Just before lockdown, we visited a new arrival onto the London food scene, Joan, which is located in Shoreditch, and headed up by Niko Kontogiannatos, former head chef at Caravan Fitzrovia. Now, I have to admit that Caravan Fitzrovia had always been a favourite; I love the fresh but hearty foods, and I was even more excited to eat at Joan when I found out Niko was heading it up.
The restaurant itself is just a moment from Shoreditch High Street station, in the former residence of Beach Blanket Babylon, and as you enter you’ll be reminded of the pre-covid days of dimly lit bars, funky settings and delightful decor - you know, if it wasn’t for the mask, table service and 2 metre distance which they adhere to perfectly.
We arrived early - something I always seem to do now I’ve been unconditioned to being late after leaving the office - and decided to enjoy a couple of drinks in the bar. Given it was a Wednesday, in the middle of a pandemic, it had a busy vibe which was exactly what I was after. After a drink in the bar, we were shown to our table and explained the menu.
The menu is, what I can only describe, as a combination of all your favourite foods. You can have Braised Beef Short Rib with Bavette Steak Toastadas, or pizza, or a burger. Normally I am not a fan of a menu so confused, but with everything been done so well it’s hard not to love.
We finally settled on various small plates - ranging from £6.50 through to £9.50. You can also go for their larger plates, but we fancied trying various things from the menu.
Buttermilk fried chicken, chipotle yogurt
Braised beef short rib, creamy potato mash, fried onion and chive mayonnaise
Braised octopus, herby potato salad, yuzu dressing and squid in aioli
Burrata, caponata, basil oil and roasted pine nuts
Hispy cabbage, pancetta lardons, croutons, anchovies and garlic sauce
Bavette steak tostadas
Triple cooked fries with truffle and parmesan
Orange pie, white chocolate cream, orange gel and crispy filo
Broken up cheesecake
Now I have to say, despite the range and mix of flavours, it all worked well together and it is my favourite type of dining whereby I eat various dishes over the course of an hour. Every dish was fresh and delicious, seasoned perfectly, but the stand-out plates from the above were the braised short rib, braised octopus and the hispy cabbage - they were all truly delicious. My only negative comment would be for the portion size, the prices are a little steep - but what they lack in size, they make up for with flavour.
We also held out for dessert; opting for the delicious orange pie which was fresh and rounded off the meal perfectly. The broken up cheesecake was also tasty - appealing to those of us (guilty) who have an extremely sweet tooth.
All in all, Joan Shoreditch is a great location for your casual dining desires. Blending a beautiful venue, that feels very Shoreditch, with easy, tasty food that caters to everyones taste buds.
Now, to just get out of Tier 3 and visit again!
19-23 Bethnal Green Road, Shoreditch, E1 6LA
020 3848 0512
http://www.joanshoreditch.co.uk/
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