Lunch at Dabbous (Tasting Menu)

So, after a six-month wait since my reservation in April, I finally made it to Dabbous this afternoon with my friend Lindsay. This restaurant is now arguably London's hottest dining spot, and its meteoric rise to fame can be traced back to one person, whose favourable reviews Gordon Ramsay claims to be better for business than a Michelin star - Fay Maschler, the food critic of London's Evening Standard newspaper. She had given Dabbous a perfect score of five stars and called it a 'game-changer' just a fortnight after it opened in January (apparently only the third time she has done so in the past three years). Since then, uncountable superlatives have been heaped upon the restaurant by the rest of the gastronomic fraternity, and true to The Times' critic Giles Coren's prediction that Dabbous would be 'stuffed with Michelin stars like a Périgord goose, until his liver is so fat with processing accolades that he cannot walk', the restaurant has just been awarded its first Michelin star in the 2013 guide, barely months after opening. By now it is officially fully booked well into March next year, but if you're really tempted by this review and can't wait to go, there will be a few tips at the end of this post on how you might stand a better chance of getting in before then. :)

Prior to striking out on his own, the chef Ollie Dabbous had worked in top kitchens such as Le Manoir, The Fat Duck and Noma - a pretty impressive way to start a culinary career, methinks. And he's exactly the same age as I! (sighs of envy...) As you can probably tell, this was a lunch which I was really looking forward to, and for which I had extremely high expectations. As always, the niggling concern in my mind was whether the restaurant would live up to its hype - expectations can be a double-edged sword.

A short walk from my hostel in the Bloomsbury area, through University of London colleges and quaint little shops and cafés, took us to Fitzrovia, where Dabbous is located just across the street from another well-known London attraction, the Pollock Toy Museum.

Lindsay must be rather amused by my obsession with photography... ;)

Small space, rugged feel - 'industrial chic' they call it.

No fancy tableware or posh white tablecloths - the first impression of the place was charmingly rough and casual, more bistro than fine-dining in atmosphere. The staff were also extremely warm and friendly. We felt at ease almost immediately, without feeling the need to observe any formalities that often come with restaurants of this rank.

Without hesitation, we both opted for the tasting menu to cover all of the restaurant's signature dishes. I should mention that at £54 for 7 courses, this is probably the cheapest and best-value Michelin-starred tasting menu you will find in London. Some online reviews have complained about the small portions of food, which, as you will see, I completely fail to understand - I am a pretty big eater and I was well stuffed by the end of the lunch!

A bowl of Nocellara del Belice green olives was all we had to start, no amuse-bouche whatsoever - not that it really mattered. This was surprisingly fresh (non-greasy) and fruity (sweet), with none of the extreme salty bitterness that is a typical result of the process of preservation.

Homemade seeded sourdough bread arrived soon after, and true to the restaurant's casual atmosphere, was served to us in a brown paper bag, with a date stamp to prove that it was freshly baked. The bread was so good I ate my portion before remembering to take a picture of it, but I can tell you it had a wonderfully smoky and savoury flavour that instantly reminded me of the barbecued pork sheets ('bak kwa') that one normally eats as part of Chinese New Year celebrations back home (I think honey-glazed ham would be the Western equivalent of this taste). The bread's texture was also excellent - warm, very fluffy and with a thin and perfectly crisp crust. I was already won over by this moment.

My new cover girl for the blog haha!

First course (a): hispi cabbage with sunflower mayonnaise, sunflower seeds and sunflower petals.

Hispi cabbage: a type of green cabbage with a pointed head. The leaves are more open than those of a normal cabbage and they have a softer texture and sweeter taste.

This was Lindsay's starter and it was introduced as a finger food - indeed, no cutlery was necessary for this dish. One simply peeled the cabbage off layer by layer and used the pieces to scoop up the dip of sunflower mayonnaise and seeds. This was extremely simple yet effective - the light, tender and sweet cabbage leaves were the perfect foil for a rich, smooth, nutty and slightly savoury cream, with a generous amount of whole seeds mixed in for a delightful crunch. The straightforward and elegant presentation allowed the quality of each component in the small bowl to shine through and stimulate the senses even before a bite had been taken.

First course (b): pumpkin with orange blossom, macadamia and rosemary soy cream.

For variety's sake I had asked to substitute the hispi and sunflower dish with this, and certainly did not regret my choice. Sweet steamed pumpkin with a amazingly creamy and velvety texture was aptly combined with a subtler soy-based cream infused with the unmistakeably sweet scent of rosemary. Some of the cream had been thickened with kuzu (a premium Japanese starch extracted from the roots of the mountain plant with the same name), resulting in a thin solid layer which was very smooth and delicate (reminiscent of the texture of yuba, or Japanese soymilk skin). Amidst these refined textures and flavours, the crunchy macadamias and peppery rocket garnish delivered a subtle, full-bodied kick to the palate which enhanced the dish's overall character. A vibrant masterpiece which tasted every bit as good as it looked.

Second course: celeriac with muscat grapes, lovage and hazelnuts.

This was an incredibly refreshing cold dish. Translucent paper-thin sheets of blanched celeriac (a root vegetable related to and tasting like celery) were cast in a pretty fan-shaped arrangement, and surrounded by a pool of celeriac juice with lashings of olive oil. The overall lightness and subtlety of this dish was amazing. The mildly sweet celeriac went hand-in-hand with the sweet juicy grapes and the exceptionally fruity olive oil (the taste of this olive oil will stick with me for quite a while!). The lovage garnish, with a scent and flavour akin to celery, was entirely appropriate, while the roasted hazelnuts were a welcome boost to the dish with their characteristic flavour and crunch. The chef's penchant for nuts was becoming obvious by now, though their judicious use always ensured that a dish never lost its focus and its generally delicate balance.

