Arabica Bar & Kitchen
Two of our consultants were lucky enough to be invited to Arabica KX soft launch yesterday evening… here is what they thought:
Georgia
One word – WOW!
Situated on the park, this site is in a prime location that is going to be a honey trap in summer and winter. Large and spacious restaurant with floor to ceiling windows letting in the light; open kitchen to watch all the magic happen and plays a big part in the atmosphere.
Our Waitress was a delight, explained everything for us, and informed us of the recommended number of plates per person. Baring this in mind, myself and David went a tad crazy!
We ordered the Berbere Spiced Cauliflower which came with Tahini yogurt, toasted seeds, pistachios, pomegranate and rose petals – a taste sensation!
The Beef Cheek Borekas were not what we were expecting to turn up but by no means were we disappointed; a flaky pastry with braised Ox cheek, caramelised onions and roasted root vegetables.
Along with many others that I’m sure David will speak about; the food was outstanding, and we will definitely be back
David
Over the years everyone builds up a sort of idea of different style of cooking, cuisines and the type of restaurant you’re going to enter judging by the name. I do believe the best experiences and memories come from the places where you go with a concept in your head which then gets turned inside out and you are ending up with a whole new idea and at the end. this is the whole point of going out for a dining experience. This happened with us last night, as soon as we entered the restaurant with floor to ceiling windows letting in all the natural lights, wood elements everywhere and the open plan kitchen right next to the Bar, a huge open fire oven and with details like cookbooks and pickle jars over the pass the first word and feeling struck us “COSY”.
The surroundings and the welcoming staff gave us the impression we were going to be looked after very much so, you feel comfortable trying different, new items and asking questions.
Straight away I ordered a drink I never tried before nor heard of before – Arak, a traditional Middle Eastern spirit; Although you have a good explanation on the menu it still surprises you as it’s so well balanced with anise/mint/juniper notes without being too strong. Perfect refresher between dishes just as they recommend it.
Of course, dining in a Middle Eastern restaurant, we had to try the Humus KX and I can only recommend it to everyone. Very well presented and the flavour is just something different.
Well balanced with a bit of spiciness, fried chick pees for texture and above all super light and fluffy…. the smoothest, best tasting Hummus so far!
Kebab el Arabica with Lamb koftes and the veg cooked in a pot covered with delicious pastry. I said it many times over dinner that I had an idea how its going to look like or taste, but every single dish overcame both of our expectations, especially the Kebab el Arabica. First the waitress gently cuts open the pastry in front of you so you are already excited and can’t wait to dig in yourself.
Again, very well balanced with a nice heat from the Lamb and you start to think “How did they manage to use that many spices and be able to bring out maximum flavour from the ingredients?” it is unbelievable.
Definitely going to come back to show my friends a different perspective of something you thought you know before. Middle eastern cuisine and Arabica KX is certainly moved up into the top 3 in my personal list of places and food to re-visit as soon as I can.
So, there you have it – seems like they had a great time and I wish I could say the rest of us aren’t jealous! A huge congratulations to everyone at Arabica on your second site – we will all be sure to visit soon.
