The Robin Hood pub's new Vietnamese pop-up - and the people (and pups) behind it
The Robin Hood pub on St Michael's Hill in Bristol has welcomed a Vietnamese street food pop-up on site. The pub has just been taken over by three friends, one of whom was formerly a brewer at Arbor Ales, and they say that, while there are lots of pop-ups in pubs nowadays, they are "the only with Vietnamese food".
Items on the menu include the likes of banh mi, sriracha fries, spring rolls and pho. The pop-up is from the team behind The Hanoi Social, whose founder and chef - Dennis 'Denny' Ray Veazey - has been calling Bristol home for the past four years.
The 32-year-old, who is originally from Winchester, told BristolLive: "Bristol is an incredible place to live, work and make friends with people who love food, love being creative and love coming together to share great food.
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"Having worked in and around the street food and events industry for many years, cooking (and creating a few exciting pop-ups) The Hanoi Social has been building in my head and my heart for a long time now. What we're trying to create is a laid-back atmosphere with salty, spicy, fresh and umami-rich food.
"Something that makes you feel right at home in a historic and beautiful Bristol pub, but also transports you to another part of the planet. Bringing a bit of excitement to the experience. It's a difficult balance to get right but The Robin Hood owners are the perfect partners and so far, so good. People seem to be loving the combo."
In terms of the food itself, Denny went on to say: "We’re the first to bring authentic Vietnamese food to Bristol’s thriving pub scene. Pizza, burgers, chicken wings and Mexican food are amazing and offer a whole lot, but I wanted to introduce something a little bit different.
"Our signature house bánh mì sandwich, the ‘Hội An’ is an ode to the town I called home for almost two years, and the ‘Cẩm Hà’ being the district of that town I lived in and fell in love with my local bánh mì lady selling me two of these sandwiches at a time for only 62p each. The Hanoi Social Bristol is serving ours with super crispy homemade Vietnamese bread, baked fresh daily by Wild Yeast Bakery.
"We’re also using high welfare meat from Beast Butchers in St Werburghs. And they come packed with fresh herbs, pickles, cucumber, homemade Vietnamese mayo and an umami-rich sauce. Just like I had at my favourite daily lunch spot in Vietnam.
"There’s also some salty sea bites as Hội An’ was right next to the beach so we have some salt and pepper squid, crab croquettes, and then top that off with The Robin Hood’s delicious selection of local and independent beers and ciders, or even a cocktail if you fancy. Their ethos is fantastic, and they only choose to stock their taps and cask ales, IPAs, lagers and ciders from in and around Bristol - including the spirits!
"And it wouldn’t be a pub without chips of course! So we’ve got some skin-on sriracha tossed fries with holy basil and crispy onions served with a sriracha mayo (also a vegan option). Part of the fun is the whole drama of eating street food, getting a bit messy and having loads of sauces, fresh Asian herbs and eating from bamboo containers.
"You’ve got your sweet chilli, crispy chilli oil, garlic and ginger fish sauce, vegan fish sauce made from seaweed, spicy garlic soy, and an array of chop sticks, bamboo tongs (and forks for those who need a bit of a helping hand)."
In terms of the pub, Denny says he "got talking" with the three friends who have just taken over The Robin Hood - Toby Wood, Courtney Salmon and Theo Cernow-Cooke - and "it was a meeting of minds". The four immediately bonded over the fact they were born within three months of each other, and the fact that they had not wanted to see the pub turned into flats, as has been the case with a number of other venues in the country and city alike.
Denny adds: "Toby comes from a brewing background, most recently at Arbor. Courtney has been in the pub industry for about a decade now, and Theo has great experience running businesses - a perfect trio if you ask me!
"And it’s a super cool building. Way back from the 1830s when it was a greengrocer, and then a pub from 1841. It's steeped in history, tradition and a bit of mystery. I’m told that, as the story goes, there even used to be a phone on the wall with a direct line to the hospital next door so that doctors and surgeons could enjoy a nice meal and a pint without the worry of missing an urgent baby delivery or surgery - different times back then!"
Denny has been working in kitchens since he was 14-years-old and says that cooking is in his blood. He's worked in big and small establishments, traditional venues, creative spaces, and even opened a little bar/cafe by the riverside in Hội An. "So I suppose setting up and running my own thing was always a bit of an inevitability," he says.
"Outside the kitchen I’ve had some amazing experiences working at festivals in the UK and abroad. I even cooked a regular guest chef spot at a Vietnamese watering hole."
A new addition to The Robin Hood pub and its Vietnamese pop-up, is the new pub dog, Mango, who was a street dog in Vietnam rescued by Denny and brought back to England. He says: "Pub dogs are almost part of the fabric of our society aren't they?
"I've spent two stints in Vietnam in the last decade, living working, travelling, learning about the culture and, most importantly the food. You might be aware that Vietnamese culture is very different to British culture and dog meat is still consumed, particularly in the North.
"My beautiful little companion, Mango, was actually a street dog destined for the pot. So I was very lucky that she came into my life, and with my previous partner we brought her back to England. She's a very gentle, loyal and fun friend.
"Since we've started up at The Robin Hood, she's fitted in like a glove, bouncing around downstairs, sneaking the odd scrap of meat from our customers, and cosying up in her bed next to the bar - a true pub mascot!"
Finally, when it comes to what visitors to The Robin Hood and The Hanoi Social can expect going forward, Denny reveals that in addition to the aforementioned delights, the team are looking to launch a really unique Vietnamese Sunday Roast when the weather turns colder. The pub also boasts an event space which can be hired out on the first floor, so there are lots of private parties, birthdays and the like to keep the team busy up until Christmas.
There's also a full schedule of pub events, like quizzes, music, comedy, talks, and open mic nights for pub goers to sink their teeth into. Denny goes on to say: "Theo, Courtney and Toby are truly committed to making this into a thriving community pub. I'm absolutely shoulder-to-shoulder with them on that exciting journey."