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Review: Jack Foley
IF YOU dig swine, then get yourself along to Bodean's Original
BBQ Smoke House, in Soho, for a little taste of the Deep South
in London.
Created with the help of the Belgo chain's Andre Blais, Bodean's
is a great place to hang out after a hard day at the office, or
after a night in the theatre - offering you delicious food, at
reasonable prices, with a really friendly service.
Split into two sections - upstairs and down - diners can choose
between the 'fast food' experience of the ground floor diner,
or the slower, more relaxed option of the restaurant.
Whatever they decide, the enticing mix of BBQ flavours are guaranteed
to tantalise the tastebuds and have the vegetarians among you
running! Make no mistake, this is a venue for meat lovers only
- and there is stacks of it.
Ribs, pork shoulder, tenderloin, ham, chicken, beef, sausage,
lamb, fish, exotics and wild game are all on the menu, cooked
slowly over bountiful hardwoods (hickory, oak or maple) and fruitwoods
(apple, cherry and pear).
Seasonings range from thin, vinegary and spicy Cajun style "mop",
to dry rubs, to the thick, tomato-based molasses-laced finishing
sauces.
All meats are slowly cooked indirectly over hot burning wood
coals, so that all juices are retained to ensure that your first
and last bite are mouth-watering experiences.
The clinching ingredient, however, is the trademark, home-made
BBQ sauces, which range from the Classic Maple Sweet, Honey Mild
to Cajun Hot... to name but a few (and which are available to
buy, so that you can continue the taste experience at home).
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Although I have yet to experience the downstairs restaurant,
as yet, the retro-Americana feel of the upstairs joint is ideal
for grabbing a bite to eat over a cold beer after a movie or a
show.
The menu is simple, everything looks good, you order from the
counter and - hey presto - within minutes, the food arrives.
And boy does it taste good. I have taken several friends, all
of whom have emerged vowing to return.
Comparisons have even been evoked with the classic BBQ joints
of the Deep South, in which the preparation of such food is fiercely
competitive. It's that good.
One meal which is particularly fine is the combo of half a chicken
and pulled pork, for £8.50, which comes on a tray, complete
with coleslaw and BBQ beans (with meat in it). The pulled pork
is, quite simply, melt in the mouth, while the chicken is juicily
tender. The sauce, too, compliments the meet, rather than smothering
it, getting the taste explosion just right.
For an extra pound, you can get a half rack of ribs to go with
the meal, which are similarly well-prepared, falling off the bone,
and giving you plenty to sink your teeth into. Often, ribs can
be quite anorexic affairs, when it comes to separating the meat
from the bones, yet at Bodeans, you know you have had a meal.
True value-for-money, however, comes in the form of the Boston
Butt, in the Deli section, a burger rammed full of pulled pork,
coleslaw and vinegar sauce, which arrives with a tray full of
fries, for the scandalously low price of just £4.50. The
Hard Rock Cafe offers a similar meal for somewhere in the region
of £10!
With specials on the board every day, as well, there is plenty
to choose from and the quality is maintained throughout.
What's more, you can always find a seat, which makes this all
the more alluring. I have dined there on several occasions in
recent weeks and am already looking forward to me return. But
then, I do dig swine!
Bodeans, 10 Poland Street, Soho, London, W1F 8PZ. Telephone
020 7287 7575.
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