Vetiver at Chewton Glen - A Countryside Re-treat

www.chewtonglen.com/restaurant

We know Chewton Glen very well and have dined there on many occasions in the last few years. The ambiance is quite magical and I must admit that I get a warm feeling every time we drive down the driveway through the stone mushrooms and over the awkward bumps. The place has a wonderful modern edge despite having quite traditional core values. This blend of classic service and formality with fashion and business forward sense will no doubt ensure its long lasting place in history. Chewton seems to really embrace the modern world, understanding today's demographic, offering quality and quirkiness, not stuffiness. If you don't know about their treehouses yet you should really look them up! The fun side of Chewton is what tells me that the place has soul and charm that really makes it great for younger adults. This is exactly the kind of place to bring your parents, but at the same time you actually want to be here with them. This is not one of those tired old country houses institutionalized into a hotel.

Sadly, the last time we had dinner here the service (not the food, the food was divine) was absolutely appalling and because I could not believe it I wrote to the hotel to tell them. We were contacted very quickly and assured this was not the norm nor was it acceptable and we were invited back. Having only ever had a great time here I was more than keen to take them up on their offer. One dish in particular lingered in my mind as I accepted the invitation... I had a baby pumpkin slow baked with truffles with a creamy and delicious filling. Not only was it beautiful and intensely flavoured it was inspired. Anyway, this post is about our latest visit and the fantastic evening we had.

We arrived and were greeted with smiles as our car was taken away. We were escorted to the bar where we enjoyed our prinks (pre-dinner drinks). We always make a habit of doing this in nice places as it is delightful to sit in the bar or lounge and take in a whole other experience before dinner. I'm all for dragging these things out. We opted for the tasting menus, and in my case the vegetarian tasting menu. We had a lovely table and the staff were sincere and attentive.

Now for the food...

Heirloom Tomato Salad, Basil Mayonnaise, Tapenade, Summer Truffle

Very nice. Good flavour which, when being served tomatoes often back fires as the desire for varieties better serves for presentation than flavour. These had been well chosen, well seasoned and thoughtfully put together. A very nice refreshing start to a summer menu and very nice to look at.

Pressed Foie Gras, Crunchy Grapes, Pineau Jelly, Almond Vinaigrette

Green Bean & Pine Nut Salad, Avocado Cherry Tomato, Croutes

My green bean salad was very nice, however the real star was my husband's dish. In particular I must mention the crunchy grapes. They were really delicious. They were partly dessicated giving a richer flesh, which coupled with the slightly salty crunch to the skin made for a beautiful and intense savoury morsel. Pineau jelly was lovely with foie gras, quite a classic combo really but executed very well and put apart from most foie gras cum sweet substance by those rather special grapes.

Stuffed Courgette Flower, Courgette & Olive, Elderflower Vinaigrette

Wild Salmon, Pea & Mint, Crushed Broad Beans, Lobster Bisque

It was my turn to have the star dish and my courgette flower did not disappoint. I truly believe this was a michelin star worthy dish. Not only was the presentation breathtaking the flavour combination was incredible. The use of olive was truly inspired as it gave a salty tang which with the green of the courgette and the floral notes from both the elderflower vinaigrette and the geranium leaves was a true celebration of summer in a completely novel way. I have never had these flavours together and I was unable to guess how they would work, but they did. Genius.

Smoked Loin of Veal, Red Cabbage Ketchup, Pickled Sunflower, Aubergine Caviar

Another really innovative dish that delivered a lot of flavour. The smokiness of the dish came from the veal and the aubergine caviar (this was very much like the lebanese smoked aubergine dish baba ganoush). The earthiness was further added to with a chargrilled artichoke. In fact the smokiness might have been overwhelming if it wasn't for the Red Cabbage Ketchup which really lifted the smoke with an acidic zing. My one criticism is the amount of aubergine. It was too much and just threw the dish off balance. As soon as I worked this out I pushed half aside and my husband followed me. A silly thing I know, but it was powerful and left the veal struggling to be heard. The elements of this dish were beautiful and intellectually it delivered, a real treat for the mind and the tastebuds.

Baked Isle of Wight Soft, Crusty Bread

The cheese course. I love cheese. This was very simple in essence, but it was also very effective. We got a whole cheese and it was lovely, a rich mild cows cheese with real butteryness, especially after it's time 'au four'. In a way, the attention was drawn away from the cheese and pulled towards the 'crusty bread'. This was a lie. This was not crusty bread, these were the most beautiful and attractive sheets of mosaiced ingredients. There were 2 varieties, one rich and fruity with nut, the other more savoury with spring onion, seeds and apricot. Both delightfully fragrant and delicate and triumphs of baking. These exsquisite fine sheets were a pleasure to eat and a wonder to look at. My eyes were studying the light and it passed through them and lit up the colours within.

Raspberry Gazpacho, Roast Red Pepper Sorbet

This palette cleanser was right up my street, the raspberry was subtle, but this new format served very well for delivering that chilled note of cucumber with the sweet but bitter zing of pepper.

Iced Honeycomb Parfait, Chocolate Mousse & Honeycomb

I have never really been a big dessert lover, but if I have one, this is what I like. Parfait is always lighter to take after a big meal and the honeycomb worked very well. The mousse was beautiful and bitter and the little hit of salt always brings out the sweet flavours for me. Very nice to eat indeed.

Mignardises

In conclusion, dinner was superb!  A great performance and every dish a pleasant surprise. The one other thing I must must mention however is the wine. I opted for the wine pairing, and it was fantastic. When doing pairings I like brave choices, I like interesting wines that will really add to the dish I am eating. Chewton is one of the few places where if you have the vegetarian tasting menu you get a different flight of wines. This to me proves their dedication for matching the wine to the food and I very much appreciate the effort. The sommelier was also well informed, thoughtful and very good company throughout the meal.

This restaurant is so close to being the best of the best. The chef has the imagination and the skill. A touch more control in the kitchen and in service would deliver them all the awards the world has to offer. Truly a pleasure to dine here. The biggest challenge Chewton faces is the size of the restaurant, being large for it's callibre and its ambition puts a very heavy burden on them. How they coordinate the delivery of the quality with the detail and the timings is a wonder to me, truly impressive!