Almost one year ago, I made my first visit to Dabbous shortly after it had gotten its first Michelin star, in addition to just about every superlative imaginable from London's major food critics. I was then very impressed by the food and unpretentious atmosphere, and vowed to myself to return soon. However, increasing work commitments and an insanely full reservations schedule meant that I never got round to a second visit till this afternoon - but as they say better late than never!
I was really looking forward to this lunch, especially as it would be my last visit for the foreseeable future. I was also keen to experience if and how the cooking had evolved or improved over the course of the year. Unfortunately, no additional stars were awarded by Michelin this year as I had hoped (perhaps you'll see why towards the end of this post), but the constantly packed space even after 1.5 years of business (and cooling of the initial hype) must mean that this restaurant is doing something right!
Just about a month ago, I had managed to squeeze myself in for a late lunch today via direct correspondence with the restaurant, so I was pretty lucky I guess. (One general tip: don't bother with online reservations systems for hugely popular establishments like this; just call or email for last-minute availability.)
Upon arrival, I was informed very apologetically by Graham, the manager on duty, that my table wasn't ready yet as the customers from the previous seating had not vacated. Not surprising at all, as it is very difficult to keep to a strict turnover time, and you can't possibly ask the customers to leave just like that in an upmarket restaurant. I was escorted to the basement bar and offered some water by Graham's friendly assistant Amy, while he tried to sort out my table as soon as possible.
I was expecting a longer wait (and I really didn't mind) but after what seemed like only 10 minutes Amy returned to say that my table was ready and to take me back up. To my utter surprise and delight she added, 'To apologise for making you wait, may I offer you a complimentary glass of wine to go with your lunch today?' Of course I wasn't going to say no! What a lovely start to the meal.
There have been a couple of fundamental changes to the menu since last year: they now serve only two fixed menus, a 4-course set lunch (£28) and a 7-course tasting (£59). The dishes were entirely different from what I had on the first visit. No prizes for guessing which I chose! I was also allowed to pick a wine from those offered by the glass (more on that soon).
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| Bread to die for - still as good as last year's! |
Course 1: Muscat grapes with lovage, almond milk and a drizzle of rapeseed oil.
This was a lovely and wholesome starter. The sweetness and juiciness of the grapes were perfectly matched by the mild nuttiness of the almond milk, while lovage and rapeseed oil imparted a touch of freshness with their crisp and slightly bitter taste.
Course 2: lardo on toast with black truffle.
Throw out all your diet regimes - toast doesn't get better than this! Strong truffle aromas really excited all the senses even before I had taken a bite. This reminded me immediately of both the signature truffle toast dish at The Ledbury and the lardo on toast starter that I had at I' Brincello in Florence during my Easter holiday in Italy. Now I had both on the same piece of bread! Slivers of creamy and silky lardo with an incredibly intense flavour, combined with fragrant truffle shavings, generously spread over a warm, crisp and wafer-thin slice of bread - what's not to love? In contrast to the previous starter, this was pure unabashed indulgence and comfort food at the highest level.
The wine that I had selected a while ago was now served in anticipation of the next course. I was a little miffed by the sommelier (not Amy) when I asked him to tell me a little more about this wine; his response in a somewhat patronising tone was 'Well what do you want to know?' and I didn't manage to get any deeper information other than the wine's basic composition. To be sure, I'm no wine connoisseur and I was just trying to learn.
Anyway, this was a 2001 Château Les Ormes de Pez from the St. Estèphe region, a surprisingly mild, fresh and clean Bordeaux, made of mainly Merlot grapes with a blend of Cabernet Blanc and Sauvignon. A truly excellent tipple - I would have paid its asking price of £14 - made even better by the fact that it was on the house (the indifferent sommelier notwithstanding)!
Course 3: carrot cooked in oxtail gravy, with rosemary infused swede cream and smoked powder.
