We have been eying Malaysian Lime Face up for a while. They're based out of Hatfield, but deliver to St. Albans, which meant getting hold of Sook's amazing looking food was tough. But when we saw a Lime Face pop up residency in The Plough Sleapshyde in St. Albans, we struck quickly! And I tell you what, it was worth the wait.
Lime Face is another COVID start up, specialising in bao and Malaysian cuisine. The menu changes weekly - and with this week being bao and wings week, we didn't need telling twice. We grabbed one of all five of the available bao, satay peanut chicken wings, spring rolls and some pork gyoza. That came to £60. It feels a little pricey when you see the amount of food it buys - plenty for two people, but a little dear. Although we later learned this was unique to the pop up, to cover the location. If you catch them at the market or order directly, they are more affordable.
However the quality of the food was of the highest standard - and you could see where your money was going. The key word here is fresh - every ingredient in all the dishes felt fresh, home-made and done with love. The result was a herby, zesty profile, with a pleasant spice running across all the food.
The bao were lovely. The bun was soft and airy, while holding the fillings well - just what you want in a bao. The gua pork belly and chicken karaage were my favourites. The meat was juicy, well cooked, the fresh veg added crunch and freshness, and the spice was soft but consistent.
The wings were amazing. They were crispy, but with a good amount of meat on them, which fell of the bones. They were seasoned beautifully - with the satay sauce coarse and fibrous as all wonderful homemade pastes are! I could have eaten a lot of these - make sure you get wings if you see them on the menu!
Even the sides that often places overlook like the spring roles felt fresh. I can't tell you how many sad spring rolls I have eaten - but these were crispy, with a thin wrap and fresh .
Overall this is really impressive food - the flavours, the freshness and the zest that you can taste in every bite shows why a lot of people talk about Sook's food. For us Hemel-based folk it may be out of the way - but it is definitely worth a try.
Service: We collected from the pop-up in St. Albans, but we messaged and ordered ahead, which they were fine with. The food was hot and ready when we arrived. Ordinarily delivery is usually limited to St. Albans which is a bit of a bummer.
Quality: Really impressive. In some places you can tell where they make their money with cheap ingredients. Everything from the meat to the garnishes at Lime Face felt fresh, good quality and prepared lovingly.
Price/Value: £60 fed both us - which is a little on the pricey side. You do see where your money is going though, but this isn't a cheap meal.
Overall:
EXCELLENT - this is a really impressive offering. Full of fresh, citrusy flavour, great meat and spices. It's a bit out of the way - but if you can get there we would recommend you give it a try.
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