Food > The Big Eat Out: or IN

Giraffe // Food Review

18/10/12

THE GEN: Giraffe sets its stall out with their name, conveyed through the blurb on their website: “Giraffes are so tall, they see a different view of the world”. A chain restaurant with a spot in Chapelfield’s open plain, it takes a safari ride round the different cuisines of the world, and scoops you along for the ride.

ATMOSPHERE: Although Giraffe pride themselves on food with a musical soundtrack, our sonic backdrop was dominated more by the gentle hubbub of late night shopping Thursday, an enticing world to watch from our table on the balcony.

TO START: Chicken Potstickers // Grilled Edamame Beans My first Giraffe lesson: perhaps because of the old Tootsies connotation, I expected Giraffe to be all burgers and buns. These two Asian starters defied that notion and the Chicken Potstickers (you’d know them as chicken gyoza elsewhere) packed as much punch as if they’d been made at nextdoor Wagamama, whilst the edamame beans, grilled in salty soy and sweet mirin, were dangerously moreish. 

THE MAIN EVENT: Chilli Beef Enchilada // Classic Burger ‘avec Cheese’ Departing Asia for a more Tex-Mex affair, we circumnavigated all the seemingly healthier options – of which there were many – for two choices an El Paso cowboy would stake a claim to. The enchilada betrayed its Mexican shortcomings though, swapping artery-clogging cheese for a more sporadic scattering of cheese, plus pumpkin seeds and fresh salsa. The ‘screw the diet’ guilt was thankfully dissipating. The avocado salad, spiked with zingy lime and tequila, added cool freshness to an often over-greasy dish. The burger by comparison, although benefitting from our choices of toppings (fried onions and jalapeños – I know, we’re pros) was unfortunately overcooked and tough. Proof again, for good or bad, that this place ain’t no burger joint. 

PUD: Toffee Apple Crumble All in the name of Outline research, we took two spoons to the piping hot crumble, proudly acting as pedestal to a scoop of cool ice cream. The crumble was light, the apples tart, the fudgeyness (this is a word) teasingly draped over the ice cream. All was right with the world.

VALUE: With mains all dancing around the £10 mark, and a hefty 25% student discount to be had if you’re one of those lucky ones carrying the Excalibur of dining, an NUS card, it’s a perfect place for eating with mates. The extensive cocktail menu is as you would expect – around £6 will buy you a mojito with a cheeky splash of the new vanilla-spiced Bacardi Oakheart.

OVERALL: So does Giraffe see the world differently? It’s familiar enough that it’ll please the picky peeps in your group, with enough of an adventurous menu that it’ll keep you returning to try what you missed last time. Plenty of smiling diners must mean the view from Giraffe height looks pretty swell.