As a native of culinary melting pot Malaysia and the daughter of a restaurateur, UG student Natalie Voo knows her food. Every other week, she reviews Groningen’s student-friendly dining scene. This time: Smoke.
I once ventured to Smoke about two years ago during one of their sacred Birria Taco Sundays. Let me tell you, that taco was life-changing – hands down, the best birria taco I’ve ever inhaled. Yet, for reasons even I can’t comprehend, I never returned. Fast forward to now: Smoke recently won some fancy award for the best burger in the Benelux, and I thought, ‘Alright, let’s see if the hype is real.’
Fueled by either the delusions of my last glowing review, lofty expectations from that shiny award, or some futile hope of birria-taco-level ecstasy, I walked in… and left feeling thoroughly deflated.
Aubergine
As mentioned in my last review, I like to test restaurants with aubergine as I think it’s the vegetable that separates the amateurs from the pros. Sadly, Smoke did not make the cut. Their ‘miso aubergine’ had precisely zero miso flavor, was undercooked, and resembled more of a firm, flavourless sponge. Pro tip, Smoke: take a field trip to Kuro and learn from their miso aubergine – that’s what it’s supposed to taste like.
We then shared the chicken platter and the Beasty Boy burger. The chicken wings were smoky and flavorful, but tragically dry. The Beasty Boy burger came with an impressive pile of pulled pork but tasted just fine. Not bad, not great, but aggressively average, with a hint of sweetness that wasn’t for me. Both mains arrived with a generous mound of fries (solid effort, but fries are fries), and a coleslaw that did not hit the mark either.
Off day
Service was pleasant enough, with friendly and attentive staff. The ambience had a cool vibe with an interior that had potential, except for the ventilation – which guarantees you’ll leave this place smelling like you’ve spent the day in a smoker.
Honestly, I’m a bit annoyed because I know they can deliver greatness (hello, birria taco of my dreams!), and they just won that burger award. Did I catch them on an off day? Or do they only excel at specific dishes? Perhaps I’ll have to return to specifically try their award-winning burger. Until then, consider me underwhelmed but mildly intrigued.
Smoke, Grote Markt 21a
A grill and barbecue restaurant in the city centre. For two people we spent €48.
Ratings:
Food 5.5/10
Presentation 7/10
Service 8/10
Ambience 7/10