Fera at Claridge's

It was lunch at one of Simon Rogan’s restaurants (Roganic) and a conversation with the @criticalcouple that planted the seed about the possibility of writing my own blog. I’ve been lucky in the interim to have been able to travel and sample many fantastic dishes. To date, the restaurant that stands out the most for me is L’Enclume so it’s always interesting to look out for Simon Rogan’s restaurants.

Roganic was only intended to last two years and it closed right on schedule in May 2013. With no immediate replacement lined up, fans of the restaurant were left wondering what Rogan’s next step would be.  They didn’t have long to wait when it was announced in November of that year that he would be taking over the vacancy left by Gordon Ramsay at Claridges; with the opening planned for Spring 2014.

Here the high ceilinged room with its stained glass skylights and mirrored columns emphasises formal dining. There might be no linen tablecloths on the tables but you’re not going to see this as a casual experience. There are legions of immaculately turned out waiting staff ready to attend to every whim. It will be interesting to see how the rural aesthetic of Rogan’s food stands up to a space that seems to come from a completely different mentality. Still it’s nice to see that the carpet hasn’t gone with the mock floorboard look used for the carpet at the French in Manchester.

The menu options at lunchtime include a set 3-course lunch, an à la carte menu and a six-course tasting menu. I’ve purposely picked a day with no additional commitments so I’m all set up to go with the tasting menu.

Sunday lunchtime at Claridges begs starting with a cocktail and the Bloody Mary with Isle of Wight tomatoes, horseradish and mustard vodka is too good to pass up. It turns up and my first reaction is that they’ve brought me someone else’s drink because everyone knows Bloody Marys are red. Thankfully I’m mistaken and the use of yellow tomatoes as the basis for the drink gives it a refreshingly different tang to your typical Bloody Mary.

As expected with a Simon Rogan meal, there is a succession of snacks before the actual menu kicks off. The first of those is a delicate rosemary wafer with blue cheese foam & elderberry jelly, topped with pea shoots. The cracker is wonderfully light with a faint aromaticity from the rosemary. It’s a real pleasure the way the rosemary lingers on the palate for what seems an eternity. The elderberry jelly gives the blue cheese a nice vinegary hit. A wonderful way to start things. 

 This is succeeded by stewed rabbit with onion, tapioca and lovage. It’s busting with flavour and the sensational combination of rabbit and onion gives a flavour similar to an upmarket pakora. A good thing. It’s one of the best bites of food that I’ve eaten in 2014.

The seaweed cracker with puréed Pollock, horseradish emulsion and sea lettuce is another lovely blend of flavours. The creamy horseradish seems too dominant at first but as it settles it works perfectly. Longer term, the salty marine punch of the pollock is what lingers. The airy light cracker underpinning the other ingredients is superb again.

The smoked roe with red cabbage and crispy duck skin is a slightly more substantial amuse bouche. The wispy light roe is delightful with its so, so gentle smoked flavour. The crispy duck adds crunch and a more aggressive flavour while the red cabbage purée adds a touch of welcome sweetness. Another beautiful dish.

The bread portion seems less generous that I’ve had at other Rogan restaurants, not that I need to fill up on bread. That said, the stout bread with brown butter is very pleasant.

It’s time to move to the tasting menu and the first course combines swede dumplings with Isle of Mull cheese, smoked yolk, truffle purée and Wiltshire truffle. The rustic presentation in the wooden bowl means it’s an innocuous looking dish but appearances are deceptive. The dish is a full frontal assault in the tastebuds. The flavours are all tremendous together with the combination of intense cheese with the sweet swede especially impressive. The smoked yolk has a slightly calming effect but is more than equal to everything else. The truffle purée is an awesome accompaniment to everything on the plate. Wonderful.

The raw veal with oyster, kohl rabi and apple is a much lighter course and is another wonderful dish. The combination of the gently flavoured veal with the marine hit from the oyster emulsion in the pickled kohl rabi wrapping is utterly delicious. The sharp acidic juices emphatically lighten everything. The use of apple marigold with its intense flavour as a garnish is totally inspired.

 The next course features native lobster with kale leaves in lobster cream with crispy pork and sunflower seed purée. The lobster meat is wonderfully sweet with the cream giving more intense bursts of flavour. The salty crispy pork is a great accompaniment particularly with the rich cream. For me the kale works best providing texture to the dish although it's very, very good with the sunflower seed purée.

Sea bass with razor clams, salsify and sea beet is one of the standouts for me. The buttery fish is just beautiful and its combination with the salsify purée is sensational. The razor clams are wonderfully firm and juicy while the foamy razor clam sauce is excellent. This is another dish where the garnish plays an integral part where the aromatic sea herbs are brilliant particularly one with parsley tones. 

The savoury courses finish on a high with the Goosnargh duck breast with watercress, celeriac, sprout tops and mead. The pink duck breast is bursting with flavour and it pairs perfectly with the sprout tops filled with the slightly sweet mead gravy. The discs of earthy celeriac and tender mushrooms are a joy. It’s a superb dish although I wonder if duck was an overly conservative choice of main with game season in full swing.  

Pre-dessert is a chocolate malt nitro with prune and dandelion. The dish has chunks of dandelion root cake and sweet cheese purée topped with roasted chocolate malt frozen in liquid nitrogen. There is a superb rich prune purée in the base of the dish. The cheese acts as an excellent counter to the slightly sour and crunchy cake. It’s a good curtain raiser for the main dessert.

I could never understand the fuss about figs as an ingredient. However, the main dessert of roasted fig, gingerbread and fig leaf yoghurt emphatically changes that impression. This dessert is one of the best sweet courses I’ve eaten in years. The roasted figs covered in syrup are sensational and ginger is a great partner. The gingerbread cream tastes similar to druis nuitjes, one of my culinary discoveries in the Netherlands. The fig leaf yoghurt with its cheesy notes is superb. I absolutely love this dish so it means that the meal finishes on a real high.

A tray of petit fours accompanies the bill. The liquorice cake is wonderfully light benefitting hugely from the intense kick from the mandarin gel. The chocolate has a mellow whisky in the centre. The hazelnut jelly with crushed nut topping is wonderful and in a nice touch using elderberry gel on the elderberry marshmallow brings the whole wonderful meal full circle.

Undoubtedly my favourite meal of 2014. Simon Rogan’s food marries perfectly with the imposing surroundings of the Claridge’s dining room. Although I tend to want to eat in more relaxed surroundings, the food here justifies going with the stuffy approach once in a while

Overall Rating – 5/5

Date Visited - 16-Nov-14