Creative Al fresco dining at Adam Rawson's pop-up restaurant, as part of The Rhone Touch - an immersive experience of art, food and wine, in collaboration with wineries of the Cote du Rhone region in France and the University of Arts in London.
Adam Rawson, former head chef of London's Pachamama, has recently been awarded the 2015 Chef of the Year at the Young British Foodies Awards. Adam is well known for his use of culinary influences from his travels abroad and has returned to London with new global inspirations for his creations, as wonderfully illustrated on this evening's menu for The Rhone Touch.
A fascinating use of fresh and unique ingredients; oyster leaf and belper knolle were perfectly incorporated into the dishes presented.
Oyster leaf (Mertensia maritima), also known as oyster plant or sea bluebells has a distinct flavor of ocean-like brine matching the flavor profile of a pristine oyster. It is simply remarkable the resemblance! Oyster leaf can be found in the northern parts of Canada, Greenland and Scotland.
Cured brill, Oyster Leaf, Gooseberry, Pickled Cucumber and Dill
Seabass ceviche, Galangal and Yuzu Tigers Milk, Celery and Grapes
Both lovely fish dishes were paired with a delicate Rose from the Cote du Rhone Villages, Seguret, Domaine de Mourchon, Loubie, 2015. According to Douglas Blye, sommelier and independent gastronomy consultant, *"this grenache and syrah-rich, coral-coloured pink is evocative of cherry jelly laced with edible dewy spring flowers." *
Charred leek, Brown butter, Hazelnut and Belper Knolle
Belper Knolle, “The Tuber from Belp”, a cheese with a truffle-like appearance was created by cheesemaker Herr Glauser in the town of Belp just outside Berne in Switzerland.
Belper Knolle is made from raw cow’s milk sourced from local Simmental cows that has been rolled in a spicy mix of powdered Himalayan salt, local garlic and Oberland pepper and left to age for up to 12 months in the cellar.
The cheese is served best shaved or grated.
In the charred leek dish, the intense flavour and dry texture of the Belper Knolle accompanied the caramel and nuttiness well.
A lovely Condrieu, "Invitare" from the 2015 vintage of M. Chapoutier was paired with this dish alongside a serving of toasted foccacia and whipped smoked butter. Hints of acacia, lychee and peach from this biodynamic wine helped to cut through the smooth and fatty flavours of this dish.
60-day aged Beef Txuleton
Beef Txuleton originates from the Galicia region, in the province of Lugo in Northern Spain. Galician Blond or Rubia Gallega are reared on a strict grass diet until 16 to 18 years old to enable marbling and strong flavoring of the meat.
The meat produced is maroon in colour with distinctive bright yellow fat and granular marbling. With age comes a depth of savoury flavors with complexity and length. Txuleta is traditionally cooked over hardwood charcoal or hot plates to achieve a crunchy texture on the outside with pink rareness in the middle.
3 lovely accompaniments were served with the Txuleta including a modern twist and fresh take on the traditional Caesar salad where baby gems were coated with anchovy & parsley Chimichurri paste. The heritage courgettes were roasted to perfection and what an interesting combination of flavours between wild garlic and seaweed for the jerseys.
Baby gem, Anchovy & Parsley Chimichurri
Heritage Yellow Courgette, Goats curd, Lemon Thyme & Roasted Almonds
Jersey Royals, Wild Garlic & Seaweed
Two wines were tasted alongside the Txuleta, an elegant yet bold 2012 Côte-Rôtie from E. Guigal vs. an old-vine 2012 Syrah from Crozes-Hermitage from Domaine Paul Jabolet Aine, Domaine de Thalabert. The E.Guigal exuded more finesse and held up better to the rich and savoury flavor of the Txuleta.
Lastly, two pudding dishes were served to round off the experience with an interesting wine pairing of a full-bodied Xavier SM Côtes du Rhône. Composed of 50% Grenache and 50% Syrah, this decadent wine has been aged half in concrete and half in barrel with a flavour palette consisting of notes of plum and darker fruits, licorice and violets.
Coffee Husk Ganache, White Peach & Cacao Nibs
Cep Mushroom Truffle
A wonderful tasting menu created by Chef Adam Lawson. What a shame it only lasted a fleeting moment, as the menu was especially created for the pop-up in collaboration with the Rhone Touch exhibition. Though I have no doubt we will see more wonderful creations from Chef Adam pop-up across London and look forward to his next venture.
LOCATION
UAL Central Saint Martins
Handyside Street
King’s Cross
London N1C 4AA
RESERVATIONS
Online advanced reservations required.
HOURS
Pop-up experience open from 21 to 31 July 2016
MOST RECENTLY VISITED
July 30, 2016