Mojo Lounge tapas, Birchgrove, Cardiff

Caerphilly Road has some cracking chippies. What it doesn't have in abundance, however, is somewhere a little more refined, somewhere to relax over good food and drink. Enter Mojo Lounge.

For the purposes of this piece, I will be pronouncing Mojo as 'Mo-Hoe', rather than Mo-Joe. Because it feels right.

Furthermore, I shall be pronouncing 'Lounge' as 'lounge'.

Chorizo comes in fine dice and is a soft, smoky, salty proposition, coaxed into an almost sobrassada-like texture by long stewing in Rioja. It's a promising start.

Croquetas here are made with mashed potato, rather than the usual bechamel, but manage to avoid being heavy. I am obsessive about good ones (I was brought up on the things) and these are an interesting twist- there's no skimping on the jamón serrano.

The chips came recommended and didn't disappoint. You want triple-cooked? You want chunky? You want crisp yet fluffy?  With a serving of a frankly breath-troubling alioli (frankly, there's no point in this stuff if it doesn't make a robust impression) they were a highlight.

Chicken breast pieces, marinated in garlic, lemon and white wine, arrive coated in a light batter. The chilli jam it's served with isn't quite the thing, I think- an extra serving of the alioli would have done the trick quite nicely here.

Rice balls were studded with piquillo peppers and ham, a salty-sweet-starchy mixture which works a treat.

The lamb- pieces of neck fillet- wear their hours in the oven with pride and are instantly memorable. I'd been tipped off about these before my visit and it was easy to see why. To say they fall apart is understating it a little- you'll need the reflexes of a cat trained by ninjas mainlining espressos to get each piece on to your plate in one piece.



But as challenges of dexterity go, it's a pretty damn fine-tasting one. The acidity of the mint sauce isn't needed here and seems oddly 'English' in its surroundings, but that's a quibble: this is a dish to be lingered over, to be savoured.

Pimentón pork, with bite-sized pieces of meat and green peppers, had the promised smoky background warmth of its title in a creamy sauce which made for a rich dish.

Mojo Lounge is a attractive option for a night out: it's a lively venue and there's often entertainment on offer. Whether your tastes are for beer and wine or cocktails, take a tip- have the lamb. Twice. Birchgrove (cheesy pay-off line alert) has found its Mojo.

I was invited to dine at Mojo Lounge; all food and drink was complimentary. This did not oblige me to write a positive review.

Mojo Lounge
109 Caerphilly Road
Birchgrove, Cardiff  CF14 4QA
bookings@mojocardiff.com

Tel: 02920 621025

http://www.mojoloungebar.co.uk/

Opening Hours

Thurs - Sun
9am - 12am
​Tues & Weds
9am - 11:30pm

Closed Mondays