Bankers is a fish and chippery occupying an old Midland Bank building. I've eaten here once or twice and the fish and chips isn't at all bad. This time, though, I went for a smoked salmon salad and I'm afraid things were a bit disappointing. You know how it used to be in 1975 (maybe you don't remember that far back, but I do): salads consisted of a rectilinear membrane of translucent 'ham', half a pint of throat-lascerating coleslaw, half a fermenting tomato, a slimy lettuce leaf, half a green boiled egg, a piece of dried cucumber, some cubed sweet soft beetroot, and dehydrated shredded carrot. Well this wasn't so bad but it wasn't a hundred miles from it. The salad consisted of a bedrock of shredded iceberg lettuce (crisp but tasteless), some bits and bobs - tomato and onion and things - and that was IT. Four pieces of luminously pink/orange salmon on top and a stainless steel jug of 'vinaigrette'. It was freshly made but almost completely lacking in taste. No wonder the British moan about salad being for rabbits. A really good salad is full of rocket, fresh herbs, sweet succulent veggies, proper lettuce, and whatever else comes to hand. Crunchy, smooth, crisp, sour, spicy... You'd think we in the UK could have learned this by now. Own fault. Should have gone for the fish and chips. Fish/chips are OK Bankers, but you could do much better with only a modicum of effort. PERRY STALSIS 2005
|
|
