Pyke ‘n’ Pommes,
53-55 Strand Road,
Derry,
BT48 7BN.
028 7167 2691
I’ve been giving this intermittent fasting malarkey a go. Like everything else, I don’t do it properly. Basically, I skip breakfast and lunch, and then stuff my face with whatever comes to hand from dinner until it’s time to skip breakfast again.
So I don’t necessarily miss any food, just mealtimes, and this hit me hard the other Saturday, when I took my daughter to meet a friend of hers she’d not seen in a while. Between all the different activities the two girls do on a weekend, there wasn’t time for much, but they each had a window free for lunch, and Pyke ‘n’ Pommes on the Strand Road was a venue convenient for both.
I couldn’t eat, because of the intermittent fasting, but that didn’t stop me drooling over the menu, or staring resentfully at everyone else at the table. At every table, come to think of it. I resolved to return at a time when I was free to indulge, which was the other Friday evening.
I’ve been to the Pyke ‘n’ Pommes double-decker bus on the riverfront any number of times, but it’s been ages since I’ve eaten at the actual restaurant. Someone told me their menu’s been the same for years. Whether that’s true or not, I don’t know, but if it is, I’m not surprised. Everything looked just so good. I’d narrowed it down to around 13 before I was ordered to just flipping pick something.
My brother struggled a little, too, though it was always going to be a burger of some description. And it was the fish burger. Breaded, rather than battered, which might have made for a greater contrast in texture, but there was a satisfyingly crunchy coating, nevertheless, and there was the lettuce, too, of course. The fish was nicely cooked, and the combination of pea purée, tartar sauce, and ketchup provided a balanced array of flavours.
The menu offers a variety of taco starters, which double or triple as mains, and this is what my wife opted for. It was a great choice – not so much because it was better than the other dishes, but because it allowed her to sample a range of delights. The battered fish taco was delicious, while the porter brisket was meltingly soft, with a real depth of flavour. Each taco came with its own added fillings, adding crunch, taste, and heat, although this, for me, meant that the subtle earthiness of the cauliflower was a little overwhelmed.
I absolutely loved the squid box. Beautifully cooked calamari wrapped in crispiness, sitting on a bed of so many well-combined ingredients that the word ‘salad’ doesn’t do it justice. Light, sweet, heat, sour, fresh, deep - you name it, it was there, and all enhancing the squid. Special mention for the punchy peanut salsa – just lovely.
The desserts surprised me, I must say. Pyke ‘n’ Pommes feels very modern and go-ahead but, on the whole, the puddings came straight from granny’s book of old favourites. That certainly applies to the sticky toffee pudding – a slab of soft, deep sponge oozing with a sweet sauce – and the lovely apple crumble. Maybe not so much to the key lime pie, though, which was sharp and refreshing, although the pastry case lacked the crispness of the crumble.
Pyke ‘n’ Pommes is a very groovy place. It’s dark, with splashes of vivid colour, and floor-to-ceiling windows opening it out onto the Strand Road. The bare wood and metal tables surround a central bar, and the space extends far back, creating an area where you can sit and enjoy a good range of drinks.
With such a trendy, sociable place, the quality of the cooking and service can easily be overlooked, and that would be a terrific shame. The food is fun, but it’s also brilliant, prepared by chefs who are excited by what they’re doing and who know exactly what they’re doing.
The bill
Child’s crispy chicken bites and fries - £6.50
Squid box, crispy slaw, Asian peanut salsa, lime mayo, radish, coriander, chilli flakes, sesame seeds - £14.00
Tacos – Baja fish; cauliflower; porter brisket - £19.00
Fish burger, lettuce, pea purée, tartar sauce, ketchup - £14.50
Side, fries - £4.00
Sticky toffee pudding - £6.50
Apple crumble, custard, ice cream - £6.00
Key lime pie, raspberry sorbet - £6.50
Coca-Cola x 2 - £7.00
San Pellegrino Blood Orange - £3.00
Total: £87.00
