OCCASIONALLY I get a craving for not chocolate or wine, but vitamins. It comes on fast, often following a cold or night out, and it needs to be attended to. Soup helps, salad helps, but nothing restocks the system quicker (and with least effort) than a fresh fruit smoothie. At Kukoos on Oxford Road, they do some of the best I've had.
Kukoos sells home-made, healthy concoctions made from fresh fruits
This street food deli offers a brilliant line in authentic salads, wraps and snacks inspired by the cheap eats sold in Morocco, India, and Lebanon. Most of their customers come for a take-out or eat-in lunch or dinner. But you can also stop by just for a drink or snack, which is what we did last week.
If you're not after alcohol, the drinks menu here is one of the most inviting and interesting you'll find. Rather than a fridge stocked with too-cold cans of pop, or candy-packed milkshakes, Kukoos sells home-made, healthy concoctions made from fresh fruits. Smoothies, lassis, teas and juices squeezed or blended that day by chef Mary or chef Omir, who head up their kitchen team.
I ordered their Mango and Mint Smoothie and my eyes widened at the taste. I wasn't expecting it to be that good. If mango and mint isn't already a classic flavour combination, like tomato and basil, or apple and cinnamon, it should be.
As in all their smoothies, the fruit was mixed with yoghurt to create a slightly creamy, very moreish drink. One was easily enough but for the purposes of this write-up, I tried another; the Banana and Lemon. Again, the unusual flavours worked in harmony. My friend had the Strawberry and Cream smoothie, followed by the Raspberry and Chocolate, and judging from her happy, straw-sucking face, she was equally impressed.
The Indian lassis at Kukoos come in similar flavours, but are a thinner, milkier drink. There's also freshly squeezed Moroccan orange juice, Moroccan mint tea, and Indian lemonade served with mint leaves.
Like all the drinks here, the Indian lemonade isn't made from syrups or powder mixes but from the real thing, lemons. It's a good one to know about because it's super refreshing, gives you a vitamin C boost, and provides a subtle sugar lift that doesn't result in an energy crash a few hours later. A cure-all for hot days and hangovers.
All the drinks at Kukoos are priced at £2, including the smoothies. This seems cheap to me but I'm not complaining. They have a selection of fresh drinks, just-made and on ice, at the back of the cafe near the till so you can just nip in and grab one. Whether you're vitamin-starved, curious to try something new, or just plain thirsty, they will do the trick.
Kukoos is on Oxford Road, just up from Cornerhouse, next door to Odder. It's open daily from 10am to 10pm. Find out more about Kukoos.
