Nømad, Birmingham - Opening Night, 3rd April 2015

A Friday night treat for Guy and me at the latest pop-up restaurant to grace the Kitchen Garden Café in Kings Heath. The new venture from Alex Claridge, Nømad is inspired by nature and seasonal, often foraged ingredients. We were looking forward to being amongst the first to experience the new endeavour, having previously been wowed by Alex's inventive dishes at Bistro 1847. There had been quite a bit of buzz in some of the local press and food blogs too and we'd had our appetites whetted by some of the previews of the menu. 

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. 

Two Cats Roaming pop-up

Our good friends Chris and Emma arranged a night out at a pop-up at Millenium Point and as it's half-term we were looking forward to a few drinks and a late-ish night sampling some Latvian-inspired dishes from chef Nick Astley of Two Cats Roaming. This roaming kitchen had featured in the recommendations in the Birmingham Mail in January and we're always keen to try something a bit different and support local chefs. 

We somehow made our way to 6/8 Kafe in Millenium Point (not a side of town I know particularly well), where there were just a handful of small tables arranged for the pop-up. We nibbled on some interesting borshch-flavoured cashews (two of my favourite things before the first course was even served!) along with bread that came in a cute little brown bag to the table and some very nice butter. There was also smoked pork fat which Chris and Guy were very clearly enjoying with their bread (as Emma and I are pescetarian the boys got to eat twice as much!)

A canapé followed which was a sort of linseed crispbread topped with oyster cream, the overall taste was reminiscent of the sea, but not like anything I've tried before.

The next course proper was a truffle porridge which was described as "comfort food"; Emma & I had this as a later course and instead enjoyed delicious goats cheese dumplings, called Pelmeni. These were served with a light onion broth and edible flowers.

The next course was exquisite scallops with kohlrabi and buttermilk. The sharp, slightly sour taste of the buttermilk was an unusual, yet perfect complement to the scallops; one of my favourite dishes of the evening.

Next for us pesky pescetarians came the celeriac and truffle porridge; a very comforting combination of ingredients, but if I'm honest it was a bit dry in texture, rather than the creamy consistency I had imagined. The boys really enjoyed the pigeon with Brussels sprouts, Guy said it was "nicely cooked; moist" and admired the use of the whole bird.

 

The palate-cleanser, frozen sorrel leaves dusted with icing sugar, was reminiscent of the treat of dipping raw rhubarb sticks into sugar in my grandparents' garden... A real treat from my youth, but a likeness my fellow diners were baffled by!

The first dessert, milk ice-cream with swede granita and dill, was extremely well executed - vegetables in desserts are currently enjoying a moment, but I was surprised by how good a swede sweet could be. It didn't feel  like a trend being followed, just a really good balance of flavours.

I loved the texture of the next dessert, a light hibiscus tea mousse, with a sticky meringue and chervil. The meringue was made with kvass, which I think is a sort of beer made with rye bread (I'd had quite a lot of the "bring-your-own" wine by this stage though; must remember to take better notes when the cuisine is unfamiliar!)  

For someone with a sweet tooth, the profiterole with chocolate soil was a really indulgent treat to finish on. Presented in a flower-pot, looking like a potato fresh from the soil; this was a fun note to finish on, in keeping with the low-key, informal atmosphere. I did try to maintain some dignity by not tipping the pot of soil up to get the last morsels of chocolate out of the pot; but couldn't resist a surreptitious dip with my finger... 

Following the recent controversy over Giles Coren's comments about the Birmingham food scene reported here, the best we can hope is that inventive, confident cooking such as this continues to thrive in the region. It is the best way to disprove the doubters. We look forward to the next appearance of the roaming cats soon...

Epi pop-up restaurant at Kitchen Garden Cafe - 25th February 2014

I love going out for dinner on a "school-night" and a pop-up restaurant at the Kitchen Garden cafe, just 10 minutes down the road was a perfect excuse for date night with Guy. I've eaten breakfast and lunch at the Kitchen Garden before and I think it's a lovely, homely venue... arriving at night through the twinkling courtyard and the atmosphere was definitely different and more in keeping with an evening restaurant service. I'd spoken to the chef, Nathan Eades, via Twitter and he'd kindly replaced the woodcock on the menu with sea bass for me, and had even swapped the fennel (one of just a few foods I avoid!) with baby gem, but otherwise both Guy and I enjoyed the same fantastic tasting menu.

