When I think of Japanese food, naturally the first thing that enters my head is sushi. From some of the most expensive restaurants in the world, where they’re serving fish that nearly defies belief over how pristinely fresh it is, to the selection of rice and fish combinations labelled sushi available as part of a meal deal in one of the chain supermarkets, sushi is supremely accessible. I, for one, am not above supermarket sushi (you can get Quavers as a side, what more could you want).

Something that’s less omnipresent in people’s minds when thinking about Japanese cuisine is dim sum, the delicious little fried or boiled dumplings. However I think it’s getting there. More and more people are looking to dim sum when they want that convenience of being able to grab something that can quickly be eaten over their lunch break, but also that avoids the E. Coli gauntlet that cheap sushi can have you running.

Enter Eatchu, in a side alley of St Nicks market in Bristol. Serving their small menu of four dim sum option (pork, chicken, broccoli, and mushroom), alongside dressed rice, noodles, and all the trimmings, it’s a great place to go when you’re not planning on sitting down. Which, as they only have a few benches outside their window that’ll leave you braving Bristol’s less than tropical climate, you really don’t want to be doing anyway.

However I like this. Something I think Bristol does really well is quick eats. With St Nicks’s market being about twenty paces from Eatchu’s window, you really are spoilt for choice. Eatchu is worth the extra twenty paces though.

I had their food for lunch today. I often have their food for lunch, hence this feature in The Regular series. Six pork dumplings, their dressed rice, and a side of seaweed salad. On paper, it really doesn’t sound like much. However, the way the chefs at Eatchu layer flavours is what I really love about this spot. The pork dim sum aren’t just pork dim sum, they’re flavoured with lemongrass and tossed in a seaweed powder. The rice isn’t just rice, it’s flavoured with nori and sesame. The whole affair is drizzled with mayo and tonkatsu sauce to bring some creaminess that really nicely balances the acidity of the red ginger and mirin pouring sauce served with the meal.


Their food has depth and complexity that I don’t think we really have in many western cuisines. That’s not a knock on western food, as having to cook a dish that doesn’t have so many obvious layers to it – from the different sauces and sides – means you’ve got to find that complexity with less. But what Eatchu does is deliver a meal that takes five minutes from ordering to receiving it, that comes in a recyclable cardboard food container, that’s ordered in a doorway and served through a window, but still delivers a delicious and well rounded meal that truly takes some beating on the Bristol lunch scene.