the-monthly review
| Bistrot Bruno Loubet Each Wednesday morning when Time Out lands on my doorstep (actually, it lands outside on the steps as the delivery guy obviously just chucks it out of his van as he drives past) the first thing I do is flick straight to the restaurant review. It’s not often that a review is so glowing that I decide to phone up and book a table right away. I must confess that I didn’t know much about Bruno Loubet when I read the review of his new restaurant at the The Zetter, a trendy boutique hotel in Clerkenwell. I subsequently did some research and my expectations of the meal rose when I found out that he had worked with the legendary chefs Pierre Koffman at La Tante Claire and Raymond Blanc at Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons. I have not yet had the pleasure of enjoying Raymond Blanc’s cuisine but I was fortunate enough to experience a memorable meal from Pierre Koffman at his pop-up Restaurant on the Roof at Selfridges late last year. Working again, albeit temporarily, for Pierre Koffman enticed Bruno Loubet back to the UK after living and working in Australia for 10 years. He was a real pioneer of the fantastic restaurant scene in London in the early 90’s that led to London now being one of the gastronomic capitals of the world. Following a chance meeting at the Restaurant on the Roof with the owners of The Zetter, a deal was done to open Bistro Bruno Loubet. My wife Emma and I joined my colleagues from the-recipe and Office Diner in our local pub, The North Star in Islington, before heading off for dinner at 9pm to celebrate the beginning of the Easter Bank Holiday. The Zetter is located on the corner of St Johns Square, a lovely cobbled square off Clerkenwell Road - Emma’s fave part of town! The urban chic interiors and lively buzzy vibe set a good tone to match the punchy high-end bistro menu. We were seated in a great table at the back next to the floor-to-ceiling window. To our left, we could see the chef and his team working furtively in the semi-open plan kitchen and to the right, in the other side of the picturesque square, we could see another recent and great gastronomic addition to the area, The Modern Pantry - their chickpea, date and chorizo fritters are absolutely divine, but that’s another story/review. As our waiter arrived, I pointed across the Square at The Modern Pantry and asked him if he’d eaten there. Not a great move since he then started a long rant saying that it was no competition for them. While ranting, he explained that Bruno Loubet was finding it more difficult in London this time round to build his brigade in the kitchen. Most of his old team had now progressed up the ranks and were head chefs at their own restaurants, some with Michelin stars. And the new generation of chefs apparently didn’t want to put in the hard work and long hours that was required to put a new restaurant on the culinary map of London. This didn’t only apply to the kitchen but also to his front of house team, who only wanted to work 5 shifts a week before asking for overtime. He drew a comparison between them and today’s prima donna footballers compared with the good old hard-working players of times gone by. Thankfully, he then got called over by another guest and we could, at last, focus on the menu. Emma wasn’t drinking, so it was a pleasure to see a wine menu with six red and six white wins available in 25cl or 50cl carafes. I opted for a lovely New Zealand Pinot Noir. Thanks to the waiter, it was now 9.30pm and we were starving! The bread presented originally in terracotta flower pots was most welcome and the slight onion flavour in this wholemeal crusty bread really worked. I had expected it to be warm but it was at room temperature. |
The menu is not particularly large and we ordered starters and mains with one eye on the dessert menu (as you do). My onion and cider soup with emmenthal soufflé was very good but not as great as all the reviews I had read made it out to be. The soufflé was a nice change but didn’t have as strong an impact as the standard croutons topped with cheese normally found floating at the top of this dish. Its sometimes very hard to get a really flavoursome raw tuna dish but Emma’s starter certainly managed that. The lightly-seared tuna was wrapped in a thin, silky smooth lardo di colonnata (cured pig’s fat – sounds disgusting but was ever so tasty) and pressed into a terrine. This was accompanied by a remoulade type of affair and thin apple batons, the dish being decorated beautifully with baby cress and an apple puree that finished the light and tasty dish off very well. I was torn between the shoulder of lamb with white beans, lemon puree and green harissa and the hare. I had a wonderful lamb shoulder the week earlier at the Galvin La Chapelle (without doubt, the best-looking dining room I have eaten in in London) so I went for the very intriguing Hare a la Royale. It was served with an onion raviolo (single for ravioli, I learnt) and a pumpkin and dried mandarin purée. The one thing they didn’t mention on the menu was one of the richest, over- reduced and stickiest sauces that I have ever eaten. Even I couldn’t finish it and I love a rich jus like that. The large portion of braised hare was extremely soft and tasted great and, even though I found a pellet in it, I still enjoyed it. Emma ordered beef daube provencale and received a plate with only a portion of mousseline potatoes (very indulgent mashed potato) on it. After a quick joke from the waiter, a wrought iron pot of the beef and vegetables arrived. The mousseline potatoes were divine, really light, airy and fluffy. When I asked how they achieved this we were told they use an inordinate amount of butter and then put it through a whipped cream charger to get a really fluffy texture. And then to the Desserts, which were interesting combinations, to say the least. My lemon crème brulee and jasmine tea sorbet was simply perfect – the brulee consistency was just right, the crunchy top spot on and the sharpness of lemon was perfectly balanced with the sweet jasmine tea sorbet. Emma’s dessert was more avant garde - a valrhona chocolate tartlet with caramel and salted butter ice cream. Whilst each component on their own was okay, when you managed to get a spoonful of the slightly brittle tartlet, the filling and the ice cream together - not easy to prise that away from Emma - it was heavenly. Personally, I couldn’t polish off a whole dessert of that, so I am glad that she ordered it and kindly (actually, begrudgingly) allowed me to have some! This meal really set us up for a good Easter weekend. (There was a chocolate festival on the South Bank the next day where we bought the ingredients to make raw chocolate.) At around £35 for three courses, you will struggle to find quality this good at this price anywhere else in London. Service throughout the meal was attentive and efficient but still fairly laid back. Bistro Bruno Loubet will be a sure hit this year and is a must for anyone who likes their dining experience just like we do – it is serious about its food, professional in its delivery but still with an approachable and down to earth attitude. http://www.bistrotbrunoloubet.com/ |