Brinkley’s on Hollywood Rd Chelsea is a bit of an institution it seems. Packed to the brim on a Saturday night with a one in one out policy, the restaurant at the back still resembles an airy sanctuary. Until maybe 10pm, but we signed up for that.
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| Restaurant at the back. Photo thanks to Brinkleys |
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| Pork Belly with spring onion mash, carrot puree, savoy cabbage and apple sauce £17 |
My pork belly main (£17) was a different story however.
The presentation instantly slightly scared me; dollops of mashed vegetables, and a square shape of what looked like over
brown over cooked over dry pork belly. “It’s ok” I told myself after an
initial pang of disappointment, “looks can be deceiving”.
Getting my (butter) knife and fork ready for
action at the top of the crackling I applied pressure, and nothing
happened. I then applied more pressure so that I was in danger of losing this
piece of meat to the vicinity of my friends lap. I heard a slight crack, but I was already
calling the waitress.
To my surprise I was informed that this is the way the
owner likes it, and I should flip the belly over for easy access to the meat (what? My inner food critic’s eyes light up with
excitement). But it was dry, and I then had
to explain to the manager that the whole thing was technically incorrect (how could they send this out?) while in
the back of my head reminiscing about the likes of Kopapa crispy goodness.
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| Black linguine with scallops, prawns, tomato, chili, garlic and basil (£17) |
Take two with Black Linguine was much more successful. Fresh
perfectly cooked seafood on a bed of al dante pasta covered in rich tomato
sauce with an aromatic hint of basil. So I was satisfied and highly amused at
the same time; that pork belly must’ve been some kind of glitch in the system!?
We didn’t have dessert, but I can tell you that their
Espresso Martinis are up there with some of the best.
Come here for a fun atmosphere and a great start to a night out with friends.
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