449. Fallow, Haymarket London.

  I say nasty and spiteful things about London often. They are probably justified. But it is magnificent - particularly a couple of weeks before Christmas in the gathering dark of the late afternoon or early evening.  Everywhere bustling crowds of Christmas shoppers, the skies lit up by the lights at Leicester Square with its vast Christmas market, the old tarted up Dickensian streets heading off Piccadilly in the direction of Covent Garden, the tuk tuks gaily lit up and playing appealingly noisy Asian music on this evening drowned out by the clamour from the horns of the tractors driven by angry farmers, heading in convoy down Piccadilly. The magnificent glamour of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane where I was to see The Tempest with the American film star, Sigourney Weaver, in the role of Prospero. Yes, London is magnificent with more theatres and restaurants in this small area than the whole of Birmingham. Only London could support such a number with its vast local population and its brigades of tourists.

  And so for pre-theatre dinner. I had chosen to dine at Fallow in Haymarket after seeing its Chef Patrons featured on the BBC’s Saturday Kitchen. They spoke of the restaurant’s iconic mushroom parfait, the reputation of which rested on the inclusion of shitake mushrooms, and which every table chose as one its dishes, or so they said.

    Naturally therefore I chose the mushroom parfait as my starter; why swim against the current? It was very good, smooth, full flavoured, the occasional hint of an acceptable bitterness. It was served with home grown lionsmane mushroom and smoked shitake which was more exciting on paper than in the eating but I liked the dish because its richness was pleasing and well tempered and not overwhelming. A well judged dish.

  I was seated at the counter with a ringside view of the young chefs, calm, professional and artistic, as they shucked oysters, flamed some dishes dramatically with the scorching heat felt where I sat, plated up and generally presented a piece of theatre better, it turned out, than the theatre I would later see at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

 And the food was theatre too. Or at least, the chosen main course of the diner sitting next to me was certainly theatre and for some it May have been a horror drama - smoked cod’s head served with the house sriracha sauce and leek oil. The size of it was immense and for the first time I appreciated just what the teeth of this fine beast look like as it gawped in my direction - irregular little needles which up until then I might only have expected to find in the mouth of a piranha. And there was so much meat on it; my fellow diner was hard pushed to clear it all.

  I was relieved to have chosen the accurately cooked and generously portioned stone bass with mild but tasty Goan curry, the soothing but tangy lime pickle yoghurt and mini, clever samphire pakoras which is a pleasing way to serve the otherwise done-to-death sea herb.

   The restaurant was buzzing, the atmosphere was exciting, the air was filled with noise and the aromas of cooking and the service was attentive and well-judged. And yet I felt comfortable and peaceful, just the mood for enjoying fine but rustic food.

  The Chelsea tart could not be resisted as dessert, the experience of creamy caramel and good pastry served with a mincemeat icecream bringing with it a happy self-indulgence which if this present government has its way, may be something denied to us in the future. 

  And so somewhat gastronomically euphoric, I disappeared into the Christmas crowds and headed for the Theatre Royal Drury Lane to see one of the worst productions of a Shakespeare play - a mangled The Tempest - I can remember having inflicted on me. Still the theatre is so beautiful that a visit was worthwhile if one ignores the appalling king’s ransom one has to pay for a decent seat at a London theatre in the present times.

   Dan Merriman, born in Worcestershire but now working in the north-west, won the final of the BBC’s Masterchef The Professionals. He came over as a lovely man and a chef of great skill, application, modesty, inventiveness and meticulousness. There was not a dry eye in the house as he was awarded the trophy.

  Aktar Islam’s two Michelin-starred Opheem was placed sixth in Harnden’s list of the top 100 restaurants in the United Kingdom. Also included in the list was Grace and Savour at number 30, Fraiche at Oswestry at number 61, Upstairs by Tom Shepherd at number 68 and The Wilderness at number 90. The West Midlands remains underrepresented but it’s fine restaurants at least represent it we’ll.

