The restaurant looked quite non-descript from outside, however as soon as you walk in, you know you are in a fine dining establishment. Soft music, impeccably laid tables and polite attentive staff are your first experience and it is there to stay. To be honest, it took a while to actually place our order, but is that just because we are used to restaurants that turn tables twice and even thrice in an evening and we are not accustomed to having a relaxed chance to peruse and digest the menu at leisure?
We decided to be a bit extravagant... We are after all at a Michelin star restaurant so lets take advantage of the fact and be daring and a little adventurous. This decision taken, we moved past the a la carte menu and went straight onto the set menu's and tasting menu's. We decided on 'A Family' menu, 6 courses of scrumptiousness inspired by the chef's family.
First to arrive at our table was an Amouse Bouche... a tasty little morsel to wet our appetites! It was an odd concoction to say the least. I got pumpkin flavours flowing through a seafood stock and topped with a lemon foam. The pumpkin and fish combination I found surprising on my palette, but not unpleasant.
Next to arrive was the first course. When placed in front of us, it looked beautiful. Clean, fresh and colourful... then the waitress poured Parmesan sauce all over it! I should have taken the picture before the mutilation. Having the aesthetics mildly destroyed, we had to rely on flavour. The pumpkin mousse was light and mildly flavoured, the passion fruit sorbet added a sharp and cold surprise that was delectable, the Parmesan sauce was strong and dare I say it, over powering? The stand out on the plate to me was the roast garlic biscuit that the passion fruit sorbet was sitting on. Absolute heaven, I can still taste the biscuit and my mouth is salivating at this moment! I did enjoy the dish, but felt the Parmesan sauce dominated too much and the truffle was, in my view, obsolete.
The scallop dish was a delight. Sheila was looking forward to this dish from the beginning of the evening and it did not disappoint. After appreciating the very pretty presentation, we tucked in. The scallop was perfectly cooked, caramelised on the outside with slightly translucent flesh inside. The apple was sweet and combined with the mild wasabi heat in the sauce, it proved to be a perfect accompaniment to the scallop. Seconds please, chef?
I was looking forward to the lobster course purely because it had a 'cloud' of white chocolate. The total dish was a layer of surprises from first to last spoonful. The white chocolate was sweet and airy and the lobster was gorgeous, tender and full of flavour. The first surprise was the green pepper sauce that suddenly poked it's way through the white cloud and shone with it's vibrant emerald hue. The sauce was quite sweet and I'm sure this came mostly from the chocolate foam. Second surprise was to suddenly bite into a pink peppercorn and get the explosion of heat across your tongue. Next surprise was a wedge of lemon flesh that suddenly added a sour element to your mouth, totally contrasting with the sweet green pepper and white chocolate. All in all, a tasty, clever dish that tested your senses constantly.
Rabbit? Three years ago, Sheila would have had a heart attack looking at Bunny Foo Foo on a plate. Now, the food world is her oyster and she'll happily munch away on most things at least once. Notable exception being ginger... I found the Rabbit course to be exceptional. Rich and hearty and moreish and earthy and yum! The rabbit loin was rolled and stuffed with a little Beaufort cheese which added a delightful creaminess to the rabbit. The polenta was smooth and creamy and the sauce rich and decadent. I just loved the earthy richness of the mushrooms. My only comment was the crayfish tail... why was it on the plate? The chef here obviously loves seafood and seems to add it where ever he can. In my view, the rabbit did not need a crustacean playmate for this dish.
Interesting dish... melted Raclette cheese on a bed of lettuce leaves smothered with creamy mashed potato... Whilst it was lovely, it felt a little out of place. Beautiful smooth mash mixed with stringy, creamy cheese? How can you go wrong? Also, the now expected surprise on this dish was a tiny cube of red wine vinegar jelly hiding beneath the lettuce. It cut through the creaminess of the dish beautifully. Still not sure that this dish should be on this menu though... A plate of cheesy mash after our main course and just before dessert? Mmmm...
Now we're talking! We were all looking forward to dessert and I must say that this surpassed all of our expectations. It is in essence, a Vietnamese inspired Baked Alaska. Caramelised banana base, topped with a passion fruit biscuit, a scoop of pineapple sorbet and finally smothered by coconut meringue. Serious orgasm material and quite honestly a perfect end to a lovely evening! The bananas were sweet and squidgy, the biscuit slightly sour and crisp, the sorbet sweet and cold and the meringue creamy with a mild crunch of coconut. Just delightful! I thoroughly enjoyed watching Sheila circle her arms protectively around the bowl while she blissfully spooned her way through the dessert, following the waitress's advice of making sure you get a little of each layer on each spoonful.
All in all a very very good evening and a perfect birthday meal for my lovely wife!
