People / My Bristol Favourites
My Bristol favourites: Kansai Kitchen
Kansai Kitchen is a pop-up kitchen and street food venture by Liam Chawdhary and Tim Smalley, who cook food inspired by their time living in Japan.
Kansai Kitchen are starting 2016 with a month-long residency at the Hillgrove pub in Kingsdown from January 5-30. For more information, visit www.kansaikitchen.co.uk.
Here are Liam’s top-five Bristol favourites:
is needed now More than ever
Bristol Cider Shop
“After living in Japan and embracing another country’s drinking culture? I returned to Bristol ashamed that I never championed cider: the drink us West Country folk do best in the world. I missed the opportunity to convert Japanese into scrumpy guzzlers but there was no reason not to learn more about the stuff myself. Bristol Cider Shop on the Christmas Steps is a fantastic introduction to cider without any kitsch wurzelism nor hipster pretensions. Knowledgeable and friendly staff, a great variety of ciders and, most importantly, the ability to sample on the premises. A great place to take friends visiting from out of town.”
Poco
“My current favourite restaurant. It was the atmosphere which first appealed to me: in particular the just-the-right-side-of-cramped layout. With an open kitchen and close-quartered seating (especially at the bar seating in the window) there is every chance of having a chance interaction with your fellow diners or even the chefs. Of course, atmosphere alone can’t create a great restaurant. The quality of cooking is high, the tapas dishes are small enough that even two people can order satisfying range of flavours. And the menu changes to allow frequent revisits (for a more formal experience with excellent food and great value? honourable mention goes to Wilks on Chandos Road).”
The Hillgrove Porter Stores
“I find it hard to define what it is that makes for a great pub atmosphere. But whatever it is, the Hillgrove has it. Well, that and lots of beer. It has a genuinely impressive range of beers? and all of them interesting and deliberately chosen to appeal to a beer lover. I may be wrong, but I don’t think there is a single tap that pours either a Fosters, Guinness, Carlsberg or any of the other usual suspects. Nothing wrong with places that do, it’s just great to find a pub that wants to introduce you to something new.”
St Nick’s Market
“If you work in town and can spare 45min for lunch then you can do so much better than a sandwich and crisps from Tesco. Moorish Cafe (above) is cosy den offering Moroccan food and Source is a great deli and restaurant. And the choice is even better on a Friday when the food market is held allowing Bristol’s circulating food stalls to add their wares to the mix.”
Brandon Hill
“I may be in the minority but I like the hills in Bristol. I appreciate that they do turn short strolls into arduous climbs. But they also allow Bristol to serve up fantastic views and expose the landscape beyond the limits of the nearest buildings. Brandon Hill, being quite an aggressive slope, offers lovely views whether you choose to climb the Cabot Tower or not. A great place to escape the office with your packed lunch.”