I do like a surprise, especially when it is food related. This week I decided to do a bit of research before I went out for lunch as I had an evening appointment and wanted to eat a little later than normal. The most convenient place was George’s Great British Kitchen situated on The Headrow in The Light and serving their lunch special until 4.00pm.
As can be gathered from the name of the restaurant, the emphasis is on traditional British food, albeit with a twist, and the interior is decorated to look like a seaside resort. The bar is pretty standard but the restaurant is divided into booths made to look like beach huts, each one bearing the name of a Yorkshire coastal town.
The main ingredient of the lunch dishes is fish, which is done in a variety of ways. There are also a couple of burgers and a salad, but the thing which leapt off the page was Steamed Chicken Bun which I assumed to be a form of Chinese wonton but turned out to be a burger, hence the surprise. I would normally have been a little disappointed but it was so good that I was happy to admit my mistake and savour the dish with which I was presented. The steamed bun was filled with chunks of succulent charcoal grilled chicken done to perfection and infused with the flavour of the fire and ‘George’s Secret Rub’. Sharing the bread was baby leaf salad, a slice of tomato, and Asian Pickled Slaw. It was accompanied by twice cooked chips and a pot of George’s BBQ Sauce. Every part of the meal was very tasty and combined perfectly. The BBQ Sauce deserves a particular mention as it was piquant as well as smoky, echoing the flavour of the chicken and giving the whole thing a lift. At £8.25 it was worth every penny. I opted for a house Pinot Grigio at £7.20 for 250ml and I am glad I did as it was extremely pleasant.
Because of the size of the portion I refrained from having a dessert so settled for a black Americano coffee at £2.25. Although I didn’t have a dessert a couple of young ladies in another booth had one which seemed to have candy floss as its base and they almost disappeared beneath a shocking pink blanket!
In addition to the decor already mentioned, there were blackboards with legends and mottos chalked on them using old fashioned language with words such as ‘spiffing’ and ‘capital’ abounding. All I can add is that I had a topping lunch by George!
Mange toutes,
Stan Graham
