London is positively dripping with barbecue sauce. Cut one of us open and all you’ll find inside is pulled pork and shiny brioche bun stuffing. Maybe. But in such a saturated market, it takes a lot to stand out and win critical acclaim. Enter Head Chef and owner of Smokestak, David Carter.
A former front of house manager for Gordon Ramsay at Claridge’s and Fitzrovia’s Roka, he turned his back on fine dining and went on a pilgrimage to Houston Texas in 2013, returning with an enormous meat smoker with which he entranced hungover festival crowds and London street food market hoards alike for the next few years.
His signature Beef Brisket and Pickled Red Chilli Bun becoming the stuff of street food myth. Smokestak’s first bricks and mortar restaurant opened a year ago in Shoreditch, and Carter has received glowing reviews from food critics ever since. Grace Dent awarded the restaurant a maximum 5 stars for the ‘impossibly good brisket’ in her glowing review.
Location
Across the road from Shoreditch High Street station, from the outside the restaurant is pretty innocuous looking with Dickensian windows, big metal doors and simple, heavy wooden furniture. But the sweet smell of wood-smoke teases your nose from at least a few doors down, giving you a face-full of authenticity before you even step through the door.
Atmosphere
With the dual aspect windows steaming up around us, the restaurant felt snug, relaxed and rustic. Just the sort of womb-like place in which to stuff your face until forced to unbutton your jeans under the table without feeling judged. The décor echos the simple rustic, methods of cooking – big wooden tables and masculine shades of brown, copper and natural wood.
Food
Smokestak’s menu is designed for sharing with what we’d call ‘medium plates’ rather than small plates or big plates to scoff all on your own. This gives the menu a more refined feel with the chefs showcasing a variety of tastes, textures and skills.
From the snacks section we had the Pigtails – they came piled high in a small pot and tasted like a seriously good pork scratching crossed with a chicken wing . Carter’s calling card dish of that impossibly good Brisket came in a sweet light bun with pickled red chilli and did not disappoint. Meltingly tender with a peppery treacle-lacquered crust, it was a thing of beauty. We ordered the mini version and immediately regretted that decision, but before we could get too upset at its speedy demise, out came the Thick Cut Pork Rib with Pickled Cucumber which was equally glorious with sticky sweet meat falling off the bone quicker than we could cut it. Just as drool-worthy as any meat dish was the whole coal roasted aubergine with its soft smokey flesh smothered in red miso, toasted cashews and spring onions.
On the sides menu there was a noticeable absence of fries – one of the many things setting Smokestack apart from the sea of other BBQ joints. Who needs chips when you have jacket potato scooped out and its thick crispy skin piled high with Cheesy Smoked Rarebit Mash? Grilled Baby Gem with Walnut Gremolata and Crispy Bacon was the most extra ‘salad’ we’ve ever had and came covered in more cheese. This is the kind of salad you DO want to make friends with.
Drinks
The drinks menu was short, sweet and punchy with each cocktail carefully selected to be there. Grapefruit and mint spritz with gin, grapefruit, agave, mint and fizz was refreshing and cut through the rich food perfectly. Our favourite was the Plum Sour with Bourbon, spiced plum lemon and egg white came served in a frosted glass with a delicious frothy foam on top.
Must Try
The restaurant has just added a whole beef brisket to its menu for the festive season. Smoked for 12-15 hours over kiln-dried English oak, and accompanied by pickled cucumbers, chillies and mustard barbecue, the whole brisket costs £150 and serves between ten to twenty people. It is the first time Smokestak has offered its most popular mainstay dish in its entirety, which usually features on the menu as an individual cut or brisket bun. The whole brisket will also be available to takeaway, for the same price of £150, offering a unique dinner party option for those planning a festive gathering.
Why Go
Because who doesn’t want to be dripping in barbecue sauce? Alongside the whole beef brisket, Smokestak has introduced two festive menus – the feasting and sharing – available from November 27th. Priced at £35 and £45 per person respectively, these will stray from a traditional set menu format, instead taking a sharing style approach. Dishes such as the ‘Thick-cut pork ribs with pickled cucumber’ and ‘30-day aged beef rib’ will be served alongside ‘Jacket potato with smoked rarebit’ and ‘Charred greens with tahini, pomegranate and dry-roasted nuts’, with this style of dining creating a more relaxed, family-style experience for the winter season. Drinks on arrival will include ‘Red beet Negroni, orange peel + bitters’ and ‘Warm spiced Malbec, clove, star anise’ to ease diners in to the festive spirit. Throughout the year, regular sharing and feasting menus are also available for groups of eight or more to enjoy from £30.
Website www.smokestak.co.uk
Disclosure: IDEAL dined as a guest of the restaurant
