Magdalen

Growing up in Glasgow meant that for much of my childhood London was far distant part of England that we had little to do with, even though my mother was born there.  Aside from a trip to visit my grandfather in Romford when I was six and again for his funeral a few years later it was just too remote to have any impact. Years later, my choice of university was driven by distance from home and one of the benefits of moving to Reading meant easy access to London. However, I visited the capital mostly for its plentiful record shops and the chance to see bands including King Crimson, Greg Lake, Hawkwind, Judie Tzuke and, ………erm…….The Scorpions.

It’s only since emigrating that I’ve come to appreciate what London offers. Fortunately, business has brought me back on a pretty frequent basis. What I’ve come to enjoy on recent trips is the walking. American life revolves round the automobile and it’s so easy to get sucked into the habit of driving everywhere. So a flight back to Europe means a new (or not so new city) and lots and lots of walking. Regarding London I’ve been enjoying the chance to explore and piece the neighbourhoods together outside of Harry Beck’s Underground map. Even though I’ve covered a lot of ground on many trips, Tooley Street has never crossed my path until now. A journey bookended by lunch at Restaurant Story (No. 201) and tonight’s dinner destination, Magdalen (No. 152).

Magdalen was opened in 2007 by the husband and wife team of James and Emma Faulkes who spent time and gained experience at La Trompette, The Fat Duck, Putney Bridge and Mandarin Oriental. Their focus is on showcasing British ingredients to produce dishes that play with the bounty of the seasons. It was the connection with La Trompette and therefore The Square that interested me the most. That and the parade of lovely looking dishes that the restaurant regularly posts on Twitter.

The restaurant is on the corner of Tooley and Shand Street and the dining room is effectively c-shaped. It has an odd mix of the formal, heavy linen table cloths and full settings on all tables with the informal, bare wood flooring. The dark décor used throughout the room means that the tablecloths, white ceiling and framed paintings are effectively the only light relief.

When you’re hit with a drinks menu and the food menu at the same time sometimes it takes a couple of key word to help move things along. In this case the inclusion of “Pierre Fabre” on the wine list. These two words take me back to one of the best customer visits I’ve had. Pierre Fabre, a French pharmaceutical company, are headquartered in Castres. My visit, several years ago, covered a lot of business discussion but ended late morning. I was asked if I was up for lunch and a free afternoon meant I was available to spend more time there with no real idea what I was letting myself in for. We drove from the labs to the headquarters out of town and made ourselves at home in the corporate dining room. This was an amazing experience where the food was the best I have ever had in a corporate dining room washed down with plenty of Pierre Fabre's own wine that I understood was not available outside the company. An unforgettable experience.

But back to Magdalen, the evening starts with a glass of Chateau de Gaure from Pierre Fabre and I stick with it throughout the meal. The menu has changed since I visited so the snack options have now gone. That’s a shame because the pig cheek rillettes toast is a great way to start dinner. The pork is topped with cornichons and black pepper and the meat is truly lovely and bursting with flavour. The vinegary cornichons cut through richness of the pork and the underlying crunchy baguette toast was ideal. A really great snack to kick things off.

I unintentionally cause confusion by ordering two starters. I sit there expecting that the kitchen will decide what makes sense to come first with the other following. On this night, though, that idea seems to be lost so both starters turn up at once. I opt to start with the roast heritage beetroot with smoked anchovies and duck egg. It’s a wonderful salad with a great mix of contrasting flavours. The sweet beetroot and accompanying roasted onion really benefit from rosemary and thyme hints. The anchovy isn’t too salty but has a tremendous flavour whilst the egg is a delicious centrepiece that soothes and ties the whole dish together.

The pheasant and partridge terrine with prunes and Armagnac is possibly even better than the beetroot. Bursting with a gamey meat tang, the terrine is superb. The prunes with their strong Armagnac tone were lovely too but too much could overwhelm the meat, although the thin strips of orange peel helped make the pâté soar. The crispy toasted crusty white bread is the ideal accompaniment.

The evening special of rabbit shoulder and offal with braised onions, Alsace bacon, spinach and turnips is a wonderful comforting dish for a winter’s evening. The tender shoulder meat is roasted and flash grilled to prevent the meat drying out and it turns to be really lovely. The fried liver, heart and kidneys all give bursts of richness while the bacon adds a touch of smokiness. The turnips are an excellent clean-flavoured accompaniment and thyme accents in the chicken stock based gravy ensure that nothing is left. A great main course.

The blood orange cream with caramelised pistachios is a really good way to end the meal. The blood orange jelly refreshes the palate before you dig through to the more decadent cream. Delicious. Last but not least the bill comes with a couple of rich caramel truffles.

Magdalen turns out to be a great choice to finish the trip. This is comforting British food of a style that I’m not going to be able to have back on the other side of the Atlantic. Good balanced dishes with wonderful flavours, it’s precisely the sort of place that I’d love to have as a local.

Overall Rating – 4/5