There is a feeling that Hengata is yet to fully settle into their spot on Harborne High Street. Prior to my visit, I’d heard the full board of opinions; some thought it was great, others thought it was dreadful, some mediocre. I’d heard about long waits and cold food, but also that the food was cooked by skilled hands. As if to prove the inconstancies, two people I occasionally work with went over consecutive days; one loved it whilst the other’s food took an entire evening to arrive. Both are the kind of people to eat out frequently and live locally. Both are the kind of people you want to get the orders correct with.
And so, to my opinion, which is the reason you are reading to see if you should go, or possibly because you also have a food blog and want to know what you should say when asked. There is a lot to like. Firstly, the soundtrack which has been curated by someone with a deep understanding of nineties hip-hop and therefore has my full backing. Anywhere that skittles from Mos Def to Stetasonic deserves way more custom than us being the only table on a Thursday afternoon. And the decor, as pale and neutral as the Swiss, with large round tables straight outta Tintagel. It’s a cool, laid-back setting. Lots of natural sunlight, and a big open kitchen from which I can see a chef preparing gravadlax.
There are three of us here. One is doing Veganuary which they are quick to accommodate with an avocado thingy with salsa thingy on toast that they rightly call ‘The Millennial’, given that it had swagger and was walking around like it rents the place. Another had a kind of full English called The Big G which presumably stands for ‘generic’. I had the sweet potato hash with deep-fried roots, poached eggs, and lime pickle puree, on some pretty woeful toast so lightly coloured it just tasted stale. They can poach an egg here, no question about that, though there are some minor seasoning issues elsewhere. It’s a perfectly acceptable light lunch at a perfectly acceptable price.
The issue I have is that perfectly acceptable doesn’t entirely cut it on this strip of prime real estate. Yes, it is superior to Boston Tea Party but what’s not, and my guess is it shits all over Holy Moly if their previous site is anything to go by. But out of the front door to the right sits The Plough and up the road sits Tropea; two infinitely better options for the type of local punter that wants a casual lunch or dinner. The bill for three with a nice bottle of red and an alcohol-free beer sits about twenty quid a head. Perhaps in time, they’ll improve enough for me to spend it here than elsewhere.
7/10
