FIKA, HOVE
Festive special; ‘Get Stuffed’
I’m stopped in my tracks when I’m faced with the question of, “Where’s your favourite restaurant?”. Even after a few minutes of intense thought I can never pinpoint one favourite, so I often just reel off a list of recommendations based on places I’ve recently visited - classing these as my “favourites”.
It occurred to me that I throw around this label of *favourite* far too frivolously. There are so many restaurants I have left after a brilliant experience and would highly recommend, but on reflection I think it takes more than this to deem somewhere a genuine favourite. What’s more, I’ve learnt that it’s equally important to assess the consistency of a venue. There is one eatery that instantly springs to mind on the discussion of consistency - Fika, Hove. Those who know me well know that I really don’t shut up about this place, but for reasons beyond my faith in the Instagram hype! Yes, it’s kind of a fast-food style eatery, but I place it higher than almost all of the more traditional or fine-dining restaurants I’ve eaten at.
‘Kimmi goes to KFC’
A friend and I first came across this hidden gem just over a year ago. Beyond the fact this is in an unsuspecting part of Hove (let’s face it, Hove Town Hall isn’t a major destination on the map), Fika’s minimalist branding and aesthetic made it somewhat easy to pass by on a stomp to get off of Norton Road. It turned out this was their second day since opening, so it was great to sit in over coffee and find out more about the business in a really relaxed environment. Most interestingly, this is a collaboration between two established independents; the Ditchling based roastery, Back-Yard Coffee, and fried-egg sandwich devotees, Cracked, Brighton (which started as a little truck outside Brighton Station). On that initial visit we only ordered coffee, but looking down the menu we agreed that a brunch visit was outstanding. Little did we know that this visit would become a weekend ritual!
The Coffee
Reliably good coffee and sweet treats; vegan donuts by Glazed
Don’t get me wrong - I’m quite well seasoned in Brighton and Hove’s coffee offerings, but I’m by no means a connoisseur and I often feel embarrassed when I don’t really understand the process behind good coffee. But why should I need to justify why I prefer Pelicano over Small Batch? Coffee at Fika is served without the same pretence you can get at other independents, so you can order your flat white without any shame that you don’t know why you love that silky milk texture. Given their gluttonous fried brioche buns probably aren’t the healthiest thing to be feasting on every day, it’s just as well Fika’s coffee offering is up to scratch! What’s more, I love that their drinks are all served from Huskee cups; a sustainably-minded brand I’ve been a fan of for a while now.
From a neighbourhood-secret to a local hero
Halloween special;‘Winter Blues’
Feast with your eyes by searching Fika on Instagram and find yourself drooling over not just any old fried egg sandwiches; these are next level fried egg sandwiches (queue Groove Armada ‘At The River’ playing as background music - remember that M&S advert?).
This is one of the few restaurants to thrive amongst the chaos of the pandemic, and deservingly too. The team here have worked relentlessly; navigating a new business and honing in on their craft with an ever impressive specials menu, never once letting their standards slip. What I love most is they haven’t lost their value in building authentic connections to their customers and the community (even after they’ve basically obtained celebrity status in the Brighton food scene, particularly after being featured on the ‘24 Hours in Brighton’ video by the Top Jaw boys). I walk in here and even if it’s just to grab a morning coffee, they still stop to chat while they’re busy cracking eggs on the friers. Fika have been closed in this third lockdown but you can still order through Deliveroo and UberEats. The fact they were the first business to close their doors to takeaway customers (in order to prevent the imminent queues outside) portrays their genuine care for the community. So enough of the ramble - it’s time we talk food.
The Food
Telling Porkies; a permanent on the menu
While I have a bias towards the weekly specials (because I get serious FOMO - and once they’re gone, they’re gone), if someone else were to order for me then there’s nothing on the menu I wouldn’t trust. As mentioned the food is based on the premise of one thing, fried-eggs. Eggs are exclusively sourced by Macs Farm; the organic, free-range supplier based in the heart of the South Downs.
It seems that everyone has a personal favourite when they come here. I personally love the breakfast buns, of which you can narrow your selection down to either chicken, sausage or veggie options. The grilled sandwiches are equally great and perhaps a safer option if you want to avoid getting your hands quite so messy! Although I’m not Vegan, I have a number of friends who are and all of them equally commend the sumptuous options available, for example the ‘Vegan Brat’, made from Vegan cumberland patty, porky’s Revenge maple bacon, sweet mustard, vegan cheese, smashed avocado, sauerkraut and crispy onions.
As for my personal favourite? This is a question I am genuinely stumped by. I’m usually swayed by the chicken, in its light buttermilk coating which is without the unwanted oil you often find with many fried food joints. Find the golden nugget of tender meat as you bite into that crispy buttermilk coating. Mmmm. If I had to choose, I’d probably say the most memorable special I’ve had is the PB&J. This one really snapped, crackled and popped with the chicken being fried in a coating of Rice Krispies. Of course this was complete with the signature fried egg, ginger chilli jam, satay sauce and spring onions on a seeded brioche.
The ultimate special; PB&J
To demonstrate the colourful variety of these specials, I’ve listed a small selection of my favourites (eaten over the past fourteen months, don’t judge ok xox).
A collaboration with local blogger Brighton Burger Bureau, the ‘BBB x Cracked’ breakfast bun (Fried egg, double organic beef patty, locally smoked cheese, smoked bacon, bloody mary caramelised onions, bone marrow & smoked garlic mayo, house pickles and toasted sesame brioche)
A special in the run up to Christmas, ‘Get Stuffed’ (Fried egg, buttermilk fried chicken, sausage stuffing patty, curly kale, spicy cranberry sauce, rosemary aioli, seeded brioche) - basically
Another festive special, ‘Oh Deer’ (Fried egg, venison chilli & red current patty, bacon, brie, mulled onions, sage mayo, seeded brioche)
And from my most recent visit, ‘Kimmi goes to KFC’ (You get the gist by now, but the chicken was smothered in a spicy Korean sauce complete with kimchi slaw and a roasted red pepper aioli).
Final thoughts
It’s slightly laughable how much I talk about Fika, so I haven’t written this for any reason other than needing to share my appreciation in writing. I guess it stems from the fact I just love what they’re all about and want them to continue thriving. They’re most deserving of a mention above all of the other reviews I’ve written and I feel blessed to have this on my doorstep, particularly in what has been a funny year! Thank you for all the messy hands, coffees and chats when we’ve missed human interaction most.
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Fika is currently open for delivery or click and collect via Deliveroo and Uber Eats:
Weekdays 8:30am - 2:30pm
Weekends 9am- 2:30pm.
Click and collect has proven a simple system to prevent queues or over-crowing, allowing the business to remain open in a time of social distancing. Be sure to get your Fika fix even in another lockdown!
