XO at the Artichoke

Venture forth from the city centre and out through Anglia square and you’ll find the Artichoke. For too long a pub neglected: the only food they served was salt and vinegar or cheese and onion variety. Since being taken over by the Golden Triangle Brewery the Artichoke has received one almighty glow up and the old place is looking fine! It’s not the pub we’ve come to visit though, instead we’re here for XO Kitchen that’s been slinging plates since last July. In the hands of head chef Jimmy Preston the menu is as exciting as it is adventurous with a staggering range of culinary inspirations and an ever changing menu.

Atmosphere An idiosyncratic building from the outside the interior décor has been freshened up with more than a lick of paint. It’s clean and modern and boasts an impressive beer selection but for me, it’s all about the food. From our arrival on a dreary mid-week evening in January the dining room is buzzing and the tables quickly fill up with other folks who’ve heard the good news of what’s coming out of the kitchen.

The Main Event XO has no starters or mains, just dishes. Their eye-catching menu is perfectly designed to encourage an eclectic mix and match approach to your meal and to share your food. Great… I have to fight my usual impulse to get stab happy with my fork whenever a hand approaches my plate. Instead I have to give a fixed rictus of a smile to pretend I’m ok with people sharing my food. For the record, I am not ok with people sharing my food. First to our table was the Beef massaman curry – a big, rich dish with huge slabs of beef so tender they melt at the touch. Served with a buttery flatbread glittering with salt crystals that cut through the stickiness of the curry sauce. To the side is a bone whose glistening marrow adds to the overall richness of the meal and a dash of colour in the shrimp sambal. The first joyous mouthful of all these items was an unfolding story of taste with a gentle warmth that built to a satisfying conclusion.

An Asian watermelon salad was the perfect counterbalance to the curry, cleansing my palate and offering a more subtle mix of flavours in the delicate dressing. Nuts, mint, sesame and chillies all blend, no one standing before the other, in a refreshing collage. With these we also enjoyed a couple of Salt and Pepper Tofu Bao buns. Pillowy soft, these gentle clouds of affection came delivered nested gently in their basket. Peek under the lid to greet your new children with love and they repay you in kind. Then you eat them. By far the subtlest of the dishes but still much to be enjoyed in the warm doughy comfort.

Pud Things get proper tasty again when the dessert menu comes around. You have to go for the eminently instagrammable Peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Nestled between caramelised brioche buns is a mighty slab of peanut butter ice cream rolled in praline. A cascade of red jelly leaks out like a delicious lava flow to complete this staggering dessert. It’s filthy and it’s so good, like some childhood fantasy finally come real. Let’s face it, I’ll never win a Blue Peter badge so this is as good as it gets. A slightly more subdued but no less satisfying choice is the San Sebastian cheesecake. So light and fluffy it could only be held together by some delicious dessert based black magic. The chef’s pact with the Dark Lord is well worth it.

Overall XO have discovered something magical, the legendary 6thfood group. We already had fruit and veg, carbs, dairy, protein and fat but we now we can add to that, Fluffy. Fluffy is now my favourite of all food groups. From the cumulous bao buns to the gloriously thick and soft white bread of the katsu sando sandwiches comfort comes with every meal. Mix in with that the bombastic flavours of dishes with inspiration drawn from around the world and they’re on to an absolute winner.

Venue – 8 Fodder – 10 Value – 9 Overall – 9.5