meemalee

You might remember that the loss of Oriental City in Colindale hit me quite hard . One of the shops I adored was Utsuwa-no-yakata - our own little outpost of the international Japanese laquerware and pottery brand . I signed up to their mailing list with promises that they'd let me know if they ever resurfaced and then ... nothing. This morning I received a letter that Utsuwa is back from today and has rebranded itself as Doki Limited - and a new Japanese bakery called "tetote factory" has come to join them. Their location is Pacific Plaza which was mooted as the new version of Oriental City in Wembley Retail Park - looks like there's life after Colindale yet. UPDATE 07.12.09: Ibzo went on a reconnaissance mission on our behalf and Pacific Plaza looks mighty promising ... UPDATE 17.04.11: Looks like Doki may have closed down - see comments below. UPDATE 22.07.11: Doki reopens next month. Doki Limited Japanese Tableware 020 8903 0235 Open 7 days a week 10.00-18.30 te...

Regrets, I have a few. And one of them is that I only managed to haul my ass over to Colindale three times before the mighty Oriental City was felled by developers. Our affair was brief but intense. For instance, I immediately fell for Utsuwa No Yakata , the wondrous Japanese porcelain purveyor. The vast Oriental City supermarket was the stuff of dreams - Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Indonesian, Malaysian, Korean, Indian, Vietnamese, fresh, frozen and dried - you name it, they had it. I even managed to get fresh mentaiko there. I adored the Durian Centre with its durian shaped menus (even if it was never blimming open), the shonky Sanrio Shop, the tiny Japanese household goods shop, and the crummy little Sega Arcade. But ye gods, it was truly love at first sight when my eyes fell upon the Oriental City Food Court . From roti canai to ramen , via dimsum and som tam , through to pho and sushi, all washed down with fruity smoothies and ice kachang , every Asian and Oriental cuis...