Latest Review stuart, Feb 29th, 2012
Located in the heart of Cardiff Bay, Mr G’s Soul Kitchen provides a serene, relaxed environment away from the hustle and bustle of Mermaid Quay, the perfect place to spend a quiet cultural afternoon or evening.
On entering the restaurant I was immediately struck by the simple yet contemporary décor, a mixture of plain white walls accentuated with accents of vivid red and deep mahogany tables, this was complimented by a vast array of beautiful “one of a kind” art work created by a fantastic local artist Kyle Alanza Legall. The pieces of art work themselves were all of influential famous musical artists such as Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson. The art work along with the soft sound of reggae music playing in the background enhanced the Caribbean theme of the restaurant perfectly.
We were seated to a table in the centre of the restaurant and left to peruse the exotic Menu, which contained a number of traditional Soul food dishes including Jerk Chicken, Curried Goat and fried chicken, all of which sounded delicious. After much deliberation I eventually chose the sweet chilli and garlic prawns served with an avocado salad and mango salsa. This arrived beautifully presented and the prawns were cooked to perfection, they were sweet, fresh and juicy. The sauce surrounding the prawns was lightly spiced and infused with garlic, providing a lovely combination to the meaty prawns. The avocado salad was fresh and vibrant and the avocado added a rich, creamy taste to the dish which mellowed the spicy sauce. Finally the mango salsa provided a lovely sweet element to the starter and was a spectacular bright, sunshine colour.
My partner to start had the spiced fish cakes, which comprised of a blend of white fish, peppers, herbs and spices. This was a great introduction to his first taste of soul food and provided an exciting blend of flavours. The fishcakes themselves were coated in a thin, crisp batter, which my partner found incredibly moreish and the inside of the cakes were soft and fluffy. The herbs and spices added a great little kick to the fish cakes and the sweet chilli sauce finished the starter off perfectly.
For my main course I chose the Jerked snapper fish which had been marinated in a sweet and spicy sauce, then fried till golden brown. The fresh snapper was beautifully cooked and flavoursome, with the skin of the fish crisp and crunchy whilst the flesh was moist, succulent permeated with the flavours of spring onion, garlic and herbs. In addition the skin of the fish had been rubbed in jerk seasoning which provided an extra depth of flavour and a spicy element. This was accompanied by a mound of coconut rice, which was deliciously sweet, light and fluffy.
My partner chose the Jerk Chicken which had been marinated in a sweet and spicy sauce for 24 hours prior to chargrilling. As it was his first time tasting Jerk Chicken he was overwhelmed by how flavoursome the meat was and how each ingredient of the marinade had subtly infused into the chicken. The meat was also perfectly tender and juicy. This was accompanied by the traditional Jamaican staple rice and peas which was very tasty and when combined with the juicy chicken made the perfect combination.
As Soul food virgins, we were very much intrigued by the array of side dishes on the menu and in addition to the main courses we ordered dishes of fried plantain, dumplings, coleslaw and potato salad. The fried plantain a type of banana was delicious, caramelised on the outside and slightly softened and sweet in the centre, something I would definitely recommend. The dumplings were also another triumph; these were similar in texture to a savoury doughnut, light and fluffy on the inside with a crunchy outer coating.
By this point both of us had pretty much had our fill, however the temptation of Mr G’s signature mango cheesecake was overwhelming and eventually we succumbed to the urge and decided to share this delectable dessert. The cheesecake itself was out of this world and I can completely understand why the recipe is classed as “Top Secret” by George the owner. The combination of tangy soft cheese with sweet mango puree was perfect and the texture of the filling was unlike one I had tasted before, it was cool and creamy on the tongue which made it almost comparable to that of ice cream. Finished off with sweet white chocolate drops and fresh mango slithers, we both agreed this was by far the best cheesecake we had ever tasted!!
Overall our afternoon spent at Mr G’s Soul Kitchen was very relaxed and cultural, the food was exquisite and the staff were very attentive, friendly and welcoming. Mr G’s definitely one a place in our hearts and we will both be returning shortly for some of his much loved soul food.
