[Invite] – click here

Lunch date at the Burleigh Arms courtesy of the immensely talented Head Cook Kareem Roberts.

It had been a long time since we last visited a Kareem themed restaurant, last visiting the much celebrated but now closed Trinity restaurant in December last year. This time the brief was the same. Me, possibly the least picky eater in Cambridgeshire, and my vegetarian, somewhat fussy girlfriend were visiting for lunch. This time after an hour long cycle along the river to work up a healthy appetite.

Now, I’m not ashamed to admit, even under normal circumstances, I will eat pretty much everything put under my nose. Couple this with cycling for an hour and I was positively ravenous. Thankfully Kareem had my back and was more than happy to oblige with a broad selection from his menu (and a little which hadn’t quite made it onto the menu yet).

For the carnivore:

Cured Stone Bass, with Tomato Compote, Tomato Mayo, Pickled Radish and a Labash Cracker

If you’re looking for a fresh and vibrant lite bite, then you can’t go far wrong with this. The sweetness of the fish is enforced by the tomato mayo, with the tomato compote and pickled radish acting as their foil. Together you have sweetness and acidity dancing on your tongue in perfect harmony, an ideal way to start any meal.

Fried Chicken Wings, with a Strawberry Hot Sauce and Blue Cheese and Broccoli Emulsion

Perfectly cooked chicken wings with a satisfying crunch, covered in a beautiful slightly spicy, tangy and sweet sauce with a hint of strawberry coming in at the end of each mouthful (trust me, it really works), with an earthy richness coming from the emulsion to balance things out. I could have quite happily eaten these KFC style… A la’ bucket.

Masala Roasted Meatloaf, Mash, Curry Sauce

Honestly, in the hot weather I wouldn’t have picked this off the menu myself, but boy am I glad Kareem brought it out. This dish was like being cuddled from the inside out. Not overly rich, the soft and delicious meatloaf acted as a meaty sponge to soak up the delicious accompanying gravy. I personally would have enjoyed a little crunch in there, but that may have detracted from the plates ambitions. This was comfort food of the highest order, the edible equivalent of a hot rocks massage, and it did not disappoint.

Five Spice Roasted Pork Shoulder, Glazed Carrots, Pine Nut Salsa, Hot and Sour Carrot Jus

This was off menu at the time (Kareem will have to tell you if it’s on there now), and was an absolute symphony of flavour and texture. Rich and fatty pork shoulder, cooked to melt in your mouth perfection. The melty softness, offset with crunchy carrots and pine nuts. The sweet stickiness of the pork fat, offset with the Hot and Sour Carrot Jus. A beautifully balanced main that anyone with a love for pork would adore.

For the herbivore/omnivore:

Hot and Sour Glazed Carrot and Pine Nut Insalata

I only got a little taste of this, but it was so good that my girlfriend and I both raved about it to the next table. They ordered it too and were equally impressed, saying “I don’t understand how he can get so much out of a carrot! It’s delicious!!”.

Pea and Goats Cheese Arancini with Chive Mayo

I mean, just look at the pictures and you can taste this one. Fresh, creamy, crunchy and vibrant. It had everything you might want from an Arancini and more. My girlfriend’s favourite dish of the day, she described is as “the best Arancini she’s ever had”, which is quite something when she has it at every opportunity she gets. And I will absolutely be looking to recreate that chive mayo, which I think will be incredible with fish and chips!

Chestnut Mushroom Tabbouleh with Charred Courgettes

Charred courgette is one of dirt’s greatest gifts to a dinner plate. As daft as it seems, it had never occurred to me to cut it into sticks and I’m somewhat annoyed with myself about it. The char to courgette ratio was significantly improved with this simple change, and I will be cooking it this way myself from now on. My girlfriend, despite not being a big fan of courgettes, enjoyed it a lot.

Mango Mess

Despite bursting at the seams by the time this was brought out, I managed to find enough room to squeeze this down. It’s exactly as you might expect, light, creamy, sweet and delicious. With just enough sugar to prevent me slipping into a food coma on the cycle home.

Safe to say, we enjoyed everything served up to us. Kareem brings a unique energy to the venues he works in, which is present not only in his food. You can see it in the standards he sets for service too, which, as ever, surpassed my expectations. He is always ready to adapt to dietary preferences, and if you’d like to make a change to one of his dishes he is always willing and able to find a way to make it work, all without the dish losing it’s sparkle.

Kareem prides himself on invention, and is willing to bend and break the unspoken rules to consistently deliver imaginative, genre defying dishes with the freshest of ingredients. He’s even growing vegetables and herbs in raised beds beside the outdoor seating area! If you haven’t tried his food yet, then you’re missing out.

Hurry up and get a table booked!