The Flaming Kilt Kirkcaldy
The Flaming Kilt in Kirkcaldy – don’t blame me, I didn’t think up the name – is the latest opening from Gastro Taverns, a go-ahead company whose unique selling point is that it supports every local economy in which it operates by sourcing as much food as possible within a 40-mile radius.
Gastro Taverns already has two restaurants in Cupar, has just taken over the Gas Lamp in Aberdeen, and is opening another in the north this summer.
The company may have hit on a winning formula. On a Wednesday evening, there was scarcely a free table in the Flaming Kilt. The town outside was sleepy, but it was a hive of activity. The premises are on two levels straddling the esplanade overlooking the Firth of Forth on one side, and the High Street on the other.
There’s a hip contemporary bar out front and a more conventional dining space with estuary views at the back, divided by an open-galley kitchen dominated by a grill. This definitely adds to the theatre of the place; the odd flash of flame and the sputtering of searing meat makes the Flaming Kilt feel alive.
The two-tiered kitchen must be a nightmare, though, for the chefs. A constant stream of prepped food must be brought up from the kitchen down below. Armfuls of blackened skillets and miscellaneous batterie de cuisine items go back down. The go-fors here must be out of puff. Take heart – the shapely calf muscles of Parisian women are widely attributed to daily trips up and down the stairs of lift-less apartment blocks. Over time, we’ll get to check out the effect on the legs of the male staff because they wear those barely tartan, contemporary kilts or "skilts".
Upstairs, the kitchen team, with a calm young woman at the helm, seemed focused and effective, knocking out dishes with perfect timing and without any Gordon Ramsay histrionics. One problem needs attention – a bad smell on the basement kitchen level, reminiscent of soured milk.
The menu is true to the mission statement and makes a persuasive case for the rich diversity of local food. Highlights are the impeccable venison supplied by Fletchers of Auchermuchty, either as a carpaccio, a stew, or haggis, along with Angus beef and water buffalo (which I’ll return to later) from Puddledub in Auchtertool. The cooking style is unfussy and doesn’t try to be too clever. The prices are about 40% lower than you would encounter elsewhere; grilled langoustines £5.95, wild boar sausages £5.95, and side orders at only £1.50 a time. Realistic ambitions and realistic prices – a savvy combination which many other restaurants would do well to study.
A starter of roasted pork belly, served with a chunky cider and apple compote, might have been more crisply rendered. Despite its ever so slightly overcooked rice, the risotto using Inverloch goat’s cheese (not local, but Scottish at least) found favour. The cheese made the starchy mass unctuous and distinct pieces of sweet, firm, grilled pumpkin and oil-frizzled sage leaves lent it further texture and interest.
Water-buffalo steak was a revelation. Subtly different from beef with a slightly gamier flavour and a looser grain, this meat has a higher protein and iron content than beef and less fat, yet it had all the character that is missing in modern livestock bred for leanness. It was a treat further improved by hand-cut chips tossed in smoked paprika and a creamy pink peppercorn and shallot sauce.
Two plump, mustard-marinated pork chops at £7.95 were not only a bargain, but also succulent and deliciously seared. Seasonal greens turned out to be Savoy cabbage and pak choi, tossed around in a skillet with lots of butter; not a particularly inspired offering, given the Scottish asparagus, stir-fry greens, spinach, purple sprouting broccoli and all now on sale at farmers’ markets. Perhaps I was hallucinating when I spotted Thai baby corn on the next table.
Gastro Taverns’ next task is to breathe native seasonality into its vegetable offering. A portfolio of routine desserts, of which a rhubarb crumble and reasonable ice cream were the most exciting, also needs enlivening. There’s definitely room to develop the local concept even further, but the Flaming Kilt is still ahead of the pack.