  Dan Lee is to give up his residency at the Hockley Social Club. I hope we see him soon in a proper restaurant of his own,

448. Angela’s Trattoria Revisted.

 

    A rapid return visit to Angela’s Trattoria, this time with a lunch companion, confirmed all my highly positive impressions I experienced during my recent previous lunch at this splendid Italian restaurant (see Blog 445). 

   Sadly, it was very quiet there. I do hope the restaurant gains momentum with lovers of good food, especially those who have a desire to eat Italian cuisine. Here we have about as authentic as possible an Italian cuisine as can be found in Birmingham and the West Midlands; delicious food presented in a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere.

   By way of antipasti, my lunch companion and I chose the shared platter of Italian cured meat and cheese - a very pleasing and enjoyable selection- we are both mortadella fans and this was very good and among the cheeses we enjoyed the Gorgonzola. The platter included a bowl of giadiniera, the sweet, acetic taste counterbalancing the gorgeous, rich cheeses as did the thin slices of pair and the black grapes. The platter was served with some nice focaccia.

  This was a lovely way to lead into the pasta/ pizza. My lunch companion chose a simple buttanesca - tomato, oregano, olives, capers, garlic, onion and chilli which he revved up with anchovies for an additional £1 - he was delighted with his pizza and found the crust to be very admirable.

   I, meanwhile, opted for another bask in Angela’s sublime pasta - this time tagliatelle with a lamb ragu - the meat beautifully cooked and full of the pleasingly robust flavour of sheep. This was highly memorable and highly desirable. As a man who has never been enthusiastic about Italian cuisine, this (along with recent visits to Tropea) had set alight my desire for more of it. News headlines - “83 year old grandmother chef converts old bloke to Italian cuisine”. 

  Angela wandered through the restaurant a couple of times and was pleased to see our enthusiasm for what she is doing with the restaurant. Long may she reign. We both had a winding down dessert/coffee in the form of affogato and went away very contented..

Rating:- 🌞.

6 December 2024.

On 5 December 2024 Simpsons announced that Giacomo Stella, its Wine Director and sommelier, who is a very recognisable figure in Birmingham’s dining out scene is leaving his post at tge restaurant to return to Italy.

447. Kurry Kingdom Cotteridge.

 

  Kurry Kingdom opened four years ago on 19 November 2020, squeezing its launch in between the series of lockdowns related to the COVID-19 pandemic which were assaulting the viability of many hospitality businesses at that time, at the site of a former Italian restaurant Bank which was named from its location in a former branch of one of the banks.

  The Bangladeshi restaurant seems to have been remarkably popular since it opened, attracting satisfied reviews on the dreaded Tripadvisor and, even better, managing to stay open despite the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune which the hospitality industry continues to be hit by right up to the Starmer government’s recent antibusiness measures announced in its November budget. 

  Its Facebook page tells us that, “Continuing the legacy of one of the founding pioneers of the Curry Trade in Birmingham. We are here to bring you back a master class in the art of a fine cuisine from our ancestors across Bangladesh, India, South west Asia”. That’s interesting. Prior to my visit to Kurry Kingdom, I was intrigued to know who this “founding pioneer” was and was optimistic I might find out because this apparently notable figure is not identified on the website despite being hinted at. The other discovery I wished to make was of course, whether or not I was going to experience “a master class in the art of a fine cuisine”.

  Prior to doing so, on a historical note, I found a menu first introduced when the restaurant opened in 2020. It was extremely long and full of almost every south Asian dish one could imagine. This did not seem like good news.

  It has to be said that it was not really possible to indulge in a relaxed meal as I found that my elderly dining companions had no intention of eating Indian food and had mostly never tried it. Now they felt it was too late to do so as they believed the effects on their gastrointestinal system would be too devastating at least in terms of severe nocturnal indigestion - no fault of the food, rather the result of aging. They had been hoping to be served steak and chips which was on the menu but alas we were told that there was no steak at least until tomorrow.

