Lunch at The Waterside Inn (Menu Exceptionnel, Winter 2012)

This afternoon, I headed to The Waterside Inn for a good old spot of classic French cooking. There were a few dishes on the current winter menu that looked really enticing and I couldn't wait to try them!

I was quite late due to delayed trains, but a quick call to the restaurant, explaining the situation whilst on my way, assured me that nothing was too much trouble for them. The welcome was as warm as ever - not a single hint of annoyance from the staff. Diego was all smiles as usual and assured me that I could take as much time as I wanted over lunch, and joked that I could even stay for dinner (I wish I had enough stomach space and money to do so!). Today was somewhat quiet (perhaps not surprising for a midweek afternoon) and service seemed particularly personal and attentive; for example, someone must have noticed me putting my camera on the ground beside me (as I always do), and for the first time a little stool on which I could place it was brought to my table. Also, I was asked if I would like lemon or lime to freshen up my tap water. Meticulous touches such as these made for a really elegant and inviting atmosphere, and I was enjoying every bit of this calm and beautiful day by the river.

The usual array of canapés was brought out while I was perusing the menu and Diego came to take my orders a while later. I asked to substitute two dishes from the tasting menu as I didn't want any meat today, and he promptly suggested two items from the à la carte menu that I had been eyeing - this man seems to be able to read minds! I already knew that this was going to be another great meal.

At my usual spot

Canapés: rabbit rillette on toast with gherkin and hazelnut, Welsh rarebit, prawn with soy sauce and cheese sticks.

Nothing really new here, but I particularly enjoyed the rabbit rillette and the prawns. The rabbit rillette had a really rich and creamy texture and deep flavour, enhanced by a nice crunch and characteristic flavour of hazelnut, and balanced by the gherkin strip. The prawn, coated in a light batter, remained firm and juicy on the inside, and its fresh taste was given further depth by the intense umami of the soy sauce. The only catch in all of this was finding a small piece of bone in one of the rillettes; a kitchen of this rank should have been more careful, but minor mistakes do happen anyway, and knowing its usual standards I wasn't going to kick up a fuss.

First course: warm oysters with shredded cucumber rind covered in a parmesan and hollandaise melt (similar to gratin), lobster mousse wrapped in spinach leaves and topped with 'Royal Belgian' oscietra caviar, champagne sauce, black (Périgord) truffle shavings, shallot confit (in the middle).

This dish was my first substitution in the tasting menu. Apart from the intoxicating truffle aroma, what really struck me was the portion size - almost too good to be true. Just to be sure I wouldn't be paying the exhorbitant à la carte price for modifying the menu, I checked with my server, who clarified that this was indeed a full portion, but that the kitchen had decided to go ahead with it anyway, as it would look odd to make a reduced portion due to the design of the plate for serving this particular dish. Such generosity especially with regards to luxury ingredients such as truffles and caviar, and what a fabulous start to the meal!

The freshness of the oysters was perfectly matched by the crunchy and juicy shredded cucumber, and the truffles and cheese draped over them imparted an incomparable richness in texture and depth of flavour that was totally appropriate for the distinctive taste of this shellfish. For the other half of the dish, a creamy and intense lobster mousse was well balanced by tender poached spinach, and given a delicate salty zing from goblets of caviar in each mouthful. A rich champagne sauce unified the two parts of this dish with formidable aplomb. The little mound of shallot confit was no less excellent; like the icing on a cake it continued to enhance the dish with its characteristically deep flavour and aroma, even as it served mainly to balance all this indulgence with a mild acidity. This was definitely the best starting dish I've ever had in this restaurant, and when I thanked Diego for this wonderful dish and for the kitchen's generosity, he replied ever so charmingly, 'our pleasure, as long as you like it!' - yes, I was certainly a very happy customer!

Second course: warm escalope of foie gras with cardamom, glazed root vegetables, verjus and sultanas sauce.

