Features / Review
Hummusapiens @ Small Bar – pop up review
Whether it’s the allure of beer or the promise of fresh new vegan fare, Small Bar is certainly the place to be on a chilly January evening.
There’s not a seat to spare at 7.30pm on Tuesday as groups cram around long wooden tables set atop the flagstone floor and noisy chatter reverberates off the bare brick walls, which are adorned with dramatic black and white prints.
The majority are merrily defying the pressure to take part in dry January as they slug their tankards of craft ales, for which this card-only King Street venue is known.
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Part of the draw tonight is no doubt the newly-opened pop up, Hummusapiens, launched in time to whet the appetites not only of Bristol’s growing vegan community, but also those valiantly attempting Veganuary.
Options include an avocado and chorVzo sausage, with trimmings, in a bun or (clean) dirty fries laden with vegan cheese sauce, slaw, chilli jam, spicy mayo and a choice of Lebanese spiced sticky jackfruit or vegan sausage (£7).
Jasper Weinstein-Sheffield started his new venture after moving back to Bristol and aims to offer flavoursome food that is “heavy on hummus and low on lecturing”.
The kitchen’s already run out of jackfruit at 7.30pm – testament to the popularity of the new pop up, which is open just Monday and Tuesday evenings until January 22.
“Do you want a side of hummus?” Asks the cheerful, unflappable bar man taking an order for a ‘build-your-own’ hummus bowl (£7) and side of smoke and salt fries (£2.75).
“No, I guess that would be hummus overload,” he agrees as I politely decline the offer of hummus on hummus. At least Hummusapiens is living up to its name.
Back in the main dining area, at the small tables for two by the window, a couple of men are forlornly discussing their respective love lives. They soon finish the last of their beer and head off into the cold night for some food. The vegan diet isn’t for everyone.
After a bit of a wait, the hummus bowl is a welcome sight of vibrant colours and fresh aromas.
With a warm millet grain base, zesty slaw, kale, avocado and pomegranate seeds to complement the punchy beetroot hummus, each bite is as enticing and nourishing as the next.
The generous portion of hot, perfectly-seasoned fries are an unnecessary, yet infinitely welcome, addition.
The perfect antidote to Christmas excesses, this is satisfying, wholesome, plant-based food at its best. Hummusapiens proves itself thoroughly deserving of its early popularity.
Hummusapiens at Small Bar, 31 King Street, Bristol, BS1 4DZ
www.hummusapiens.co.uk
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