I don’t mind lettuce… as long as it’s the background crunch for the croutons, parmesan and rich dressing of a Caesar Salad.
Tomatoes, they’re pretty good too, if served in equal measure with creamy mozzarella, a few tears of basil and a good glug of olive oil.
So, you see, unless the rabbit food is served with something as fattening as a quarter pounder with cheese, it’s not really my cup of tea.
It’s with great admiration then that I doff my cap to Kemi’s Café in Pontcanna. They’re knocking out bloody lush salads and there’s not even the merest hint of a cube of feta or a slice of halloumi.
Despite Kemi’s menu being dominated by a range of sandwiches and jacket potatoes, it’s their salad feast for which they’re famous.
Their counter boasts a handsome display of the range of roughage on offer.
Their counter boasts a handsome display of the range of roughage on offer.
A first-rate cappuccino and a refreshing ginger & lemongrass presse both did the job.
Mrs G and I both ordered the salad feast with Glamorgan sausages (£7.25) – a generous plate groaned with a banging selection of mixed leaves with mandarin oranges; stewed figs; home-pickled cabbage, chillies, carrots & cucumbers; tender roasted sweet potatoes; spiced boiled potatoes; chickpea & romesco salad; aromatic couscous; roast asparagus and bhelpuri. There were others too I’m sure…
A pair of Glamorgan sausages were unctuously cheesy and crammed with herbs but, a little disappointingly, lacking in crispness.
A friend ordered the salad feast with quiche (£7.25) - thin pastry and a balanced filling of caramelised red onion and goat’s cheese were both bob on.
To counteract any semblance of healthy eating which had taken place, we finished lunch with cakes from a heaving baked-goods cabinet.
A cherry tiffin (£2.50) of chocolate, crushed digestives and glace cherries was tasty yet unremarkable…
whilst a slice of coffee sponge (£2.50) was a touch on the dry-side.
I’d highly recommend Kemi’s Café for a “light” lunch – in fact their salads are worth a trip across Cardiff alone.
However, if you happen to visit Kemi’s on a Saturday, you can also pop over the road to Pipes craft brewery to pick up a few bottles of their awesome lagers.
And, if you happen to be visiting on the first Saturday of the month, you can chillax with a pint in their charmingly ramshackle outdoor bar.
The details:
Kemi's Cafe
Address - Kemis Pontcanna, Kings Road, Cardiff, CF11 9DF
Web - http://www.kemis.co.uk/
Telephone - 029 2037 2055
Pipes
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