A classic French delicacy matched appropriately with heavier accompaniments for the wintry climate, this was another winner. The sweet and spicy taste of cardamom perfumed this dish very subtly and had a most delightful warming effect. The incredibly large and juicy sultanas, together with a thick and mildly acidic verjus sauce, were a nice complement to the creamy foie gras, pan-seared to give a thin charred and crisp layer that accentuated its deep musky flavour. The assortment of root vegetables with celeriac purée gave the dish further weight.

Course 3: pan-fried lobster medallion with a white port sauce and ginger-flavoured vegetable julienne.

This was the other highlight of today's lunch, and a Waterside Inn signature dish since the days of Michel Roux Snr. The freshness of the lobster was beyond doubt, and it had a wonderfully firm and juicy texture with a delicate sweet taste. What really struck me though was how Chinese (Cantonese) this dish tasted; the savoury sauce felt almost soy-based and the shredded vegetables with ginger are common accompaniments to steamed/stir-fried Cantonese fish/seafood dishes. And of course, the coriander garnish. Diego let me in on the origins of this dish when I told him what I thought about it, and my gut feeling was right: this dish had actually been born in Hong Kong during Michel Snr's regular visits to now-defunct Pierrot restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Inspired by the indigenous style of cooking, he somewhat replicated the savouriness of soy sauce using a rich veal stock (a very French thing, I should add) and also thought of pan-frying the lobster briefly over high heat to seal in natural juices (similar to the Chinese wok-frying technique). A perfect marriage of two rich culinary cultures - one could say 'fusion food' at its best and most original, from a time way before the term had even been coined.

Fourth course: turbot roasted on the bone, served with soft tarbais beans and lardons, black trumpet mushrooms and a full-flavoured Hermitage wine sauce.

This was my second replacement in the tasting menu because I didn't feel like having meat, and to my utter surprise this was another full portion! Whether this was due to sheer generosity or a genuine oversight on the kitchen's part I'll never know, but I certainly wasn't complaining. At this point, Alain Roux was making his rounds within the restaurant and greeting customers, and when he got to my table I showed him the dish and commented on the portion sizes today. He looked a little surprised himself and replied, 'yes, it's a little generous but you know, that runs in the family. Make sure you leave some space for dessert!' - most brilliant response ever.

This was a most substantial dish, and I'm not referring to its size. The huge chunk of turbot had a most meaty and succulent texture, and being roasted on the bone also gave it an exceptional flavour, supported and enhanced by the mushrooms and rich wine sauce. One wouldn't usually expect a red wine sauce to go with fish, but the sheer weight of this dish made the pairing completely appropriate. To finish, a mixture of beans and lardons with bean purée added even more substance and flavour, while gherkin strips on the side lightened the stomach a little with their acidity. Needless to say, by the end of this course I was quite stuffed.

Pre-dessert: lime sorbet with tequila and raspberry mousse.

After the sheer extravagance of the preceding courses, this was indeed a welcome relief. The acidity and bitterness of this morsel was most refreshing and helped to set up the palate for the following desserts. The sorbet had a really lovely smooth texture.

Fifth course: teardrop of milk chocolate mousse flavoured with caramel, with a mango and passion fruit filling.

This was beautifully presented with a topping of passion fruit coulis, mango and brownie cubes, and tasted every bit as good as it looked; the chocolate-caramel combination, as rich as it sounds, was effectively balanced by a light and somewhat acidic core of mango and passion fruit cream, so that the dessert never felt too sweet and cloying on the whole. Very solid and enjoyable.

Sixth course: warm (mandarin) orange soufflé with cranberries.

This was the perfect end to any traditional French meal. It was hardly my first soufflé in this restaurant, but I think this was the most enjoyable thus far - the tanginess of the orange custard mix combined with a mildly astringent filling of cranberry compote and fresh juicy orange segments made for the lightest soufflé I've ever had, its wonderfully delicate texture notwithstanding. I was actually rather surprised that I could still finish everything and savour every mouthful. A simply divine experience.

