Kintsu
Colchester, Essex
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Scenic views and grand entrances do not (necessarily) a great restaurant make. What is arguably Colchester’s finest place to eat is down an inconspicuous alley in a plain brick building in the lea of a multi-storey carpark. Don’t be put off, because the sequence of small, creative plates served in this sleek, unique space (formerly Grain) is memorable. Warm homemade sourdough, a mini loaf sliced in two, comes promptly, with raw Bungay butter. A delicate cucumber gazpacho, vividly fresh, is poured around a puck of crabmeat mixed lightly with mayo. There’s a bolstering hint – just a hint – of chilli, and suggestion of sharpness from pickled cucumber. Peas come tangled with their shoots, broad beans and a summery pea/mint purée, plus a little garlicky yoghurt bringing some balancing tang. Chicken thigh Kyiv delivers that irresistible combination of crunch and melting garlic butter, while a purée of lovage (ever the friend of chicken) offers up its inimitable celery/parsley pep. The richness of a Pump Street chocolate mousse is tamed by tart blackcurrant (the leaf infused into ice cream, the fruit poached or made into dehydrated 'fruit leathers'), but at other times of the year you might be tempted by whipped rice pudding with rhubarb and yuzu. It’s good to see a nod to Essex wines, with the New Hall Vineyard offering their Chardonnay, Bacchus and Pinot Noir rosé for around £30.
