Mouth-defying Burgers at The Star by Hackney Downs

We all know what a burger is, right? A bun, a meat patty, some veggies and ketchup - cheese too, if you’re lucky.

Flickr/Nick Perrone

Well think again. 

The Yeah! Burger pop-up at The Star by Hackney Downs, Queensdown Road, offers a different mind-boggling burger-creations every week. Once you try its unusual offerings, you'll never eat a plain old McDonald's again. 

The food... 

Tobias Lawrence, The Star’s supervisor, told us about this week’s crazy creation: the ‘Frankie Boyle’. 

Named after the infamously acerbic Scottish comic, this burger really is one hell of a mouthful. Lawrence said: “They’ve made their own scotch eggs, which they cut in half and use as buns, then stack more meat in the middle.

“It really fills your protein quota for the week”. 

Our taste-tester struggled to pick up the “over the top and messy” burger, let alone finish it. 

Yeah! Burger’s past offerings include the Ramen Burger - which substitutes a burger bun for ramen noodles - and an Asian-inspired burger packed with deep-fried oysters.

More conservative burgers, such as your standard American cheese burger, can be found on the regular menu, but with so much choice on offer it’d almost be a sin to stick to your old faithfuls. 

The Star...

If the food is surprising, the venue is extraordinary. 

From the outside, The Star looks like a run-down, local dive. Inside, it’s a hipster’s haven - complete with candle-lit tables, up-cycled furniture and toilets with saloon doors. 

The Star’s laid-back, anything-goes atmosphere will put diners at ease as they tuck into wacky culinary creations. 

“It’s a very friendly, nice crowd’, Mr Lawrence said: “there’s always a good vibe”.    

The future...

The burger bounty at The Star won’t be running dry anytime soon, as Mr Lawrence told us that Christmas-themed burgers could be on the horizon. 

Ten Things To Do in Hackney in Autumn

The days are getting colder, the nights are getting darker and people keep telling you how many days there are ‘till Christmas. Yes, that’s right, we’re officially in ‘Autumn’. Here at Hackney Post we’ve compiled a lovely list of things to keep you and your family busy during the season; so dust off the cobwebs, don your hats and scarves and get exploring Hackney! 

  1. Broadway Market. Broadway Market is a Hackney institution, so if you haven’t visited yet now’s your chance. Browse the stalls selling quality fruit and veg, fresh fish, bread, cakes and cheese – and maybe try some samples too. Autumn means harvest-time, so the fare is sure to be extra delicious. The Broadway Market takes place from 9am – 5pm every Saturday, and runs from London Fields park to the Regent’s Canal. 

Flickr/Matthew Black

  2. Gone Girl at Hackney Picturehouse. This domestic thriller based on Gillian Flynn’s bestselling novel is bound to keep you entertained on a nippy Autumn evening. Hackney Picturehouse - a relatively small, local cinema - is the perfect setting for such an intimate film. Visit Picturehouse Cinemas’ website for dates and times. 

  3. Hackney fireworks display. On Saturday 8 November you can enjoy a ‘spectacular show of fireworks set to music’ at Clissold Park, Stoke Newington. There will be illuminated stilt-walkers, an aerialist and stalls selling traditional bonfire-night fare. This is the first fireworks display in Hackney in over 10 years; here’s hoping it goes off with a bang. Gates open at 5pm and the display starts at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £7.50 for adults and £2.50 for children and must be bought in advance from the Hackney Empire box office. 

  4. Walkabout in Hackney. The weather’s getting grimmer, but that doesn’t mean fitness should go on the back-burner. This free walking tour will meet at noon every Thursday from 8 October – 18 December at St Joseph’s Café. The walkabout is a great opportunity to explore the local area, meet new people and burn a few calories. The tour is open for those aged 18-80. For more information email Charlotte Griffin.

  5. A Gothic and Ghostly Gathering - a night at The Geffrye Museum. Get geared up for Halloween with an evening of spine-tingling live music, readings, anecdotes and ballads from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries at The Geffrye Museum. The event takes at 7pm on 6 November. Tickets cost £16 and £13 for concessions and the price includes a glass of wine. 

