The Blues Kitchen
Mandy Morello tucks into the American delicacies on offer in the bourbon bliss of the Blues Kitchen.
A new branch of Blues Kitchen has opened in Shoreditch after a successful run in Camden. The Kitchen is known for its slice of all things Americana, including over 100 varieties of bourbon and rye whiskeys, whilst cooking up a BBQ feast fit to line a whiskey-soaked stomach. The bar is a yin-yang of half-venue half-kitchen which makes for a rock and roller’s ultimate wet dream of a restaurant. You can feel blues in all five senses.
I head to the Camden branch where I feel more at home. The interior is rusty and faded like a postcard from the ‘50s. Classic tracks play while posters of artists adorn the walls. It feels cosy and the perfect place to rest my aching post-drunk feet. It would be easy to come in for lunch and end up home in the early hours of the next day after making my way through their bourbon collection. Even what light there is spilling in from outside doesn’t painfully penetrate my skull. This allows me to safely remove my aviators and survey the food in front of me.
The Blues Kitchen is serving up bourbon glazed bison steak as part of their Carnivore Club offer. Exotic meats like python, moose and alligator are also dished up into burgers and fillets. I’ve always been a bit sceptical when it comes to foreign meats due to being previously disappointed and finding the taste similar to a common cow or chicken.
The steak is served on a wooden slab and paired with a bourbon and honey glaze parked next to it. The bison rump has been grilled into a weathered brown colour with slight streams of pink. The texture is tough but feels like velvet in the mouth. It tastes more peppery than your average cow and is framed with a charcoal skin. Teamed with the sweet bourbon and honey glaze, it’s a winning combination. The slick, buttery sauce balances out the roughness of the rump. I slather the scattering of crunchy sweet potatoes on the side with the bourbon sauce; I want this sauce on everything.
The prices are all under £20 a person, which is a bargain for the quality, hospitality and total blues and whiskey-drenched aromas. I wouldn’t waste a whole night here, but it’s definitely an ideal place to eat.