The Journey, St Marks Road: 'This chatty family from the foothills of Tibet have got a good thing going on'
Featuring Miley Cyrus, Saltburn and Cornish pasties.
For some, the word journey conjures images of traffic jams, missed connections, queasy stomachs and boredom. For others, it’s awe-inspiring scenery, the open road, adventure and possibility. I think it largely depends on whether you’re travelling in the UK or elsewhere and who you’re travelling with. This particular Journey falls somewhere in the middle; it was in the UK, only round the corner from where I live, but I had an excellent travel partner.
It started extremely well. Having attempted another restaurant which had closed early, we were delighted to see that The Journey on St Marks Road was still open and willing to welcome us with open arms. God I wish more restaurants looked like this. Unafraid of colour and texture, they’ve plastered the walls with tigers and made a bar from vintage suitcases. Then there’s the games cabinet, which I only spotted as we were leaving. Heartbreaking to think how many games of Dobble I could have won while we were waiting for momos.
Said momos (£7.50) were stuffed with beef and pan fried which would have been a recipe for success if only they’d remembered the salt. Given that to get from India to Tibet or vice versa you pretty much have to go through the Himalayas, from where vast quantities of pink salt are harvested to sell as lamps in Urban Outfitters, you’d think they might be more generous with the stuff. Aside from under seasoning they showed great promise.
First class lamb curry (£14.50) - their words not mine - would’ve been more aptly named premium economy. I was very pleased to see lamb chops breaching the glossy sauce but beneath the surface there wasn’t all that much going on. The chef had topped our accompanying naan (£4) with so much garlic that I’ve decided I probably don’t need to purchase any mosquito repellent for my upcoming trip to Mexico. Excellent on both parts; saves me a tenner and it tasted great.
Shredded beef thukpa (£13.50) is a Tibetan take on pho but packs less of a punch. The beef was horrendously overcooked and if it weren’t for the newfound associations brought on by Saltburn I would’ve said the broth had about as much flavour as bathwater, but that seems inappropriate now. Let’s just say that I don’t think Barry Keoghan would’ve shown quite the same enthusiasm for savouring every last drop of this.
As the noodles were somewhat unsatisfying we ordered an extra dish in the form of minced beef shabaklep (£13). The speed with which we U-turned from Tibet to the South West of England left me with whiplash, but we did return to a fine example of a Cornish pasty. I have a sneaking suspicion that the filling was the same as that of the momos, meaning it could have also benefitted from slightly more skilful seasoning.
I’ve experienced some incredible hospitality in Bristol recently and this was the best of it. Yes the food is paramount, but the service can make or break a restaurant. Hospitality makes The Journey. It leaves you feeling so warm. Like I said, who you’re travelling with can make all the difference. Travelling with Mr PXandTarts is the best, that goes without saying, but this chatty family from the foothills of Tibet have got a good thing going on.
As Miley Cyrus once said, ‘it ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side, it’s the climb’. To paraphrase Miley, life is about the journey rather than the destination. The Journey is not a destination as such yet, but I think with some tweaking it really could be.
Words and photos by Meg Houghton-Gilmour
The Journey, 96 St Marks Road, Easton, BS5 6JD
Ah, I remember when that location was quite a nice Moroccan restaurant.
Good read