Soul of the street

Okay, so I hoped to have a table inside. But this place is seriously booked up for a reason. So… ‘street food’ it is. Soul Kitchen comes with a good reputation. Let’s see how it holds up to a slight breeze on a mild evening in Warsaw.

A Polish red wine would be first up for the test. This Pinot Noir comes with a ‘minor‘ in the name (the blurred effect is to preface my later condition):

On first taste I can’t wait to try the major. Influenced by Burgundy so I’m told. It’s good to know France is useful for something in the world of wine, not just denigrating others!

This one comes with so many ‘legs’ it could double for a consortium of octopuses (or is that octopi… no, apparently not).

Anyway, onto the kitchen stuff. The Beef Tenderloin Tartare was an obvious choice of starter, though albeit from a very strong field of competition.

It’s the additional lovage in the recipe apparently. Though it comes with a guy at your table putting the finishing touches (even out on the street). That’s got to add a few plus points to the experience.

As for a main, the short but perfect menu of options presented another First World dilemma. As ‘Daisy‘ had been so good to me already, I couldn’t let any of her go to waste. So, Beef Cheek it is.

Not to be put off by the ‘oil slick chic‘, and veggies with a distinct ‘nuts and bolts bite‘, I strapped in for an industrial experience of the most sumptuous kind.

Yes, for my dessert conscious readers, there was another short but perfectly formed (why are the best menus in my image 🤔😂) list. But, I had only one serious option to compliment a machiatto… yet another glass of the ‘Dobre Minor‘ (to fulfill the earlier blurred image effect).

Until we speak again, I’m not into licking plates, but damn, this was close!

And all of this just around the corner from a quintessential Warsaw vista.

Street food served from a Soul Kitchen. It deserves a thank you from the soul ❤️

Hidden treasures

City centres invariably have to cater for the masses. If it’s gems you’re looking for, then head to where the discerning people go… the leafy suburbs.

Even though I’ve known it in my head, it’s taken quite some time for me to venture into the quiet Victorian terraced streets of Pontcanna in my home city of Cardiff. Home to at least three of the city’s finest dining establishments.

If it’s useful boxes, you need to be ticking, then Thomas by Tom Simmons will probably fill your page. A restaurant developed by a proud Welshman, tick. Quiet and leafy surroundings, tick.

A menu focused on quality rather than quality (with a tilt towards excellent Welsh produce), tick.

Tasty beef tartar starter with flavoursome bread and olives, tick.

Sumptuous Beef Fillet and a delicate Lamb Chop, tick.

A Spanish wine from the Ribera del Duero estates to simply die for, tick.

Finished off with a smooth Penderyn Welsh Whisky, tick.

Until we speak again, don’t tell the masses, but Pontcanna has more than this hidden treaure to be luring discerning folk into the quiet backstreets.