Its a bold definition right? … and something quite out of the ordinary….

So when you first hear the that the new reopened premises on Llandaff Rd has taken it as its name – you hope that the bistro does fully live up to “full, real and detailed” – which for a small bistro is quite a lot to ask!!! So when I was invited to the Thursday soft launch I jumped at the chance to see my new local.

However…. it really does.
Sonder is the first solo venture by exec chef Jake Lewis, who in the past has been the exec chef to the now legendary Pasture restaurants (ref: https://kellyrb.com/2020/10/10/enraptured-at-pasture/)

The bistro will move seamlessly to Brunch, Lunch to Evening with planned ease, offering cocktails, a fresh vibrant menu and an extensive wine menu too.

I went for a starter of Chinese pork belly – with sweet and sour Cantonese sauce and pineapple. For me I love a good sweet and sour and this was an incredible elevated version of just that. Crisp pork crackling, juicy belly pork with a tangy and tarte sauce. I’m just sorry I didn’t have anything to mop that plate with!! For my friends Rob and Jamie, they went for the pizza carbonara fritta and the giant Atlantic king prawn, served with garlic aioli, shellfish bique and lime bread.

The pizza carbonara fritta, was genuinely something like I’d never tasted before (yes of course we all had a bit of each others!! Sorry to Smithy and Nessa for this!)
It had the classic taste of carbonara, but the dough was donut like in texture and a real treat!!!! The giant Atlantic king prawn, was exactly that….GIANT and tasty!! Also, for someone who loves prawns but cannot stand de-shelling them… this is split in half for you to enjoy, something that’s actually really important to my choice making.

After a very successful starter I went for the Cornish monkfish for my mains, served with a wild garlic and pea puree, asparagus and a brown butter cider sauce. I also chose to go with the green salad with dijon vinegarette and aged Caerphilly cheese as a side.
The monkfish was hearty to say the least! Cooked perfectly, despite not ordering a carb side, I was really full, and this was washed down nicely with an Allan Scott sauvingnon blanc.

I think what I’m trying to say here is that I’m really happy that even though they are calling themselves a bistro, I’m really happy that they don’t massively feel like one. The experience I had was restaurant level, with bistro pricing. The portions were excellent, the food varied, and quality ingredients used, and the wine selection had been paired to the menu. In my personal opinion, this is an excellent addition to Pontcanton (definitely should’ve trademarked that years ago!). Do go and support folks, its an addition I’d love to keep! 🙏