Elusive Exclusive

Lobster Kitchen
111 Great Russell Street
WC1B 3NQ

This week I really fancied lobster, and lobster specifically. Not seafood – lobster! The obvious choice is Burger and Lobster, one of the only places in London you can pay £20 for a full lobster but going against the norm is always fun right? 


So; a friend and I did some googling, and whatsapped eachother Lobster alternatives in the central London vicinity.  One particularly stood out and this is where I’m bringing you in. Now, this place is the most hidden, unglamourous and unnoticeable food joint I’ve been to yet but let me tell you, the cover doesn’t represent the book at all!

Lobster Kitchen; a cute rustic beach shack type setup, wooden stools and tables comfortably seating between 12 – 16 people. Now how’s that for exclusivity and it doesn’t feel cramped; just private. 

An open kitchen (I’m a huge fan), with a nandos ‘pay before you eat’ system, the staff waited patiently while I squinted at the chalk board menu from my seat (I was tired).  

I’d had a sneaky peek at the menu you online beforehand and my choices remained the same – “Split Lobster and Fries” and within 10 minutes, my food arrived.

Mains

The lobster and fries lay in separate paper baskets, with the lemon slice resting on the meat. I tucked in straight away and to my surprise, the fries were sweet potato. I’m really not a fan of sweet potato fries as I find them too heavy on the sweet side but these were absolutely delicious; the perfect combo of crisp meets fluffy. Now for the lobster, drizzled in light aioli and seasoned with a pinch of, what tasted like, paprika, the meat was ridiculously tender and dense. There was a clear distinguishing taste between the rich meat and the smooth tails, with so much in the basket, I was just dancing my way through my meal.

My friend ordered lobster mac ’n’ cheese as his side, oh – say hello to Mr Ogundare again (Old Favourites, New Discoveries post) – and he offered me a bite. Now, I am incredibly dubious of mac ’n’ cheese if it’s not cooked by a hand I know. I find that it is often very runny and the cheese is way too intense or too floury tasting. However this side dish stole the show hands down. With an influx of lobster tails hidden beneath the combination of mild and medium cheddar, al dente pasta, herby sprinkles and hot sauce, this discovery was epic. So obviously, I went back to the counter and ordered my own.

The staff were reasonable, but the chefs were really passionate and urged us to visit again. Lobster Kitchen introduces a casual way to eat lobster and displays that eating such an elite cuisine doesn’t have to wait until payday - full lobster, fries, lobster mac ‘ n ‘ cheese and a glass of wine all for under £30! They also have a loyalty card system and if you bring a friend on your second visit, you eat for free – so any takers?

Price: £18-25 pp

Tastecard: Denied

WOM Spits and Chews

Spits

• Size of restaurant, it could definitely benefit from a slightly bigger space
• Wine portions

Chews

• The entire meal!
• Passionate chefs
• Pay before you eat system – it’s just so convenient
• Exclusivity

Overall WOM Rating: 3.5 kisses out of 5

Verdict? CHEWS :)


Can.x