4 minute read

Tiramisu Issue

from The London Review 2023

from The London Review 2023, page 173

Who Are The London Reviewers

By Shayla Sturgis

When I first arrived in London, I had a list of places to visit, but I was still on the lookout for potential additions. On my second night in the city, I received a message on WhatsApp from a family member with a TikTok video about an out-of-commission telephone booth converted into an outdoor kiosk to sell tiramisu. The video said the kiosk was in London and if I had the spare time, I should visit and give my review on top of taking pictures of such a novel experience. I immediately jumped on the idea of participating in such a uniquely London experience and such a great photo opportunity. Little did I know that obtaining said legendary tiramisu was going to require a tiring journey that I will never forget.

The kiosk is hosted by the Walkmisu café, selling their treats out of a café in a hotel lobby

Monday through Thursday while Friday through Sunday, between 11:00 AM and 5:00 PM, the kiosk is open and selling their treats to the people of London. The kiosk is on a corner of Russell Square, just down the street from the British Museum. So when a small group decided to take a trip to the British Museum, I tagged along, enjoying as many exhibits as I could in the short amount of time we had to explore. My plan was to take a quick pit stop for Tiramisu before heading to our next destination. This was when the group discovered we had confused the dates for the café and the kiosk. Since it was Thursday, the kiosk wasn’t open, and I would have to come back another day. This, however, did not deter me.

I tested my luck again on the weekend, this time with a larger group in hopes that we would get a sweet tiramisu reward. We traveled by tube and through the rain, but when we arrived, the doors were shut tight on the kiosk, the address of the cafe listed on the door. Despite our dismay, we headed toward the listed address and came upon the cafe in the hotel lobby to which we were greeted by the owner who was closing the cafe for the day. The owner offered to open the cafe again in order for us to eat, but to save them the inconvenience and also potentially preserve our opportunity to enjoy the novelty of the kiosk, we decided we would return later. The owner informed us they would open the kiosk later. So, we took a detour to the London Review

Bookstore, allowing time for a quick coffee under an umbrella outside. We soon realized the rain wasn’t going away anytime soon, and actually seemed to be growing stronger. We waited under the covered seating for about a half hour when the rain reached a lull, before returning to Russell Square, only to find the owner outside of the cafe. It turns out, the kiosk isn’t open when it’s raining. So after our long wait, we headed back to the tube, tiramisu-less, determined not to let our misfortune and the rain deter the rest of our day.

We spent the rest of the day sightseeing, visiting the remnants of the original London Bridge at St. Magnus the Martyr’s Church, taking photos of the city from the current London Bridge, and walking along the gorgeous Tower Bridge. At some point, the rain stopped, and being before five o’clock, I decided I would give the kiosk another try for the sake of my family living vicariously through my trip, taking a few group members with me. We took the tube back across town, but when we arrived, no owner was in sight and the doors to the phone booth were locked up tight once again. As my third failure, I, along with the rest of my group, gave up hope of ever trying this tiramisu.

On the final day of the trip, I visited Portabello Market in the early morning, but after scanning the booths, I was left to decide what to do with the rest of my day when the solution dawned on me. If I was going to try that tiramisu, the time would be now. It was a solo journey and I would have to pay for the extra tube ride back, but I was determined to make this simple dream a reality.

From the Circle at Westbourne Park to King’s Cross and the Piccadilly to Russell Square, I exited the station, and there it was, two red phone booths side by side, doors wide open. I beamed as I took photos with the phone booths. I’m almost certain the owner recognized me, giving me an awkward smile, most likely confused by my determination. I, however, was over the moon and on such a warm, bright afternoon, I found an empty park bench to relax and take my first bite. The verdict is that the tiramisu was good. It was enough to decide that I would eat more again, but if I’m being honest, it wasn’t even the best tiramisu I’d eaten. Nonetheless, the triumph was sweetest of all as I ate my tiramisu and reflected on my trip up to that point. Though I still had the rest of the evening, one last group dinner, and another show, as I took the last bite of my classic tiramisu, I concluded that the trip was already a success and if I had the chance to go on this wild tiramisu chance again, I wouldn’t even hesitate.

Solomon Park is a senior graduating in May 2023. He is majoring in Philosophy and minoring in Business. He enjoys cooking, tennis, and going to art museums. Solomon’s favorite part of London was visiting Wimbledon and going to the British Museum. In the fall, he will be attending Minnesota Law.