Launceston Place Restaurant – a clothes dryer and a trolley? = a one of a kind food adventure

The clocks have officially gone back, and we have lost an hour which means it is officially AUTUMN. How? Where did the time go? It is 8 weeks to Christmas people! And pause…. Yep, it is hard to even comprehend that it is that time of the year again;- I do not want to do much, darker days and nights and the chill is in the air! Plus, the lock down measures remain confusing and still so unclear.

Neal does not do well in the winter which is ironic and amusing (he is from up north!). Being cooped up at home 24/7 has and is still taking its toll, and by today, he had had it! He mentioned 2 days earlier about wanting to go for a meal, I was initially hesitant, why? because I can be a sour puss (sometimes), but I am glad we went because this food adventure was AHMAZING. Neal had tried to make a reservation at his fave place – restaurant Story but that didn’t happen, and we ended up here and I am going to be smug and give thanks to the food gods! This is the second time we have been out for a meal during the pandemic and this taster menu and everything about this food adventure was fantastic!

We arrived slightly late for our booking but we were ushered to our table immediately. When the menu arrived for Sunday lunch, Neal asked if we could have the taster menu (we were not sure we could, considering the restaurant had to close in 2 hrs and prep for dinner service), but they obliged! #winning! First off, the menu? A picture of the chef with the QR code (safety first) it was cute! Scanning the QR code gave you all the menus which consisted of Sunday lunch, tasting menu and vegetarian menu. What was more interesting was that the dishes were represented by emoticons or emojis, only other place I have seen this is at Gaggan Anand’s restaurant.

I got well excited after seeing the menu! I had an inkling that this menu was going to be good and when the chef’s introduction came, it was a done deal. I mean it could only get better. For the chef’s introduction, we had the tiniest, thinnest brick bread filled with cream cheese and dusted with chives served on what I can only describe as the tiniest rack. It tasted like the creamiest wafer. We also had taco tartare. Now, I don’t do onions and Sous Chef Mark, substituted my taco for one without the onions and it was delish. I mean a taco tartare? Ohhh I told you this menu was going to be the business.

Neal and I have come up with 2 criteria which we dub ‘litmus test’ when we go on food adventures. what is the litmus test you might be wondering? Well, it’s really simple. We judge places we eat by the bread they serve (if there is bread on the menu) and the bathrooms. Bad bread or shabby bathrooms, then we are judging you with a full side eye and ting!

Amuse bouche was bread, specifically Bao buns. I have said this before, when it comes to bread it can be a hit or miss. In our experience it has been more of misses than hits unfortunately. It’s either the bread is too hard, the butter not enough or something. There are only four places where we have had bread that has made us go ooohhhhhh – Feel Como (steamed spinach cereal bread & carrot bread sticks), La Pentola (mushroom bread), Roganic (oatmeal and honey bread), Gramercy Tavern (scone like bread). We can now add Launceston place to this elitist list. We had rosemary bread served with two butters – pepper and yogurt. Not only did the aroma of the rosemary fill your nostrils, it was not overpowering. More importantly, the bread was soft, almost brioche like and the butters? My goodness. Yes, I said pepper and yogurt better and that it was exactly what it was. The pepper butter was a red / orangey colour, smooth in texture and not spicey, the yogurt butter? Well that speaks for itself really – creamy and smooth. I also liked how it was plated up – the bread presented on a thick wooden block with each butter at an angle on the block. This is the second time I have had bao buns as part of a taster menu. First time was in Sala, Lisbon and it was delicious. Same can be said for the Bao buns here, these were served with duck confit and pickled cucumber, yep, as you guessed, delicious. 

We were ready to get into this taster menu for real, for real. The introduction and amuse bouche, had whet our appetite. Our eight-course taster menu started with eggs and soldiers. Ha! I love it, eggs and soldiers you know. Of course it was not just any egg, it was a bantam egg which had foie gras at the base and a layer of egg foam, I mean hello! One time for the egg cup though, duck feet egg cups! Details people, always the details. Did I mention that these eggs were served with delicious glass of Vouvray de Gautier, a chenin blanc wine, talk about coming in HOT!!!