  It was best, I thought, to get on with sampling what was being served. I started off with poppadoms which were pleasingly peppery accompanied by a remarkably ambitiously large pickle and chutney tray which covered the range from the aggressively acidic (mango piclkle) to the the sweet and soothing (raita and mango chutney which woukd have benefitted from it having a little more body to it.

  In place of steak, my dining companions had opted for salmon, but had not been informed that this was a a piece of salmon marinated in spices (which was obviously a problem as they had already rejected anything with the mildest spiciness to it) so that was returned to the kitchen and eventually they settled for scampi and chips which met their approval so that was alright then. The restaurant’s staff dealt with all this with good humour and patience. I was impressed by the what looked like finely cooked chips which were served to the curry naysayers but as for the scampi I can say nothing save that it looked like, er, … scampi. 

  The restaurant has no bar licence and one may bring one’s own tipple if one so wishes but we had none and so I opted for a jug of nicely blended mango lassi which I eventually coaxed my dining companions into sampling and which obtained their evolving approval leaving me with just a small quantity for myself as they realised some ‘Indian food’ can be fun and they glugged it down. Oh, the Labours of a gastronomic Hercules.

  There was little enthusiasm among the English food eaters for a starter and so I ordered onion bhaji for myself which was presented as three crispy little spheres which promised much but delivered less, there being very little flavour in them, with none of the sweetness of caramelised onion for which I had been hoping. For the main, I had my old favourite of lamb dhansak - a complex dish, centred on lentils, though routine on a south Asian menu - it should be dry and sour and sweet and moderately hot, all together. In English restaurants it is usually served with pieces of pineapple to bring out the sweetness though as this is, allegedly, originally a Persian dish, I am a little dubious about any degree of authenticity the pineapple, indigenous to South America rather than South Asia, might give to it. 

  The lamb was very nicely cooked - delightfully tender and moist  - and the sauce had a spot-on dryness to it, and well-judged heat, but there was no real hint of sweetness which would have lifted an otherwise middling-flavoured dhansak to something of great pleasure. There were little cubes of pineapple lurking in the gravy but they had little sweetness to them and contributed very little. Nor was there any hint of sourness. The dish rose above the humdrum but was hardly attempting to reach the heights. The dhansak was served with some nicely cooked rice - I ordered plain rice but the more expensive pilau rice was served. 

  This meal may have been more successful if it had been shared with companions who actually wanted to eat Indian/Bangladeshi food but in the end, after decades of visiting south Asian restaurants, I have to conclude that while the service was enthusiastic, patient and even kind, problems arose from the restaurant not being able to serve what was on the menu and not conveying successfully to uninformed customers what was actually going to be served to them. The atmosphere is very good but the food did not seem to have the depth and sophistication of flavour that I wanted.

  I never did find out who exactly was “one of the founding members of the Curry Trade in Birmingham” whose legacy the restaurant represented..

Rating:- 🌛🌛.

5 December 2024.

446. Grace And Savour.

 

    It had been over a year since I had last visited David Taylor’s Grace and Savour and I had forgotten my way through the dark from Hampton in Arden railway station to Hampton Manor and so it took a little wandering around in the near-pitch blackness to eventually almost literally stumble on the brightly lit entrance to this immaculate restaurant. But I was glad to be there and was welcomed kindly. The price of a single gin and tonic - £18 - was a little less welcoming but fortunately I had ordered it without looking at the price and so I did not experience indigestion before I sat down to eat. Though if I had seen the price I might not have ordered a second. Still, it soothed me after the journey from Birmingham which is not far away in theory but longer when using public transport with all its many failures and pitfalls.

    I felt relaxed and content - remember, I had not seen that I owed £36 for two single gins and tonics - and I was delighted with all the food that was presented to me - 14 courses - as the evening moved on.

