The Street Kitchen: Halloumi Fries are the Future

It’s hitting thirty degrees this week, with the sun shining high and the weather making up for the months of ice-cold dread we had at the start of the year. Millions of people across the country are complaining about the heat; probably the very people that avoided going to work over a slight flurry.

https://twitter.com/sommerolivia_x/status/1021163347968954368

If you’re inside for longer than twenty minutes at a time, I feel sorry for you. Is having a job really worth it?

It’s too hot for employment

— iman (@FxckArmy) July 23, 2023

don’t get me wrong i love the summer but this sun is too hot

— Lizzie (@lizziebarnettx) July 23, 2023

Either way, there’s always lunchtime. Avoid having lunch at your desk (your boss won’t think you’re dedicated – just a moron). If you’re a post-grad like myself, calling the library his home, use the sun as an healthy excuse to get out and pretend you’re free from the burden that is university life. Last time I reviewed The Street Kitchen, I loved the main course but the side seriously let the whole thing down (industrial-strength garlic bread). This time – the main course was absolutely delicious, but the side, without a doubt, stole the show. So much so, in fact, that I’m going to start with it: halloumi fries.

A generous portion of six giant ‘fries’ filled the box for a perfectly reasonable £3. This was a meal in itself; a box of crispyness hiding a truly al-dente-esque piece of salty halloumi.

Each bite warranted another; how could a creation this delightfully delicious exist? Binaries have always worked so well: the combination of sweet with salty creating the perfect popcorn; the amalgamation of hot and cold to make iconic cookie-dough ice cream, and now – fried halloumi. Crispy coating covering nice, soft halloumi cheese. Please, for the love of god Street Kitchen, consider making it a permanent side. Yes, that may go against your ethos of diversity, but – as with the old fashioned – halloumi fries are timeless. The only problem? They may upstage any of the week’s delights. There’s a simple solution around that, however, have a separate menu for it. Consider having a timeless menu for all culinary treasures.

Oh yeah, the main course.

Turkey kofte, pitta bread, feta and olive drenched in delicious tzatziki. The meat was nice and moist, perfectly spiced, and went so well with the tzatziki; pitta bread toasted to perfection. I’d have liked some more tzatziki but, to be fair, I didn’t ask for it – I’m sure the incredibly friendly staff would have accommodated.

All-in-all, if you’re here for the summer, The Street Kitchen is without a doubt the way to go. I’ll be back soon to sample what else they have to offer.

(P.S. There’s something wonderful about knowing that their creativity carries on throughout the summer. It’s almost like they care about those of us unfortunate enough to be left working and studying on campus)