325. Summer Heat (3 - Adam’s).

 

  To Adam’s.

  The first amuse gueule was fully in step with summer, though more at the seaside than in a smart building off the presently deconstructed Victoria Square (the council, money pouring from its pockets, deconstructs and reconstructs the home to HM Queen Vic and The Floozie, now almost on an annual basis). It was a delicate little cone but filled not with ice cream but delicious liver parfait. More micro-pleasures were presented and relished, including a wonderful summer dish of peas and strips of asparagus and then the first starter proper - something which gets a mention on the evening’s billboard so to speak - arrived at my table; it was a charming nori tartlet of Scottish langoustine with the citric of red yuzu koto, the texture of radish and the power of sea buckthorn. This was delightful - all the precision and accuracy and delicacy one would expect to enjoy at Adam’s

  Moving on to the next starter - plump Orkney scallop with a Champagne espuma, brilliant little bursts of fennel, the pepper of nasturtium and pieces of citrus. This was excellent. I enjoyed the dish of wood quail rather less with its accompanying sand carrot and barley and the look of it conjured up autumn rather than summer (though mercifully there were no mushrooms to be seen) and perhaps, more importantly, the quail did not hit me with enough flavour to make me think that it’s death had been worthwhile.

  After this nicely cooked but rather disappointing dish came the pleasure of wild turbot with a lovely crab bonbon, artichoke purée and the adorning sea herbs and vegetables made useful contributions to the whole. For the main act, there was aged beef with little cubes of turnip, various purées and something very powerful and vaguely bitter which I found rather more challenging than I might have expected. The superb Maître D’ - in his wisdom and analysis, very Jeeves-like - put it down to the sorrel but I wasn’t so sure. Looking pretty with wild garlic flowers, the attending flavours were deep running and not quite up my street.

In contrast the two desserts were very much up my street or, more aptly, my country lane. Strawberry abounded as one would hope at this time of the year. Fresh, vibrant, one dish with subtle bursts of star anise. Both desserts hit the right spot.

  The summer burns on. 

Rating:- 🌞.