i've been wanting to eat at soho's newest american-style eatery jackson + rye since it first opened it's doors late last year (i think?), and on sunday i finally got the chance. i'd heard nothing but good things about their breakfast and lunch dishes, with friends from work having eaten there regularly since it's opening (apparently you want to try the avocado benedict and truffled mac 'n' cheese), but none who'd yet been for dinner, so i was keen to try something different and find out for myself.
with a table of eight or so booked for 6, and with epic train disruptions in my area (naturally, it was sunday), i arrived to the restaurant a little early so i had some time to wander my beloved streets of soho, taking the time to be a tourist in an area i spend eight hours of my days in, everyday. it's amazing what you take for advantage when you don't pay attention; soho has some of the prettiest architecture and building details, and on my trudge to work and back everyday, i usually overlook them. it was nice to just look up and see what i've been missing out on for the last few years...
when i finally made my way back, a few of the girls had arrived and discovered on the website that if you 'check in' on facebook (before 7pm daily!) you get a free glass of bubbly or a peach bellini - well, you don't have to tell me twice! peach bellinis in hand, we waited for the birthday girl to arrive before getting stuck into devouring the menu...it didn't take me long to work out what i was going to have, i'll tell you that for nothin'.
i kicked it off with a starter of perfectly crispy squid with creamy chipotle mayo and a wedge of lemon on the side. i was famished, having not eaten all day, and this was the perfect cure for my rumbling belly. the squid was yum. very, very yum. kinda chewy on the inside and extra crunchy on the out. i couldn't have eaten it faster if i'd tried. as i finished i looked around at the other girls, who were all mid-way through their meals, having been chatting and actually socialising while i was wolfing mine down. no shame. i was hungry.
foolishly though, as i was ordering i didn't really think about what i was doing, and so ordered the infamous buttermilk chicken and spicy slaw as my main. that's right, more deep fried goodies to follow the shrimp. when it was plonked down in front of me, i felt a bit queasy. having been herbalifing for a full week now, and having completely lost my appetite over the weekend, the oily, fried batter was... not sitting well. the chicken portions were massive, but...a few mouthfuls in and i'd had enough of the batter and was desperately trying to scrape it away from the chicken. it was all too much, and my own fault for not thinking ahead.
i tried to combat all the grease with a mouthful of the slaw, and soon enough discovered chunks of onion throughout (let's not forget the allergy!); bloody hell, it wasn't my night. once the chicken was free of the batter, i had a better time eating, but i was disappointed that the dish didn't come with some sort of sauce. fried chicken is well and good if it's seasoned - when it's buttermilk battered and fried, you kinda get what you ask for and it was a bit... samey. and dry. samey and dry. i was not a fan, i won't be trying that again.
thankfully i was able to wash it all down with my deuce royal and forget about it all while dreaming of dessert; behold! the greatest birthday cake i've ever seen! one of the birthday girl's besties had laboured over creating - from scratch - an homage to her favourite tattoo, and made it out of her favourite type of cake too; red velvet with cream cheese icing! seriously, even though i was feeling pretty queasy in the old tum, that cake was getting eaten. by me. and everyone else. it was bloody sensational. i regret nothing.
have you been to jackson + rye? tell me that your meal was better than mine!