I had asked to visit the kitchen for the first time while making the reservation, and shortly after tea and mignardises were served my waiter came to take me there. It was a pity though that by that time most of the kitchen team were out on their break - Alain included, with whom I was hoping to get a photo in the heart of the action - but I still managed to catch a glimpse of preparations for the dinner service.

There was no way I could eat those little pastries after all that food; I had to ask for a takeaway. As for tea, I requested the usual Chinese green tea, and was informed that they had just changed suppliers so they now serve Mao Jian instead of gunpowder - very pleasant mellow and sweet flavour, perfect for finishing a heavy meal.

Meticulously polishing the silverware.

This area with the roasted meats smelled amazing!

I can only imagine how good this stock must taste!

Bread chef at work since 5 am! I was told that he is the
first person to come into the kitchen every day as he
needs to prepare breakfast for the inhouse guests.

Cheese refrigerator

Meals at The Waterside Inn just seem to get better and better for me; this time two of six courses within my amended tasting menu were full portions, which was extremely generous of the kitchen and really gave me the best value for money amongst all my visits so far. I had been hoping for a lighter meal with mostly fish and seafood dishes, but still left the restaurant stuffed beyond the limits of my imagination - almost too much of a good thing methinks! A final point regarding the service - a lovely reception staff member ran out to me just before I boarded the cab back to the train station, to pass me the petit fours I had asked to take away but forgotten in my state of satiation. Plain incredible service from start to finish. Looking forward to my next visit for the summer menu already!

Sunday lunch at The Ledbury (Tasting Menu)

Back to The Ledbury today for a leisurely lunch. I was keen to try a variety of new dishes so I ordered a tasting menu.

I had been very late for my appointment due to weekend tube delays but the manager Stephen was kind enough to look into the reservations system, and assured me that I could take my time over a longer menu, instead of having to gobble down a 3-course lunch in an hour in order to make space for the next party. The restaurant, being as popular as it is, has multiple sittings per service, and latecomers could well screw up the kitchen's schedule as well as the seating for customers booked in after them - but as a hallmark of Michelin service standards, the front-of-house team was able to adapt very quickly and calmly to my situation.

There were two savoury items on the tasting menu today that I've already tried, so Stephen kindly offered to substitute these with dishes from the main menu. I've already covered all the desserts in previous visits though, so I just stuck with the current one on the tasting menu - you can't go wrong with any of them!

Canapés: ham biscuit with foie gras mousse and quince purée; smoked cow's curd tartlet with crushed dried black olives and diced pickled carrots.

The first piece provided a perfect balance of savoury (ham), musky (foie gras) and sweet-and-sour (quince) flavours, and the lightness & crispness of the ham biscuit was a delightful contrast to the rich & creamy texture of the mousse. The second piece was rather more refreshing and delicate in nature, with the predominantly tart flavours of cow's curd (which tasted like natural unsweetened yoghurt) and pickled carrots punctuated by a savoury edge from the crushed olives and the light smoking process of the curd; this cleansed the palate and stimulated the tastebuds very effectively. Both morsels were absolute gems in their own right.

Amuse-bouche: crispy quail egg with cep marmalade, celeriac purée and truffle.

The delightfully earthy aroma of ceps caught my attention immediately upon serving. The shavings of English truffles were unspectacular though, very bland with hardly any detectable smell - certainly nowhere near the quality of their continental cousins, I'm afraid. Otherwise this little starter was really good - the Scotch egg with its crispy outer layer (one can never go wrong with that kind of texture!) had a completely runny and creamy centre that went perfectly with the thick and smooth texture of the purée. The sweet taste of celeriac was also effectively balanced by an unexpected tang from the cep marmalade. I thought that this touch of acidity was an ingenious stroke, keeping the palate fresh whilst stimulating it with some rather heavy flavours and textures from the outset.

First course: ceviche of scallops with kohlrabi and apple jelly, topped with horseradish snow and surrounded by seaweed and herb oil.

