The first taster menu of the summer in London, and it’s in PIDGIN. What is very interesting about Pidgin is they offer tasting menu that changes every week?! When I say that this is not an easy feat to accomplish but these guys? Have it on LOCK! Like they have never served the same dish twice and have been in business since 2015… Yep, on LOCK! We rock up to the restaurant located in a hackney neighbourhood, minimalist décor is the vibe, with a cheeky view of the kitchen, here for it!
As it was Sunday, we got the last tasting menu for the week which was a nine courses, added cheeky cheese course because why not?! We also opted for the drinks pairing but only took one for the table, mainly for Neal ha!. Starting with a toasted martini that was really strong! It was a clear liquid drink (reminded me of sake) hence my conviction that it was fermented because😮!!!. Anyway, had that with tempura courgette, ricotta and pickled cedro snacks. The courgette had a hotter middle when you bit into which was surprising as it looked some kind of ‘puff pastry’?
Well that had us intrigued ha! Ciabatta and house pickles kicked off the meal. You guys already know how I feel about bread (this has not changed) but this was not bad and the brown butter (which looked like a dollop of salted caramel ice cream) was delish. However, the house pickles? Made me very happy! It literally was pickled carrots, radish and courgette. Simples!
It was yummy! My oriental side was very appreciative of it and you best believe I am going to be making a batch of pickled veg at some point at home! The second course? This just blew my mind! I did infact spy the chef whilst this course was being plated and caught a glimpse of something red being wrapped and I was like .. ouu… looks like some sort of beef? cold cuts or a strip of beef 🤔, yeah this is me being nosy as hell! Of course I was off, wayyyy off ha! The ‘red streak’ was a watermelon 😱 yep… WATERMELON! layered / wrapped around pulled grains (which I have dubbed Bombay mix] with markut lime .
It gave layers of flavour, texture with spiciness. The sweetness of the watermelon infused perfectly with the pulled grains elevating the savouriness that was balanced off by the lime. Dang! It was scrumptious! Paired with DB Schmidt French Riesling was really interesting. Never had French Riesling, it was more buttery than sweet and a fire combination with this course, it was PIMPING! The tomato sauce in the Octopus, crispy potato and paprika was major! First off, the octopus was thick slice(s) that had a nice texture, not too chewy but firm and then the sauce? the aroma gave an intense smoky flavour reminiscent of ‘obe ata’ which is a Nigerian stew that is rich in flavour!
With the crispy potato giving an additional roast flavour. My goodness it was yummy! The wine was equally amazing, red wine from Alicante Spain which was aged in earthen ware as opposed to oak barrel was the perfect dry finish taste to this course! Now, I know I said these two courses were surprising, but the Guinea fowl, leek and lovage? talk about surprise. It presented as a ravioli with pesto in really ‘oily’ olive oil! contradictory I know!
and I was like 🤔.. It reminded me of how I felt when I saw Raan Jay fai making her world renowned omelette. Yes, it is pasta stuffed with Guinea fowl perched on top of leek and lovage that appear to be sitting in this base of olive oil, but it tasted wayyy better, plus it was quite filling! Or could it be because we were four courses in? ha! Guinea fowl bulgogi and Kimchi pancake was next! Honestly, as I write this, this menu definitely fed my oriental side! Bulgogi and Kimchi are synonymous with Korean food and this dish paid homage to both. it was a layered dish expertly presented, it did not look anything like a layered pancake, you know bulky and stacked like.. it was very much minimalist, like the Koreans ha! The Kimchi pancake was the base, the Guinea fowl and then peppered with mint leaves, black pepper corns, hibiscus .. it was pretty! It tasted as colourful as it looked – smoky, citrusy, fresh, and tangy.. the mayo sauce was too good!
The additional cheese course was just divine – baked crottin and fig! The cheese was warm and gooey and the roasted fig had the right amount of sweetness that was just lush on the palate!
One time for the palate cleanser which was soft herbs and ginger compote and did literally what was said on the tin. It was cool and refreshing and I love me some dope palate cleansers.
Pudding was honey cake and peach and let me tell you, okay? It was everything. The cake was right up my alley, you lot know how I am into the ‘dry sponge cake’ right? yeah, the joy of seeing it and knowing it didn’t have anything in the middle, the quickness at which I tucked into the cake you see??? My goodness it was lovely! And the caramelised milk ice cream was the ONE!
The hazel nut choux bun and chocolate truffle was a nice petit for to end this incredible meal!
Fun fact, the term pidgin in Nigeria is used to describe how we speak ‘broken English’ similar to Jamaican patois . And so in true Nigerian pidgin, I say to the guys at Pidgin, Una do well!
Cheers
Ndidi
