It has been the talk of the town since opening its doors less than a month ago, but Resident X in Aberdeen has got off to a flying start.
While it may have taken founders Michael Robertson and David Griffiths longer than expected to get the doors open, good things come to those who wait… especially if you like quirky cocktails and street food.
The new street food market, which champions independent businesses, is based at Marischal Square in the city centre and is home to four food firms and boasts two bars.
This £1.3 million project is everything Michael and David could have dreamed of and will play a big part in continuing to shape the growing street food scene in Aberdeen.
They have already seen hundreds of people through the doors already.
Why did you want to bring something like Resident X to the Granite City?
David: It was born out of the success of the Backyard Beach Collective street food pop-up that we ran last summer at Codona’s and Union Square, and the concept of STAXX. It’s an amalgamation of the two.
We have worked tirelessly for three years to put our best foot forward in driving growth within the city’s hospitality industry. We’ve launched our own businesses, helped support others in the city, and now, Resident X can also help brands across the UK tap into new markets, too.
After extensive research across the UK we are convinced that the local economic benefits to having a diverse and exciting venue of this calibre will positively contribute to the city centre regeneration.
It is a really exciting project and we’re delighted to finally be open.
The main thing on my mind is food. Can you tell me a bit about what’s on offer?
Michael: There’s four vendors which include Acropolis, Baby Jewel, Pluck and Dam Burger.
Acropolis is the only firm from outside the north-east of Scotland to call the space home. They specialise in Greek street food and have multiple bases across the north of England.
Their offering has been really popular with loads of people queuing to get a bite to eat. There’s chicken, halloumi, grilled veg and vegan gyros, plus massive platters, salads, fries, sides like olives and feta cheese, and even a dessert of the day. Dishes range from £1.50 for pitta bread to £13.50 for the Acropolis platter.
Baby Jewel is also new to the city, although its parent brand, curry house Jewel in the Crown has been around for decades.
This is the firm’s first step into street food and guests can expect everything from onion bhaji, pakora, samosa, aloo tikki, chaat plus masala fries and the Jewel special curry on the menu. Prices range from £4 to £8.
David: Pluck is all things chicken with a focus around Asian flavours. The wings are big, but the larger portions are great for sharing. You can get strips, wings, fries or wedges here and they are priced between £4 and £11.
Last but not least is Dam Burger – the sibling of our Dutch fries business Aberdam on Shiprow. We’ll serve up smash burgers and Dutch fries to the masses at Resident X, however we will move a new vendor into the space in spring, so it is really just temporary for now.
The Biscoff burger is something else, so if you fancy something different, give it a try. Fries are priced from £3.50 and burgers start at £7.
Tell me a bit about the cocktail offering?
Michael: There’s two bars – Lab X and the main oval bar. We’ve worked with Aberdeen cocktail specialists Boozy Events to create the menu at Lab X. Owner, Cammy Esson, who we know quite well, has consulted us throughout the development process and has helped craft a really interesting cocktail menu.
There’s everything from smoking drinks to ones with rubber ducks in them, to ones that are garnished with a stroopwafel and more.
Boozy Events is really well known for their signature The Mary Jane cocktail which is made with Select Aperitivo, vodka, marmalade, lime, orange and egg white. Rosemary is used as a garnish which is set alight in front of you.
The Sundae Funday with ice cream and chocolate infused Amaretto in it is also something different, as is the No.42 which is served in a takeaway pot.
At the main oval bar you’ll find your classic cocktails like the Pornstar Martini, an Aberdonian twist on boozy Iced Tea, Margaritas, Daiquiris plus Old Fashions and more.
And are there other drinks available?
David: We’ve got everything from our own Lagerdam beer made in collaboration with Fierce Beer in Dyce, right up to some of the best whiskies from across Scotland. We even have a few American ones and a Japanese one.
There’s a whole range of beer (draught, bottles and cans), cider, and other spirits like gin, vodka, rum, tequila and liqueurs.
For those who are in the mood there’s shots and shooters which range from £2.50 to £6.
As well as this there’s plenty of wine options that you can try out, plus, we’ve got a few non alcoholic and gluten-free beers and cider, too.
Did I hear something about live entertainment?
Michael: We’re going to go big with events this year, but given we opened around a week before Christmas, we just wanted to get a feel for the place first.
We’ve had Aberdeen DJ, Scott Anderson, who is known as HomeAlone, playing at the venue every Thursday evening and we’ll have other entertainment getting lined-up soon. There’s going to be lots of events to drive people to the space for a variety of different reasons, so it will be good to see a real mix of people getting involved and meeting up there.
The interior is quite different isn’t it?
David: We worked with a few local companies including Tinto Architecture and Allan Smith from Luxous Group Ltd to bring the place to life.
Allan is known for his different custom designs. He designed our Aberdam food truck and we knew he would do something really cool with the space.
There’s a light tunnel, garden area and we’ve got a lot of neon and unusual designs throughout. There’s a traffic light in there and it has this sort of industrial feel about it as well which really works.
It is a bit of an Instagrammers playground as there’s a lot going on from the food and drink right through to the decor.
Resident X is open from noon to midnight Sunday to Thursday and until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.
A license has been granted to operate until 3am on Fridays and Saturdays and will be trialed in early 2023 before becoming a permanent fixture.
The venue is dog-friendly.
For more information on the venue visit linktr.ee/residentx
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