Hellfire halloween at Ben's Canteen with Noshable

Halloween Dinner party - Ben's Canteen - A Noshable Event

140 St. John's Hill, Clapham

For this Halloween, Noshable, known for his previous american themed events, had organised a dinner party with the promise of suicide wings, Cuban Ropa Vieja and Pumpkin Pie. It was time for a hellish night, and with Judas is scary hot (iscariot) sauce supplied from Ribman made from naga chillis, one of the hottest on the planet, things were definitely due to heat up. 

Lighting the way

Being a North Londoner, it's normally a bit of rarity to enter the realms south of the river, but we set of to Calpham to Ben's Canteen for a good night of banter and food. As we sat down to the candle lit tables, bottles of sauce were put down of Holy fuck (mild), and Judas (hot), after having Holy Fuck from ribman at Kerb, it was ironic seeing this as the 'mild' option considering most people's inability to cope with even this. However, these has been tempered with some buffalo sauce, so it was more suitable for most punters tastes!

Do not drink the Judas straight. May result in GI failure!

First up were the suicide wings. Served in a little cardboard box with celery and a ranch dip, these were some serious good wings with the fire of the Judas making a great start to the night.

Captivating chicken wings with Judas is scary hot sauce

However, boys will be boys, and we weren't completely satisfied without trying the pure unadultered Judas sauce. Testosterone got the better of us and we plunged into a macbre naga eutopia. This is dangerous stuff, with such a delay until it kicks in you double dip thinking 'ah it's not that hot, I'll put a bit more on'. It was only until half way through my wing I felt it, and boy did I feel it. One of my friends was really struggling with his face leaking more oil in the gulf, and more needed a towel to wipe the perspiration than the kitchen roll on offer. Thankfully, an antidote in the form of a mini milk was on offer which just about nulled the pins and needles in my mouth. 

        

Bring on the pain. How Judas betrayed us

Next up was the ropa vieja a cuban stew with beef, carrots, peppers, and sherry, and plantain. Nothing like a stew on these bitter autumn nights to warm you up, not that warming was needed after the Judas. Unfortunately, I couldn't taste the first half of the dish, due to most of my senses destroyed by the naga warfare. A shame as once I was fully restored, it was that indulgent goodness, with the sweetness of the stewed veg and sherry combined with the beef well. Ropa Vieja translates as 'old clothes' in Spanish but there was nothing raggy about this, the freshness of the ingredients shone through.

The half that I could taste

For dessert was pumpkin pie and cinnamon and pumpkin ice cream from Gelupo. The pumpkin pie was created by Caroline Geany, formerly of Hummingbird Bakery to end the meal with an American diner style finish.

Pumpkin pie with Cinnamon & pumpkin ice cream from gelupo

It was an enjoyable night with good food and company to match. Thanks to Adam for letting us into the real suicide (wings) this side of Switzerland. Ben's Canteen had a nice relaxed atmosphere, I'll try and make a return here with friends in Clapham. It's nice to get together with people without drink people the sole purpose for it. Though, at £30, I think for what it was, a bit too much, maybe £25 would have been more just, considering £30 seems to be the threshold point for many great places in London. That's by the by, I've now got the taste for trying more dinner party events and supper clubs, the 'to do' list gets longer

Owen