  6. Hackney Flashers Exposed - photography exhibition. On their 40th anniversary this feminist photo-collective will discuss their work and the importance of groups like themselves. In the 1970s their exhibitions ‘Women and Work’ and ‘Who’s Holding the Baby?’ broke the mold, and art-lovers will get a chance to see them again on the day. The free talk takes place on the 12 October at 2pm at Chats Palace Arts Centre, Homerton.

  7. Luminous Lanterns workshop Looking for something to keep the kids occupied over half-term? Try the Luminous Lanterns workshop at The Geffrye Museum. Kids aged 11 and over will get the chance to create their own atmospheric lantern inspired by patterns in the museum’s collection. The workshop takes place from 2 – 4pm on 29 October. To book contact The Geffrye Museum.

  8. Verden cheese and wine bar. Enjoy some fine wine, fresh cheese and cured meat at this newly-opened bar/restaurant. Food and drink is affordable, but the decor oozes sophistication. Verden is a perfect venue for a relaxed evening with friends or a partner. You can find it on Clarence Road, Clapton. 

  9. Ghost-sign walking tour. On 2 November ‘Mr Ghostsigns’ Sam Roberts will lead a tour around Stoke Newington exploring the relics of advertisements past. This is one for the history-lover...or the advertising exec! Tickets cost £12.50 and must be booked in advance. 

Flickr/David Holt London

  10. Hot Yoga Warm yourself up this Autumn with some hot yoga. Classes are held in a room heated to 40 degrees, so you’re guaranteed to get extra sweaty as you stretch. Hotpod Yoga runs morning and evening classes at its all-new ‘Roofpod’ in London Fields. Single class passes start at £12.

The Meowvement: Parody Twitter Account Helps ISIS Recruit Teens

Pro-Islamists are recruiting teens to the jihadist militant group ISIS via a Twitter account that shares pictures of cats.

‘Islamic State of Cat’ (@ISILcats) is ISIS’s latest propaganda tactic, and aims to show prospective jihadis its more benevolent side. The parody twitter account features pictures of fully-armed jihadi fighters posing with cats, kittens and puppies, handing out food to local children during Ramadan and eating pancakes.

The unidentified owner of the account has social media savvy, adopting the seemingly innocuous internet language ‘Lolcat’, which was made popular by picture-sharing website icanhas.cheezburger.com. Islamic State of Cat’s ‘twitter bio’ reads ‘I Can Haz Islamic State Plz :)’, while the jihadi fighters pictured are referred to as ‘Mewjahid’ – a catlike take on the Arabic word Mujahid, meaning one who struggles for the state of Allah or Islam.

The account has gained 3,721 followers since it was created on the 25^th of June, and its popularity is growing rapidly. Follower @MyWhatNinja urged people to ‘go follow @ISILcats because islam + cats = world peace’, while @OccupyMyCat said Islamic State of Cat ‘have this social media thing nailed’.

Islamic State of Cat’s first tweet - ‘Bismillah, we start in the name of Allah’ - makes its owner’s religious leaning clear. The account holder also retweeted a tweet by user @RadioRome, labelling ‘USA’ ‘The biggest oppressor […] rapist […] [and] slanderer’ ‘on earth’.

Islamic State of Cat blends aggression with cuteness; ‘most important thing to put in your ammunition vest and bring to battle is a kitten’ reads the caption to a picture of a ginger moggy. The cats pictured have been named after notorious Islamic extremists Abu Abdullah al-Rashid al-Baghdadi and Abu Hamza al-Masri, who was extradited to the US last October. ISIS jihadi Abu Muhammad al Amkiri – who lived in the US for 10 years before joining the cause – is shown ‘hugging’ a lamb in a picture the Islamic State of Cat describes as ‘Cuteness Defined’.

The parody account has a serious aim: recruiting young Muslims from the West to fight in Syria and elsewhere. Islamic State of Cat retweeted a video of secretive ISIS leader Caliph Ibrahim (Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi)’s speech, in which he demands Muslims to ‘obey’ and ‘assist’ him. Bizarrely, Islamic State of Cat also extended their appeal for ISIS recruits to Muslim One Direction boy-band member Zayn Malik, claiming he ‘needs to join jihad, not be another dumb sissy celebrity’.

The plea to Malik may have been a joke but there may be many young extremists who see the site as a call, or meow, to arms.