On arrival we had a couple of relaxed drinks (Chenin Blanc for me, lovely and crisp; and a San Miguel for Guy) while enjoying a delicious amuse bouche - think of a more refined bruschetta with mackerel, wasabi and tomato (for me) and ham hock instead of mackerel (for Guy). Nathan came out to the restaurant and introduced himself and his concept, which was lovely; as well as being a talented chef he's a nice chap too!

We moved across to our table where some simple unflavoured bread and butter was served - delicious and a good indication that what was to come was going to be a real appreciation of good ingredients. And so it was... The salt cod was just perfect along with the baba ganoush (a real favourite of mine!) in the first course proper.

The description of the cauliflower dish on the menu kept us guessing, but again a simple ingredient was made to shine in such skilled hands. Cooked in a number of different ways, the tempura style was my personal favourite!

Onto our mains and another course that really delivered on flavour and precise execution. The spelt risotto was really warming comfort food, and my sea bass and Guy's woodcock were cooked to perfection. We're both celeriac fans anyway, but what a surprise to find the brussel sprout leaves packing a real punch. Guy was enjoying the sauce ("glaze", maybe, if we're getting cheffy) with the woodcock so much I thought he might start to lick it off the plate!

The high bar had been set, and whilst I didn't feel the dessert hit the same level (slightly lukewarm rice pudding and a flavour that reminded me of shredded wheat... not necessarily a bad thing), it wasn't an unpleasant end to the evening.

In any case we opted to finish on a high note with petits fours, coffee and a brandy. The petits fours were a nice touch, a lovely rich chocolatey one, which was a treat with the coffee and brandy along with (in my words at the time) one that tasted like "a posh iced gem".

We're already contemplating a return visit when Epi returns to Kings Heath at the end of March, and looking forward to tasting some more of Nathan's cooking. 

Bistro 1847, Birmingham - 20th February 2014

Among the many things my husband, Guy and I disagree upon is vegetarian food. He's a chef and a bit "old school" so whilst he's been very supportive during my eight-ish years of avoiding meat (but eating the odd bit of fish), he has continued to eat meat in substantial quantities and not particularly adapted his own diet. As he does the vast majority of cooking at home and doesn't seem to mind cooking two different meals we rub along fine, but before Thursday evening I'd never managed to convince him that it is perfectly possible to forego flesh without missing out on flavour.

We had a "Living Social" deal for Bistro 1847 (named after the year that the Vegetarian Society was founded, but otherwise not heavily advertised as a veggie restaurant) and as I had my sports massage earlier that day I would have been missing my usual run in any case. The restaurant is located in the Great Western Arcade, which is pretty deserted on a weekday evening, but there were a few other occupied tables in the stylish, minimalist restaurant. 

We were warmly welcomed and enjoyed a glass of prosecco whilst we contemplated the menu, which for once offered me a real choice of dishes, and I remembered the enjoyment of having the whole menu available to me. The "nibbles" we started with - gin-marinated pineapple and blacksticks blue cheese got us in the mood for some inventive cooking, but the flavours were tried and tested, rather than creative for creativity's sake.

Guy began with fried aubergine and mushroom croquettes, whilst I opted for "the most fun you can have with cheese" to start. It was one of those occasions where we just had to share, through wanting each other to experience the taste we were each raving about. My cheesy creme brulee style pot with dippy bread soldiers was so delicious I was tempted to scoop out every last drop with my finger, but managed to contain my baser instincts! My main meal choice, "the great British fish and chip shop", was a real winner, with Halloumi (or you could choose tofu for a vegan option) doing a sterling job of being more than just a capable substitute for the fish. Guy had a hens egg, with crispy potatoes and vegetables, and again the dish delivered on flavour and style.

We finished with two of the nicest puddings I've tasted in some time, from a choice of three, all of which I would happily have chosen. My "drunken mess" contained ginger nuts, meringue, bananas and almonds, all of which would feature on my list of foods to take to a desert (or should that be dessert?) island. Guy chose the chocolate and ale cake which was wonderfully moist and moreish and we both left feeling there were other dishes we'd like to return to on a future visit.

Taking aside the voucher offer, the prices were reasonable and there was a good selection of wine and beer to accompany the meals. Sadly, as it was a school night, I didn't sample the cocktail menu, but it certainly looked full of promise.

Guy left the restaurant with a much more positive outlook on veggie food, and I left feeling that all chefs should be encouraged to dine at Bistro 1847, I think we'd benefit from a little of this type of creative thinking in all Britsh restaurants, taking the best of ingredients and really bringing out their flavour. We'll definitely be making a return visit.