“This venison was given to us by the guys in the gun shop opposite,” remarks our waiter at East Street’s Kindling. “They brought it in wrapped in muslin, after a hunting trip, and we butchered it downstairs.” It’s not the sort of anecdote we’re used to waiters dropping on us. But, whatever your food choices, it paints a powerful picture of a restaurant’s sustainability.
Yep, with its own dairy, butchering table and bakery in the basement (an area bigger than the restaurant itself, apparently), Kindling is flying the flag for locally sourced, modern British cuisine in the core of Brighton’s tourist zone.
“Nature writes our menu as the seasons inspire the food we cook” is their motto, while their on-trend logo depicts the alchemical symbol for land, sea and air (although it does, via imperfect retinas, also resemble a duck with a stick in its beak).
Jammed between Tony&Guy and Indian Summer, where Italian eatery Edendum used to be, Kindling picks up the sustainable baton pioneered in Brighton by the likes of Silo and carries it on with a nod to fine-dining. The Michelin Guide calls it “Assured, detailed cooking”, although we’ve also heard allegations of a controversial £9 “carrot three ways”.
Despite the season, there’s no three-way carrot on today’s menu and we start with a thick jerusalem artichoke soup with a wintery hue that matches the rustic crockery. It tastes like it’s been made with a meaty stock, but we’re assured that (despite not being flagged on the menu), it is vegan-friendly and garners its earthy flavour from nutmeg and in-house hazelnut butter.
Next up is the smoked fish pâté, served on toast. The fish it’s made with varies, but today it’s a blend of trout and hake. It’s screaming for a touch of zing, which a squeeze of lemon juice would have provided. But, given the seasonal ethic, we presume citrus fruits are banned in January. It does go well with the Spanish sauv blanc we ordered though, which is remarkably fresh and complex for a house white.
Today’s podium-topper, however, is the oddly fish-shaped king oyster mushroom swimming in a creamy sea of aerated potato, flecked with flotsam of crispy black rice. The balance of the salty mushroom with the rich foam and the ricey crunch is a winner.
Service is very friendly, while a murmur of likeable 1920s-style jazz soundtracks our lunch. And with its shiny white interiors and small, delicate portions on nicely textured plates, Kindling is a food photographer’s gift.
Sharing is caring here, and the menu is best approached tapas-style. Two mains per person, plus a side, will probably leave you just about enough room for a dessert. In our case, this is a chocolate ganache with raisins soaked in five-year-old Barbadian rum, which ensured we left in… high spirits. If only our puns were as ethical as the food.
Kindling is at 69 East Street, Brighton BN1 1HQ
01273 732534
www.kindlingrestaurant.com
Photos by Kindling Restaurant, Jo Hunt and Gary Rose
