As one of the newest additions to Brighton’s food scene, Palmito will have a lot of great places to be compared to. If you didn’t know anything about the chefs, or their backgrounds, you could be forgiven for thinking their tiny 20-seater restaurant in the site of an old forgotten takeaway might stay under the radar and never really make it.
That might sound like an uphill struggle (and a recipe for disaster), but thankfully, chefs Kanthi Thamma (Easy Tiger, Curry Leaf, Chilli Pickle) and Diego Ricaurte (Chilli Pickle, Techne, Easy Tiger) have substantial Brighton pedigree and a history of making some of the most flavour-packed food in the city – so needless to say, we had to try it.
The restaurant itself is rustic, bright and chic. It’s a tiny space but they’ve done everything they need to make it a cool and special environment to be in. Exposed crumbly brickwork, rough pink plaster, plants and hanging filament bulbs, smooth latin samba jazz playing over a small record player on the counter, with the smell of wood smoke filling the spaces in between.
We start our meal with a couple of chilli-rimmed Mescalitas. They’re smokey, tart and utterly moreish. Garnished with a piece of charred pineapple and fresh jalapeño, it’s the perfect drink for sipping as you browse the menu and settle in. The offering is concise – 15 dishes in its entirety – which may initially raise the eyebrows of some hungry customers, but in this case is exactly as big as it needs to be. We make our selections and let the adventure of flavour begin…
‘Unique and very exciting’
Tapioca crisps with coconut chutney / Toasted corn nuts with tomato salsa / Smoked aubergine spread on grilled sourdough
The first three plates come out in quick succession and they set the tone perfectly – light puffy crisps with an insanely fresh and lightly spiced coconut chutney. If you’ve ever been to Kerala you would have tasted it just the same. No imitations here. The corn is fresh, earthy, crunchy, sweet and so delicious. There’s nothing quite like that flavour of burnt corn.
Then the Aubergine… it’s fresh and citrusy with a hefty amount of garlic, pops of sweet pomegranate and soft herbs. At the end, a huge hit of woodsmoke rounds it off. One of the most delicious dishes we’ve tried, anywhere.
Barcombe roast beetroots and potatoes, peanut salan sauce and cavolo nero
Indescribably rich and deep in flavour but somehow light and still fresh. How do they get so much into such a small dish?! Aromas of the South Indian curry leaf wilted through that creamy peanut salan, mixed with the beautifully sweet, earthy English beetroots gives a distinctly exotic experience. Unique and very exciting.
Celeriac-stuffed padron peppers, tamarind chutney
Crispy, spicy tempura encases a fresh, slightly crunchy, padron pepper filled with sweet creamy celeriac. Smother that in the sour tamarind dip and we reckon you might just have every flavour sensation happening at once.
Palourde clams, garlic, tomato and black pepper broth
Kanthi tells us this dish used to be made by his mum as a cure-all remedy when they were children. The broth is made with ginger, lemon and black pepper. A touch of chilli makes it so fragrant and warming that you can’t help somehow feeling a little vulnerable – each mouthful is like that delicious first spoonful of food after being ill. The clams are perfectly cooked, succulent and fresh, yet in all honesty, secondary to the rest.
Middle white pork bibil tacos, charred pineapple salsa and dipping broth
Hot off the grill, drenched in a beautiful deep red pork fat, fried to soft with crisp edges and packed with the most juicy delicious pork, these are some serious tacos. Topped off with smokey pineapple salsa, a rich dipping broth made from the slow-cooked pork juices and the light but unmistakable aroma of corn masa – these are a true delight of South American cuisine.
‘The use of spice here is second to none’
Our verdict? The flavour combinations here are so cohesive. Chefs Diego and Kanthi (pictured below) have created a menu of dishes with cultural significance to themselves in some way that pair so well with one another in surprising and exciting ways. South India and South America, the perfect combination – who knew?!
The use of spice at Palmito is second to none in the city, each plate is balanced perfectly in proportion so nothing overpowers and nothing is out of place. Some dishes you’ll wish were larger, not because they are small, but because they are just so damned tasty. The wine and drinks list is short but as with everything here, it’s carefully curated, done very well and has just as much as you need.
What a fantastic meal, lovely service, perfect cookery and, as with all really great places, there’s no need for them to show off with extravagance or pageantry, because the food alone says so much more. So in some ways it’d be great if they did stay off the radar a little bit longer, because with just 20 seats it’s soon going to be very hard to get a table.
Palmito, 16 Western Road, Hove BN3 1AE
Tuesday – Friday, 5pm – 11pm; Saturday, midday – 11pm; closed Sunday and Monday
palmito.co.uk
By Jack Southan
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