Our Tom heads down to Kensington High Street to observe firsthand what ‘The Balans Soho Society’ is all about, and what it’s doing on Kensington High Street. It’s artful weirdness with some Calvados thrown in…
Rating:
In A Word:
Lighthearted
What Is It?:
A restaurant and bar in Kensington. (Yeah, we didn’t see it coming either…)
What’s Special?:
In my opinion there is nowhere in our pleasant land that embraces weirdness in quite the way London does. Taking a short wander through Soho, or Bethnal Green, late on a Friday night can leaves one exposed to the oddest ends of society.
Strange, obscure creatures getting kicks from things I may never understand.
Of course, after being in London for a while it’s easy to become numb to this weirdness – numb and then slightly irritable…
“Oh look you can eat cheese off a naked man whilst listening to live opera.”
“Have you heard about that restaurant in Clapham that only serves Doritos?”
“So you sit in the soil, and then someone straddles you and cries.” [Ed: lol]
I may be getting old, becoming boring, but sometimes it feels like bars and restaurants are trying so hard to be weird it becomes cliché. You sit at the table, and ooh and ahh, but really you just feel like a parent humoring a quite intelligent child that has started wearing eyeliner and watching beheading videos on Youtube.
I was, in all honesty, a little worried that Balans Soho Society was going to provide this same cringy experience. But I was wrong.
The waiter was welcoming and friendly, not wearing a crocodile costume and hopping around on one leg, but occasionally singing as he served. Just a little bit different.
The décor was full of little quirks, a tree growing through a table in the middle of the room for example, but none of it seemed overly forced or unnecessary. Just a little bit different.
The Menu:
Balans’ menu covers a wide-range of cuisines from quesadilla to gyoza on the starters, and red curry to ribs on the mains. It is not overly busy though, generous without spoiling.
Starter
My Thrice Fried Chicken to start was exactly as hoped. Filleted chicken thighs, I believe, came with a shichimi mayonnaise and a slice of lime. The chicken coating was crispy, crunchy and gave way to juicy meat. The portion was ample too and went fantastically with a bottle of Meantime.
My accomplice’s Seared Tuna was Asian inspired with chilli, garlic, ginger and soy and he seemed pleased. It was cooked beautifully and the presentation was simple and clean.
Mains
Mains were equally solid, if not quite as exciting…
My Rack of Lamb was pink, as it should be, the Dauphinoise potatoes crisp on top and the redcurrant jus excitingly sweet. Everything was just right, not sit up and shout amazing, but right.
My accomplice’s Rib Eye was flavourful, the option of chimichurri a nice addition, and the chips a worthy addition.
We polished off an Armagnac and Calvados instead of dessert (not that they didn’t sound tempting) and perused the walls. For the first time in the evening I spotted the taxidermy squirrel just over my right shoulder and we smiled at each other.
The Verdict:
The weirdest guy in the room was never the one shouting the lyrics to All Saints and punching himself in the head. It was the one who seemed completely normal, apart from the brightly coloured socks and the overly keen interest in people’s ear lobes.
Balans have captured this subtle weirdness beautifully, and the food is pretty good too…
The Details
187 Kensington High St, London W8 6SH
http://www.balans.co.uk/restaurant/kensington-london/
