Launceston Place: Quick, somebody call the Michelin man!

www.launcestonplace-restaurant.co.uk

I remember eating at this place many many years ago when it was a tired traditional English restaurant. The kind of place you could take your grandparents and not overwhelm them with the advances made in gastronomy over the last two decades. Well I have eaten there a few times since the transformation and quite frankly the only thing I can say is that it has metamorphosed into a very special place indeed. The decor alone was transformed to be elegant and modern with a cosy feel and beautiful details and furniture.

A couple of years ago I had the privilege of eating a truffle risotto at Launceston Place which was beyond compare. In fact, loving truffle the way I do, I have had many a truffle promising dish in many a one/two Michelin starred restaurant that paled in comparison. There was one thing letting this place down however, and that was inflexibility of the staff and the narrowness and seldom changing nature of the menu. Upon revisiting their site recently I happened upon a wider selection and the addition of a vegetarian tasting menu! Although I am not a vegetarian myself, I often have a mix of the vegetarian and regular tasting menu as there is usually something I dislike. This was the sign I was looking for to inspire me to book this place for the visit of my fiancé's parents.

The outside of Launceston Place

The in-laws to be. Both turning 60 AND celebrating their 40th Wedding Anniversary!

The Amuse Bouche: Celeriac Foam with Truffle Oil. Perfectly executed and delicious to eat. The foam was not like spit, it was a light and consistently airy concoction that was a delight to eat.

Asparagus & Duck Egg: The Asparagus Veloute that these perfectly cooked elements bathed in was so smooth and delicious you simply did not know how they did it and retained the intensity of flavour.

Roasted Scallop, Glazed Belly Pork, and Textures of Apple and Celeriac. The belly pork was the star here, succulent and moist. The apple and celeriac really brought the surf-and-turf together.

Herb Gnocchi, Broccoli Puree, roasted Shallots & Truffle Emulsion: Another spectacularly perfect dish.

Cornish lemon sole, prawns, shrimps, samphire and potatoes. Elegant and refined, the sauce really let the fish shine through.

Beetroot, White Balsamic, Dandelions & Hazelnuts: A beautiful plate of food with a rich earthy depth and a spectrum of texture.

Ravioli of Goats Cheese, Olives, Piquillo peppers, Artichokes & Spinach: A little too much going on, but all the flavours fit well and each element was executed perfectly. This was my least favorite dish (there has to be one!) as it lacked the clarity and focus of my other dishes. Please note, this was a vegetarian option.

Pork loin fillet, cumin cabbage, pumpkin puree and pork popcorn. My fiancé thought the cumin was a little overpowering, but what does he know?? It was inspired as was the popcorn that gave the texture of crackling to the dish.

The wonderful and stylish cheese trolley.

The selection we made for our table with the highlight being a Calvados steeped Camembert.

There was also a wonderful Lemon Posset pre-dessert with Rosemary Granita. An inspired little creation.

The Dessert: Chocolate Souffle with Praline Ganache and Dark Chocolate Sorbet. again, perfect execution and an Easter treat for chocolate lovers.

Although not photographed, I also had the flight of wines and they were superb. I knew they would be as soon as the sommelier presented himself. I found the fact that he was Spanish (as usually they cannot help but be French) quite refreshing and it did mean that we got some interesting Spanish wine. He was really very pleasant and thoughtful and I did not feel for one second that he was reeling off a prepared script. He very much took the time to engage with us and discuss the wine.

In fact, he was not the only one who impressed me. The service was really quite fantastic (unlike previous visits) and the desire to accomodate you did not go unnoticed. I cannot for the life of me work out why this restaurant does not have at least one Michelin Star? I can only imagine that the inspector is still on his way here...

Pied-à-terre: Best restaurant in the world?

www.pied-a-terre.co.uk

Arriving at Pied a Terre was a lovely experience, it is only a small restaurant really, and the space is long and narrow. That said, it is beautifully appointed in a warm modern fashion and the place oozes refinement. I felt like I was somewhere special almost immediately. The moment you arrive you are taken into the care of the staff, and they wait on you as if you are the only reason they are there. NOT in an overwhelming and stalkerish way, but in a warm and thoughtful way that seems so effortless that you know they must know what they are doing as there is a restaurant full of diners recieving the same level of care.

10 Courses. The tasting menu experience is an event that lasts about 4 hours and is a real treat. Before I launch into the food, I should mention the Sommelier who pulled together a wonderfully interesting selection of wines for me to try. Not only this, but for each wine he visited the table twice, once at the start and once at the end of each course. The first visit would always be to pour the wine before the corresponding plate of food arrived. The second visit he would bring back the bottle, ask us about the wine, discuss the flavours and finally reveal the bottle and tell us about the wine. With charm and consistency he would arrive so casually, yet so punctually and he never missed his cue. We developed quite a fondness for his visits to the table and he was a delight to discuss wine with. In fact he also helped me track down a wine I was trying to source at the time (a Lillypilly Fortified Shiraz).

The food was superb, each plate so perfect and so pretty! Each dish so complex and I never saw a plate with less than 10 parts/ processes to it. Everything was simply sublime.

Canapes: Some sort of pastry with truffle.

The amuse bouche: The most processes I have ever seen in one amuse bouche EVER.

 

A Salad of Raw and Pickled Autumn Vegetables
Toasted Sunflower Seeds and Carrot Oil

Confit Yellow Fin Tuna with Dill Pickled Chayotte,
Oyster Mayonnaise, Toasted Quinoa and Mustard Seeds

Roasted Cheltenham Beetroot with Pinenuts, Balsamic Gel, Lancashire Bomb Cheese and Mini Capers

Lightly Poached Scallops with Cuttlefish, Confit of Buddha Lemon, Samphire and Saffron Velouté

Roasted Foie Gras with Rhubarb Curd, Hazelnut Crumble,
Parsnip and Vanilla Custard

Salt Baked Jerusalem Artichokes with Avocado Oil, Sea Purslane and Trompette de la Mort

Pan-Fried Turbot with Shaved Chervil Root,
Braised Cavolo Nero and Caper Beurre Noisette

Butternut Squash with Fresh Shimeji, Sage Beignets,
Toasted Pumpkin Seeds and Baby Wood Sorrel

Herb Crusted Saddle of Sika Venison with Cranberry Red Cabbage, Baby Spinach Compote, Shallot and Red Wine Jus

A forest of cracker shards.

Le fromage!

Lime Airs and Caramel Foam with Toasted Meringues,
Wild Finger Limes and Mint Oil

Bitter Sweet Chocolate Tart, Stout Ice Cream
and Macadamia Nut Cream

A generosity of Mignaridises

The overall experience was wonderful, and I think it is the best dining experience I have ever had. For me, this is now the restaurant to beat. I heard once that to be a great chef you need to be generous and want to give as much as you can. Well, this place is a living testament to it. You see the tower block of mignaridises above? We had 2 of those for a table of four! The sheer volume and variety totally uneccessary for a group of people who have just eaten 10 courses of food!

No expense, no detail, no effort spared in bringing you the very best of everything through every part of the visit. In no way does it feel like a business transaction, these people take you in and as if without considering cost they offer you everything they have! Bravo!