The Joint

A shout must go out to my fellow housemates on this one. Not only because they shared this experience with me for the first time, but also because they are advocates of London's Brixton Village and all the taste sensations that it has to offer. 

Our only problem is that when we are there, we see a menu, then look up to one another and instantly proclaim that to taste just one starter and main course each is simply not enough. Nothing changed on this particular occasion...

                         

The Joint is set in the at the heart of Brixton Village, squashed in-between a cafe and a seafood restaurant. This is the nature of Brixton Village; a universal maze of food education and temptation. It's impossible to walk through it with the aim of going somewhere specific without someone stopping and asking, 'Shall we go here?' or, 'guys, seriously, apparently this place is the tits'. 

When we finally made it through to The Joint, the waiter cleared a space for us and invited us to sit down at one of the tables which consisted of a blackened plank of wood suspended on some up-ended food crates, surrounded by a scatter of wooden stools. It was all we needed. What lay ahead of us would put to shame any establishment that boasted white table clothes and gold gilded seats. There is no other option but to sit and eat outside with the rest of them. After all, the whole restaurant is the kitchen. 

Whilst we read through the menu and performed our usual routine of dribbling all over the menu, we decided that the only remedy would be to pair off. It was the only responsible thing to do at the time - all things considered! 

Now there is only about 5 things on the whole menu, ALL of which are well worth a try, so myself and my partner for the session decided to have all of it. 

The time between ordering and service was exceptionally quick considering the amount of people they were serving, and when it arrived we were blown away. 

The waiter dumped three paper bags - each tied up with a string - on the table for us to ponder over until one of us went in for the kill. The three bags were torn open to reveal onion rings in one, spicy chicken wings in another, and finally 'Riblets' in the other. The onions rings - as expected - were deep fried, light, crispy and absolutely enormous. The chicken wings were covered in red goodness and chopped chilies, seriously spicy but not so serious that you couldn't suck each one right off the bone. The 'Riblets' were my personal favorite - unbelievably tender mini BBQ ribs smothered in a rich sticky sauce which predictably ended up all over hands, face and drinking vessel. A perfect way to start.  

Then came the main event... One BBQ pulled-pork bun and one Asian pulled pork bun... (to share)

The amount of bread was initially daunting based on previous experiences of under-loaded wraps and burgers, but the bread itself was as light as candy floss. The coleslaw was crunchy and refreshing, which was a perfect coolant for the spicy Asian sauce. And the pulled pork was clearly cooked with a lot of love and patience. 

The joy of the BBQ pulled pork bun came as no surprise as it contained the same sauce as the 'Riblets', however the Asian sauce was like something I have never tried before. Tangy, spicy  sweet and BLOODY HOT. I honestly couldn't have picked a winner. They were both a home-run. 

The great thing about this place - as with many other restaurants in Brixton Village - is the sheer passion for food that is clearly illustrated in every dish that is laid out in front of you. Perfectly demonstrated here with the home-baked vanilla and sourdough buns. DELICIOUS and NOT FOR SALE. 

After we ate, we asked if we could buy the buns independently, he answered rather abruptly with, 'No, sorry, only for the restaurant I'm afraid'. 

Fair enough, good on you. I'll be back.