A Taste of Kazakhstan in Kensington
Across a busy London High Street the promise of foreign holidays demands our attention. Trail Finders, Virgin Travel and a couple of flight centres tempt us with images of bronzing bodies, inviting beaches and city breaks.
The nearest we’re getting to such forbidden fruits is a menu from the Middle East and Mediterranean in a friendly restaurant between Holland Park and Kensington High Street, right opposite the travel shops.
During enforced Covid closure owner Tati Rurenko took the opportunity to refurbish Pascor.
She is from Kazakhstan (‘Borat,’ she reminds me with a chuckle) and Pascor aims to do what the name suggests: to nourish, satisfy and feast, and delight.
It’s a friendly, rustic vibe place that does more of the former than the latter. A good lunch rather than a special event dinner. It’s casual with willing service and good, wholesome dishes from a sometimes confusing menu.
We chose a window seat which was rather too close for socially distanced comfort to the next diners. There are a handful of tables with flowers and rugs outside for those
prepared to risk traffic fumes. Or need to smoke…
A wide open front door and air con kept us cool despite the open plan kitchen as we ordered a chilled New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, second cheapest on the white wine list but still pricey a £39.00 a bottle. The waitress, on her second day, had to check there was no house wine first.
We shared a starter of babaganoush, that spicy wood-fired aubergine topped with pomegranate (£6) with toasted sesame (£3.50) and a classic Middle Eastern Fattoush salad.
The grilled scallop tart sounded intriguing. There was no sign of a pastry base but the courgette puree was in creamy contrast to the crunchy cauliflower florets and chopped apple (£15).
Chicken, octopus, beef and the inevitable lamb kofta were on offer for a main course but, with my companion’s broken arm in a plaster cast, we opted to go halves on grilled whole sea bass with roasted garlic and lemon dressing (£25).
It was a good choice: a 400g fish glistening on the plate, crisp skin falling away to reveal perfectly cooked white flesh. Delicious.
They threw the kitchen sink at our dessert: baklava cheese cake with poached cherries and roasted pistachio (£8). Only pure gluttony drove us to order dark chocolate and salted caramel (£8).
There is now no hope of beach-ready bodies if and when we can book our longed-for hols.
- Writer Gill was offered a complimentary meal for honest review purposes. 221 Kensington High Street, London W8 6SG. For more information and to book see www.pascor.co.uk.
