I am unwritten
January's place to taste: Whytes in Hackney, London.
A highlight of 2023 to brighten up your 2024
My new year’s resolutions are to a) release my inhibitions and b) feel the rain on my skin.
However, only five days into 2024 and already I have the energy of someone whose bones click when they walk up stairs.
The good news? This month’s place to taste brings some much needed excitement to January. Meet Whytes - a new restaurant in Hackney that opened in December.
The skinny
If you have a remote interest in food and spend circa two hours a day on Instagram then you’ll have come across the work of Whyte Rushen. You may even have been to one of his pop-ups.
With a background at the likes of Brat, Scully St James’s and Kerridge’s, Whyte has now set up a permanent home in London Fields called Whytes (yep, naming a restaurant really is that easy).
The vibe
Small intimate space, open kitchen, and good friendly service (not ‘you’re-lucky-to-be-in-our-cool-Hackney-restaurant-so-how-dare-you-ask-me-for-another-drink’ service).
There’s seating at the counter where you can chat to the chefs, including Whyte, or there are tables for groups.
They want you to feel like you’re in their home and, while that sounds like a stock phrase, it kinda fits. This is especially true when it comes to dietaries. You might think the cheese burger which comes in a milk bun and is cooked in butter isn’t a possibility for the one half of Eat My Words who’s dairy-free. And you’d be right. That said, they prepped a completely clean version using flame-grilled sourdough. No dramas.
The dish
The ever-changing menu features many favourites from past pop-ups, a bunch of newbies, and some dishes with ingredients that might scare you (e.g. sweetbreads and tripe).
When a restaurant says it ‘changes its menu regularly’ it’s worth taking that with a pinch of salt. That said, the Whytes menu for January is pretty different to the one we got in December. Ergo you might miss out on these three highlights…
1. Tuna tartare with raw scallop, caramelised panko and aged soy.
2. Tempura octopus leg with a katsu curry sauce. Crunchy, tender, then a hit of Wagamamas nostalgia.
3. The burger. If you don’t like licking your fingers or wiping your mouth after every bite, this ain’t for you. Expect it to feature on various ‘Best Burgers in London’ lists.
Final thought
Bill-wise, everything is pretty reasonable. The portion sizes are bigger than you expect, so while the initial price of the dish might seem high, you could have 3 dishes between 2 and walk out feeling full. The burger was £13 which is great value for how delicious it is.
In short: go.
Speak soon,
Fraser & Ben x