Food Glorious Food
Mar. 28th, 2005 06:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lathanyWell, ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
bateleur did a review of the restaurant, but left the food to me. This is what we had:
Canapés Maison - "A selection of miniature appetizers" (5/10)
Center Parcs Champagne - "Full bodied, with hints of dried fruit and apricot aromas" (9/10)
The canapés were tasty, but unmemorable (various little tart things and a stick of asparagus with salmon wrapped around it). The champagne, in contrast, was great. Not too dry and definitely an excellent start to the meal.
Pointes d'Asperges - "Steamed asparagus spears with Hollandaise sauce" (6/10)
Don Jacobo Rioja Rosado - "A deep rosé with a fresh nose and a lively, zingy palate" (2/10)
The asparagus was properly cooked and the chosen sauce was a good accompaniment. However... I've had asparagus before in more exciting recipes (triskellian does a lovely asparagus and lemon risotto which would have made a far better course than this). The rosé earned my award for Worst Glass of Wine. Why? Because it was so bland as to be practically tasteless. Perhaps this was so it didn't dominate the food but, being a bit of a rosé fan, I wasn't impressed.
Salade de Langoustines - "Crayfish tail and baby gem salad with sliced mango and a rose dressing" (5/10)
Berri Estates Chardonnay - "A fresh and lemony unoaked Australian wine with good weight and acidity" (7/10)
The food course bore a close resemblance to prawn cocktail wrapped in two lettuce leaves (with a bit of mango). The reason it doesn't score lower is because I like prawns. As far as the wine goes, I'm not a Chardonnay fan, but I really liked this. Probably because of the "unoaked" bit.
Sorbet Maison - "A shot of homemade sorbet" (8/10)
The sorbet was blackberry and elderflower (we, wrongly, guessed blackcurrant). It arrived in shot glasses (as promised). It was great.
Carré d'Agneau Roti - "Roasted best end of lamb with a Tio Pepe jus, chateau potato and sugar snap peas" (8/10)
D'Istinto Sangiovese-Merlot - "A rich spicy wine from Sicily with plum flavours and soft acidity" (7.5/10)
One the one hand, the main course was a version of "roast lamb dinner" but the meat was tender, the gravy tasty and the combination excellent. My only regret was that I didn't clean upbateleur's plate as well as my own. The wine was more or less what it claims (although, as usual, I couldn't spot the plum flavours) and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Fromages - "Pierre Robert, a premium Camembert cheese served with walnut bread" (9/10)
Cockburn's Late Bottled 1997 Vintage Port - "A fine ruby port from the Douro Valley" (8.5/10)
Cheese, bread and chutney were all excellent. I managed to snaffle some ofbateleur's as well. The port was also good.
Assiette Gourmande - "A selection of desserts from our pastry chef" (9/10)
Brown Brothers Late Bottled Orange Muscat and Flora - "A lively yet elegant Australian classic" (9/10)
The desserts were chocolate mousse (9.5/10), a sort of creamy danish pastry (8/10) and a sort of heavy trifle (8.5/10) (nope, they didn't seem to have names). I ate my share and about half ofbateleur's as well. The wine was actually Muscat de Beaumes de Venise, which I've tasted before. It was wonderful and thoroughly recommended for anyone into their dessert wines.
Café et Petits Fours - "Coffee and sweetmeats" (6/10)
The coffee was... coffee and the "sweetmeats" were actually two long sticks of chocolate. There's nothing wrong with sticks of chocolate, but it isn't inventive.
Nightcap - "P.S. I love you" (8/10)
The main snag with this is that we enjoyed it, but it isn't the drink traditionally called P.S. I Love You, so we can't find a recipe (our version had amaretto, cointreau and something else). However it seemed a lovely drink at the time (although it might taste different when sober).
Twas a good evening. However, that many units and a revolving restaurant simply do not go together.
bateleur did a review of the restaurant, but left the food to me. This is what we had:Canapés Maison - "A selection of miniature appetizers" (5/10)
Center Parcs Champagne - "Full bodied, with hints of dried fruit and apricot aromas" (9/10)
The canapés were tasty, but unmemorable (various little tart things and a stick of asparagus with salmon wrapped around it). The champagne, in contrast, was great. Not too dry and definitely an excellent start to the meal.
Pointes d'Asperges - "Steamed asparagus spears with Hollandaise sauce" (6/10)
Don Jacobo Rioja Rosado - "A deep rosé with a fresh nose and a lively, zingy palate" (2/10)
The asparagus was properly cooked and the chosen sauce was a good accompaniment. However... I've had asparagus before in more exciting recipes (
triskellian does a lovely asparagus and lemon risotto which would have made a far better course than this). The rosé earned my award for Worst Glass of Wine. Why? Because it was so bland as to be practically tasteless. Perhaps this was so it didn't dominate the food but, being a bit of a rosé fan, I wasn't impressed.Salade de Langoustines - "Crayfish tail and baby gem salad with sliced mango and a rose dressing" (5/10)
Berri Estates Chardonnay - "A fresh and lemony unoaked Australian wine with good weight and acidity" (7/10)
The food course bore a close resemblance to prawn cocktail wrapped in two lettuce leaves (with a bit of mango). The reason it doesn't score lower is because I like prawns. As far as the wine goes, I'm not a Chardonnay fan, but I really liked this. Probably because of the "unoaked" bit.
Sorbet Maison - "A shot of homemade sorbet" (8/10)
The sorbet was blackberry and elderflower (we, wrongly, guessed blackcurrant). It arrived in shot glasses (as promised). It was great.
Carré d'Agneau Roti - "Roasted best end of lamb with a Tio Pepe jus, chateau potato and sugar snap peas" (8/10)
D'Istinto Sangiovese-Merlot - "A rich spicy wine from Sicily with plum flavours and soft acidity" (7.5/10)
One the one hand, the main course was a version of "roast lamb dinner" but the meat was tender, the gravy tasty and the combination excellent. My only regret was that I didn't clean up
bateleur's plate as well as my own. The wine was more or less what it claims (although, as usual, I couldn't spot the plum flavours) and I thoroughly enjoyed it.Fromages - "Pierre Robert, a premium Camembert cheese served with walnut bread" (9/10)
Cockburn's Late Bottled 1997 Vintage Port - "A fine ruby port from the Douro Valley" (8.5/10)
Cheese, bread and chutney were all excellent. I managed to snaffle some of
bateleur's as well. The port was also good.Assiette Gourmande - "A selection of desserts from our pastry chef" (9/10)
Brown Brothers Late Bottled Orange Muscat and Flora - "A lively yet elegant Australian classic" (9/10)
The desserts were chocolate mousse (9.5/10), a sort of creamy danish pastry (8/10) and a sort of heavy trifle (8.5/10) (nope, they didn't seem to have names). I ate my share and about half of
bateleur's as well. The wine was actually Muscat de Beaumes de Venise, which I've tasted before. It was wonderful and thoroughly recommended for anyone into their dessert wines.Café et Petits Fours - "Coffee and sweetmeats" (6/10)
The coffee was... coffee and the "sweetmeats" were actually two long sticks of chocolate. There's nothing wrong with sticks of chocolate, but it isn't inventive.
Nightcap - "P.S. I love you" (8/10)
The main snag with this is that we enjoyed it, but it isn't the drink traditionally called P.S. I Love You, so we can't find a recipe (our version had amaretto, cointreau and something else). However it seemed a lovely drink at the time (although it might taste different when sober).
Twas a good evening. However, that many units and a revolving restaurant simply do not go together.
