Neil Littman struggles to find his spud at a new Turkish eatery in Winchmore Hill

At a time of economic uncertainty it’s a courageous move opening a new restaurant.

Pot & Bun on The Green in Winchmore Hill recently opened on a site previously occupied by Samdan Meze & Grill and is run by the same owners. Their new offer – or is it a concept? – is kumpir and kumru, which they describe as Turkish street food.

Their menu includes Turkish salads, loaded fries, kumpir (baked potatoes with toppings) and kumru (deli sandwiches) plus a wide range of desserts including waffles, crepes, cakes, milkshakes, smoothies and ice creams. They are also licensed and serve a small range of beers and wines.

I was initially confused on arrival at Pot & Bun as to whether there was counter or table service, until I spotted a sign – obscured by the queue of takeaway customers – saying “place your order here”. It’s been very busy on the two occasions I have eaten there and it’s already a popular spot after only a few weeks since opening.

Although I think you tamper with baked potatoes at your peril (I’d rather they be kept simple because of how filling they are), I ordered the kumpir. The spuds are large and baked in a special oven, which can be viewed behind the counter, and mine came topped with strips of fried chicken in a crumb coating. It seemed the best choice out of the combinations on offer but, by the time I had selected my toppings, my spud was drowning in a sea of dressing and cacik (yoghurt dip) with grated cucumber, courgette salad, sweetcorn, plus even more yoghurt! The baked potato disappeared under the weight of so many ingredients and I couldn’t finish it.

Undeterred, I went back to Pot & Bun a few days later, as I felt it was worth a second chance. This time I ordered one of their salads topped with grilled salmon on a bed of mixed leaves and chose six toppings from a selection of over 20, including pickled cucumber, sweetcorn, coleslaw, and red cabbage. It was an altogether more successful mix of ingredients and, this time, I suffered no overload of carbs! The salads and deli sandwiches look the most inviting items on the menu and the presentation is good, with dishes served in traditional Turkish kadai copper bowls.

The kumpir is quite expensive at £11 and the salads are £9.5-£12 (without extras), while kumru are £10-13 and include options such as steak or vegetarian.

Pot & Bun can be found at 32-34 The Green, Winchmore Hill N21 1AY and is open daily 10am-7pm (until 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays):
Call 020 3409 0699

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