An adaptation of the popular marinated and spiced raw fish dish of the coastal regions of Central and South America, this is one of the restaurant's signature dishes which I finally got to try today. The raw scallops, thinly sliced, had a pleasant firm texture and were incredibly juicy and sweet. The impressive variety of accompaniments complemented the delicate nature of this shellfish very effectively. The kohlrabi contributed a gentle sweetness and a nice crunch, while the apple jelly, presumably taking the place of the citrus marinade in the original recipe, had a lovely balance of sweetness and acidity that matched the taste of the fresh shellfish wonderfully. The horseradish snow, despite its apparent amount, was surprisingly mild and provided just the right kick to awaken the tastebuds to this range of subtle flavours, while the surrounding ring of seaweed oil gave this extremely refined dish a delicious umami and an appropriate body.

Second course: smoked eel with a 'risotto' of new potatoes and celeriac, and parsley velouté.

Served in a beautiful shell-like bowl, the combination of smoky and fresh herb aromas was pure delight for the olfactory senses. This dish was really tasty as well; the succulent texture and savoury depth of the eel fillet was beautifully balanced by the foaminess and crisp flavour of the parsley velouté. Fresh celeriac strips provided a pleasant crunch as well as a delicate sweetness that went very well with the saltish eel, while the 'risotto' made of shaped miniscule dollops of new potato gave the dish an appropriate weight.

Third course: boudin of rabbit with wild enoki mushrooms, Jerusalem artichoke soup and thyme velouté, topped with chervil root shavings and a deep-fried artichoke chip.

This French version of sausage (that's what 'boudin' means) was very well-seasoned and tasty. It was served on a bed of mushrooms for further depth of flavour, and their meaty texture also matched that of the boudin very well. The fresh and clean taste of thyme round the boudin kept any sense of over-indulgence in check, while the outer ring of artichoke soup was pure delight with its sweetness and creamy consistency. To complete this picture of comfort food at its most luxurious, a single artichoke chip formed the proverbial icing on the cake, with a feather-light crispness juxtaposed with an intense flavour from deep-frying.

Fourth course: fillet of Dover sole with broccoli stem, langoustine claws and black quinoa.

Though seemingly not the focus of this dish, a heady aroma of langoustines struck me as soon as the dish was served. The langoustines came in three different forms - as succulent chunks sandwiched between two sole fillets, as a clear purée, and also as a sprinkling of powder on the side of the plate. Their concentrated and characteristic flavour was an apt enhancement for the other delicate and mild-tasting ingredients on the plate. The Dover sole was firm and moist - very good indeed - but I couldn't help but feel that the portion here was quite small even by tasting menu standards, and overshadowed by the sheer amount of accompaniments. The broccoli and quinoa seemed like odd choices - not offensive in any way, to be sure, but also not contributing in any real sense to the dish, apart from looking pretty on the plate. Taken as a whole, this course was somewhat underwhelming.

Fifth course: jowl of pork with walnut cream and a prune cooked in Chinese tea.

The whole jowl was first presented to me at the table (a rather theatrical old-school practice meant to stimulate the senses and heighten one's anticipation of the dish) before being taken back to the kitchen to be carved up. According to my server Rose, this impressive chunk of fatty meat had been slow-roasted for 8 hours at 85 degrees Celsius, with spices such as star anise, licorice and mace. The fragrance that resulted was absolutely compelling, and the meat itself looked extremely moist and succulent (one of the biggest advantages of slow cooking at low temperatures), without excessive grease (which most likely drained off during those long hours) despite the thick layer of fat. Did I mention the all-important and perfectly done crackling as well? I couldn't wait for the actual dish to be served!

Very impressive whole jowl, but what you see initially...

... is not quite what you get! (hah!) Looks like a model of planetary orbits...

