Monday, 29 December 2025

523. Opheem, Birmingham’s Crown Jewel.

 

  I woke up this morning filled with lust. I was lusting after one of Opheem’s crispy, lightly battered shishu leaves. Then again, I can lust after almost everything I was served on my most recent visit to Opheem. Food lust. Such wickedness and Opheem is the wellspring of such lust. It is outstanding - in atmosphere, in comfort, in service and in the food served.

  I’ve written about it several times before and shall not write in great detail again here especially as some of the dishes served have been described after those previous visits to Opheem. And so this particular Blog will be more a pictorial tour of the menu - a gallery you might say - illustrating the glorious dishes that brought me to perpetual Opheem-lust.

 Although many of the dishes on the menu were largely unchanged, the format of the menu itself does show a change - a sign of the times. The menu itself is now two pages rather than four but it remains as informative and detailed as before so no harm is done. It is notable too that Aktar Islam was not in the kitchen on the evening of my visit but the food, I thought, was as unimpeachable as ever. Clearly he has some smart chefs at Opheem. I asked who was the Head Chef now but there was no single name to be given. At Opheem the entire kitchen seemed to act as a well-oiled machine. 




  Voyage through 10 courses of Michelin two starred food -

Amuses gueules - 






Pakora, deep fried shiso leaf with chutney

Bharta, Isle of Wight tomatoes, rassam sorbet and rajastani chutney

Badami korma, Orkney scallop, mooli, apple & almond


Aloo tuk, Ashanti pink fir potatoes, tamarind & mango


Masor tenga, Cornish sea bass, summer squash, seabeet and courgette


Wazwan, laminated paratha, hogget belly & shorma

Mini-milk loaf to accompany hogget dish

Muckwas, barbecued duck, kitcharee, confit duck leg bon bon & reduced nihari sauce

Predessert

Muckwas, lemon sorbet, fennel, black pepper & lemon chutney

After Eight, Vahlrona chocolate & mint



Mithai - including fabulous Madeleines and candles.



Rating:- 🌞🌞🌞

11 December 2025.

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