Third course: coddled free-range hen egg with woodland mushrooms and smoked butter.

A signature dish of the restaurant, this was the ultimate in comfort food, with the most charming presentation. It was nothing more than a rich velvety mixture of egg, melted butter and mushrooms, returned to its shell and placed within a nest of hay. Every spoonful yielded the most delightful savoury flavours, with the mushrooms and finely chopped chives contributing a further depth in taste and aroma that couldn't have made one wish for anything else. This was without any doubt our favourite dish within the tasting menu. Shame it was gone all too quickly!

Fourth course: braised halibut with coastal herbs, blanched celery, pickled garlic, and lemon verbena sauce.

This was the most amazing halibut I have eaten in a while, matched only by the halibut dish I had as part of the tasting menu at Marcus Wareing way back in January. One normally expects this fish to possess naturally a more meaty texture, but this fillet was incredibly moist, tender and smooth. The creamy but light sauce, with its fresh lemongrass-like flavour, was the perfect complement to the silky and delicate-tasting fish. A garnish of coastal herbs contributed further aromas. Juicy, refreshing and mildly sweet celery sticks provided a nice bite with no trace of an off-putting fibrous and chewy mouthfeel (it has to do with how the celery was peeled and sliced I think - most likely along natural fibre lines instead of a cross-sectional approach). The pickled garlic was the most prominent element on the plate - just three slices with a pretty pink colour, a naturally appealing aroma, and a subtle acidity to stimulate and prepare the palate without disrupting the gentle balance of the dish. Actually, this reminded me somewhat of steamed fish dishes back home, especially in the use of pickles and mild herb sauces that enhance but do not overpower the refined taste of high-quality fish. Lindsay loved this dish too, which made it seem all the more remarkable when she told me later that she was actually more of a meat person and probably wouldn't have ordered it à la carte without knowing what was in store.

Fifth course: barbecued Iberico pork, savoury acorn praline, turnip tops and apple vinegar.

This was a very pleasant and luxurious dish. A generous chunk of the best pork variety was lightly seasoned with salt and other condiments that enhanced its naturally rich flavour when cooked. Done medium rare, it remained surprisingly tender and succulent despite being very lean with minimal marbling. The acorns with which pampered Iberian pigs are fed made their appearance on this dish in a form of a chunky sauce with a wonderfully smoky taste (very similar to the sourdough bread which was served at the beginning!). Shredded crunchy turnip tops and a sweet-sour apple vinaigrette provided welcome refreshment amidst this  sheer extravagance.

Sixth course: fig, pistachio, and fresh milk curd infused with fig leaves.

This was the first of two desserts and a well-conceived contrast to the substantial previous course. Half a fresh fig with a very sweet taste and a rich, almost creamy flesh was juxtaposed with a light, refreshing and mildly scented milk curd. I was expecting the latter to taste like a tofu derivative, but it was actually a little sourish (perfect for the fig) - true enough, when I clarified this with our server, he informed us that Greek yoghurt was in the mix. The numerous small edible seeds within the fig were well matched in texture by roughly chopped pistachios, which also provided further depth in flavour amidst the overall delicacy.

Last course: chocolate soaked brioche, azuki beans (large Japanese red beans), pecans, barley malt ice cream.

An opulent ending to an impressive meal, this was a picture of complete and unashamed indulgence, perfect for those with an extremely sweet tooth. A large scoop of rich and velvety barley malt (i.e. Horlicks) ice cream was sat atop an indulgent bowl of dark chocolate 'soil', made of a mixture of finely crushed chocolate biscuits and sporadic chunks of soft, moist and airy brioche bread, soaked (yes, soaked) in generous lashings of rich chocolate sauce, with red beans and pecans scattered throughout for further flavour and crunch. Lindsay had to leave half her dessert because it was too much for her, and I gladly finished it along with my own portion! A real treat indeed.

After the meal, we asked to visit the kitchen and greet the chef, which the service staff promptly obliged. Dabbous came across as a genuinely down-to-earth person who sweats it out in the kitchen with the rest of the guys, and looks just like one of them. During our brief conversation in the very cramped kitchen he admitted to being occasionally overwhelmed by the extreme popularity and business of his new restaurant (fully booked well into next year, as I've mentioned at the beginning of this review), but that it was a nice problem to have (I'm sure!). Here's a picture of the man himself cleaning up towards the end of the lunch service:

Me and Ollie Dabbous

Petit four: canelé with a sour cherry topping. This traditional French custard pastry from the Bordeaux region with an airy dough centre, a dark, thick caramelised crust and a characteristic cylindrical shape was simple and pleasing; the juicy sour cherry topping provided further textures and a refreshing balancing flavour. Served on a ceramic plate with intricate designs in an Oriental style.

Just before leaving we made a short detour to the basement bar, which was largely empty at this time of the day, but gets busy in the evenings. And here comes the tip for those of you who are unlikely to get a reservation at Dabbous anytime soon: simply visit the basement bar where you can get excellent cocktails made by Dabbous' business partner Oskar Kinberg, and sample a bar menu that features certain signature dishes from the main kitchen, such as the hen egg and Iberico pork. Or you could simply try a walk-in during the later part of each service, by which time some tables would have been vacated. There were a few empty tables after 2 pm (the lunch service ends at 3 pm), from people who left before us.

Trendy bar with a rough, industrial ambience,
in keeping with the rest of the restaurant.

Nice space to chill out, I can imagine!

This was a wonderful first experience and we both left feeling very impressed. I certainly felt that this was much more satisfying than the lunch I had at Sketch last week. If Dabbous maintains this high standard of food and service, he will be destined for even greater accolades in the long term. I hope to see him get his second Michelin star very soon and I definitely want to return whenever I can get a table!