Guy had just got back from a short trip to Copenhagen where he'd been to Noma (I'm hoping he'll write a guest blog for me), so we were catching up about his trip and the influence that Noma has had on modern cuisine. We were aware that it was one of Alex's influences too so I was interested to hear Guy's views on the menu. We thought it was unlikely that any of the other customers would see the menu and say "oh yes, I had ants on Tuesday!"
The menu is set with a choice of long or short; of course we went "long"! I was pleased that although I was having a slightly different menu as a non-meat eater, there was a good deal of similarity; no over-reliance on flesh for flavour here. As an aside, I'm technically pescetarian, but having once been faced with an entirely fish-based meal as a result of someone misunderstanding the term, I tend to describe myself as veggie, although it understandably riles proper vegetarians. Interestingly the ants weren't featured on my menu... it's a tricky one ethically for me, I eat fish but would I eat insects? We looked through the menu with a couple of drinks, with me doing the usual hunt for anything I didn't recognise and any favourites. The only ingredient I had to ask our lovely waitress about was the manouri, which turned out to be a cheese; but that's not to say the menu was in any way "safe" or ordinary. I loved the approach of just listing the ingredients, with only an occasional indication of how they had been prepared (pickled rose for example). A friend commented on my Instagram picture that the menu looked like a haiku.
moss, egg, coffee (foreground) and moss, egg, bacon, coffee (background)
Our first course was reindeer moss with egg (and bacon salt for Guy) with an espresso flavoured soured cream. It was certainly eye-catching and a bold introduction. I didn't get a strong hit of coffee from the cream, but the flavour and texture was extraordinary and strangely reminiscent of breakfast - in a good way! The attention that had been given to not only the food, but the presentation (beautiful serveware) and the shared dish added to the visceral experience.
cauliflower, douglas fir, watercress, wood ants
I love cauliflower, but the cooking of it in this dish truly elevated it for me. The trend for burning food is a hard one to get right I think (speaking entirely as a punter; by no means an expert in this!) but this just tasted amazing - slightly bitter but almost sweet and the perfect texture, enough bite but not crunchy (this blog runs the risk of ending up in Goldilocks territory, but it's hard not to end up there when "balanced" is one of the words that sprang to mind throughout). The flavour of the ants is dependent on what they had been eating and in this case it was sorrel. Guy said they were quite citrusy and (whisper it) they had even more impact than the ants at Noma.
fresh ricotta in ashes, wild garlic
It was becoming apparent that with each course the chef was raising the bar, as we found ourselves saying "I think this is my favourite!" The cucumber and ricotta in this dish were for me the best tasting those ingredients have ever been, but altogether this was a masterpiece; somehow light and yet creamy and warm. The ash wasn't at all bitter, just a smoky flavour which sat well with the richness of the ricotta.
mushroom, bacon, dulse, sunflower seed, pickled rose
I think there is no food as comforting as risotto but they can be cloying - this dish had the comfort factor of a risotto made with soft sunflower seeds, but the slightly tart pickled mushrooms and the sweet pickled rose petals cutting through the creamy richness. I could have eaten a big bowl of this (have I mentioned I'm marathon training?!)
salt cod, broccoli, sea herbs, dark beer
Both Guy and I love salt cod, and this was beautifully cooked and served with broccoli and a tartar salad. The attention to detail again was apparent - the slightly different temperature of the cool salad was refreshing. If I had to pick one dish, this would be my stand-out. Amazing!
heritage carrot, griddled manouri, buttermilk
As our menus diverged I was looking forward to trying something different and I wasn't disappointed. The manouri had a texture not unlike that of feta, but tasted more like halloumi (the perfect hybrid really - I prefer halloumi's flavour to feta but I'm not such a fan of the "squeakiness"). There was a generous enough portion that even with my greediness I let Guy have a taste too. The sweet heritage carrots and baby vegetables with the slightly sour buttermilk were delicious. Guy had the same vegetables with his duck, which looked fantastic, and was apparently perfectly cooked and served with a duck croquette and jus.
"bowl of duck"
fresh curds, pickled bilberries
Heading towards the end of the night and I was starting to feel a bit merry on my wine and straying into the realms of my slightly bonkers food similies (we've had "posh Schloer" and "posh Iced Gems" on previous outings) so now it was time for a "posh fruit corner" in the form of a spoon each of deliciously fresh, sharp bilberries and creamy curds. Again I loved the presentation of this, so simple yet clever.
apple, caramel, kohlrabi, malt
Our final course was a delight, again somehow managing to be light and fresh and simultaneously comforting and warm. The apple was the star of this, the concentrated taste like that of a sticky apple crumble but notes of kohlrabi and malt too were in keeping with the style.
The menu really worked for me as a whole - distinctive but unpretentious. For anyone who is interested in food this is a must visit - it's great to have such a creative talent as Alex working in Birmingham. There's no doubt that these are British ingredients, sourced locally; but the Nordic influence is apparent too in some of the flavours and also the relaxed experience. A big part of creating that came from the cosy venue and the warm service from the front of house team, who made us feel like friends who had come for dinner, rather than "customers" (again, that's a compliment!) Alex and the team deserve the success and plaudits they'll undoubtedly receive.
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