Diamond Jubilee weekend dinner at Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley (Chef's Menu)

It is the Diamond Jubilee weekend here in the UK, and the entire city of London is in a festive mood. I too made use of the extra-long weekend for a spot of fine-dining and celebration in style. For this I chose to return to Marcus Wareing, which I had not been back to since January. I had noticed quite a few changes to their Chef's Menu, and was eager to try the new dishes they had to offer. Booking for dinner this evening was surprisingly hassle-free (perhaps because everyone was at the BBC concert and fireworks in nearby Hyde Park?) but getting there on the Tube was hellish!

Anyway, on to the food - I noticed that the Chef's Menu had shrunk slightly although the price remains unchanged; instead of the usual ten courses there were now only nine including cheese and chocolate (in comparison, the Taste Menu now has only 7 fixed courses; cheese comes at a supplement). I am not a particular fan of cheese, so I asked to switch that for a fish dish which was conspicuously missing from the menu. I also asked to try a new dessert as I'd already had the apple and cinammon in January.

Canapés: breaded fish cake with lime mayonnaise, pickled egg with pork crackling and a dash of black pepper.

The fish cake was excellent - well-seasoned, warm & moist on the inside, with a thin, light & crispy crust. The lime mayonnaise gave it a further touch of richness whilst also balancing this deep-fried comfort food with its mild acidity. I liked the pickled egg rather less - while the thick, perfectly smooth and creamy texture was delightful (I wonder how they did it!), it was all a bit too sourish for my taste. The two savoury pieces of pork crackling were much more agreeable - crispy, non-greasy and didn't stick to the teeth.

I was expecting another customary amuse-bouche after this, so I was a little surprised when the menu proper began immediately after the canapés. Oh well, never mind.

First starter: konbu (Japanese seaweed) jelly, tartare of langoustines with Oscietra caviar, mirin (Japanese rice wine similar to sake, but with lower alcohol content) broth, coriander cress garnish.

This excellent cold dish brought back fond memories of my travels to Kyoto, where I was fortunate enough to dine at some of the finest kaiseki restaurants in Japan. It was so authentic that it wouldn't have been out of place at three Michelin-starred Kikunoi, for example. The konbu jelly was feather-light in mouthfeel but intense in flavour, complementing the raw langoustines which were incredibly fresh and naturally sweet, with a firm and succulent texture.  Touches of caviar and chopped onions within the mound gave the langoustines both savoury and aromatic depths. A peppery cress garnish and delicate mirin broth completed this picture of culinary perfection with a slight kick to the palate.

Second starter: herb (incl. cinnamon)-crusted foie gras mousse, pineapple carpaccio with reductions of pineapple & balsamic vinegar and cinnamon. Accompanied by a thick slice of toasted brioche.

A very good dish - the smooth and creamy foie gras mousse was very well complemented by its aromatic herb crust, and balanced with mildly acidic pineapple-based accompaniments. The appealing fragrance of cinnamon was present but not overpowering. The one component that stood out for me, perhaps rather surprisingly, was the brioche - very thick, but so incredibly soft, fluffy and warm; it was certainly good enough to be eaten on its own.

Third starter: veal sweetbread topped with a slice of caramelised lemon, on a bed of grapes, macadamia nut purée, chopped macadamias and almonds, amaretto (almond liqueur) jelly; garnish of bitter cress.

A picture of understated luxury. A generous chunk of succulent, sweet-tasting and velvety sweetbread was complemented by equally sweet and juicy grapes, a smooth and creamy macadamia purée to enhance its richness and depth of flavour, and other delightful nut-based accompaniments for variety in texture. The garnishes also made a real impression - the lemon slice with its balancing acidity, as well as the bitter cress which cut through the richness of this dish with an astonishingly peppery kick to the palate.

Fourth starter: pan-fried scallops, asparagus, smoked egg, sea kale.

A simple and delightful dish designed to bring out the best of seasonal produce. The scallops were cooked only slightly such that they retained all their natural juices and a tender texture. Their sweetness was enhanced by the asparagus in both poached and puréed forms (with chunks of sea kale within the purée); I loved the crunchy and tender texture of the asparagus and sea kale. Dollops of smoked egg yolk highlighted the savoury aspect of the scallops' flavour whilst imparting a luxurious mouthfeel with its thick creamy texture.

Fun facts: sea kale is one of the few vegetables still in existence which is truly native to Britain. It grows naturally along the shores of the east coast, though it is now illegal to pick sea kale or grow it in the wild. Sea kale is sometimes known as winter asparagus; the similarities in taste and texture between sea kale stems (the best part of the plant) and asparagus are striking. Sea kale is now grown and supplied commercially in the UK by only one farm in Scotland, thereby accentuating its rarity.

Fifth starter: smoked salmon parcel, pea pannacotta and fresh peas, preserved lemon purée with a touch of mango, garnishes of fresh radish and garden cress. 

