I should have guessed from Other’s vivid blue and orange colour scheme that they’re no shrinking violets when it comes to flavour.
From the first mouthful to the last, everything packed a whopping punch.
Located in the Bristol suburb of Bedminster, Other is the debut restaurant from Zak Hitchman and his partner Emma. Zak’s was previously head chef at the Michelin-starred Casamia before it closed in 2022 and prior to that he was sous chef at Ynyshir, one of the most acclaimed restaurants in the UK. Not a bad CV then.
With Other, Zak has ditched the formality of lengthy tasting menus and moved towards a more laid-back cooking style.
Despite Other’s striking use of colour, it’s a surprisingly cosy spot. We sat at a long communal table that takes up half the restaurant but had plenty of room to stretch our elbows.
Other’s name comes from its eclectic style of food, with influences from across Asia, America and Europe. The compact menu is divided up into small and larger plates and we ordered pretty much the whole lot to share between four of us.
From the dinky wine list, we chose a couple of bottles of red to share and both were lovely - a red berry packed The Notes Gamay (£36) with light acidity and a richer Sabina Tempranillo (£28) with a hint of spice.
The first small plate to arrive was a first-rate riff on sesame prawn toast (£8), which saw chicken mince replacing crustacean that was then topped with fresh and cleansing slivers of lime-pickled cucumber. The kicker was a potent brown crab hot and sour mayo.
I'm always in the game for smoked meat, and Other's seven hour smoked hogget (£8) was up there with dishes from the best smokehouses I've visited. Meat and smoke intensity combined in stupidly tender nuggets of shredded meat that were crisped up nicely around the edges. Levity, acidity and chilli heat came from a corker of a roasted pineapple and ancho chilli jam.
Tempura grey mullet (£9.50) was my least favourite small plate, but it was still very good. Meaty pieces of fish were coated in an excellent light batter and topped with a potent punch of harissa and slithers of fragrant blood plum. Slices of raw miso scallop slightly jarred in texture and temperature for me.
Onto the larger plates, and Other clearly knows how to cook a killer bit of meat.
Outrageously rich smoked beef cheeks (£22) had an excellent bark and beautifully tender, smoky flesh. Garnishes, which had been piled on top, all hit the mark too - a good squirt of citrus mustard, slices of sweet onion, and umami rich beer braised tomatoes.
A corker of a crisp-skinned, juicy and well-rendered fat pork chop (£25) was topped with a crispy panko crumb and accompanied by a five spice fragranced char sui sauce and a crisp and fresh white cabbage salad.
Other’s veggie option (£17) looked like a plate of leaves at first glance, but it delivered just as much flavour as the meat dishes. Buttery soft slow-roasted aubergine pieces were the vehicle for a whopper of a red curry glaze, the freshness of mint and coriander, and the crunch of crispy onions and ginger.
Finally, a fish special (£22) saw meaty and salty mackerel fillets (I wonder whether it might have been slightly cured) paired with golden beignet-like crab cakes and sweet and cleansing tomatoes. The clincher was a curry spiced butter sauce that was a cross between something you’d get from the chip chop and a fine dining French kitchen.
Sides were all belters too. Ridiculously crisp deep fried layered confit potatoes (£7) were dusted with roast garlic salt and ancho chilli and accompanied by a pot of lightly honking aioli. I think this might be my favourite style of potato as it delivers the most crunch per mouthful.
Sweet and soft roasted carrots (£8) were a mess of deliciousness muddled together with crispy chickpeas, salty nuggets of feta and a vibrant salsa verde.
Even a wedge of lettuce (£7) was zhushed up by the addition of everything bagel seasoning, lettuce pesto and a lemon dressing.
Other’s menu recommends ordering both desserts to combine together like some kind of dessert Megazord. I can see why.
A sourdough doughnut (£5) was light and soft and sweet and salty with the complexity of brown butter and toasty charred edges from being finished on the barbecue.
A crème brûlée (£9) was a riot of flavour - the creamy custard combining with a sweet and fragrant blood plum jam, the zinginess of lime syrup, and a properly crisp and toasty burnt caramelised sugar layer. It was brilliant slathered over the warm doughnut.
We had a belter of a meal at Other and Zak Hitchman’s mammoth flavoured cooking is some of the most exciting I’ve eaten this year. Next time you visit Bristol and you’re thinking about visiting another restaurant instead of Other, don’t bother.
The Details:
Address - Other, 32 Cannon Street, Bedminster, Bristol BS3 1BN
Web - https://www.otherrestaurant.co.uk/
Telephone - 07503 144325
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