This was the best Christmas/Birthday present ever!
I went for the Degustation menu (tasting menu) with matched wine. My girlfriend, who is not overly keen on fish, went for the vegetarian tasting menu.
Nibbles were a spoonful of diced salmon and apple with a hint of curry if I remember correctly...as well as Comte gougeres ans truffle filled potatoes (yum yum).
Our amuse bouche was a which bean espuma with a dollop of truffle paste, sprinkled with pistachio (this was Laura's highlight of the meal!). I get Japanese rice crackers every Christmas from my Japanese friend. They are an acquired taste, but I got a similar after taste from the amuse bouche which was a very comforting and familiar surprise).
Now for the menu......
DEGUSTATION
Crab and Salmon Mi-Cuit
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Ballotine of Foie Gras
Confit Apple and Toasted Brioche
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Roast Hand Dived Scallops
Squid Cracker
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Cep and Truffle Gratin
Wild Mushrooms and Truffle Coulis
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Home Smoked Scottish Lobster
Warm Lime and Herb Butter
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Loin and Slow Cooked Shoulder of Lamb
Squash Puree
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Grand Jura Suisse, Mushroom Puree and Macademias
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Milk Chocolate Cremeux
Quince Sorbet
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Coffee and Chocolates
The Mi-Cuit was cured with salt, adding a slightly firmer texture to the outside compared to the comparatively raw, soft centre. The crab meat was very fresh and tasted of the sea. Excellent. This was accompanied by what I think was a cucumber gel which is always a winner with seafood. I think it was this course that had the oyster leaf on it. This was my
first taste of oyster leaf and what would you know....that damn thing
tasted of oysters. I've seen this being used before on TV and in
recipes and always wanted to taste it for myself. Mission accomplished!
The Foie Gras was dense and buttery, matched perfectly with small pieces of caramelised apple and a refreshing puree. Classically paired with toasted brioche. An added bonus was a small deep fried morsel which had a pure liquid centre of Foie Gras (I have since found out that this was a "Cromesquis". I was advised to eat it in a oner or else I would have Foie Gras all down my shirt!
The scallop was barely cooked, just on point, bang on. The squid cracker has a very Asian flavour with a lovely nutty taste of sesame.
The next course was one of my favourites.....the Cep and truffle Gratin. This was basically macaroni stuffed with truffle, served with mushrooms and Jerusalem artichoke puree. WHAT A TRUFFLE HIT!!! Amazingly intense and satisfying.
Possibly Andrew's most famous signature dish....the smoked lobster with lime and herb butter. In this dish, it is only the shell that is smoked so that it doesn't over-whelm the subtle taste of the lobster. The shells are cold smoked for about 5 or 6 hours in Scottish whisky barrel shavings. This dish was very subtle in flavour but great in texture and it was a simple display of lobster at its best with no fuss!
Another favourite of mine was next. The main meat course was loin of lamb cooked sous vide at 48degC (a lot lower than I expected, but the guy knows what he is doing!). This was served with braised shoulder bound in caul fat and flavoured with lemongrass and ginger according to the waitress.....but I'm sure there may have been something else delicious hiding in there, maybe not. STUNNING!
A small cheese course consisted of shavings of Grand Jura Suisse on top of a course mushroom puree. This was topped of with microplaned shavings of macadamia nuts.
Pre-desert was unbelievable. Tropical fruit sorbet with a very delicate puff pastry garnish sprinkled with sugar. All the tastes I love in one refreshing burst...I could have eaten it straight out the paco-jet!
BIRTHDAY DESSERT! Milk chocolate cremeux with a liquid quince centre, served with poached quince and quince sorbet. Laura had obviously told the waiter when I left to go to the toilet that it was my birthday as my plate had Happy Birthday written in chocolate, with a little blue candle on top of my cremeux! The two of us sang a very quite rendition of happy birthday and I made a wish and blew out the candle.
Whisky time...Adelphi Single Cask distilled in the year of my birth, so I didn't really have much choice in which whisky to choose! This was served with a salted square of fudge.
Time for coffee and Tea. More whisky for me as I opted for an Irish coffee (the best I have ever tasted). Our petit fours consisted of a chocolate and elderflower ganache, a pineapple macaroon (macaron) and a chocolate truffle. I didn't think the elderflower would have worked with the chocolate, but it did!
After the meal we asked for the bill and I asked if I could get a signed copy of the book they were selling in the restaurant "36 Inspirational Chefs". I also asked if I could pop my nose into the kitchen for a wee look. We were escorted by the waiter into the kitchen where we were greeted my the man himself. We chatted away for a good while (I was pretty full on drink, so I think I made a bit of a tit of myself). What a nice guy, very down to earth! Best of all, I managed to negotiate a 2 day stage at some point in the coming months! SCORE!!! I can't wait! What a privilege.
