Located on King Street in Castle Douglas, Mr Pook's Kitchen is a popular eatery who are adapting well to the current COVID19 environment.
Please note: this meal was paid for in full by Visit Dumfries & Galloway, Mr Pook's Kitchen was not aware we were visiting. This review is our personal reflections on this visit.
COVID19 Arrangements
We were largely impressed with the COVID19 arrangements Mr Pook's Kitchen had put in place. The car park had been converted into a quasi-beer garden, with socially distanced tables under individual marquees.
When you arrive there is a hand sanitising station and once seated you complete the above form to comply with Track & Trace.
Throughout the meal, staff were safety conscious.
Menu and Food
When we visited there was a reduced menu on offer (above), which had a reasonable variety of choice. We went for the crispy chicken burger and the panko squid rings, and smoked salmon with rocket - as well as a side of bread.
The food we had was enjoyable, particularly the chicken burger. The breaded chicken burger itself was generous and well seasoned, and there was nice touches such as the toasted sesame seed brioche bun. The breaded squid rings were as expected, tasty with a nice crunch without being rubbery.
However, the portion sizes/quality don't quite reflect the prices on the menu. The value for money question is more of a factor with the smoked salmon, rocket and radish dish. From reading the above menu I expected more of a salad, rather than smoked salmon with a garnish. The smoked salmon itself was nice, with a pleasant depth of flavour, but I found the pricing a bit steep at £7. Furthermore, £2.50 for one slice of bread made this dish almost as much as the burger and chips!
Having now looked at the website, there seems to be a focus on local produce at Mr Pook's Kitchen - something we always like to see. However, as this was a spontaneous visit we didn't know this background and it would have been great to see this value showcased on the menu itself.
Overall rating: 4/5
You can find Mr Pook's Kitchen at The Old Bank, 38 King Street, Castle Douglas.
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