Review: XO Supperclub
Trying interesting, unique food in comfortable surroundings is one of the simplest pleasures when heading out on a blustery autumnal evening for a meal.
And the food was certainly aplenty at the XO Supperclub when I dined at their pop-up restaurant in Oporto, where they hosted a month-long residency throughout September.
XO Supperclub is an Asian-inspired pop-up and in advance of the evening, very little about the menu is known as as their concept is to present menus that are never the same.
The mystery behind the five-course sharing menu being served up on the evening I visited were revealed at the start of the sitting (diners arrive at two points of the evening so everybody is served at once – a nice touch) and I could sense the food was going to be impressive
The cheeseburger spring roll was the first course to arrive. In a plastic cheeseburger box. I have to admit that I was unsure from the outset but I was completely taken aback by just how well the dish has been thought out and how amazing it tasted.
Next up…corn on the cob with a spicy Asian sauce and cheese. It may sound a simple dish but they just got it right. It was devoured pretty swiftly and left us really looking forward to the next dish – rice cakes. We were presented with small tasty nuggets which had a very gnocchi texture full of Asian flavours.
The bo-ssam was delicious. This Korean inspired dish is composed of a various elements which the team told us to “throw around and get messy” in a kind of fajita-style way of eating. The pork was cooked to perfection and we pulled it apart and placed it the lettuce leaves, with the spicy and crunchy salads adding fantastic flavours.
For the desert – the hangover cone – we were hit with an explosion of sweet and savoury goodness. On our plate was an upside down ice cream cone filled with fudge, ice cream, brownies, as well as pretzels and crisps. Our minds said it shouldn’t have worked but it really did.
The nomadic supper club is the brainchild of Jonathan Hawthorne, or Jono as he is commonly known, who has worked in some of the world’s finest restaurants such as Noma, Quay and Leeds’ very own Michelin Star restaurant, Man Behind The Curtain.
What worked well for me was the fact that each dish was explained while it was being served; the ingredients, the inspiration for the food being prepared and presented in this way.
Oporto’s bar team curated a short drinks menu to compliment the style of menu including cocktails and sake was a firm favourite on there too.
The bad news? XO has completed its residency at Oporto now. However, vegetarian sessions will be taking place next week – on 12 and 13 October.
Priced at £25, the ethos is the same and so the menu is a secret until the night. There will also be a drinks package including two types of sake and three specially curated cocktails for £25.
