamed pitta “pockets” here are theatrically stuffed, to order, with freshly fried falafel, loads of different salads, a slice of fried potato, hot chilli, tahina, chilli sauce, pickles, and seemingly much else. A sensationally fortifying lunch from one of London’s most popular vegan outfits." - Adam Coghlan
"A visit to Pockets begins with that quintessentially British pastime of queuing. And here — unlike the falafel stands of Israel — there is order. The anticipation of those waiting is tangible, particularly as nowhere else in Netil Market has the same queue, and diners lucky enough to be in line can smell the fried falafel; watch the neat assemblage of layers; and listen to the music of Zohar Argov, just as they would in Israel’s Mizrahi markets. The pita bread is steamed to serve hot and everything is made in-house, coming together in a chorus of contrast: the textures of the pillowy bread and crunchy falafel; the flavours of the nutty tahini; sharp amba, and the fresh and herbal falafel. This is the best version of falafel-in-bread in London, and is definitely worth the queue." - Joel Hart
"The fluffy steamed pitas at this stall on Netil Market are stuffed with a rainbow of salad, freshly fried falafel of the smooth textured kind, hummus, tahina, zhoug, a fried battered slice of potato just to gild the lily and on request Itamar’s amba. He seemed worried about people liking it, but it’s possibly the mellowest and brightest tasting amba in London, mango pickle with pops of lemony acidity. The wrap be big enough for two sensible people to share, but really it’s just the perfect main course." - James Hansen