Review: Kashu Restaurant in St. Albans

Kashu, where we had a family lunch today, offers a stylish dining environment and superb food.

Conveniently located on Hatfield Road, just around the corner from St. Peter's Street, Kashu's owners have tastefully transformed the building which once housed the Liberal Club (still occupying upstairs) into a modern, stylish and airy dining environment. The original floorboards have been exposed and sanded down, the windows refurbished, walls and ceilings painted white, and a floor to ceiling bar occupies the back where, behind the swinging doors, lies a large modern kitchen.

Kashu's self-proclaimed "Modern European" menu includes an interesting variety of meat dishes, pasta, pizza and seasonal dishes. On Sundays, when Kashu is open only for lunch, they also serve roast dinners.

Arriving at around 12.30, we were the first customers of the day although it didn't take long before all but two or three of Kashu's tables were taken with a mixture of couples, families, and groups of friends dining around us.

We were quickly greeted at the door and offered the choice between several tables. Ordering drinks and food all went smoothly and our meals arrived sooner than we would have expected, but wow, did they arrive.

We'd ordered two Sunday roasts, one beef and one pork - which both arrived beautifully presented. Along with the perfectly prepared and thinly sliced meat, the roast dinners included a selection of nicely prepared vegetables including carrots, roast potatoes, parsnip, green beans and Yorkshire pudding we reckon was hand made. Each roast dinner also included a delightful baked califlower with cheese. Having sampled both the beef and pork, if we had to choose between the two, we'd recommend the beef - it was a lovely piece of meat, cooked perfectly and beautifully served.

We also ordered the roast vegetable and goats cheese tart with a portion of hand cut chips. Perfect for vegetarians, this turned out to be an excellent choice. The vegetables were sucullent and sweet, with the goats cheese balancing the taste wonderfully. The chips were excellent - I'll go out a limb and say they were probably the best I've had not just in St. Albans but anywhere.

We also had, as a starter, a garlic bread with tomato sauce and parmesan. It too was near perfect - the base was light, crispy and perfectly cooked, with ample amounts of both sauce and cheese.

Our entire meal - two Sunday roasts, a vegetable tart, a garlic pizza bread as starter, a pint of Nastro Azzuro (draft), two Pepsi's and two glasses of apple juice came to just under £50, which we felt quite reasonable for such a nice dining experience and delicious food.

Our whole family, which includes two picky and impatient kids aged two and four, an even pickier vegetarian, and a mum who fancies herself as having quite a bit of skill in the kitchen herself, were all totally satisfied with our meals at Kashu today.

Kashu in St. Albans, a relatively new entrant in a competitive restaurant market, is a grown up restaurant offering a stylish dining experience and a good variety beautifully prepared and presented dishes.

We wouldn't hesitate to recommend Kashu to a friend. Superb!

Kashu, 9 Hatfield Road, St. Albans, AL1 3RR

web: http://www.kashu.co.uk

phone: 01727 854436

Hours:

Lunch Mon - Sat 11.30am - 2.30pm

Evening Mon - Sat 5.30pm - 10.30pm

Sunday Lunch only 11.30am - 3.30pm