Small Plates at Botanic Road Kitchen
- southportinsider
- Jul 14, 2024
- 3 min read
A beautiful gem in Churchtown
An exquisite independently owned restaurant in Churchtown, with a small group of staff who honestly could not have made us feel anymore welcome and relaxed. It was perfect. And we don’t use that phrase lightly.
While we waited (with anticipation!) for the Chef, Andrew to choose and prepare our food, we decided to taste the Fried Pickles with Botanic Burger Sauce (GF) (VE). With the first dip and bite, we shared a knowing look – sensational; impeccable crunch, totally moreish. The Gordal Olives with Sea Salt and Olive Oil (also GF, VE!) accompanied. Our tastebuds were tickled and ready for the firework of flavours to follow…
Alex, our waitress, has clearly mastered a seamless balance between professional and friendly, as she provided extra context on the dishes. Amid so much choice, as mentioned, we left our fate to the man who knows best; Andrew, the chef, who has worked at Botanic Road Kitchen for three years - coming to town with a world of experience (spices, zings and zests!) having worked in the French Alps, Australia and Amsterdam, to say the least…
Here are the SMALL PLATES we were lucky enough to devour. And can we just take a moment to highlight how many unexpected gluten free (and vegan!) options there were!
1. Tempura Prawn Tacos Mango Salas (surprisingly GF!) tasted super fresh; delicate, juicy, crisp, matched with the sweet tropical fruit, crunchy salad and soft taco… yes, please.
2. Aromatic Duck Spring Rolls with a Hoisin Sauce Dip I could’ve drank, it was so good; the rolls were succulent, crisp and bursting with flavour.
3. Herb Crusted Cod with Bubble & Squeak Potato Cake, Spinach Cream, was a rich and comforting dish… the cod flaked on my fork and the herby crust added sophistication and of course extra scrumptiousness.
4. King Prawn and Chorizo Alle Oglio Spaghetti (GF!) Hello garlic, chilli and oil married with plump king prawns and spicy chorizo; the latter certainly not overpowering the sweetness of the seafood… this dish was dreamily paired and lush!
5. Charred Corn, Satay Sauce, spiced Peanuts, Spring Onion (GF, VE, again!) – we absolutely loved the unforeseen saccharinity of this; bit of unexpected sweetness goes a long way! I couldn’t get enough of the tasty nuts and spring onion too. Confession… I started to mix this dish in with some of the others because the flavour created was so scrummy…
6. Roasted Red Pepper and Goats Cheese Gnocci? Yes, please. Creamy, flavoursome and satisfying. My mouth is watering just remembering how beautiful this dish was as the forkful melted in my mouth; heavenly! Plus… once more… GF!
7. Zucchini Fritte Lemon Aioli (GF) (VE) A blissful sensation of flavours and texture (no word of a lie!) This dish caught me off guard to be honest. We probably wouldn’t have selected it but so glad we got to try it. And would most definitely order again!
8. Patatas Bravas… crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, with a comforting delectable smoky bravas sauce and some aioli to tame the heat! The ideal side dish to complement the small plates!
The beauty of SMALL PLATES is there is (often!) no food wasted and an opportunity to chat as the ‘wonders’ arrive to the table. But, more than this, along with the flavours, was the added ambience of Botanical Road Kitchen and their staff who truly made the venue so tranquil, pleasurable and enjoyable.
We washed this heavenly preparation down with a glass of fruity Rioja and a citrusy beer. At the end of this experience, it was a “Wow!” from Southport Insider.
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