Over the years, since Glynn Purnell opened it as his second string city centre restaurant, firstly with the name The Asquith (originally located in Edgbaston), in 2011, the food at Purnell’s Bistro in Newhall street has been rather inconsistent in its quality.
Purnell had opened the Edgbaston Asquith in the building in Montague Road which had been home to Jessica’s where he had earned his first Michelin star till he decided to move on to open his own restaurant, Purnell’s, in Cornwall Street, but after only 6 months and after problems with his landlord, he decided to move The Asquith to its current location. The head chef in Edgbaston had been Jason Eaves and he moved to the Newhall Street location when the Asquith was relocated but he decided to go travelling internationally in 2012 and Purnell decided to close and rebrand the restaurant as Ginger’s Bar and Purnell’s Bistro.
Although the Edgbaston Asquith closed before I got around to eating there I did dine at the Newhall Street Asquith in early March 2012 when I think Jason Eaves must still have been Head Chef and I had a thoroughly good evening of cocktails from Ginger’s Bar followed by a dinner of Brixham scallops served with leek and potato velouté, leek fondue and ‘bacon crumble’, braised ox cheek Rossini accompanied by puy lentils, pomme purée and fois gras and vanilla panna cotta served with a red current sorbet. The menu sounds that little more sophisticated than it reads now. And it was very good.
After Jason Eves departed the standard of food remained very satisfactory and I enjoyed a birthday dinner there with 11 guests in May 2013 but since then experiences at Purnell’s have been variable from both the food and service points of view. Despite being a fairly frequent visitor to Ginger’s Bar I had not eaten at Purnell’s Bistro for a year or two so I was not quite sure what to expect when I lunched there with friends recently.
What I had, the pleasure no doubt boosted by two doses of Ginger’s Bar’s admirable whiskey-based Penicillin cocktail, made for a highly enjoyable lunch. I started with the thoroughly tasty Chicken and ham hock terrine nicely accompanied by a celeriac remoulade and apple purée. It looked simple but was truly delicious.
And so on to the main course. Much musing took place as to what to choose but I couldn’t resist what turned out to be unimpeachable Beer battered fish and chips with wonderfully cooked cod in perfectly crispy batter, highly successful chips, a spot-on tartare sauce and perfectly adequate mushy peas. I opted to have a vital additional element - malt vinegar served in a dinky little bottle. Perhaps that little bottle of vinegar should be served with the dish without the need to ask for it, just for perfection. The very best fish and chips I have had for a long time (yes of course it’s also the most expensive plate of fish and chips I’ve had for a while but really I can’t wait to go back to have a second helping and hope that the excellence of this first plate will be repeated in the second).
I had a wonderfully enjoyable dessert in the form of a perfectly coconutty coconut parfait accompanied by pineapple and when consumed with the recommended drunk, a delicious rum, one found oneself eating and drinking a deconstructed pina colada. A modest little classic. I’ll eat that any day.
Purnell’s Bistro has been returned to me. I shall return to it.
And on to another notable name in the increasingly spectacular Birmingham restaurant scene - Aktar Islam, he of the Opheem fame. Apparently we are now only a few days away from the opening of his Argentinian-style restaurant, Pulperia, in Brindley Place (see Blog 65). On Twitter some devastatingly enticing images can be seen of some of the food which will be on offer. The stuff that dreams are made of:- Galician prime rib, truffle mushroom tagliatelle, Morcilla, Fresian Cider House ribeye:-
Don’t cry for me Argentina.
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