Platform

A relatively new addition to the Tooley street line up, Platform is one of the new breed of gastrobars hitting London. It's about 2 years old now (hence the relatively part) and is proving to be very popular as a drinking spot and moderately intriguing as a place to dine.

The menu is mostly British with a slight European influence. It's not terribly extensive (or expensive for that matter) but it has sufficient variety so that everyone can find something to suit (even my picky housemate!). I opted for the deep fried pig's cheeks in order to keep to the goal of trying something new and usual if it's on the menu. The waitress's enthusiastic endorsement of the choice further enhanced my excitement for trying this out. For my main, I opted for a seared chard with polenta cakes and a creamy mushroom sauce. I had no idea what chard was but more on that later.

Deep fried pig cheeks

Unfortunately, the pigs' cheeks turned out to be the McNuggets that don't make the cut. Small pieces of dark meat, they are battered in plain flour and deep fried to an inch of their gastronomic life. All flavour was sucked out and even the creamy sauce they were served with seemed to lose its taste to the oil soaked void of the batter. I couldn't even finish the small serving I had from sheer boredom and the feeling each bite was taking 6 months of my life.

Seared chard with polenta cakes

The mains arrived and I discovered to my surprise and disappointment that chard is a vegetable. Why oh why didn't I google this first? Still, undeterred (and very hungry) I dug in. I'll admit, the chard and polenta were actually quite good and filling. It probably needed a bit more salt (and a lot more spice) but that's more my personal taste. Despite the lack of meat, I did enjoy this dish and would recommend it, especially to my veggie friends. The chicken my housemate had looked pretty damn good and the thick cut chips were deliciously crunchy.

Chilli Mojito

Other thoughts: The old fashioned was excellent but the bellini the housemate had tasted like Miller Lite. So it's hit or miss on the cocktails apparently. The atmosphere is nice with the dining room being sufficiently high to allow for conversation. The soft rumble of the trains overhead is not much of a distraction until you realise that means many tons of metal are right above you and you hope they got the strength of the roof right!

Chocolate fondant

Overall, pretty good value especially for the location. I think I'll opt to stick with the drinks and head to  Suchard for my food fixes when in the area!