I regularly pass this restaurant on my walk home from work (well, depending on which route I take) and I recently noticed that it had apparently experienced a fire. I looked up the news accounts and learned a fire was only half the story!
This place has been sort of cursed in recent years. It used to be a pub called The Salt House that many of my co-workers frequented. There was a huge neighborhood uproar when the pub closed and rumors circulated that it would become a shisha bar. Eventually, it became this place -- which opened just in time for the pandemic and the lockdowns and thus never seemed to quite get off the ground. (Granted, I only ever pass by during the day so maybe it was busier at night. I have no idea whether shisha was on the menu.)
At some point, after London reopened post-Covid, it became Monak, a "pan-Asian sushi restaurant" according to subsequent news accounts, and seemed to be chugging along if not exactly prospering. (Again, I never saw it at night.)
Then, on April 28, it caught fire -- and as I said, that's only half the story. Apparently around 10:30 that night, a gang of men wearing balaclavas barged in, poured gasoline around the place and set it alight -- while it was full of diners. People ran screaming out into the street.
Now it's closed up tight, with plywood over the broken windows and all the elegant furniture piled on the roof, and police are allegedly investigating. Since it was almost certainly a targeted attack it seems like it shouldn't be too hard to figure out who might be behind it. I would love to know the rest of the story so hopefully the authorities will sort it out. Stay tuned!
I am so glad it's the weekend. Yesterday was another only moderately busy day, but I did have to yell at my ninth-grade nemeses once again for horsing around on the library furniture. Three boys were sitting on chairs at a table and a fourth came and started pushing them around and pretty soon they were all piled up, an octopus of flailing arms and legs, atop the tilting chairs. They were in the middle of class and the teacher was so engrossed in her lesson that she didn't even notice. (She also allegedly didn't hear me yell at them, although I'm sure everyone else on our floor did.)
The contractors never showed up last week to install the bathroom extractor fan as promised, so who knows what's going on there. I assume they're going to do it along with the rest of the renovations beginning on Monday. We shall see.
(Second photo: Our dish drainer at work, apropos of nothing.)
The story of the fire (attack) sounds frightening. I can’t wait to hear the lurid details. Those 9th-graders would really piss me off, and their teacher is in denial (i.e., lying) if she says she didn't notice.
ReplyDeleteNice dishes. That teacher needs to get her nose out of her phone and pay attention.
ReplyDeleteThe fire attack sounds alarming.
I can't wait for the fire update. I love a good mystery!
ReplyDeleteAt least people do the dishes at work.
Here's hoping the fan will be installed next week. Fingers crossed a lot of noise is made next week!!
Now I'm intrigued about the fire. I cannot imagine dining out and having people come in and set the place on fire.
ReplyDeleteHow bizarre! The restaurant attack, I mean. Those must have been some very unsatisfied customers.
ReplyDelete(Ha!)
Thank goodness it's about time for school to be out. Those kids are obviously completely done with it. At least in their minds.
Those boys might have a lucrative future in the fire business.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to hearing more about the balaclavas gang.
ReplyDeleteGood grief. Someone ought to have a word with that teacher -- or maybe you did. Isn't school out soon or do you run year-round? Bet you'll be glad to say goodbye to that group. Will they be back next year or a different school? One can hope.
ReplyDeleteHow sad about the fire -- and almost a great tragedy for people. Please keep us posted on the restaurant story.
I can't imagine being in a restaurant and having a gang come in and set it on fire. That's wild, scary, and crazy. Looking forward to hearing more about this.
ReplyDeleteIt's crazy that the teacher didn't hear the young lads fighting. I'm guessing that she has learned to just ignore those little hooligans.
The fire sounds like mob activity. Someone didn't pay protection.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you need stronger threats against the library hooligans! It sounds as if the teacher has checked out.
That was a brazen attack on the restaurant. Now you've got my curiosity as to what is the rest of the story.
ReplyDeleteThat fire sounds really sad and to store the furniture on the roof sounds crazy. Rain and moisture will certainly ruin it, but perhaps a big insurance payout is what they are hoping for. I would also like to know the rest of the story.
ReplyDeleteThis weekend came too fast for me. I went to visit my daughter and family and came home yesterday extremely exhausted. Still I tossed and turned most of the night.
