In a year that included eating at Jason Atherton’s restaurants in Singapore, with Esquina a real highlight, it seemed that another visit to Pollen Street Social was almost mandatory. Given that Jason Atherton is busy expanding his fleet of restaurants in Asia with another to come in London, it seemed a good opportunity to test whether overseeing multiple operations had any effect on the quality here. As the menu has evolved the current lunch options include a set menu, à la carte or an eight-course tasting menu.  The small plate approach that was available when the restaurant first opened has now been dropped. I opted for the set lunch with an additional course.

First to arrive at the table was a pat of butter and a choice of bread. The breads are cooked in a small oven at the dessert bar. The crusty white baguette and the brown sliced bread (chosen later) were both light and delicious.

The bread was quickly followed by a selection of hors d’oeuvres. Plump Sicilian green olives were pleasant but the other items were superb. Every time I’ve had the smoked cod brandade whether it has been here or in Pollen in Singapore I’ve loved it, especially when thick portions of it are slathered all over the crusty baguette. As you eat it, the hit of lemon with the cod is quite special. The pork crackling served with English mustard and apple was at least its equal. The crackling was incredibly light so it melted in your mouth. The gentle hint of mustard in the apple sauce was exactly to my taste.

My appetiser was Jerusalem artichoke soup with braised smoked duck leg, celeriac tagliatelle, nuts and seeds. The dish was placed on the table with the duck leg, celeriac tagliatelle, Portobello mushrooms and parsley leaves stacked in the centre of the bowl. The Jerusalem artichoke soup with truffle oil was poured onto the dry ingredients as you watched. This was an outstanding soup with no weak ingredient. Smoked duck is one of my favourite meats and its robust flavour was great with the creamy artichoke soup. The celeriac strips were a great way to include it and the light aromatic tang of the parsley made it the ideal herb in this setting.

The cauliflower and squid has been a fixture on the menu since the day Pollen Street Social opened although it has evolved. The diced squid “risotto”, puffed wild rice, thinly sliced cauliflower and samphire are presented in the bowl with the roasted squid juice added table side. The rice added good crispy texture to combine with the creamy squid base. I loved the way the cauliflower slices softened in the hot broth with time. The dish is still a winner.

Going back to the set lunch menu, the main was pork belly served with spiced cheek, apple mustard purée, tender stem broccoli, lardo potatoes, black pudding purée and roasted girollles. The tender confit pork belly was just sensational and the earthy flavour of the black pudding purée worked really well with the rich meat. The apple and fresh broccoli added a necessary lightness to the dish. The potatoes were served separately and the addition of crisp, salty lardo worked particularly well when combined with the whole dish. As a main course this was just wonderful.

I had previously ordered coconut pannacotta as dessert but was lucky enough to be invited to sit at the dessert bar. Having thoroughly enjoyed the experience the last time there was no way i was going to pass up the opportunity. The pre-dessert was a raspberry and yuzu sorbet topped with aerated cream cheese, frozen raspberry drupelets and a green tea dust. The raspberry and yuzu combination was quite sharp but mellowed by the cream cheese. The frozen raspberry gave wonderfully intense bursts of flavour as they warmed up and burst in your mouth.

I was happily taking photos of a preparation of the 70% chocolate ganache dessert without realising that it was going to be mine. This was not a dish that I would ever consider ordering but turned out to be incredibly good. The rich smooth ganache was topped with banana ice cream and “chocolate coral” that were actually lumps of chocolate banana ganache that had been frozen in liquid nitrogen. The dish was rounded out with small portions of raisin and Pedro Ximenez sherry purée and sesame crumble. Everything in this dessert worked but the standouts were the decadently rich purée, the nutty sesame crunch but most surprisingly of all the banana ice cream with its rich combination of ripe banana in a lush creamy base. 

I was offered the coconut pannacotta but couldn’t have eaten another full dessert. However, things hadn’t finished and I was given a couple of almond financiers filled with spiced apple jam. The lovely light cakes were a great way to end things (or so I thought). A small box containing a number of different types of macarons followed and I chose to go with the green tea and the peach variations. 

Overall verdict.
The food at Pollen Street Social has been good in previous visits but the positive impression rested with a few superb dishes that carried other items. This meal was just excellent from start to finish and for me showed a restaurant at the top of its game.            

Would I revisit Pollen Street Social?
Based on this visit I can’t wait to go back to try more. I suspect I’m overdue trying the full tasting menu.


Overall Verdict - 5/5