Richmond Street Deli has been a hot spot in Aberdeen for a number of years.
For who exactly? Foodies, particularly those that adore hefty portions.
It doesn’t take a genius to work out why the cafe has a following of more than 12,000 people across its Facebook and Instagram platforms.
The street food dishes are a feast for the eyes, boasting colourful and fresh ingredients.
The first time I sampled Richmond Street Deli, I didn’t quite know what to think of it.
But Julia has always vouched for it and says it is one of her favourite places to visit when in need of wholesome comfort food. I was really keen to give it another shot.
Richmond Street Deli: What is it and what’s on offer?
Richmond Street Deli is located on, you guessed it, Richmond Street in Aberdeen.
Established in 2008, the business is currently run by Leeanne Coutts and her daughter, Shannan.
It specialises in street food – in big, flavourful portions which are available to enjoy sitting inside the eatery or ordered for collection or takeaway.
Open from 9am to 3pm Wednesday to Friday and 10am to 3pm on Tuesdays and Saturdays, there are plenty of opportunities to get your hands on a dish (or two).
Menu items include breakfast rolls, French toast, sandwiches, baked potatoes, wraps, loaded fries and more.
The order:
The results
So, were Julia and I’s mammoth-sized dishes packed full of flavour?
The Club
The Club is among the sandwich offering at Richmond Street Deli and is the first thing the pair of us tucked into, on an incredibly hot summer’s day in Aberdeen.
Appearance-wise, we were impressed. How could you not be?
We also loved how the bread had been toasted. It meant the sandwich wasn’t flimsy and avoided the contents going everywhere. Well, most of it anyway.
The sandwich features chicken mayo, bacon, lettuce, ham, tomato, mature cheddar, and sweet chilli.
There was far too much mayo, in my opinion. It overpowered a lot of the ingredients but, from what I could taste of them, they were great – especially the tomato and sweet chilli.
But this is a personal preference for me and Julia completely disagreed. She loved the amount of mayo in the mix and said it complimented the other ingredients, too.
Presentation
Julia: 4/5
Karla: 4/5
Taste
Julia: 4/5
Karla: 3/5
Dirty Fries
The dirty fries are a dish I had previously sampled from the eatery.
On the first occasion, they were a tad on the soggy side. But this time around, they were lovely and crisp.
The chips were slathered in a cheddar cheese sauce, crispy bacon bits, cherry tomatoes, sriracha mayo, jalapenos, crispy onion, fresh herbs and spring onion.
There were so many different textures and flavours going on that were a delight.
The bacon and onion added a nice crunch, the tomatoes added some acidity, and the jalapenos provided a nice kick.
The sriracha mayo was great, too – if that were in my Club sandwich, it would have been a straight-up winner.
Presentation
Julia: 3.5/5
Karla: 3.5/5
Taste
Julia: 4/5
Karla: 3.5/5
The Katsu
The Katsu is arguably the most popular menu item at Richmond Street Deli – well, so I have been told by several reliable sources.
I’d go as far as to say it is one of the best street food dishes available to order in Aberdeen. If you haven’t tried it already and love chicken-based dishes with a slight kick, I would urge you to.
It features thick strips of chicken, which were crispy on the outside yet juicy on the inside, broccoli, and a cashew and cranberry salad.
The broccoli is left a little on the hard side, just how I like it, and the salad adds a lovely sweetness.
However, the star of the show is what all the ingredients are covered in – a thick katsu curry sauce.
I said it after first sampling the dish more than a year ago and I’ll say it again, if the sauce was available to buy by the bottle, there would be several in my sauce cupboard at all times.
Presentation
Julia: 3.5/5
Karla: 3/5
Taste
Julia: 5/5
Karla: 5/5
The Katsu came out on top at Richmond Street Deli, racking up a score of 16.5/20.
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