Our last food adventure on our mini break in Barna took us to L’Angle. I must admit I have struggled with not only how to caption this entry but how best to describe the experience. One word that kept coming up was magnificent! From the moment you walk into the restaurant you are struck by the details. The uniformity of shapes, textures and setting of the restaurant is truly a piece of art! The lamp shades are positioned in a way that collectively form a perfect line of arches when we looked across from our table! Details folks! Details!! It is all in the DETAILS!
Dinner was a late affair since dinner time for the Spaniards begins is generally from 7:30pm. We tried the 13 – course taster menu and all I can is
The aperitif gave us an inkling of what was to come but we were taking it all in our stride. I mean we aint new to this right? Boi! we were had no idea on the epicness that was about to go down!
Usually, restaurants offer you a glass of bubbly as an aperitif, L’Angle started with Sake? Talk about curve ball! I mean with dishes called ‘sea sponges and ‘palamos on top of coral’, ‘burned barks with true morels infusion with pine sprouts’, we were like err…this is going to be awesome!
The visual representation of the dishes were as real and equally stunning. Ha! you are probably thinking chef Kwon served up some type of raw meat or fish … no he did not lol. However, what he and his team did was present you with food that had real life elements to it. So, the burned barks with true morsels infusion with pine sprouts was served on a tree bark. The sea sponges and palomas on top of coral dish? Yep, served on top of a coral! I don’t know about you, but I have never had any dish served on the bark of a tree or in a coral and still taste so good! Listen! there are LEVELS to this *ish people!
The scarlet shrimp bouillabaisse infused with anise and saffron? We essentially prepared this dish at our table. Over the course of dinner, we were introduced to this dish and presented with various elements – the ingredients for the sauce (saffron & anise), the ‘cooker’ (which really was like a little gas flame, like what you might find in the chemistry lab back in school), a pyrex bowl (for infusing) and sea weed water.
Even though, it was simply making a kind of broth, it still was cool to watch, and you know the taste was banging! whilst this was going, we had squid niguri, skewered sardine with aioli sauce, black garlic bread and egg plant an asparagus risotto with parmesan cheese and squid juice, veal, cod fish confit and pigeon. Phew! like I said, not ready for the grandeur!
All dishes on the menu were a stimulation to the senses. The team here really want you to connect with the elements that form the base of their dishes be it coral, tree bark, oyster shell, down to the pudding. The pudding? UNREAL – the coconut ice-cream with pineapple sorbet and peanut sponge cake was a freaking coconut! like y’all? it came served in half a shell of what looked like a coconut shell and a white spherical shape in the middle. Visually, you were looking at a coconut. We had to break the white sphere and in it was the most delicious pineapple sorbet and peanut sponge cake ever. When it comes to sponge cake, I like dry, yes people D-R-Y. I don’t do that whole victoria sponge with cream in the middle business, the naija in me cannot accept it! and the sponge cake served with the sorbet was just that! My heart was joyful!
You know you are in good company when after all this food, chef decides to give you chocolate textures with vanilla ice cream & hazelnuts, petit fours and still autograph your menu!
Folks, L’Angle turned up and showed out PERIODT!
Salud
Ndidi
p.s. anyone fancy a chocolate sorbet lippie?