This was my replacement for the cheese course; from the Taste Menu, a posh take on a classic fish-and-peas combination. The lightly smoked salmon had a very rich flavour without excessive saltiness, and was very moist and tender, flaking effortlessly - nothing out of this world, but extremely well executed. The preserved lemon purée was very refreshing, with a nice balance of sweetness and acidity. The component that really stood out for me was the pea pannacotta - sweet, smooth, and velvety; miles better than a traditional pea mash (but of course one would expect nothing less from this restaurant!). Overall a very clean-tasting and wholesome dish with exquisite presentation.

Main course: Galloway beef fillet done medium rare, Dorset snails, horseradish potatoes, parsley purée, garnish of celery, chopped shallots and cress.

A very substantial and hearty course. The chunks of beef remained tender and succulent despite their thickness, and the surrounding sauce made of beef stock was utterly delish! The few morsels of snails were very juicy and retained a nicely firm & springy texture. The generous portion of potatoes were surprisingly light and non-starchy, and their horseradish cream coating cut through the richness of the meat whilst delivering a nice kick to the palate. The rest of the vegetable accompaniments - the fresh-tasting parsley purée, roasted celery seasoned with salt, and the peppery cress had the same effect of balance. Solid execution throughout.

Pre-dessert: a layered glass consisting of lime ice, fresh diced mango, coconut streusel, and passionfruit crémeux (cream). A completely apt palate-cleanser after the previous course, with refreshing tropical flavours and a delightful variety of textures.

First dessert: white chocolate parfait with popcorn, grapefruit sorbet served on popcorn, fresh grapefruit pieces, with a sprinkling of (I believe it was orange) sugar.

The first of two desserts I was about to have, taken from the lunch menu. The white chocolate parfait was excellent - rich and smooth with strong vanilla notes. This was aptly paired with a grapefruit sorbet and fresh grapefruit pieces which had a refreshing acidity. The sprinkling of orange-flavoured sugar also delivered a nice crunch and further citrus flavour. I had my reservations about the use of popcorn - instead of being warm, fluffy and crunchy as one might expect, it had (perhaps unsurprisingly) become rather cold, hard and soggy. In terms of flavour it couldn't have contributed much either since the white chocolate and sugar had already done such a good job. My other minor complaint would be that the dessert was served a tad too cold and firm, and that both components broke off in bits on the plate when I tried to scoop them up, instead of coming off nicely in the spoon; however, this was easily solved by allowing the dessert to linger in my mouth for slightly longer than usual, unleashing its full flavours and textures.

Second desssert: carrot and walnut cake with cream cheese frosting and sprinkling of frozen carrot, cream cheese ice-cream, soft meringue cubes, coriander cress garnish.

Another posh take on a traditional dish, all components were truly excellent. The cake was fluffy and moist with generous chunky bits of walnuts within for extra flavour and texture, and the cream cheese components had a delightful richness tempered with a mild lemony acidity (also present in the cubes and coriander cress) such that the whole dessert didn't feel as overwhelming as it might have been. The texture of the ice-cream was amazing - firm but completely smooth and velvety.

My only complaint was that this dish was not explained to me by the person who served it - he simply said 'carrot cake' (I thought that was pretty obvious anyway) and hurried off. I had to verify some of the components with the acting restaurant manager later. I can appreciate that everyone was busy with a full restaurant, but that is no excuse for such a service lapse.

Chocolate: (left) 55% Ecuadorian chocolate with a salted caramel filling, (right) 70% Cru Virunga chocolate from Congo.

The final chocolate course, now with a new type of chocolate. The Ecuadorian variety was not particularly striking but I loved the salted caramel filling (you can see a  large sea salt crystal on the bottom right of that piece). The spring water-based Cru Virunga ganache remains one of the most extraordinary chocolates I've tried so far, with strong notes of forest berries.

To end off another nice visit to the restaurant, the customary visit to the kitchen. Marcus wasn't in the kitchen (missed him again!) but I still got to witness the assembly of a beautiful lamb dish (I believe this is the 'suckling lamb, beans, oregano, Flower Marie' option on the tasting menus) by sous chef Mark and an assistant. 

Summary notes: another enjoyable evening at the restaurant; despite the slightly reduced menus I think it was still reasonable value-for-money - and the food was undisputedly excellent with some very minor misses (which could be a matter of personal taste). Service was yet again improved and I wish to mention Daniel in particular, a long-time permanent staff member who was taking care of me for most of the evening - he gladly obliged my requests for menu changes, brought me to the kitchen and chatted animatedly about food and restaurants at the end of the meal (I really wouldn't mind tagging along to Noma or El Cellar de Can Roca if he could get a reservation!). There were lots of fresh faces this evening, including a couple of French apprentices who had very thick accents and were probably not entirely comfortable in English, but I could tell they were doing their best, and everyone has to learn the ropes from somewhere anyway. The acting manager (replacing Dmitri who was on holiday) who served and introduced most of the dishes for the evening appeared a tad cold at the beginning, but warmed up quickly as the dinner moved on, and was patient with all my questions on the food. I will be back in due course!