Castle Terrace (Edinburgh)

(Visited: June 2013)

This in a way is the ‘offspring’ of the Kitchin, and while it bears a family resemblance in some dishes, as we shall see it definitely has a character of its own. And what a character…

Although this time we went for lunch, they were kind enough to recite to us the special seasonal dishes generally available in the evening only. We had to have three of them: as there was no menu and we’re insufficiently sad to take notes, we have to go by memory: apologies for the vagueness and imprecision of some descriptions.

The amouse bouche consists of two offerings: a layered vegetable cream, this time with carrots, then a coriander foam, and a dust of cumin:

Cream of carrots with coriander foam and cumin dust

followed by a ravishing trio: a salt cod raviolo, a mini hamburger, and a spectacular Ceasar salad of Beck-esque memory (like Heinz Beck’s fagottelli carbonara, where the carbonara makes the explosive filling, here the parmesan is liquified inside the green “salad”: wonderful!)

what a trio!

And now  the food proper. First off, a tartare of mackerel and one of salmon:

salmon tartare

Mackerel tartare

Classy, precise, powerful stuff, with many layers of flavours and great attention to textures (a feature we’ve noted, and appreciated, in Chef Dominc Jack’s style), where the natural succulence of the fish is not covered but enhanced by all the minute things that go on around it.

Then a lovely terrine of roe deer from Saltoun Estate, served with pear, prune and port.

Just look at it and you see the technique. For the flavour, you have to trust us: it was as good as the technique.

And look at the work in the first seasonal special, crab meat lovingly rolled in thin avocado slices:

Crab and avocado

to which the mango imparted a beguiling sweet note.

For mains, a roe deer with celeriac and a pithivier reached stunningly deep into the meanders of flavour, the exemplary jus lifting this complex homage to game:

Roe deer

And then perhaps the superstar in a meal of stars: her majesty the lobster

Lobster a la plancha with squid, asparagus, peas and green beans

Sure, we had tried this dish (or a close relative) at the Kitchin, but it never ceases to amaze us. The splendid ingredients (beside the lobster, squid, asparagus, peas, green beans) are there, undisguised and beautiful, just so very perfectly cooked (probably first boiled and then grilled). One of those apparently simple dishes that in fact only a very accomplished chef can obtain, and that one could go on eating forever. The £45 it cost us seems a lot but was entirely justified.

Desserts were a fitting conclusion. A raspberry souffle’ served with a raspberry compote, both extremely intense, and the obligatory icecream, good and improvable (hard to please bothersome Italians with icecream – by the way, we forgot to say that bread, that other bugbear of ours, is good). And a delicious strawberry cheesecake, with layers of strawberry gelatine alternating with different flavoured layers, from the spongy strawberry one at the top to the crowdie cheese one at the bottom.

layered cheesecake

Raspberry souffle

Service is strikingly well drilled, with a team of sleek young waiters ready to answer with ease any question on the dishes and their components. The chef here clearly makes an effort to make FOH and kitchen interact, and the manager manages his crew very well.

The room is nice, modern and rather understated, but it can be noisy, both because of the structure (many reflecting surfaces) and of loud tables. Regrettably, this restaurant doesn’t merely attract quiet old farts like us. If you are like us and want to concentrate on food and conversation, lunch is better than dinner. Prices are high but what we said for the lobster applies generally: they are totally justified for food of this quality. Though sadly we do find mark up on wines sufficiently outrageous to give them a miss.

We like the ‘technique with a mission’ style of Castle Terrace. There is (almost) nothing vapid or superfluous in those dishes, which retain a basic heartiness and full flavouredness. The comparison with the Kitchin cannot be avoided….If we have to put it coarsely, it feels a bit more ‘haute cuisine’ here, with a penchant for its intricacies and complexities, and a bit more ‘raw energy’ at the Kitchin, where the superb cooking skill is more hidden, and where there’s more of a preference for simplicity and for the ‘from nature to plate’ approach, as evidenced already at the amuse bouche stage (raw vegetables at the Kitchin). Both fantastic restaurants in different ways. Both with the finest executions of the finest examples of what nature has to offer. We have to confess that  we eat at least as well, and sometimes better, in these places (and at the Peat Inn) than in several multistarred venues (recent experiences at Ducasse and Bottura spring to mind…). If the Michelin star system wasn’t what it is, Scotland would glow with many more stars. A pity for the professionals, perhaps, but not too bad a situation for us customers 🙂

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The Kitchin (Ediburgh): Force of Nature

(Visited: June 2012)

We generally tend to dislike chefs who are too media-savvy… but we’ll make an exception for Tom Kitchin by virtue of a recent stunning lunch at his restaurant. 

Away from media fluffiness, when he commands his kitchen, there’s an admirable substance and power to his cooking style.

After a promising, fresh and vegetable-dense amuse…

…it will be hard to forget the sumptuously greasy, both moist and crisp, deep-flavoured pig’s head that forms a pair with the langoustine tail in one of Kitchin’s signature dishes (including a picturesquely vertical and shadow-casting crispy pig’s ear):

A truly majestic lobster a la plancha (special of the day) with an ever so fine cuttlefish garnish and a fantastic condiment made us think it would be hard to have a better lobster (only a Thermidore had at the Peat Inn is a match in our memory):

In a starter of scallops and asparagus, what lovely, lovely ingredients, what a graceful presentation: 

And a stuffed rabbit with crispy legs and the kidneys in ragout on the side, again, featured a rich harmony of flavours and texture:

A previously weaker point in our (very) modest opinion were the desserts. Now we are left without gripes, as even those are excellent. Here is a delicious and supremely airy oat and cherry souffle’ (inclusive of a well-made ice-cream), care of the dedicated pastry chefs:
 

The previously uncomfortable chairs have been replaced by comfortable upholstered ones, with other improvements to the furnishing: larger tables, new curtains etc. Also gone is the bread trolley (last year’s innovation, but apparently they decided they have too many trolleys in the room). Talking of bread, if one really nitpicks, well the crust could have been better: on the day, probably due to the horrible weather and high humidity, the bought-in bread lacked the perfect crust we remembered from a previous visit. We wish one day they will accompany their splendid dishes with the splendid home made bread we’re sure they’re capable of.

We had the coffee and (very good) petit fours while slouching on the comfortable sofa of the bar area at the entrance:

Prices are high, true, but in line with Edinburgh Michelin starred dining. Look at the £200 mark for three courses for two with acceptable wine. Given the very positive words we’re using, just remember that unlike some fellow bloggers we are always paying customers…

Kitchin is a force of nature in the kitchen. Dishes of great power and clarity encapsulate minute attention not only to flavours but also to textures. His direct, muscular style, so different from that of his starred (and also excellent) Leith Neighbour Martin Wishart, reminds us a bit of the great Koffmann, albeit with more elaborate dishes than in Koffmann’s current bistro style. A great restaurant with a chef at the heights of its powers; we’re so happy for the positive tweaks, and we’ll definitely return. 

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