Gastronomy by Jon, Dareshack: ’Our very own private dining experience’ – restaurant review

An “exciting small plates menu” is a risky game, often attracting only those that are willing to splash the cash on meagre portions and risk the inevitable trip to the nearest takeaway to grab a bag of chips.

But it seems that Gastronomy by Jon has successfully redeemed the controversial “small plate” through innovative pairings, abstract textures and layers of flavour.

Jon Cholakian and his team have taken over Dareshack’s kitchen on Wine Street for three nights a week for the next six months.

Dareshack is an interesting choice of location, and one that will either work in the chef’s favour or won’t. Having grown recently as a trendy cafe, bar, kitchen and studio space, Dareshack’s newest concept is creative dining.

This is Jon’s first pop-up restaurant, having previously made his career in private dining, most famously cooking for comedian Russel Howard.

The austere interior was redeemed by our candlelit table and natural plant hangings

After walking through the casual bar area, we are taken to the restaurant at the back, a surprisingly intimate dining space in what could be a dark and austere industrial interior. Small candlelit tables with a simple layout give all of the diners a wide lens view of Jon at work.

Well, they would if there were any. Despite making our booking for what is usually the high point of service, 8pm, there was only one other couple in the restaurant on a Friday night – and they were about to finish their desserts.

We took our seats cautiously, reassured by an energetic waitress that the soft launch had been a huge success and the restaurant had been fully booked for two nights in a row.

After ordering cocktails through an online app that made us feel like we were back in Covid times, we selected a range of options from the seven-dish menu.

Our seats are situated in prime position to view Jon and his team at work

The menu looked divine, with a gastronomic feel weaving through every plate with a welcome subtlety that didn’t feel pretentious or compel one to hastily reach for the Heston Blumenthal dictionary on gastronomical cooking.

First to arrive was the king oyster mushrooms, roasted cauliflower puree, parsnip crisps, pineapple sage, and herb oil (£8). It’s difficult to fully represent this dish due to its brown colour palette. Brown fried parsnip crisps, brown oyster mushrooms, and a brown cauliflower puree underneath. Nevertheless, it was presented delicately and its warm earthiness was celebrated through clever curation.

The king oyster mushrooms, roasted cauliflower puree, parsnip crisps, pineapple sage, and herb oil cost £8

The puree brought a saltiness to the dish complimented by the smokiness from the roasted cauliflower. It was a welcome addition to the less flavoursome accompaniments, which could have done with a touch more seasoning.

The herb oil added little, and instead sat quite heavily on the plate, dripping over the parsnip crisps and forming a well underneath.

The second plate to arrive was the burrata, sugar snap peas, salsa verde, smoked beetroot powder and oxalis (£9.50), again, beautifully arranged.

The smoked beetroot powder and oxalis leaf gave this dish a real lift, and its explosion from the top of the burrata sang like a Pollock painting on its canvas.

The sugar snaps had a fresh bite that complimented the burrata. The salsa verde was fresh, abundant and flavoursome, a thoughtfully put together dish.

A riot of vivid crimson utilised the blank canvas of the burrata

The French beans, fried duck egg, orange beurre blanc, orange zest, confit garlic and coriander (£8) was next to arrive: an underwhelming plate upon first inspection.

We were excited for the orange beurre blanc – the lighter, zesty sister of hollandaise sauce. Although refreshingly citrusy, it added little flavour to the dish, which felt more like a budget midweek, fridge-ends dinner.

We couldn’t help but think it had been thrown together last minute as a vegetarian offering.

The confit garlic and orange beurre blanc did little to elevate this dish to more than a classic midweek dinner

The squid came last, flash-fried with romesco sauce, sourdough croutons, extra virgin olive oil, and coriander (£12). It was firm and slightly chewy and received full marks from my pescatarian companion.

Although its texture was closer to a ‘nduja paste, the romesco sauce was beautifully rich and salty and we devoured every bite of it.

The sourdough croutons added another layer of texture to the dish, but their crunchiness would have been more inviting had the sauce been, well, saucier.

A dangerously moorish romesco-style paste lay hidden at the bottom of this dish

For dessert, we ordered the ‘moelleux chocolat’ (£8), known for its cupid-like status.

And boy did it deliver.

The real pièce de résistance, this luxurious version of a classic chocolate lava cake was beautifully rich on the outside and oozing decadence on the inside.

It was hot, but not boiling, and the perfect size for sharing. A proud centrepiece, it needed no frilly additions, and the whipped cream quenelle hid sheepishly underneath a caramel tuile.

A delightful way to round off a flavourful journey.

“The whipped cream quenelle hid sheepishly underneath a caramel tuile, feeling rather sorry for itself”

Ending on a sugar-high, we were left won-over. We had essentially had the pleasure of our very own private dining experience, having also been able to chat to the chef himself after we had virtually licked our dessert plate clean.

The wonderful array of layers and textures made each dish feel like a celebration of the flavours that lay within.

Ultimately, it was a shame this couldn’t be shared by more, and one can only hope that a viral TikToker can breathe life into this otherwise lonely restaurant pop-up on a Friday evening.

Gastronomy by Jon, Dareshack, Wine Street, Bristol, BS1 2BD
www.gastronomybyjon.com

All photos: Mia Vines Booth

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