Restaurant
city. What then, may you ask, is a Souk Kitchen doing in Southville? Well, the restaurant opened in
A
August 2010. Owned by head chef Darren Lovell and wife Ella, the idea was to provide the best of Middle Eastern market food to Bristol. (Ella’s Iranian father actually owned the site’s former incarnation Cafe Ceiturica.) And it seems the months of build-up to the opening was certainly worth it. Fork editor and local food writer
Mark Taylor hailed it the best new restaurant to open in 2010. Food bloggers waxed lyrical. Indeed, so popular has the restaurant become in its first year of trading that it has even started doing themed culinary evenings – giving diners a tour of the regions that inspire the menu. My only experience of Middle
Eastern cuisine being a Persian cookery course in Bath a few years ago and the odd mint tea, I decided to take along my similarly uneducated dining fellow, the ex-work husband. Luckily the staff in Souk do know what they are talking about and guided us through a very tempting menu. We were pointed in the direction of
the chef’s dips and flat bread (£5.95) and a couple of mezzes between us. It’s certainly not your average Middle Eastern gaff. Forget dark corners, golden lanterns and intricate wood work (not that there is anything wrong with any of that, of course). Souk Kitchen is awash with colour – a psychedelic, kaleidoscope mural is punctuated by jars of bright yellow preserved lemons and vivid pink pickled turnips. Tables and chairs are
souk, for those who are as uneducated in such matters as me, is a commercial quarter in an Arab or Berber
of the clean, contemporary sort while beneath a blackboard of specials is a colourful collection of cushions and a plush velvet sofa seat. The food is just as vibrant. Our
dips consisted of beetroot and tahini, parsnip and almond, and carrot and rosewater. The beetroot was wonderfully nutty and earthy with a subtle sweetness and roundedness from some cumin. The parsnip was comforting and creamy; while, the carrot was incredibly scented with the powerful rose flavour – too much so for the ex-work husband but I lapped it up with the blistered and hot, soft flatbreads. For our mezzes we both opted
for hot plates – work-hubbie, some sardine fritters (£4.10) and I, some lamb’s liver (£3.95). The fritters were almost like a fishy kofta – well- seasoned and spiced into three delicious quenelles. Served with slices of gherkins, preserved lemons and a sweet parsley pepperonata (a silky bell pepper stew often used as antipasto), the fritters were quickly devoured. My lamb’s liver was the winning
dish of the afternoon – and one I plan to attempt to recreate at home again with half the chance. The liver had been pan-fried with some pomegranate molasses. What an amazing combination. The rich offal was perfectly complemented by the sweet and sour pomegranate, while a spoonful of fresh yoghurt, red onions and smattering of tart sumac really made the dish feel incredibly light. It’s worth pointing out as well what
good value this place is. We were properly full by this point. The idea of ‘mezze plates’ might imply taster portions, but one, and some bread, is more than enough to set you up for a main meal. Try, too, the homemade drinks. Being a little early in the day for alcohol (one likes to wait until at least 3pm before cracking out the gin) and arguably the hottest day of the year so far we went for homemade lemon and mint spritzers (£2.60 each). They were cheek- clenchingly sharp and all the better for it. So refreshing and the ideal palate cleanser. But back to the food. I’d been
recommended the ghalieh mahi (that’s a southern Persian fish curry to you and me) for an incredibly reasonable £10.75. This, without question, is the best fish curry I have
The incredibly scented and flavourful dips
“THE CURRY WAS SWEET, SOUR AND HOT ALL AT THE SAME TIME”
VISITING DETAILS
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 12-10pm; Fri 12- 3.30pm, 6-10pm; Sat 10-3.30pm, 6-10pm; Sun 10am-9pm We visited: Thursday 1pm Prices: Mezze plates £2-4, mains £7-11, puds £4 Family friendly? Children’s menu, colouring sets and high chairs Vegetarian choice: Lots of choices including things you won’t have tried before Disabled access: Yes - but check before booking Wine list: Concise but effective. Try the homemade spritzers though and hot drinks Service and atmosphere: Service is chilled out, like the food itself. The atmosphere is very fun – everyone is here to have a good time and it shows
Souk Kitchen, 277 North Street, Southville BS3 1JP tel: 0117 966 6880
ever experienced. It was sweet, sour and hot all at the same time. Such a simple blend of garlic, coriander, tangy tamarind and fenugreek with soft chunks of cod – but it tasted incredible. The accompanying saffron rice was really fluffy (a feat in itself ) and had just the right amount of saffron – there is nothing worse than the metallic after-taste of a heavy handed use of this spice. His chicken skewers marinated in
lemon, chilli and zatar (£9.95) were just as crowd-pleasing. The meat was tender and tasty and served with a Middle Eastern yin and yang of condiments – spiky harissa and cooling yoghurt. The pilaf rice was also great: wonderfully cinnamony and fruity with dried barberries. We really shouldn’t have had
desserts (pain from over indulgence carried on through much of the afternoon) but of course we did. We shared a basbousa (£4.10), predominantly because I liked the name. A semolina-style cake had been drenched in a sweet sugar syrup. Moreish, dangerously so, and decadent thanks to sticky dried fruits and gems of Turkish delight and pistachios bound in a thick, creamy yoghurt. Only regrettable due to the sheer volume of food consumed previous to this. Souk Kitchen is inspirational. The
food is as colourful and vibrant as the decor and is packed with aromatic flavours and decadent textures. Try something different this May – you might just love it. CL
www.mediaclash.co.uk Clifton Life 49
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