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!