330. Summer Rain (1 - Harborne Kitchen).

 

  A century ago,  plus or minus forty years, Harborne was traditionally and deprecatingly known by Birmingham residents as ‘Hungry Harborne’ because it tended to be inhabited by those who thought themselves a cut above the rest of the city’s denizens despite them being rather less well off than they would have liked to be, to the extent that they could not necessarily afford to eat as regularly as one would have expected. At the same time, Handsworth, then the location of substantial housing with the feel of Moseley’s Salisbury Road about them, was equally deprecatingly known as ‘Kippers and Curtains’, the meaning not lost on those who lived in the city at the time. Harborne has fared rather better than Handsworth in these post-millennial times though to one who visits there only infrequently, it was obvious to me on my most recent trip to this outwardly well-heeled suburb that the rot has set in just as it clearly has, quite dramatically, in Moseley. But one can hardly still call it ‘Hungry Harborne’ given how many dining establishments representing an eclectic mix of cuisines there are scattered along its ugly tired, high street where there are now quite a number of closed shops.

  Walking along the High Street one can see that Harborne has its population of useless hipsters all intent on prioritising their ‘work-life balance’ but squeezed by their mortgage repayments, mixed with older people who’ve made a quid or two in their now passed working lives and who get angry at the poor service in the long queue at the understaffed post office or feel sad to see Harborne High Street fading right in front of their eyes.

  Still there’s something for the denizens of the suburb to celebrate - Harborne Kitchen is there as the jewel in its dining out crown, indeed it’s a jewel in Birmingham’s dining out crown - the Good Food Guide lists it as ‘exceptional’ - and judging by a Friday lunchtime service is doing remarkably good business in these troubled times with hipsters and the comfortably off retired and everything in between there relishing the fine dishes that emerge from its open kitchen.

  It was a day of solid rain which did nothing to enhance the appearance of the High Street. But spirits were soon raised by the professional warm welcome on arriving at the restaurant, the pleasing chat with the front of house staff and the accepted suggestion of an aperitif of white port and tonic with a slice of orange which was sparklingly refreshing and reflected well on the Lisbon elite who apparently quaff it all the time.

  Seated at my table, I was appalled at how badly the younger diners seated near by were eating their food - forks used as shovels delivering huge lumps of food into gaping mouths, huge chunks of bread shoved into oral cavities while leaning forward with their heads almost resting on the table and - horror upon horror - gabbling on in voices loud enough to be heard by all the other diners in the room with their mouths full of food. Horrible. I wish the middle classes would return to teaching their offspring how to eat their food in polite company. This is unlikely to happen as we are now on to the second generation of middle class diners who eat like four year old labradors and are not in a position to correct their brats because they themselves know no better. There is also now, sadly, very little polite company.

  Putting the rest of the diners aside, the restaurant was comfortable, had a pleasing if metropolitan atmosphere and the service was top notch, unimpeachable in fact - glasses of water and wine were kept topped up, dropped napkins were replaced instantly, diners heading for the lavatories were guided to their destination. I chose the ten course Tasting Menu priced at £100 which proved to be extremely good value and a delight to look back on afterwards.

  To start, there were two excellent amuses gueules - the first a full bodied flavoured, aged cheddar gougère textured with walnut and then the signature Jamie’s chicken and white chocolate - a supremely luscious chicken liver mousse invigorated with white chocolate served on a crisp (Blog 211 - January 2022 - has described some of the dishes previously but it’s a pleasure to remind oneself of past and present  items of happiness).

  Next another pleasingly punchily flavoured dish of (inevitably, I suppose) chalk stream trout (delicious but possibly an ingredient which needs to be given a holiday by chefs) on a slightly stodgy brioche with tasty herrings roe and Hollandaise. While the dish was pleasantly flavoured it lacked the elegance of many of the other dishes with a large stripe of Hollandaise draped over the middle of it like a folded duvet.

  Another of Jamie Desogus’ old familiars came along next - the malloreddus, this time served with an adventurous combination of chopped English asparagus and morels and a delightful snowfall of Parmesan covering it. I am not a pasta man and gnocchi give me little pleasure having so great a mass for so small a volume (the gnocchi that is, though this may also be said about myself I suppose) but this was pleasant though again I believe asparagus, when we have it in season, should be enjoyed for itself - the star of the production, one might say - and not chopped and immersed in a milieu of other things.

  Along came another one of Desogus’ favourite ingredients - smoked eel, this time used to surround a satisfactorily cooked plover’s egg and served as a clever, though rather salty, scotch egg soothed with a nice pea velouté and precisely cooked peas and broad beans - an explosion of summer.

  The prawn head and kohlrabi tartare with nasturtiums which followed was full of the right sort of flavour and we marched on to the absolutely excellent, beautifully cooked, generously portioned ‘fillet of cod’ with sea purslane, tiny gorgeously sweet pickles and an almost malty velouté. This may have been my favourite dish and certainly not one to miss.

  The meat course - 21 day aged sirloin and ox cheek -  too, brought with it great pleasure - finely cooked and a well of flavour further enhanced by a full-bodied beef fat sauce and crispy onions. The smoked pomme purée was of a consistency which rendered it practically drinkable

  Baron Bigod remains on the menu providing the basis for a cheese course correctly situated before the desserts. I was not terribly keen on the dish employing the cheese when I wrote about it in Blog 211. I am now a true adherent of Baron Bigod - delightful on buttered crusty bread with a covering of not over sweet honey - and enjoyed the course on offer on this more recent visit - small balls of apple gave texture and sweetness. 

  Then to the first dessert of raspberry, raspberry sorbet, crème fraiche ice cream and aerated white chocolate alongside a happy little beignet filled with raspberry jam. Finally came a generously sized banana mousse with 72% chocolate encasing it and a refreshing lime sorbet to balance the dish. A lovely way to end a fine meal.

  So, once more, back out on to the wet streets of not-at-all Hungry Harborne after a visit to an ‘exceptional’ restaurant asking myself who am I to argue with such a sound judgement. Head Chef Tom Wells had been in the kitchen and delivered one of the courses to the table and a fine job he was doing.

  Rating:- 🌞🌞