  Still, let’s put gin behind us and proceed with the food. The first course took the form of a bowl of warming and delicious broth made from roasted venison bones with salsify garnished with pleasing crispy deep fried Savoy cabbage shreds alongside a lovely juniper milk bun made on the estate and fermented butter. This reminded me of my first visit to Grace and Savour, soon after it first opened, on a cold, black night, when Chef Director David Taylor himself greeted me and served me a comforting bowl of broth, as they might have done in centuries past when travellers arrived at a post inn after a long day in a stage coach, and immediately ringing the note of sincere welcome and the promise of the repast that was to be served. Then a fine tartlet, a deep cerise in colour and yet autumnal in appearance - this stemming from the lovely biodynamic yogurt fused with honey and Chapel Organics north Berwick) beetroot. Delicious.

  Next an arresting autumnal visual experience - thin slices of Warwickshire Jerusalem artichokes paired with apple - a fine coupling - presented on a bed of dried artichoke stems. Then, a fine wagyu tartar croustade, the meat originating at Dunwood Farm near Stoke on Trent, with black garlic, the sweet tang of pickled elderflower along with peppery nasturtium leaves.

  The remarkable presentations continued with a dish of field mushroom, buckwheat and Welsh black truffle. I was particularly pleased with how very much I enjoyed the next dish of pumpkin and apple with the very agreeable texture of slices of Kent walnut. This may well have been my favourite dish from out of all the very fine dishes.

  All the time, the service was very good, perfectly judged, with the food being delivered to the table, sometimes by the front of house staff, sometimes by the chefs themselves and when the cooks were in the very open kitchen, as I have remarked in a previous Blog, there was the sight of a well-oiled culinary machine operating in unison to prepare and plate up the food; the smartly white jacketed younger chefs all gathered around David Taylor like medical students around their professor, observing and learning and assisting as he goes about the various stages of the complex operation. A memorable sight.

  The dishes continued to come along. A bread course - perhaps more to showcase the bread made on the estate rather than as a vital part of the dinner but - grained sourdough and butter infused with the grain used to produce the bread. The bread was nicely textured and tasty and moved the diner on to a dish of finely chopped razor clams, cobnuts, a profusion of Cornish sea herbs and an aptly maritime clear broth punchy with mussel, sweet with apple and finished off with sea pepper, served like a still sea.

    Accurately cooked monkfish - very accurately - prepared with a bisque-like sauce derived from preserved tomatoes, peaso (an improbable-sounding somewhat floral miso-like condiment produced from organic split peas, rice Kori and elderflower, less sweet and salty than miso) and crab, was the nextdish to bring great pleasure and it lead up to some gorgeously tender and beautifully flavoured fallow venison loin which had been gently smoked over juniper as well as venison belly which was rather dry, I thought. The venison was accompanied by celeriac, elderberry and crispy deep fried reindeer moss and a spectacularly unctious blackberry sauce. 

  Autumn fruit made up the focus of the desserts - the first based on blackcurrants from the Manor’s garden with a buttermilk infused with the wood of the blackcurrant along with blackcurrant oil. Then the distinctive sharpness of homegrown redcurrants necessarily countering the sweetness of a local honey parfait and soothed by a brown butter ice cream.

   The evening was almost over. The kitchen was emptying of the dramatis personae. There was coffee to drink to see me home and a final dish of choux pastry, which did not really have the right texture for me, filled with a preserved fermented plum cream nestling inside it (the photo shows it half eaten, I’m afraid).

  This, as you would expect, was a very fine meal. I shall be interested to see if Michelin wheels out a second star at the start of 2025. I think it will.

Rating:- 🌞🌞🌞.

27/November 2025.

As a footnote, the following morning it was announced that Stu Deeley was to leave his role at the end of os 2024 as Executive Chef at Hampton Manor in the hotel’s other Michelin-listed restaurant Smoke which is to close and be reopened in February 2025 under the guidance of David Taylor. The new restaurant will be named Kynd.