The onglet with salsa verde splits the table. I’m OK with it, cooked just right and the accompanying salsa verde gets a real sweet and fatty lift from bone marrow… across the table—a cook-on-fire master—the verdict is “no seasoning; no taste; no caramelisation”… READ MORE
The biggest surprise is whilst the Kagoshima wagyu A5 is indeed the fat-primed meat bomb that’s expected and further boosted by an umami-loaded 4-year-old soy sauce, it’s matched stride by stride by a buttery, crusted pommes Anna-style hash brown… READ MORE
There’s more crunch fail from the deep fried Mars Bar that should be the eponymous hero of the dish, but the under cooked batter is an unpleasant texture. Whilst that’s a huge disappointment, the rest is a sticky, sweet, crunchy and chocolatey dream and then there’s the smile inducing Irn Bru sorbet… READ MORE
First up is gol gappa; crispy shells filled with chick peas, potato and vermicelli, accompanied with a sweet pouring sauce with a spicy kick, loaded with tamarind and mint. We clash knuckles going for the final shell, but I’m there first and they’re far too addictive for me to even consider any act of chivalry… READ MORE
Roast bone marrow is a menu mainstay since the 90s and I’m grateful for a donation of one from which I slather its rich, fatty innards onto sourdough toast before loading with a lemon dressed flat leaf parsley, caper and shallot salad and a sprinkle of salt for two mouthfuls of perfectly balanced decadence… READ MORE
I’m not nearly so honourable when it comes to the next plate that offers up a fresh take on mozzarella, with stewed flat piattone beans and sweet datterini tomatoes, fresh mint and topped with the crunch of fried breadcrumbs. It’s a dish that offers a titanic blow for blow battle of textures and flavours… READ MORE
Being a sucker for double fried anything, I’ve gone for the Korean chicken burger. It also promises kimchi and gochujang aioli, although the tick box quantities mean it’s nowhere near the flavour-explosion I’d imagined, but worst of all is the soggy batter. Oven chips and bought in coleslaw are unable to pick up any slack… READ MORE
By now, we’ve racked up £82 on ‘small plates’ and I’m pretty sure that’s amounted to six forkfuls, half a chickpea ‘churro’ and a cracker’s worth of ‘flatbread’ each. It’s mostly delivered on textures and flavour, but feels like we’ve shared a menu of tasting dishes... READ MORE
The bright pink, medium rare onglet boasting a fire-licked crust is as melt in the mouth as meat gets, with an almost spicy peppercorn sauce emboldened with cream and brandy served with chips that offer perfect crunch, despite being smashed into the gravy for dredging purposes… READ MORE
Chakalaka is every bit as good as it sounds; beans in a softly spiced and lightly sweet tomato sauce. A swirl of whipped goats cheese offers the perfect earthy tart limelight to meltingly moist lamb combining with crispy shards and a lick of hay smoke… READ MORE
