Located in Ealing’s new innovative Filmworks development, Bobo Social is tucked in a corner just off the New Broadway.
Michael Benson, founder and owner, is himself a long-term Ealing resident, so will know the potential of the location. Open for all-day dining, it’s in an area packed with fledgling restaurants and other sites soon to open, so is well situated near to the University of West London, in an area that will inevitably become a dining destination.
The restaurant itself is very spacious, with a comfortable space between tables – something rarely seen nowadays. There is an outside dining section too, weather permitting. A varied menu is offered, with a good range of sharing plates, salads, burgers dpasta, plus a well constructed wine and cocktail list.
There’s also an interesting range of ‘skin drinks’, which were a new one to me. (They are, apparently, ‘cold Pressed fruits and vegetables blended with ingestible cosmetics such as Hyaluronic Acid, Marine Collagen and Resveratrol.) They’d be an interesting precursor to a brunch I think, but didn’t appeal to us pre dinner.
I started with a Negroni, which was good, and my husband was pleased to discover that they cater for non drinkers and stock Heineken 00.
To start, I fancied the three scallops with Nam Jim dressing (a classic Thai dipping sauce) and my husband chose the Chicken Taco (Pico de Gallo, Guacamole, Siracha Mayo & Coriander`). My scallops came beautifully arranged in shells, but the actual scallops were disappointingly small.
The dressing was excellent and very tasty, but it rather overpowered the scallops. The chicken taco, however, was declared a great success, with a generous amount of chicken and attractively presented.
Dithering between the goat’s cheese salad that had been recommended, and a burger, I actually ended up choosing Korean Fried Chicken Fillet Bao (Two homemade bao filled with spicy Gochujang slaw served with hand cut Koffmann’s chips.) It was a strikingly presented dish, with Bobo Social branded bao buns no less. But I would have preferred a bigger serving of the delicious slaw and felt that chips were not really a good pairing with the buns, as the result was very carb-heavy.
Having realised that the Mushroom & Truffle burger was, in fact, a vegetarian option, so now actual burger, my husband chose Mushroom & Truffle Linguine (Pan-fried Portobello & Shittake Mushrooms, Shallot Cream, Rocket, Parmesan, Freshly Shaved Truffle). Reader, I had serious food envy – it was very generously topped with slices of truffle. He ordered a side of rocket salad with parmesan, which was excellent, and a generous portion.
I very much enjoyed a glass of Riesling Trocken, Ruppertsberger with my meal. It was a new wine to me: dry, minerally and floral and one that I will look out for again.
We shared a portion of Basque Cheesecake for dessert with our coffees, and headed home, feeling replete and making a note to check out the original branch of Bobo Social in Charlotte Street next time we’re in the area.
