marek kazmierski & aga kucharko
So, after months of micro-hype, OFF_ served its first meal to the public on Thursday. Considering literary diners in London today are spoilt for choice when it comes to spoken word events, how did it all taste?
The ingredients (books, films, projector, screen, posters, etcrrrrra) which should have been ready weeks ago only arrived at the Bedroom Bar with hours to spare. The first guests were already sitting down when head chef Bartek Dziadosz got busy with his Mac pots’n'pans. Maitre d’ Marek Kazmierski, as is typical of catering staff, had had one too many by the time serving time came up. But at least the main dishes of the evening, Lilian Tietjen and Sam Taradash, were fresh and in plentiful supply.
Owner of the Deconstruction Project chain of art eateries, Aga Kucharko, flew in late to have all the furniture shoved around, posters put up and guests charmed.
For starters, we had a watermellonblues poem from America’s Phil Boiarski, spiced with Basia Bartz’s photos. This was followed by a shot of bi-lingual cocktail, Kinga Stanczuk grilling Marek K in Polish, while the grilled answered in English. Chaotic, but plenty of boozy bite. Prose poetry next from Britain, Maria Jastrzebska’s At the border keeping us well fed, Damian Chrobak’s photos adding to the mix.
The main course followed, a semi-screening of Through The Grey Zone, a film cooked up by Lilian Tietjen, with the able literary and vocal genius of her co-chef Sam Taradash. The rowdy crowd stayed silent throughout the film, though they weren’t so quiet when it came to the post-screening q’&’a – Ms Kucharko had to shut them up with a few well aimed screams.
Dessert came in the form of Pawel Gawronski’s acoustic set. He refused to be served with electric amplification, preferring to be consumed naked. His voice true, his guitar sweet, he sang four songs and even those who would not usually have ordered their dessert in Polish felt fulfilled.
Drinks were served until 2 am, but will the Deconstruction Project ever let OFF_’s chefs back through their doors? Only if certain lessons are learnt;
- the menu has to be given to the diners before, not after the meal
- bars and poetry don’t mix well
- as in film, sound is the thing most live chefs fuck up most often
- giving diners a chance to breathe and pee between courses is good
- some dishes are too strong, some too subtle – get the mix right!
Most restaurants go bust with 18 months of opening – only time will tell if OFF_s strange take on international cuisine will survive into 2011…
Brit_Pol Minder
