Special events are certainly a good way, or so it seems to me, to draw in diners in these troubled times. Niall Keating had come up with a very special event in his restaurant, Lunar, sited at the World of Wedgwood in the distant outskirts of Stoke on Trent (see Blog 214). This was to be a six course dinner, with extras, in which caviar was found a place on each and every dish. I had never paid so much for a meal before and so it was a bold move both by myself and by chef and by the eleven other diners who congregated at the table on this night of the full moon.
On my previous visit to Lunar at the beginning of 2022, I was unable to see much outside the taxi window which carried me to World of Wedgwood but this time, it now being late spring, I was able to obtain a much clearer impression of the pleasant Stoke suburbs and the vast area that makes up the museum site.
And so, into the dining room, elegantly dressed (the room not me, though I do my best when I need to) and politely and professionally greeted. A glass of champagne having been rendered up onto me, I was taken to admire a glorious stack of a variety of caviars, all of which we were to be served, and given a generous helping of the stuff to get me going.
The Lunar diners took their places and the meal commenced. After some tasty, nicely textured sourdough, on came the first treat and for me, not my favourite. This was accurately poached hens egg with piece# of asparagus, mild wild garlic, and spring peas, served to conjure up the very essence of spring. This was excellent but I am not a lover of dishes incorporating poached egg and I like my peas cooked a little more and my asparagus whole. Still, you can’t please all the people all the time. The accompanying smoked caviar however was pleasant and fitted the dish nicely.
Then, a triumphant and gorgeous dish found its way to the table in the hands of the excellent waiting staff, so smart and professional. This dish of saffron linguine in a lustrous, silky, enriching sauce topped with a generous portion of osciestra will almost certainly be on my list of ten most delightful dishes of the year. I could be to this dish what Cleopatra was to ass’ milk.
Then high drama, exciting theatre, far better than the recent production of Julius Caesar at Stratford, that’s for sure. In came the magnificent salt-baked turbot and two chefs, including Niall Keating cut their way through the coating. Then, after the steamy drama, the fish was returned to the kitchen and cut into generously sized portions and served anointed with Imperial Beluga caviar, a champagne sabayon of a noble nature and an admirably restrained sprig of purple sprouting broccoli. Such wickedness.
The next lordly dish of fine beef was not to be outdone easily. It sat on a dead of delightful Rosita and bathed in a delicious beef sauce and was crowned heavily by Royal Beluga caviar.
Then, just one dish sans caviar, the intermediate dish - highly successful ‘white chocolate tofu’, a lesson that in the hands of a fine kitchen an occasionally acceptable, in this case highly enjoyable, tofu dish can be served up, no matter how improbable may seem.
Even more improbable was the dessert - Mr Whippy-style ice cream, soothingly yuzu-favoured, topped by Imperial oscietra. Fabulous. It might be impossible to eat soft ice cream ever again unless it is mingled with generous amounts of caviar.
The evening ended. The full moon shone bright. The new Lunar Society had met again in the town of one of the members of the original society of Georgian times. Lavish, Near-outrageous. Quite splendid. I already have my reservation made for the next full moon in Stoke.
But perhaps I might have a little rest from caviar for a short while at least.
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