The Foodie's Abode: Lunch at The Waterside Inn (Menu Gastronomique)

My family came to visit me yesterday just as my Easter vacation had begun, and this was the perfect excuse to take them to The Waterside Inn earlier today. Indulgent, I know, especially since it'd been barely a week after my birthday visit! We were very fortunate with the weather - it was one of those all-too-rare sunny spring days in England with clear blue skies.

Another waiting room near the door which I hadn't spotted
during my first visit. True countryside opulence!

A huge chocolate Easter creation, made
by the supremely talented pastry team.

We were greeted very warmly at the door by Diego, who happened to be walking back from the river bank, and subsequently by the wait staff in the restaurant who recognised me (but of course!). It is so easy to forget that this cosy restaurant holds some of the highest accolades in the industry.

As expected, we were presented first with an impressive canapé platter with varied textures and flavours, containing (from front to back): king prawn fritter (great texture - crisp on the outside, and springy & succulent within) with a sweet and spicy sauce, cheese sticks with anchovies (very light, with chewy & savoury bits of anchovies), blue cheese cream with chopped chives and hazelnuts in celery leaf (very rich and pungent, well complemented by the fragrant and nutty flavours of the garnishing), foie grass mousse on a pancake base and topped with plum chutney and pickled plum (very smooth and creamy, well balanced by the mildly acidic plum toppings). Close-ups of the prawn fritter and foie gras mousse (my favourites) follow the main picture.

All of us went for the Menu Gastronomique, which despite its name is really a lighter three-course lunch option that changes regularly according to availability of fresh produce. There are two choices for each course.

Starter: warm cos (Romaine, as Americans call it) lettuce velouté garnished with diced slow cooked braised pork cheeks.

This was a light and wholesome start to the meal. Romaine lettuce, with its intense green colour and subtle sweetness, is believed to be the most nutritious of all lettuce varieties, and this soup contained all the essence of this humble vegetable. A textural and savoury dimension was provided by the tender pork cheek dice. Simple but delicious.

Starter: slices of chilled salmon fillet coated with sauce verte, Belle de Fontenay potato salad seasoned with a dressing of shallots, chives and flyfish roe.

This was a truly stunning dish with perfect harmony of colours and flavours. The salmon had been cooked to perfection, flaking effortlessly and retaining its moist, succulent texture. The sauce verte that had been spread on top was chock-full of the aromas of fresh herbs (parsley, coriander, dill, tarragon etc.), and its creamy texture complemented the salmon very well. The potato salad felt extremely light and non-starchy, and the garnishings provided aromatic (shallots, chives) and savoury (roe, capers) depths. I thought that the flyfish roe was a particularly ingenious touch for the way in which fit into the overall colour scheme (the first time I've seen it, and I had to ask a waiter what the green roe was). Two juicy and subtly sweet pieces of beetroot completed this extremely sophisticated take on salmon salad.

Main course: roasted Gressingham duck breast glazed with honey, crispy wafer filled with seasonal vegetables, mixed spice flavoured sauce.

This was a very solid dish, with incredibly tender and thinly-sliced pieces of duck paired with sweet and crunchy vegetables (the asparagus tips give a real seasonal feel), in a light and crispy wafer cone. The excellent sauce and purée lifted the dish with aromas of cinnamon (very strong), cloves and star anise (the French title translates as 'four spices' but I couldn't tell what was the last).

Main course: monkfish fillet roasted on the bone, puff pastry case filled with asparagus and morels, pea purée, wild garlic flavoured sauce verte.

Despite its unassuming presentation, this is not the easiest dish to execute. Monkfish is naturally very meaty, and even if slightly overcooked, becomes very tough, rubbery and unpalatable. This was, however, a piece that all chefs should aspire to - so fresh, succulent and juicy that I was lost for words. The texture was firm and delightfully springy. The other aspect of this dish that really struck me was its aromas, from the seasonal morel mushrooms as well as the subtle garlic sauce (ail d'ours in French). A sweet pea purée and crunchy asparagus tips completed this picture of culinary perfection.

Beautiful Saturday afternoon with cheerful banter all around.

Dessert: warm almond and hazelnut sponge cake with candied griotte (sour) cherries, almond ice-cream.

Sitting in a pool of luxurious and fragrant almond cream, the cake was delightfully moist and light, with intense nutty flavours complemented by naturally tart and juicy cherries.

The ice-cream was excellent - very smooth, creamy, and intensely flavoured, with a hint of vanilla to round out the characteristic taste of almond.

Dessert: light banana cream served on a Sacher sponge, rum flavoured banana ice cream.

A very rich and stunningly presented dessert with alternating layers of banana cream and dark chocolate, on a moist base of dark chocolate sponge. The banana ice cream was expectedly stellar, and just rightly enhanced by the rum without being overpowered by it (as can happen with inferior rum-in-ice-cream examples).

We decided that we hadn't had enough, so we ordered an extra dessert from the à la carte menu to share. This is the restaurant's pièce de résistance: a selection of classic desserts created by Alain Roux and his father Michel.

(From the top): raspberries in a biscuit sandwich topped with vanilla cream (good pairing, with the rich cream aptly balanced by the acidic raspberries); apricot sorbet (very light, smooth, fruity but not too sweet); ginger-infused crème brûlée (velvety, slightly runny texture, enhanced by the subtle spiciness of ginger - truly a standout and one of the best examples of this dessert I've ever tried); white chocolate cream with fresh rhubarb, raspberries and pineapple (solid combination similar to the first dessert); vanilla ice-cream (generously flavoured with the presence of real vanilla pods - excellent); apple and almond cake with alternating layers of Granny Smith jelly, sponge and almond cream, with a topping chopped almonds and apple ball (another standout - combination of jelly, light sponge and cream was a winner in terms of texture, while the fruit-and-nut pairing was delightful for its flavours); finally, the classic French rum baba, essentially rum-soaked sponge with whipped cream (very intense and heady, great for rum lovers I suppose, but a little too much for me - an acquired taste perhaps).

The customary petit fours to finish an excellent meal, plus more pictures of the idyllic surroundings on this beautiful day: