Toast To Roast
  • Home
  • Eating In London
    • Alyn Williams at the Westbury
    • Antidote
    • Arbutus
    • L'Autre Pied
    • Benares
    • Berner's Tavern
    • Bonnie Gull
    • Chez Bruce
    • The Clove Club
    • Club Gascon
    • The Dairy
    • Fera
    • Galvin at Windows
    • Grain Store
    • Green Man & French Horn
    • Gymkhana
    • Hedone
    • Hedone 2013
    • Hibiscus
    • HKK
    • Kitchen Table
    • Kitchen W8
    • Kitchen W8 2014
    • Launceston Place
    • Launceston Place 2013
    • Lockhart
    • Magdalen
    • Marianne
    • Medlar
    • Medlar November 2012
    • Medlar 2013
    • Merchant's Tavern
    • Murano
    • Odette's
    • Opera Tavern
    • Peckham Bazaar
    • Peckham Bazaar 2014
    • Plane Food
    • Pollen Street Social
    • Pollen Street Social 2012
    • Quo Vadis
    • Restaurant Story
    • Riding House Cafe
    • 64 Degrees
    • Social Eating House
    • The Square
    • Trinity
    • Trishna
    • Typing Room
    • Upstairs at Ten Bells
  • UK Eating
    • Buckinghamshire >
      • Hind's Head
    • Cheshire >
      • The Church Green
      • Earle
    • Cumbria >
      • Castle Bar
      • The Cottage In The Wood
      • The Dalesman
      • George & Dragon
      • L'Enclume (November 2011)
      • L'Enclume (September 2012)
      • Pheasant Inn
      • Pig & Whistle
      • Rogan & Co.
      • The Ship Hotel
      • West Cumbria Pubs
    • Dumfries & Galloway >
      • Casa Mia
      • The Globe Inn
      • The Murray Arms
    • Gloucestershire >
      • Lumiere
      • Lumiere (August 2012)
    • Greater Manchester >
      • The French by Simon Rogan
      • Mr. Coopers House & Garden
      • Mr. Thomas's Chop House
      • Mughli
      • White Hart Inn
      • Yuzu
    • Herefordshire >
      • The Bull's Head
      • The Butcher's Arms
      • Castle House
      • Hereford (Post Football)
      • The Stagg Inn
      • Sweet Chilli
      • Verzon House Hotel
    • Kent >
      • The Goods Shed
      • Rocksalt
    • Lincolnshire >
      • Lincolnshire Red
    • Norfolk >
      • Lavender House, Brundall
      • No. 1 Cromer
    • Northumberland >
      • The Rat Inn
    • Nottinghamshire >
      • Perkins
      • Restaurant Sat Bains
    • Shropshire >
      • La Becasse
    • Yorkshire >
      • Van Zeller
    • Wales >
      • The Walnut Tree Inn
  • US Eating
    • Restaurant Chains >
      • Denny's
      • Quaker Steak & Lube, Dickson City
      • P.J. Whelihan's, Lehighton
    • Boston >
      • Craigie on Main
      • EVOO
      • Kowloon
    • Chicago >
      • Blackbird
      • Graham Elliot
      • GT Fish & Oyster Bar
      • IPO
      • Longman & Eagle
    • Denver
    • Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, Syracuse
    • Maryland >
      • Family Meal
      • Volt
    • New York >
      • Atera
      • Bar Boulud
      • BonChon Chicken
      • The Breslin
      • Eleven Madison Park
      • Esca
      • Fatty Crab
      • Freeman's
      • Gentleman Farmer
      • John Dory Oyster Bar
      • Junoon
