Fathers & Daughters Dine – Bubala King’s Cross

I’d heard plenty of good things about Bubala. One of those things was that it is vegetarian but it does not overtly classify itself as such. Instead preferring to sit in the camp of simply offering tasty food irrespective of the classification of the ingredients.

This certainly suits me and my daughter on the basis that she’s vegetarian while I’m simply on a mission to find tasty food – regardless of whether meat, fish or anything else is involved. Actually, that’s not quite true because I do increasingly travel along the road less meaty.

Bubala King’s Cross had a lovely buzz alright on the night of our visit and had attracted a very wide mix of customers. I’d scanned the menus online ahead of time and had thought I’d go a la carte but when sat at the table I was tempted into the ‘Bubala Knows Best’ menu especially as it seemed to encompass most of the options on main menu. I was told by the server that they would be smaller portions but they seemed pretty chunky to me when they arrived.

Highlights were the oyster mushroom skewers, which had been marinated in soy sauce and various spices, the confit potato latkes that came with a little mound of flavour-packed toum, and the celeriac kebab. These sat well alongside the laffa bread that reminded me of a flatter plain naan bread but with plenty of seasoning.

Seasoning and spicing were an overarching aspect of the meal. All the dishes were boosted up the flavour scale by judicious additions. Take the hunk of Herefordshire ‘halloumi’ that came soaked in chamomile & fennel honey. Another interesting addition came on the Romaine lettuce salad where the sunflower seeds were encased with other seeds in what tasted like sweet granola. Whatever it was, it made for a welcome crunchy contrast.

All the dishes contributed to what was a very colourful table. This was enhanced by a pomegranate sour for my daughter that shone a deep red. As tempted as I was by the cocktails it was the Pale Ale from Partizan Brewery that proved too big a draw. They were one of the very early London craft breweries and I’ve maintained a soft spot both for their beers and art on the bottle labels.

The service was friendly and knowledgeable throughout the evening while the dining room – with open kitchen downstairs, calmer mezzanine above, and outdoor terrace – is very welcoming.  

This is the latest in the ‘Fathers & Daughters Dine’ series. This is the previous piece.

Glynn Davis, editor, Retail Insider