Southbank street food - bringing flavours from Africa to London

The sun is out and I'm in the mood for fun.  Fun = food (not exclusively..).  I called a friend and arranged to meet up at the foot of the London Eye.  I hadn't seen her for a few weeks.  It took me all of three minutes to dispense with the niceties and point her in the direction of the Southbank Centre.  Ah yes, the Thames is lovely and oh, look at that jolly band playing....now get me some food!  The Real Food Market is a summer market of artisan food.  I have to say, 90% of it is NOT vegan but I did manage to scout out a street food vendor with two large pans releasing intoxicating aromas that were vegan.  Black eyed beans, tomato and spices and spinach, lentil and melon seed (crushed,I have never seen it used in this way before).  Both were absolu...bloody...lutely delicious.  The flavours deep, the spice subtle but very present..if that makes sense...a chili blast, no, more a flickering flame of heat.  I am going to use a word not often uttered from my lips.  Marvelous. 

My pics don't offer even a nano idea of how good it was. The plaintains on the top gave the dish all the flavours my taste buds have to tick off their sensation hit list.  It was served with a huge smile too...that always helps, when the chef is loved up with his or her culinary creations.

I know the sun had lots to do with it but the little square had such a nice atmosphere, great for people watching.  There are a few tables to eat at, but mostly little plastic yellow cubes to sit on.  There are tweets and song of bird call piped from speakers on the Hayward gallery and you can peruse street art portraits across the way.  Around the corner you can watch the boarders at the skate park bust a few moves before tugging off your socks and creating a few sandcastle masterpieces at the temporary festival beach.