Cambridge Foodies

I have been actively single for a few months now, and as is often the way with such a mindset, I only went and fell in lust with an absolute diamond of a girl at my local pub. Now in the somewhat alien position of wanting to impress a girl for a first date. I asked her, “What do you like to eat?”.

I was expecting a simple response, something akin to “uhm, well I quite like Indian” or “I haven’t had a roast for a while”. What I was met with was “I’m vegetarian but…”. This was followed by a short list of additional likes, dislikes, ifs, and buts, which were beyond my capacity to comprehend.

There was only one thing I could do, reach out to Head Chef and friend of Cambridge Foodies, Kareem Roberts of Trinity Restaurant in Cambridge.

Now I’ve been to Trinity before, with Sy as an invited guest. I knew the food was going to be sublime. But for me, what really separated them from other similar restaurants I’ve been to, was the frankly incredible service and personality of the staff (I’ll talk a bit more about this later). So I felt confident I was in safe hands with Kareem and the team.

My date and I met outside the venue on what was a very chilly December afternoon. My attempts to play it cool drowned out by the cold, (I’m sure it had absolutely nothing to do with the goofy smile I couldn’t wipe off my face) and we quickly went inside. We were greeted at the door by a beaming member of the front of house team, who took us to our seats and offered to take our coats (a nice touch, you don’t always get these days!).

My date took herself off to powder her nose,  and our server snuck in to ask if I’d like a glass of fizz for us both. How could I say no to nice touch no.2? It was on the table before my date was back, and we perused our different menus.

My date, admittedly quite picky, was taking her time deciding what she’d like to eat. So I suggested we get some bread and olives whilst we made a decision. Out came some monstrously sized Gordal Olives, and the Onion Seed Focaccia. Served with Trinity’s traffic light of dipping delights. Chive Oil, Tomato Oil, and Scotch Bonnet Vinegrette.

Each delicious in their own right, but it didn’t take long for me to get mixing and matching. I particularly enjoyed the punchy and smokey chive/spicy tangy scotch bonnet combo.

We eventually ordered our meals and drinks, but not before I checked in with my date whether she’d mind me eating an animal alive in front of her. I’m a bit of an oyster monster, so it’s hard to say no to myself when I see them on the menu.

Thankfully she (said she) didn’t mind. Which meant I was free to have the uncooked option, served with a little vinegrette, some finely diced shallots, and the usual tabasco and slice of lemon. But before it came we were surprised with a couple of extra starters! (Nice touch no.3)

My date was presented with Miso Roasted Flat Mushroom with Chasseur Dressing. This was quite a terrifying moment in the date experience, as unbeknownst to the staff, one of the things my date can be very particular about is mushrooms. I breathed a sigh of relief as she ate every delicious morsel. In fact, I’m sure she’d have licked the plate clean if it weren’t for dating etiquette.

I was given a Red Pepper Polenta Cake, with saused onions and a delicious yoghurt sauce. Also from their vegetarian menu. The rich Polenta Cake perfectly balanced with the sweet and tangy onions and sauce.

The starter I’d ordered came along soon after. A rich, well spiced, pulled pork and nduja goujon riddled with creamy goats cheese. This gave it a croquette like quality, and was a little like being hugged from the inside out. This richness was unusually offset with sweet pear, and peppery radish. Taking the plate beyond comfort food and into the realms of a pallet party.

I was on Kareems Instagram (@brokedinner if you’re interested) a few weeks back. One of the dishes he wished was ordered more, was the Beetroot and Blue Cheese Tamale. So we ordered it. Twice. Both versions were out of this world, but they had subtle differences. Mine had an extra earthy and smokey quality brought through by the bacon, whilst my date’s was extra vibrant with the extra beetroot. Both were balanced well by the sweetcorn veloute, and even as a passionate carnivore, I would be hard pressed to pick a favourite. This is the mind of the man, and if you ever have the pleasure of spending time in his company, you’ll very quickly understand that his imagination has few boundaries.

And if there’s one quality he holds which reaches beyond his imagination, it must surely be his enthusiasm. Not long after ordering a “shared” dessert, my date had already made clear I’d be eating alone, out came Kareem to torture my swelling abdomen with his Stone Bass Korma. (Nice touch no.4)

I choose the word torture very carefully, as I am absolutely certain the man knew I wouldn’t be able to stop at a taste. For me, this was the real demonstration of his genius. Earthy, warming, rich, textured, decadent and not at all sweet… That is until you bite into the plump morsels of stone bass. These bites give all the sweetness you need, making it something akin to a stereotypical korma. I’d have given a standing ovation, if the risk of blinding my date with a trouser button weren’t so high.

Dessert… Raspberry Panna Cotta with Mixed Seeds… Light, creamy, fruity, and with a fun little crunch, but a real challenge to squeeze in. I found a way. I’d like to think my date was impressed, at least until I rolled myself out of the restaurant.

Aware that I may have been on the receiving end of some special treatment, I reached out to Kareem afterwards to sense check before writing this review. He had this to say:

“Anyone that builds a genuine relationship with either myself or Nick can rest assured that we will go out of our way to not only make their evening memorable, but stand out. We WANT to get to know our ideal customers on a personal level so that we can wholeheartedly look after them to the best of our ability. Sometimes that could mean a free course, others a glass of wine, on other occasions with enough time they could get a whole menu that does not exist.

We want our customers to become our friends, that way we can be more friendly and predict their desires when we see them”

And I think that sums up the kind of experience you can expect when you visit Trinity. One of care, enthusiasm, and full to the brim of genuine passion for their customers.

Oh, and before I forget… Word has it, that if you say we sent you when making your booking, a special treat can be expected.

As for my date, she’ll definitely be coming back for seconds.