What exactly is an ?Ottoman? restaurant? In the case of Quince, it?s a pleasing combination of Eastern Mediterranean influences and traditions, as directed by the visionary head chef Silvena Rowe. Rowe, a regular face on television cooking programmes, recently published a cookbook called Purple Citrus and Sweet Perfume, and it comes as little surprise that the dishes on offer at Quince cleave closely to her interest in Ottoman cuisine.
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The room, in the May Fair hotel, is slick and stylish, with green glass giving it a vaguely exotic feel. Although there have been rumours that Rowe is too busy to put in full time appearances in the restaurant, she was front and centre in the kitchen on the night that we visited, taking the time to go round and meet the customers. As this is her first solo venture, one might assume that a lot is riding on its success. Thankfully, all is very much well.
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Starters are divided into ?small dishes? and ?Quince dishes?. Avocado hummus and aubergine from the first were both superb, especially the avocado hummus. Only slightly over-tough pitta bread was any sort of blemish. Crispy squid, meanwhile, a Quince dish used cardamom, chilli and aioli to delectable, slightly spicy effect. A main course of 12 hour slow-cooked pulled shoulder of lamb to share was delectable, with the meat at truly melt-in-the-mouth softness. It was helped enormously by an excellent bottle of Chateau Musar, a wine taken sufficiently seriously to be given its own branded page on the wine list. Desserts of rhubarb cr?me brulee and orange baklava make for a lovely end to an excellent meal.
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It seems likely that Quince will be an enormous success, and that Rowe will soon have yet another project to occupy her every waking hour. The only question that remains is, between the restaurant, cookbooks, TV shows and her personal life, when she?s going to get any sleep? (Alexander Larman)
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Source: http://www.greatbritishlife.co.uk/article/quince-mayfair-restaurant-review-34521/
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