I am beginning to think that bantam eggs can’t just be ordinary (like boiled or fried) they have to be pimped out. The only other bantam egg we have had was at the Ledbury and it was epic, served with a glass of champagne. Celeriac is a root vegetable which I particularly love. Every time I have had it, I have enjoyed it. The celeriac here is char-grilled, stuffed with truffle, served with cheese and mint oil accompanied with a glass of Sepp moser. After having this course, I am curious about what the vegetarian taster menu would be like because I tell you now, if the dishes are anything like this char-grilled celeriac, lets goo then!

We had two fish courses and I have it on good authority that these were good from Neal. He is not keen on fish but these he loved. The first was ceviche – stone bass, lovage and butter milk. The lovage and butter milk sauce, was poured at the table and it was so good. Our only bug bear about this course is that we had no spoon, and the plate was not deep enough for us to either scoop and / or slurp on the sauce, (don’t judge, it was that good). The glass of Etna wine, which was very drinkable on its own, was the perfect accompaniment.

The turbot is a fleshy, meaty (thick) type fish which I really like. We were served a nice fillet with artichoke, parsley and vin jaune. Interestingly, the parsley was made into a paste type sauce which was lovely and the vin jaune was again, a sauce which was poured at the table. Simply presented, and yet so tasty.

I have to say, by this point of the menu, I was not sure if this taster menu was going to be filling. I have had loads of questions about how ‘filling’ a taster menu is?, considering the portion sizes are small and I have always responded; I am yet to  to have a taster menu that did not leave me full and satisfied. Could Launceston place be the one to break the mold? I really should not have fretted over anything because, the next course reaffirmed my response. Behold the presa iberica. This course was just wow! When this course was brought to that table, there were a few elements to it. Plated up was carrots – a whole roast carrot, carrot paste, crackling and carrot juice which was poured at the table. The meat cut (presa iberica) was presented on a mini grill with a coal pot (think Korean BBQ) with the chips in a trolley basket. Yes, a miniature trolley like you see in the shops was the chip basket. I mean, WOW! Of course, red wine was the drink of choice and it brought the whole dish together. That feeling of not feeling full? ha! Best believe after this course, it so was not the case.

We sampled a selection of five cheeses and for someone who is not a fan of Camembert cheese, the Berkshire equivalent served (2^nd from the right in photo) was creamy and delicate on the palate, so good. In addition to the cheese selection were crackers and tomato chutney?! Exactly, tomato chutney that was sweet and savoury. All washed down with Graham’s port – a 2004 vintage and a 20-year aged tawny port. Need I say more? Ha! didn’t think so.

To prepare us for pudding, our palate cleanser was a yogurt compote sorbet and figs, not too sharp or citrusy-perfect!

Pudding was Yuzu – apple, dill and meringue. This was a layered dessert – at the base was dill and bits of chocolate. Set on top of what was a bright yellow shell made of white chocolate and sat at the top was the meringue. Within this yellow shell was cream and apple in the middle. To get to this, you had to crack the shell. This desert takes me back to L’angle (cococnut icecream and pineapple sorbet in coconut shells) and Xerta (soap and water) both places created visually stunning desserts. Accompanying this desert was a delicious glass of tokoji, a pudding wine made with grapes like Moscato.

Drinking the last dredges of the wine, talking with the manager about how fantastic this taster menu was and what not. The man of the hour, was gracious enough to have a chat with us. He said the inspiration behind the trolley as a chip basket is an ode to his mom, who worked in Waitrose! Bless him, what a champ. He saved the best for last, for petit fours we had miniature chocolates that were jaffa cakes (fave biscuit) and chewy candy strips which were plated up on a laundry air dryer! Talk about curve ball, I did not see that coming and it was genius! You can’t help but smile and that smile stays with you as your meal comes to a close and you leave the restaurant.

what an adventure! Yes Chef, thank you and your fab team! I was reminded today why I love going to food adventures. I remain in awe and ever so appreciative of you and everyone who create incredible food. I am a fan!

cheers

Ndidi