So I was expecting the whole jowl to come back to me somehow - it all looked so good! - but got only a fraction of it. I wonder what happened to the rest of it - hope it didn't just go to waste because it was mostly fat. I was a little disappointed initially but at least I had gotten the best part - the thin bottom layer of flesh was incredibly tender and melt-in-the-mouth! - and the fat above it had been nicely trimmed to proportion. The few pieces of crackling, well separated from the meat, were marvellous - completely crisp and feather-light without the slightest hint of grease. The accompaniments to this delicious spiced meat were also very well conceived. Tiny bits of black pudding scattered round the plate enhanced the savoury nature of the dish, while the thick walnut cream imparted a touch of luxury with its characteristically rich and bitter taste. The prune unusually cooked in lapsang souchong, with its coulis, had a smoky edge in its taste that both complemented and balanced the indulgent roasted flavours of this dish. Finally, a lashing of sherry cream (the white outer ring) provided further body and a delicate sweetness completely apt for the pork, while the few chicory strips completed this thoroughly enjoyable course with an essential freshness.

Sixth course: aged fillet of belted Galloway beef with bone marrow, smoked onion, parsnip emulsion and shavings, crispy potato galette, and shaved Périgord truffle.

The pièce-de-résistance of this tasting menu and even more lavish than the previous pork course, this was utterly unforgettable. The heavenly aroma of this prized truffle species wafted through the air as the dish arrived at my table; I was so eager to tuck in that I nearly forgot to take a picture of this wonderful dish. The beef was extremely tender and juicy, and had an unusually deep and full-bodied flavour - nothing that I've ever tried came close to this exceptional chunk of meat. Its intensity was matched not only by the truffle aromas, but also by the creamy lump of bone marrow on top of it, and the fragrant smoked onion garnish. Parsnip and potato accompaniments contributed even more weight to this already indulgent dish. The potato galette had a particularly comforting texture, with a thin crispy crust contrasted by fluffy insides. This unabashedly heavy and extravagant course left a really huge impression that will remain with me for a long time to come.

Pre-dessert: mandarin granité, citrus curd, lemon verbena ice cream, meringue.

Identical to the palate cleanser I had during my last visit in September, this was especially effective after two substantial meat courses!

Seventh course: brown sugar tart with Muscat grapes and stem ginger ice cream.

A dessert that I had tried during my first tasting menu experience last April, this was as rich and comforting as ever. The ice-cream came to me in better shape this time, though it was still melting as it arrived. When I raised this issue with Stephen after lunch, he explained that the ice cream is churned three to four times a day by the pastry team and not kept in excessively low temperatures, so as to ensure a completely smooth texture and avoid the formation of ice crystals - fair enough I suppose. I noticed the portion for the tart had been reduced by almost half - really could have done with a more generous slice!

Complimentary dessert: pavé of milk chocolate with milk purée and lovage ice cream.

I had a similar dessert with pumpkin seed ice cream instead of lovage during my very first visit to this restaurant last March, and thoroughly enjoyed it. This was just as good, with the lovage ice cream and purée complementing the chocolate in a very different way from pumpkin seed - the fresh celery-like taste of this herb was a most effective balance for the luxurious chocolate bar.

Petit fours: Earl Grey biscuit, dark chocolate ganache with an eucalyptus filling, blood orange jelly.

Nice little sweets to finish, all contributing welcome breaths of freshness after this lavish tasting menu.

I asked to visit the kitchen for the first time and to greet chef Brett in person, which the front-of-house duly obliged. Brett came across as a very genuine, down-to-earth person - his roots were humble after all - with a great sense of humour; he told his staff jokingly to smile for the camera in case I took pictures of them, but I'm sure they didn't need to be told anyway -what's there not to enjoy about working in a world-class kitchen with like-minded and passionate people?

Overview of the smallish kitchen from the stairway,
with Brett on the telephone.

Cleaning up towards the end of lunch,
and already preparing for the dinner service.

Preparing the brown sugar tart dessert for
another table - hey that looks way bigger
than what I had! Oh well...

With Brett Graham. Feeling a little drowsy from all
that food - guess that's what you call food coma! ;)

On the whole it was another great dining experience at this excellent establishment, with particularly warm and friendly service from a new French server Rose. She used to work at another Michelin-starred restaurant in the Hermitage area of France and just joined the Ledbury at the beginning of this year. Will be back soon!