      • Kin Shop
      • Perry St.
      • Petite Abeille
      • Salt & Fat
      • Saxon & Parole
      • Breakfast at NoMad
    • Philadelphia >
      • A.Kitchen
      • Amada
      • Baby Blues BBQ
      • The Dandelion
      • The Dandelion revisited
      • The Dandelion 2013
      • The Dandelion 2014
      • Erawan
      • Fountain
      • Han Dynasty
      • Jade Harbor
      • Lacroix
      • Local Tavern
      • Parc
      • Pub & Kitchen
      • R2L
      • Sbraga
      • Tashan
    • Savannah >
      • Alligator Soul
      • A.lure
      • Angel's BBQ
      • B. Matthews
      • Crab Shack
      • Local 11 Ten
      • Mellow Mushroom
      • The Olde Pink House
      • Olympia Cafe
      • The Pirates House
      • Wild Wing Cafe
      • Wiley's Championship BBQ
      • Zunzi's 2
    • Other Cities & States >
      • Delaware >
        • Pizza Palace, Milford
      • New Paltz >
        • A Tavola
        • Gilded Otter
        • Main Course
      • Octagon, Groton
      • Vesta, East Rutherford
      • Meridian, Indianapolis
      • Palms, Detroit Airport
  • Around the World
    • Eating in Europe >
      • Amsterdam >
        • Bord'eau
        • Bridges
        • Envy
        • Johannes
        • Vis aan de Schelde
        • Wilde Zwijnen
      • Barcelona >
        • Alkimia
        • Alkimia (November 2012)
        • Bodega 1900
        • Cinc Sentits
        • Manairo
        • 7 Portes
        • Tickets
      • Copenhagen >
        • Manfred's & Vin
      • Paris >
        • Chez L'Ami Jean
        • Le Chateaubriand
        • Mon Vieil Ami
        • Les Fines Gueules
        • Agape Bis
        • Chez Casimir
      • Stockholm >
        • Ekstedt
      • Switzerland >
        • Bim Fritz at Gasthaus Widder, Zug
        • Restaurant Aklin, Zug
        • Restaurant Johann, Basel
    • Eating in Asia >
      • Seoul >
        • Cheers Bar
        • Jungsik
        • Park Daegamne
      • Beijing >
        • Da Dong
      • Singapore >
        • Esquina
        • Iggy's
        • Jaan
        • Pollen
        • Sky on 57
        • The Tippling Club
  • Best, Worst & Closed
    • Dishes (Pre-blog)
    • Search for the Perfect Full English
    • 2011 >
      • Best of Breakfast
      • Asian Highlights
      • "Best of" Tasting Menu 2011
      • "Worst of" Tasting Menu 2011
    • 2012 >
      • "Best of" Tasting Menu 2012
      • Best Dishes 2012
      • "Worst of" Tasting Menu 2012
    • 2013 >
      • "Best of" Tasting Menu 2013
      • Best Dishes 2013
      • Top 25 Restaurants 2013
    • New Owners or Closed >
      • Alder
      • Alder Oct 2013
      • Aumbry
      • Aumbry 2013
      • Ben Spalding >
        • John Salt
        • Roganic
        • Roganic (2)
      • Chifa
      • Corton
      • Du Monde
      • Gwynnett St
      • Gwynnett St (May 2013)
      • J. Bakers, York
      • Manson - now The Brown Cow
      • The Mark Addy
      • Nan, Philadelphia
      • Roganic November 2012
  • Links
    • Contact Me
    • Food Blogs
    • Food & Drink Producers
  • Blog

