William Pouget is the man who just keeps on giving to the Oxford food scene. It all started with Alpha bar in the covered market 20 years ago before Vaults and Gardens and then last year, Chickpea came to King Edward Street. Now, Salsas del Sol is the Mediterranean spin on Pouget’s good-value slow food revolution.
The offering here is similar to the other places in Will’s repertoire but with key twists to differentiate itself. Bowls are again the base here but the contents are different.
For me, the rotisserie chicken is the star of the show. A quarter chicken with sauces on the side comes in at just £7.5 and you can even take away a whole bird for £15. There’s a plethora of salads on offer too including couscous, aubergines, mushrooms, cabbage, guacamole, broccoli, salsa, and more. On its own, the chicken can be slightly dry but the sauces that give this eatery its name rapidly change that — the green goddess is a great pairing with sriracha to really create a combo of smoky flavours in your mouth all at the same time.
Not a chicken man? Pulled pork is available too and pairs even better with the corn tortillas you can opt for on the side. At the moment, these are cooked from frozen which means they do crumble a bit more than Will would like — no doubt in time the plan is to change that.
Salad bowls are here too with the smoked tofu providing a vegan option with far more flavour than you might be accustomed to. Homemade aioli and pickled red cabbage would be my salad choices for this protein, again adding that balance to the dish in both flavour profiles and textures for a complete bite.
Alongside cakes from Tap Social’s Barefoot Bakery, Salsas del Sol also boasts a varied juice bar offering. You are able to blend your choice of fruits and roots with everything from ginger to carrots and pomegranate up for grabs. If you are a bit of an amateur like me then staff are on hand to suggest good pairings! Coffee is just as good value as Chickpea too with the matcha a standout yet again.
So, another opening from Will Pouget and yet again he has managed to reproduce everything that makes his model great with innovative twists that make all the difference. Chicken for me is the big highlight but juices will standout for others — that’s what makes Salsas del Sol so good, there really is something for everyone.