Those teenagers, especially the bully needs a reality check along with that teacher. She just didn't want to get involved and let you handle it. Sounds like she is enabling bad behavior.
Enjoy your weekend.
That fire story is worthy of a TV drama. I'll be interested in hearing more as you uncover more of the story.
ReplyDeleteThose kids sound like quite a bunch of trouble makers. I wonder if the teacher really didn't see what was going on or if she ignored it.
Can you ban disruptive children from the library? Maybe put them in time out in a broom closet? I missed your blog post yesterday, we had to be up and out to get a ride in and then go for the dreaded Shingrex vax. Anyway, May 21, 2007 I was in a hospital bed in the living room of the house we were renting, amusing myself with photographing squirrels who were coming to the yard for the 40lbs of corn we dumped on the yard. That was pre-blog.
ReplyDeletere the restaurant. sounds like someone wasn't paying their protection money to the asian mob.
ReplyDeleteI suppose you could bnish those boys from the library.
Can we see the purple handed mug properly
ReplyDeleteThat fire is so weird because it doesn't seem like a place that would get targeted. My parents and I had a favorite Indian restaurant; the owners were a lovely couple, so gracious and soft-spoken. Then they were killed execution style; I never heard of any arrests, but it was considered a political hit by some kind of opposition group in India. I agree with Allison that if you can, you need to report the students to the teacher(s) and the admin.
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine being in a restaurant and having something like that happen! If targeting the owners, that's really cold to plan the attack when the place was filled with diners. I hope the authorities are able to get to the bottom of it.
ReplyDeleteDitto to all your commenters who want to know more about the restaurant attack.
ReplyDeleteHow scary for the diners!
ReplyDeleteI've had a VERY busy week - I worked 10-12 hours for three of the days, and did three hours of work (from home) today. Next week will be really busy again, and then I can settle back into my usually quiet work life. Now I'm off to read all of your posts that I've missed this week!
I think my comments are disappearing again. I was so sure I posted one yesterday but don't see it now...
ReplyDeleteHope your weekend is going well.
Mitchell: I agree. I think she was embarrassed that she didn't intervene and so pretended she hadn't noticed. She COULDN'T have not noticed.
ReplyDeleteRiver: I thought it was a colorful, photogenic assortment!
Caro: Yeah, my co-workers are fortunately pretty good about keeping things clean.
Bob: I KNOW! That must have been scary as heck.
Ms Moon: I wish I were done with it in MY mind.
Fresca: Ha! Are they in training to be purveyors of chaos?
Colette: So am I! This is where the American press would have much more of a story. The British press is so reticent in reporting about crime, partly because of legal restrictions.
Robin: I think she heard them but, as I said above, was embarrassed that she didn't do more.
Boud: I agree. It sounds like some kind of shady underworld business deal. Someone owed money on a loan or didn't pay protection.
Red: If I hear anything I'll let you know!
Beth: My guess is the furniture is already beyond repair from the fire and smoke.
Sharon: It DOES sound like a movie, doesn't it? Re. the teacher, I think the latter.
Allison: A hospital bed?! We can ban students but not if they're in the library with a class. I could kick them out during free time, though. (And often do!)
Ellen: Well, the restaurant is Asian, but who knows if the mob is!
John: It's my boss's tea mug! I'll get a full shot next week.
Margaret: Wow! What a crazy story. I can't imagine being tangled up in something so terrible that it costs a life.
Kelly: Me too! Surely the restaurant owners must have some indication who would be after them. Whether they're free to speak about it is another question.
Catalyst: If I hear more I'll let you know!
Bug: Well, thanks for stopping in amid your busy week! Hope things settle down soon!
Ellen D: I'll check spam! I usually check it daily but I may have forgotten yesterday...
I'm late to this post but I just have to ask, what is the appropriate tip to leave for you meal if someone sets the place on fire while you are eating it?
ReplyDeleteJeanie: Sorry, your comment was in spam! Argh! Yes, we will be out of school in a little less than a month. (We're ending a bit later and starting a bit earlier than in the past to increase "contact time," or instructional time, with the students.)
ReplyDeleteEd: Maybe it depends on how much service you've had up to that point. If you've had your mains, I'd say you owe the full 15 percent. Just fling it on the table as you run out. :)