Roganic (2)

23/11/2011

0 Comments

 
Picture
The second visit to Roganic was totally unplanned. On the evening concerned I actually had a reservation for The Ledbury at 10:15 but a long day meant that I was on the lookout for an earlier alternative. Confirmation that Roganic had early evening openings meant that things were switched around to go with the early option.

As I was sitting down to wonder whether to go withthe same menu as before or the vegetarian option, Ben Spalding nipped up from the kitchen to say hello. Towards the end of our chat he asked if I’d like to try something different and there was absolutely no reason to pass that opportunity up. The meal ended up as a blend between the standard and vegetarian menus with some common dishes to my previous visit. 

Menu decision out of the way, I was really looking forward to the squid ink & cucumber foam canapé. But then disaster, the canapés turned up and there was no sight of it. Luckily the replacements proved to be more than adequate. First up was a smoked carrot crisp where the smoke and carrot flavours blended superbly to give an intensely flavoured snack. The second option used the squid ink crackers as the base for a cream cheese & snow pea sandwich &topped with linseeds. This was the refreshing option of the three. 
Picture
Picture
The undisputed star of the three was the third snack. The pork & eel croquette with mustard seed, apple & carrot was sensational. The blend of smoked eel & pork was a joyous match of two strong flavours and the breadcrumb exterior was wonderfully crisp. The only problem was that there was just too little of it. The kitchen could have made their life easy and sent this out for the next 9 courses and I’d still have been happy. 
Picture
The first course proper was the vegetarian version of the blue cheese millet pudding. This was the same as before without the bone marrow and it suffered in comparison. Still a lovely dish though. 
Picture
Next course appeared under the smoke dome. As the lid was lifted it revealed the Braddock White duck egg with the companion salt beef, pickled vegetables, ox-eye daisy & toasted oats. The dish was a sensory bonanza because it looked fantastic and for at least a couple of minutes you are able to revel in the glorious remnants of the applewood smoke. The smoked slow-cooked duck egg yolk was delicious but my preference was for the unsmoked version that I’d had first time around. 
Picture
Up next was a fish course. The langoustine with cured char, purple sprouting broccoli and crab apple puree was superb. As with the smoked version, chokeberry vinaigrette was added to the table. The wonderfully sweet langoustine was actually overshadowed by the char that was a revelation in this setting. It was a wonderful, softly textured piece of fish that tasted fantastic.   
Picture
The menu then moved over to vegetarian options. The mushroom dish was used King Oyster and Velvet Shank mushrooms with sea purslane, mushroom soil, mushroom purée, stonecrop, beetroot and endive. Both varieties of mushrooms were rich and full of flavour, combining well with the earthiness of the beetroot and bitter endive as well as the other ingredients. It would be unusual for me to go with vegetarian options on restaurant but this was phenomenal. 
Picture
Next course was roasted golden cauliflower, charred baby gem, raisin puree, roast yarrow and sour cream. The sweet of the raisin and the sour of the cream and pickled cauliflower worked superbly with the vegetables. Another stunning looking dish that tasted wonderful.  
Picture
Next up was clay-baked leek. An example of the clay-surrounded leek was brought to the table to show how it was done and slightly later the cooked version was brought to the table. The leek was served with pine nuts and a truffle vermouth sauce. Plenty of freshly grated truffle was then added to the dish at the table. Leek has always been one of my favourite vegetables and it worked perfectly in this setting because the resulting cooked vegetable was wonderfully succulent. The truffle and pine nuts worked together to lift the dish even further. Another great course. 
Picture
Picture
Next up was roast parsnip served with smoked honey, parsnip crisp, chestnut purée, pickled walnuts and wild sorrel. I’m used to sweet-roasted parsnips but the smoking of the honey was something else combined with the tender parsnip.  My favourite part was the chestnut puree that had me scraping up every last remnant. When it was all gone, it still left me wanting much more. 
Picture
The final vegetable course was vintage potatoes served with onion ash, wood sorrel and crispy potato skins.  Another lovely dish and although I had a note to say how much I liked it at the time it hasn't proven as memorable as the other courses. 
Picture
The following course was a rework of the dab dish from my first meal. The updated version used sea bass as the central player in the dish. For me, this version of the dish worked better because I tend to enjoy stronger flavoured fish more. The sea bass stood up better to the other flavours although the parsley root was still the star for me. 
Picture
The main course had a couple of slices of wonderfully tender venison haunch, served with heritage potatoes (Royal Kidneys), parsnip purée and blackberry. The whole dish was augmented by grating Congolese chocolate over the ensemble at the table. Over two meals, this was the only non-British ingredient used. Compared to the other courses it was an almost traditional blend of flavours and it provided a strong finish to the savoury dishes. 
Picture
Pre-dessert was ginger-beer granita with lemon balm. The ginger flavour of the ice was really intense and the lemon balm provided a citrus compliment to it.  I loved it. (The picture was taken after a couple of spoonfuls & some lemon balm had been eaten). 
Picture
Next two courses and final snacks were the same as the previous meal. The bilberries and salted chocolate mousse both reinforced the opinion that they were wonderful dishes. The salted chocolate would have to rate as one of my favourite desserts of the year. The Douglas fir shake was better this time around because the fir flavour came through much better. 

Overall verdict.
Two visits, two incredible meals.  Sandia Chang did a great job of recommending wines as the meal progressed and the enthusiasm of everyone helped make it a great evening. 

Would I revisit Roganic?  
Roganic is my top place to go to next time I’m in London. A truly special restaurant. 

Overall Rating - 5/5
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.