Is there a restaurant in Bristol that you revisit time and time again? Perhaps a place etched into your brain as a core memory or a particularly memorable plate of food.
There are some people who may be fiercely loyal to their local Italian, perhaps for familiarity or if they love a particular dish. Others, however - and perhaps the bigger camp here - crave new dining experiences and different cuisines when eating out.
That’s what makes Kitchen by Kask such an intriguing concept - the new dining hall on North Street offers a rotating menu that changes cuisine completely every few weeks. It offers a platform for street food traders from all over Bristol to ditch the food trucks and cook in a restaurant kitchen.
Read more: Italian restaurant on Gloucester Road closes 'with a heavy heart'
Kask wine bar, situated just a few doors up the road, provides a specialist drinks menu with the traders running the kitchen exactly how they see fit. The current residency is Basement 17 Tacos, an authentic Mexican pop-up known for events both city and regionwide.
The main dining area is small but not overcrowded, with a mixture of window, table and bar seating that means you’re not on top of other people. In the spring, Kask plans to have a garden area that will seat around 30 more diners. The room, filled mostly with couples on our visit, was neatly lined with unusual artworks and lit gently with the hue of coloured LED lights.
It’s very rare that I would be as excited to try the drinks menu as well as the food. Kask - which recently celebrated its third birthday - is renowned for its extensive knowledge of wines, beers and spirits.
You can choose from the beer flight at £12 per head or one of two wine flights, the most expensive being reserved for more premium bottles. The beer flight consisted of three glasses of beer selected to complement the flavours of Mexico, including a citrusy pale ale from Bristol brewers the Left Handed Giant and a sour beer from Barcelona. You can also drink by the bottle, too.
There is an assortment of bar snacks to wet your appetite while you wait for the tacos, the main event, including lime olives for £3.50. The homemade tortilla chips with fresh guacamole and pickled vegetables (£7.50) were so simple yet the flavours and texture were so carefully considered, and the sharp tang of the vinegar married well with the zingy guacamole.
The cheddar bites were every cheese lover's dream, a soft, pillowy potato dumpling topped with a mountain of cheese and chilli. This was heavily at £5.50 per portion.
There were three different tacos to choose from along with a tostada, consisting of a crunchy tortilla topped with sweet butternut squash and salty, pickled ewes cheese (£6). The ox barbacoa taco didn’t hold together so well - although tacos are made to me messy - and was made with meat cooked down slowly that melted in your mouth (£6.50).
Conversely, the battered celeriac was the perfect finger food for those not wanting to make a mess paired with a smooth avocado salsa for £5.50 each. The battered hake taco was a triumph and was perfectly cooked - it was soft, buttery and flaked beautifully, topped with chilli chipotle with an added freshness from the Pico De Gallo, an authentic handmade salsa.
Carlos from Basement 17 Tacos clearly makes his food with a lot of love and care. Each homemade salsa was paired perfectly to complement the filling. And for those with room for a sweet, you can purchase a dark chocolate truffle for £2.50.
The drinks and food came to a total of £65, which had to be paid as separate payments, but was no real bother. The staff were friendly and attentive despite it being such a busy Friday night service, which is always another good reason to want to return.
Kask is definitely offering something special here - its high quality drinks flights mean you can dine in luxury without the premium price. Sadly Basement 17 Tacos doesn't have long left of its residency, but Kitchen by Kask will be welcoming back Peckers - who hosted the restaurant's soft launch, followed by the South African flavours of Ubuntu and Big Naths BBQ. See the full list here.
Kitchen by Kask is located at 36 North Street - opening times vary, check its website for more information and to book
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