LCB

Introduction

As a huge fan of Sri Lankan cuisine, Rambutan had been high on the agenda. A recent office move to Borough had elevated it even higher given its proximity. And so it was that Caroline and I arranged a date with friends Kate and Will (not those ones) to enjoy another meal after a successful visit to Royal Mahal in back in October 2023. On that ocasion we were in the less than glamourous surrounds of Norbury so this was going to be a step up, but would it deliver, or slip up?

Venue

Borough is synonymous with food due to its famous market, but equally it cops some criticism due to its tourist trap status and all-round high prices. Nevertheless its central location, well served by London Bridge station, makes it a popular haunt for holiday makers and foodies alike.

Rambutan sits right at its heart with the unique funky lettering of its sign reflecting the original menu within. However, despite the open kitchen, with counter-top seating available, the remaining seating and interior is fairly bland and austere. Perhaps the food is left to do the talking, but comparing to stylish rivals, Hoppers and Kolamba, the token house plants and plain walls don't impress that much.

7/10

Starters and sides

Blood orange acharu

Jaffna-style welsh lamb skewer X2

Parsley, lime & fresh coconut sambol

Butter roti X3

White samba rice

Self-styled as Sri Lankan diaspora cooking, the menu here is immediately exciting and original. On our visit, the short (but changing) menu had about 10-15 dishes with a variety of meat and vegetarian starters and mains.

For starters we had blood orange acharu. These were a little underwhelming for me, a bit like glorified half-time oranges with spice. I guess they were probably more of a palate cleanser, but for £4.50 and delivered out of sequence it was a bit like "wtf is this, it's just orange?". Caroline loved it though so, different strokes for different folks, I guess.

More to my liking was the Jaffna style Welsh lamb - very fiery but delectable skewered lamb, sprinkled with lovely salt flakes, that elevated the meat even higher. This was superb and would highly recommend but comes with a Scoville warning(!). At £6 each they're also a little punchy in the wallet.

Completing the starters and sides were the roti - perfect fluffy and chewy dough exemplars of these delectable breads. Up there with the best at Roti King, these are always perfect for mopping up any dish.

8/10

Curry

Buttermilk fried chicken wings, pol sambol & pickled chilli

Ginger, mustard seed & charred pineapple pachadi

Slow grilled red mullet with goroka puli & citrus pickle

Black pork belly dry curry

Beef cheek rasam with tamarind & coriander

For the more main-like dishes we chose the ginger, mustard seed and charred pineapple pachadi, buttermilk chicken wings, red mullet, black pork belly, and beef cheek rasam. On name alone these looked impressive dishes and didn't disappoint.

The charred pineapple came on a generous dollop of lovely yoghurt to cool the spice, with cumin and mustard seeds adding a bitter ying to the pineapple's sweet yang. Ginger strands added more bite and pepper, but were perhaps a little overwhelming due to their size, but, all told, it was a lovely combo in the right proportions.

The buttermilk fried chicken wings came with a diced coconut sambol and had a lovely limey zing to it, but were nothing special on their own. In contrast, the white meat of the red mullet was excellent, but it was a diminuitive and boney fish that didn't offer too much bang for our buck. Far more generously sized was 

the portion of black pork belly - a superb dry rub curry with lemongrass or something similar adding to the spicy blend. So tender and so much of it. Lovely.

Finally, the beef cheek rasam - a light spicy broth - was very tender, but could possiby have done with something extra to excite a little more, but, again, the meat portion was plentiful and the soup went well with the roti.

8/10

Service

The waiting staff were friendly enough but we were moved on quickly after our allotted hour an a half which felt a bit rushed; we weren't even offered another round of drinks or a dessert. Most of the crockery was chipped which felt a little cheap and grubby and, while the table we had at the end of the restaurant was sizeable, it was a little plain and surrounds unfurnished. 

The service therefore didn't quite live up to expectations set by the price, so it's only a 6/10 as a result.

6/10

Value for money

I guess this is the price of eating in Borough Market, and London, right now but it felt A LOT. Yes, the dishes were innovative and interesting, but they lacked a little something to truly pop and didn't quite live up to the price tag. Best value for the amount was the generous black pork belly, but the fish was a little skeletal and the lamb skewers at £6 a pop were a little toppy. £4.50 for some orange slices was the kicker though. 

Drinks prices were comparable to elsewhere, and we could have probably order a little less, but at £60 each overall we were left a little stunned.

6/10

Summary

I left Rambutan a little underwhelemed and torn. Yes, it's great quality, but the overall value and experience was lacking. Some dishes would grace any menu while others felt well constructed but devoid of a true wow factor. I probably won't be rushing back, and would recommend Kolamba, Hoppers, or the less well-known Machan Kitchen for a Sri Lankan fare instead, but will leave with fond memorie of the lamb skewers and pork belly in particular.

35/50