Albatross Death Cult

A CULT ABOVE

A return visit and happy to report it’s still a stonkingly delicious treat for the eyes and palate. On flavours alone it was the best of 2024, dancing effortlessly through savoury, umami, sweet and sour, with more poise than a prima ballerina.

Counter style fine dining

Since my last visit in the preview / trial period (December 2023), it’s now more polished, but still oozes charm and personality to make the most of its counter-style (fine)-dining experience. It only took a few courses for the ‘chef’s table’ feel to transform into more of a dinner party vibe. Your reverence is not required.

Smoked trout roe | Wasabi; Potato cannelloni | Smoked pike roe; Salmon | Jalepeno | Cream cheese

Japanese influences are plentiful and whilst it’s mostly seafood, it’s almost never how you’d expect it to be, with brining, pickling, curing, drying and smoking aplenty. It’s clever and often playful too; the amuse bouche being an oyster ‘re-imagined’, requiring just the lightest bite to pop in the mouth showering the palate with smoky, umami delight.

Oyster

My favourite of the lot—an almost impossible decision… so, let’s go joint first—was the smoked and pickled Cornish mussels, with its umami-charmed sour in harmony with a sweet, warming kiss of heat from fatty ‘nduja. Sharing the crown was a sublime crab dish; brown meat custard like a salted caramel cream hollandaise, topped with a subtly tart, dressed white crab meat with apple.

Cox crab | Apple | Sorrel

But, what about the wild sea bass, dry aged for a week, then cured with smoked yuzu vinegar, aged sake and an umami loaded 3-year-old soy sauce; or the medium-fatty chutoro tuna with rice flour doughnut, smoked tuna fat and more of that wonderful 3-year-old soy sauce; or the brined Argentinian scarlet prawn with pickled pumpkin, sauce from prawn heads, miso and pumpkin juice? I could go on.

Sea bass | Umami tare

Scarlet prawn | Head sauce

Cod | Autumn truffle | Egg yolk

By the time dessert lands—a divine sushi rice ice cream and umami loaded shiitake caramel—some of us are out our seats and heightened conversations become the soundtrack for the remainder of the night.

Himachi | Sesame

Over the twelve courses, just one fell short for me—the himachi (amberjack) poached in brown butter—I wasn’t keen on the textures and, in comparison to the rest, flavours were muted; file under ‘picky’, but it played a role, spotlighting everything that had come before it.

The split of the bill is £183 per person, including service, wine/sake flights and given it’s been nearly four hours since we arrived, there’s been lots of wine too.

The pacing of the food is well timed, so you’re never waiting for the next; nor does it ever feel rushed, meaning you can abandon yourself to its significant pleasures. Last time I deliberated whether it was a 9 or 10 and eventually the 10 won out. It’s the same this time, but now, there’s a superb wine and sake flight—and an excellent wine list—that completely seals the deal. Not to mention that we were very well looked after.

My tip for 2025 is go as a small group of 4 or 6.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 10/10

1 Newhall Square, Birmingham, B3 1RU

www.wearethewilderness.co.uk/adc

30th November 2024