Flavour Bastard’s spin on a coffee Martini Martini
Flavour Bastard – really are ‘edible scents’. That menu changes more often than seasonally, with Pratap forever experimenting in the kitchens of this chic yet understated Soho restaurant. You might encounter ‘Smoked goat, pomegranate & frankincense, orange and mooli radish.’ And for the more veggie-minded, there are plenty of options – ‘A cloud of curds, gram confetti, mint relish, guindilla chilli’, anyone? And trust me: the ‘Mayanspiced chocolate & brownie mousse, parsnip & cedar ice cream’ is one of the greatest desserts that has ever, ever melted on my tongue. If you prefer your flavours on the quiet side, you might want to go elsewhere. But don’t, whatever you do, write off Flavour Bastard on the strength of what (other) journalists might have had to say about it. When Flavour Bastard opened, those of us at The Perfume Society – already familiar with Pratap’s phenomenal cooking – fully anticipated an avalanche of rave reviews. Certainly, Flavour Bastard has had its fair share of high-profile food world figures beating a path to its Frith Street door – but boy, did most of them have their Sabatiers out. Instead of the glowing write-ups we fully expected, reviewer after reviewer seemed to be possessed by the
An umami None Shall Pass cocktailcocktail
spirit of A.A. Gill at his most arch and vicious. For whatever reason, those food critics didn’t ‘get’ Flavour Bastard. But happily, the public most certainly do: social media raves ensure the place is packed out, night after night, while 70% of TripAdvisor reviews rate it as ‘Excellent’. As our fellow fragrance writer Amanda Carr (of the We Wear Perfume blog) commented, after a night there: ‘From the artfully-constructed cocktails, almost too beautiful to drink, to the golden, turmeric-flecked butter or the jamsticky pork belly tinged with cinnamon, everything was a scrumptious treat. The food is headily aromatic and gloriously tasty. It’s now my go-to joint in Soho, to meet friends or catch a quick bite before the theatre.’ And really, who would you rather believe: overpaid, overfed restaurant reviewers who need to sell newspapers with provocative copy – or real-life fellow foodies? We know which camp we’re in. So we’re delighted to showcase a handful of Pratap’s recipes, here. (They might be a bit of a bastard to cook, actually – but the resulting taste explosion is worth it.) Me? I’m trying to figure out how we can make Flavour Bastard The Perfume Society’s works canteen.
The
scented Letter
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