This reminded me somewhat of the single carrot with ash and sorrel cream that was served to me at Noma in Copenhagen at the end of last year. The techniques here were different but no less precise and understated; the carrot had been cooked to amazing melt-in-the-mouth tenderness, with no fibrous hints whatsoever, and retained all its juices. Its sweetness, combined with the deep flavour of the thick oxtail gravy, was utterly moreish and satisfying. How often can one say that of a carrot-centred dish? Not forgetting the jewel in the crown either: a small mound of rich and smooth swede cream, enhanced with the sweet pine-like aroma of rosemary and a smoky aftertaste from the sprinkling of ash. The flavours and textures of this dish were substantial, yet left the stomach feeling surprisingly light and balanced.
Course 4: monkfish with warm potted shrimps, cauliflower purée, pickled cucumber, wood sorrel, pea shoots and oyster sauce.
This was straightforward and tasty. The monkfish's firm and succulent texture and delicate flavour was aptly enhanced by the meaty texture and rich spiced taste of potted shrimps. The cauliflower purée was a perfect complement to the natural sweetness of fresh seafood, while the surrounding pool of oyster sauce (not as viscous, dark-coloured and salty as the bottled Chinese ones, to be sure) bound the whole dish together with a lovely umami. Various garnishings completed this picture of wholesomeness with a pleasant crisp edge.
Course 5: roasted veal fillet with coco beans, chrysanthemum leaf, summer squash, red onions and a light cheese broth with a dash of olive oil.
The was the heaviest dish of the afternoon. The intense aromas of cheese, onion and roasted meat wafted through the air as the dish was being brought to my table. The veal was done just right and had a most tender and juicy texture, and mere seasoning with sea salt was enough to highlight its deep flavour. The was no let-up from the surrounding sauce either; its rich taste, enhanced by a fresh and bitter edge from olive oil, was just perfect for the veal. The generous portion of beans and vegetables contributed a healthy balance and made one feel somewhat less guilty about all this indulgence!
Course 6: chilled lemon verbena infusion with cucumber and perilla (shiso).
This was a delightful breath of fresh air after the extravagance of the preceding courses. The predominant citrus flavour of the infusion, combined with crisp cucumber and the unmistakable sweet minty aroma of shiso, was irresistible. My only complaint was the miniscule portion, even by palate cleanser standards!
Course 7: orange blossom beignet.
I hesitate to call this a 'course' because this was really just a ball of donut-like pastry with custard filling and dusted with powdered sugar. Sure, it was warm, crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside, and the custard was nice and thick (though I couldn't quite detect the citrusy edge that orange blossoms should have imparted) - but was there anything about this confection that you could not reasonably expect to get in any decent bakery? This last bit of the menu was inoffensive, to be sure, but it was also terribly underwhelming for such an acclaimed restaurant.
Ending bites: baby Japanese peaches with shredded shiso.
These looked nothing like peaches, obviously, but their deliberately unripe state was surprisingly effective; the well-balanced sweet-and-sour taste together with shiso resulted in something that resembled a much juicier version of Taiwanese cured plums, which are often taken after meals to aid digestion.
So what's the verdict upon this repeat visit? I felt that this menu was very different from last year's which had used nuts extensively; I wonder if this change was a result of customer feedback (as nut and seed allergies are extremely common in this part of the world). The flavours had also become noticeably heavier (in a good way - I wasn't complaining). In hindsight, the only disappointments were in desserts; they were now quite nondescript compared to the exquisite execution and good portion sizes of last year's desserts. A real shame to have ended this way methinks, considering the very high level of the savoury courses.
On the presentation front, I also noticed a few chipped pieces of crockery (as in the photos). I know this restaurant is about industrial chic and all that, but a seemingly minor detail like this can detract from its polished image in the long term.
Still, for its unfussy and solid cooking, Dabbous is worth a visit as you probably won't be getting a tasting menu of this quality for this price at comparable starred establishments in London. If its reservations schedule for the next 6 months is anything to go by, the foodie community definitely doesn't seem to be minding a few inadequacies!
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