Time for a rant (if YOU have the time). Had a Day at the Races last week, but I think the chef has slight delusions of grandeur. The menu really makes the mind boggle as some of it, and the accompaniments, are truly bizarre!
Nothing wrong with Sundried Tomato and Basil Profiteroles for the veggie starter I suppose, although a bit pretentious, but it was served with Bloody Mary Coulis and Basil Oil - Parmesan Wafer. Ditto the Roulade of Confit Duck and Foie Gras served with White Onion and Thyme Marmalade - Port Reduction, Parsnip Crisps and Roasted Hazelnuts (although the portions were so tiny I imagine you might only get one hazelnut!). I could go on with the starters, but let's move onto the mains. Imagine ordering the Full English Breakfast (some people did for their main course) and getting an Oak Smoked Bacon Chop, Lansdown Baked Beans - Home-made Brown Sauce, Fried Quails Egg (only one of these tiny eggs, you notice). Not what I would call a Full English! And as for the desserts, well ... nothing wrong with the main description but if you ordered Tea & Cake would you want to get Earl Grey Pannacotta, Lemon Drizzle Eggy Bread, Raspberry Semifreddo - Baked Fig puree? But what really takes the biscuit (and one would no doubt be grateful for a biscuit after the miniscule dots of stuff that were scattered around the plates, whatever you ordered) were the Strawberries and Cream. How could you mess these up, you might wonder? Hmm, serve them as Pickled & Ice Filtered Strawberry Consomme, with Baked Vanillla Cream, Bee Pollen - Black Pepper Meringue 'Kisses' ... actually I don't think you would get any strawberries as such, do you? What pretentious twaddle and just muck, really (and tiny muck at that as I can't overemphasize the acres of white plate confronting one on which these miniscule blobs of ridiculous foodstuffs were placed ... what's Bee Pollen, for heaven's sake, it's surely pollen or do they scrape it off the bees legs?).
Am I being silly to have expected a decent meal for the exhorbitant price we had to pay? I was far from full at the end and, as this was a birthday treat for a friend, I felt extremely embarrassed. That place is definitely off OUR menu for the future.
Still, once the horses started running we had three winners and a second so the racing itself was splendid! ???
