Comptoir V
Vegetarian & Vegan
Keslake Mansions, Station Terrace, Kensal Green, London NW10 5RU
££
Comptoir V broadened my horizons in that it took me to Kensal Rise, an area of North West London I had barely heard of, let alone visited. An odd, residential, ghostly area served solely by the Bakerloo Line (and overground if that even counts). Sister to nearby Comptoir Mezze, Comptior V has won fame due to its show-stopping Vegan menu, which aims to show Londoners how to do veganism right: it ditches the meat without losing the heat.
To start, we went for the Jackfruit Nuggets (6.75) and Dynamite Shrimp (6.75). As a serious meat lover, I am always really sceptical of replacement versions as when you can have the real thing only the best imposters will do. I was pleasantly surprised by the Jackfruit Nuggets, with a sticky, crispy outer coating and suspiciously meaty textured interior. Was it as good as fried chicken? Probably not. Was it close? Yes, I dare say it was. I may be less enthusiastic about the Jackfruit Nuggets as I am comparing them with their shrimpy cousin – man, they really were dynamite! A crispy outer coating, swimming in a spicy aioli, with a delicate, slightly rubbery interior. Did they taste like shrimp? Yes! Were they just as good? If not better! I never thought I’d see the day where I would rave about a false prawn, but life does take you to unexpected places.
The show went on, and we ordered a Moroccan buddha bowl (9.95), which consisted of aubergine zaalock, sautéed spinach, curried chickpeas, spiced sweet potato and caramelised onions, with steamed quinoa and pumpkin seeds. It sounded light and healthy but bursting with so many different components I wondered if it may be too much. It arrived on massive plate, piled high with all the elements of the meal, which I expected to be overflowing with flavour. Turns out it was a bit of a disappointment: whilst there was a lot of substance, there wasn’t actually a whole load of flavour. It was a seriously filling dish, which ended up not being that satisfying and reinstated my initial fears of veganism as a bland nightmare.
We also ordered the Return of the Mac (11.95), which consisted of southern style battered mushroom, house cashew mac ‘n’ cheese, steamed garlic kale with a herbed carrot and squash puree. Whilst the batter was crisp and paired nicely with the chewy soft mushroom beneath, the sauce it was laced in was slightly on the sweet side. The cashew mac ‘n’ cheese wasn’t creamy at all and was actually a bit flavourless and dry. I’ve seen some attempts at cheeseless mac, and so far I am yet to be convinced this is something that can be replicated ‘cruelty free’. The garlic kale was a delicious addition and was actually my favourite thing on the plate, however, giving points for the simplest part of the dish doesn’t really make up for the areas where it was lacking.
We didn’t get pudding, as by this point we had devoured such indulgently sweet fried numbers that I if I had anything else I would have probably burst. Overall perceptions of the meal? The starters were great, and if I was the come again I would probably stick to these. The fried foods were better than the fresher salad dishes, which ended up being stodgy and bland. After such a strong start, Comptoir V had me underwhelmed for the main event, and was easily forgettable once I rolled home in my hour-long Uber. Will I be back? Unlikely, but if you fancy some intriguing vegan starters hit up Comptoir V and treat it like tapas.
OVERALL RATING: ***
https://www.comptoirv.co.uk/
