The Oxford Kitchen is newly opened in Lodi, bringing those in the 209 food all the way from the streets of London. As London is very cosmopolitan with multicultural cuisine, Lodi has its very own sophistication and charm with a multicultural population which made it just the right fit for the Oxford Kitchen.

Founder Neil Ramarapu and Chef/Owner Srijith Gopinathan created an environment and menu with inspiration from the street markets in London that offer food from different parts of the world. There are flavors on the menu from the Mediterranean, Southeast Asia, Europe and the United Kingdom.

“London is a very multicultural city and so is Lodi,” said Ramarapu. “So, this is a perfect place for global cuisine. I wanted to go into a small town where we could offer all these cuisines.”

The contemporary design and modern London flare gives this ‘Kitchen’ a very welcoming and trendy, fun vibe. The full bar seats about 20 and has a bit of an old-world charm to it with a library ladder and several libations lit up. There are booths and tables available as well as a two-level patio for outdoor seating.

Executive Chef Gopinathan lived in Oxford, England which inspired the name of the restaurant. He is the Executive Chef of Campton Place in San Francisco and is bringing his experience and skills to Lodi. He created the menu and many of their offerings feature local, organic ingredients from businesses in the 209 like Fiscalini Cheese Company, Zuckerman’s Farm, Panorama Baking Company and Mary’s Chicken.

The eclectic offerings begin with the small plates where guests can delight in Scotch Eggs, Ahi Tuna Tartare, Fresh Oysters, Stuffed Mediterranean Bread, or a Charcuterie Platter.

What are Scotch Eggs, you might ask? Well, they are a traditional British dish that consists of a hardboiled egg and with the Oxford twist they are wrapped in a minced lamb crust where traditionally it would be wrapped in sausage topped with English mustard aioli, giving this starter two thumbs up.

“There are not very many people that have tried Scotch Eggs before,” stated Ramarapu. “When they do try them, they always come back for them.” 

The fresh Ahi Tuna Tartare is not only pleasant to the eyes but very tasty with the Japanese white soy, maple sherry vinaigrette on crispy crackers washed down with an Oxford crafted Lodi Cosmopolitan.

The bowl of Crispy Cauliflower takes guests to Spain as it is served in a Romesco sauce, garlic, red peppers and almonds giving this dish a little kick with earthy, rich flavors. All the sauces are made from scratch.

The tour of global cuisine continues with the Oxford Classics including the Charred Peri-Peri Chicken, the Original English Style Fish ‘N’ Chips, the Oxford Shepherd’s Pie, Chicken Pot Pie, Great Britain Chicken Tikka Masala, Seared Gnocchi, Macaroni Cheese and the Beef Wellington. 

While cooking in Oxford, England, Gopinathan learned the secret to making a light and crisp batter for fresh cod to get dipped into for the Original English Style Fish ‘N’ Chips. They are exactly that, light and crisp with perfectly cooked cod that is flaky and tasty served with pickled vegetable tartar sauce, lemon, and malt vinegar. 

“There are many customer favorites on the menu already,” added Ramarapu. “Everything on the menu has been a really big hit.”

The Beef Wellington is another dish of English origin and although it may look like it is a medium steak with some pink, the steak is actually well done and wrapped in a puff pastry with kale melt and mushroom duxelles served with mash and gravy. The combination of flavors melts in your mouth. 

The Charred Peri-Peri Chicken is a bone-in free range chicken served with Peri-Peri sauce, Peri-Peri rice and fries. 

The newly opened restaurant slated its Grand Opening celebration for Feb. 9 and in early spring they will be opening for weekend brunch.

For those that want to take their Valentine on a food adventure they will have a romantic Valentine’s dinner with a special menu. 

The current hours are 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and until 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

“We are happy to serve people this multicultural cuisine and have them try something that they have never had before,” expressed Ramarapu. “They are able to have a nice global adventure tasting foods from different parts of the world under one roof.” 

Getting there: 

110 W. Oak St., Lodi

Contact: 

Visit oxfordlodi.com or call (209) 263-7234

Hours: 

4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday;  4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and  Saturday