Folium
SCANDI THRILLER
Having opened in November 2017, Folium seems to operate under the radar… no feathers ruffled… no gimmicks… no punk rock attitude. Even their drinks pairing features wine only. It’s straight down the line.
Food-wise, it’s very much ‘modern British,’ celebrating high quality produce from small, independent producers and suppliers across the UK, with a strong emphasis on fish.
Chef/co-owner Ben Tesh previously worked at Michelin-starred Turner’s in Harborne, but cut his teeth at world-famous Noma in Denmark. And the Scandinavian influence isn’t just there in a simple style of cooking that delivers maximum flavour, it’s also abundant in the parquet floored restaurant, that’s both sleek and comfortable at the same time. It’s minimalist but polished and makes the most of the light thrown in from its long glass frontage.
Folium - dining room
There’s a proper mix of diners too—tables doing business lunches, couples on dates and groups of mates too; all supported by a quiet, yet confident energy from its open kitchen.
I’m here for last year’s ‘Christmas lunch’ with a fellow gourmand (AKA lush), so we kick things off with a glass of British fizz ahead of the long tasting menu and wine pairing. You’ve got to be in it to win it.
First up are the amuse bouche, opening with duck liver and burnt onion. It’s a perfect cylindrical, brittle wafer that’s all bitterness and crunch, brazenly opposite to the all the sweet, creamy gaminess of duck liver. Julian suggests it’s a twist on a hot dog and I suggest he should do his own blog.
Duck liver with burnt onion
Next is a smoked cod emulsion on top of a Jersey Royal croquette, crowned by the amber pearls of pike roe. It’s just the best taramasalata ever.
Smoked cod roe with Jersey Royal
And very much amuse yeux is mock oyster. It’s cod skin cooked in the prawn cracker style as the shell with the oyster as an emulsion.
Mock oyster
Then, enticed and primed by that trilogy of palate amusement, we’re up and running with a beautifully sweet Isle of Mull scallop, served with seaweed and cooking juice that’s all seashore. It’s a simple celebration of its freshness—fished yesterday, it arrived at 2am this morning. The first of wines is a best of British blend—Shoreline, Lyme Bay—with citrus notes and a saline finish that’s in harmony with the salty, richness of the cooking juice.
Isle of Mull scallop with seaweeds & cooking juices
The next dish is officially on the menu as kelp cured mackerel with raw vinegar and wild garlic, but to not mention the subtle heat of the English wasabi and pure umami from the dashi jelly would amount to criminal neglect. It’s a beautiful balance of delicate flavours that still manage to keep the richness of the mackerel in the limelight. The Bordeaux Sauvignon blend manages to shine an even brighter light on the flavours in the palate.
Kelp cured mackerel with raw vinegar & wild garlic
With expectations for the rest of the meal already cranked up to maximum, Wye Valley Asparagus with Cornish caviar then pushes a turbo button. A verdant sauce manages to smell even greener than it looks, but delivers pure umami to amplify the otherwise subtle flavours on the plate. The Yarra Valley Chardonnay with just a hint of oak and peach and provides another class pairing.
Wye Valley asparagus with Cornish caviar
Turbot fillet cooked in beef fat is the first of two ‘mains’ and has all the pleasure you’d expect with its dense, juicy flesh cooked to perfection. It’s almost a shame its subtle flavour is trounced—as is any sense of beef fat— by the consommé made from Arbroath smokies, although it does let through a hint of fish and chips from the potato and vinegar emulsion. The spicy minerality of the accompanying Grüner Veltliner is more than a match for the smokiness… it’s spot on.
Turbot cooked in beef fat with Arbroath smokies
It’d be plain churlish to knock anything about the next dish; a succulent disc of crisp-skinned Woolley Park chicken, cep aioli, a nettle sauce and spinach. But, as the one meat course, it does feel like a missed opportunity. Meanwhile the one red wine—an Alsace Pinot Noir—maintains the flawless drinks pairings.
Woolley Park chicken with cep aioli and nettles
Iced horseradish with sorrel and lemon verbena is a glorious palate cleanser… citrusy, grassy and peppery whilst maintaining a perfect balance between tart and sweetness. And just when you think the wine pairings can’t keep up such a ridiculously rich vein of form, we get an Akashi-Tai Honjozo sake with a notable floral aroma yet a smooth, almost creamy texture and crisp finish. Note for note, it’s perfect for the flavours on the plate.
Iced horseradish with sorrel and lemon verbena
Toasted hay with caramel and rye is nowhere near as angelic as it sounds, although it is a heavenly mix of sweet and savoury… it’s crunchy, custardy and ice creamy too. It’s over far too quickly, but there’s a rich Madeira full of spicy caramel to help me get over it.
Toasted hay with caramel and rye
The petit fours ensure the meal ends with a fitting finale. Firstly there’s a whisky and peat butterfly bun, that’s a Scottish ‘rum baba’ and then a chocolate tart with lavender that’s so delicate I’m unsure if it dissolved or evaporated in my mouth.
Petit fours
Service has been friendly and clockwork efficient, although I’d have preferred to have things strung out a bit, but it’s no biggie. With the the glasses of fizz, two large sparkling waters and espressos, the bill comes in at £200.20 each including tip/service charge and it’s worth every penny.
The layers of flavour have been sublime across the whole meal and the wine pairings too require special praise; always capturing the dishes intent and providing a real synergy for the palate. It’s been a Scandi thriller for the taste buds.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
8 Caroline Street, Birmingham, B3 1TR
