My trip to Arbutus was to meet up with Laissez Fare after our successful lunch at Great Queen Street in the autumn. The room has an unusual u-shape and is light, airy and has a relaxed, informal feel. The welcome was warm, my coat swiftly taken and there was a friendly hello from all the waiting staff as I was shown to the table. I was really impressed with the welcome. It felt like I was returning to an old favourite and I had a quick chat with the waiter before LF arrived.
Normally I find when I go to a place with a set menu I end up ditching it in favour of the a la carte option, as I invariably find something else that tempts me, but on this occasion I was disciplined and stuck to the set lunch menu despite a brief flirtation with some of the other desserts (a blood orange soufflé was particularly appealing), which the waiter indicated that we might be able to substitute for the two on the menu.
The price was a bargain £16.95 for three courses and there was a choice of two dishes for each course.
Curly Kale & Potato Soup
LF's opted for the soup and it looked appetizing, as he explains:
"I was quite impressed when my soup was brought out: it was a good portion size and it looked very hearty and appetizing. The soup possessed a lovely soft texture, and the flavor of the fine olive oil that had been used in the broth came through subtly. It also surprisingly had a pleasant, gentle heat which sat in the background of my mouth as I ate it.
"The dollop of yogurt worked nicely, both subduing the slight spiciness and also serving a textural and temperature purpose that added a slight creaminess and also a touch of coolness to the dish. It was a very memorable soup and I really enjoyed every spoonful."
Crisp Pork Cheek & Celeriac Remoulade
I started off with crisp pork cheek & celeriac remoulade. It was attractively presented with the pork cheek sitting on a colourful bed of leaves with the celeriac remoulade on the side.
The pork had a lovely crisp topping that contrasted with the warm, fatty, gelatinous cheek underneath. The pork melted in the mouth and the accompanying remoulade offered a mustardy, slightly bitter contrast to the richness of the fat. Together with the salad, this cleansed the pallet and meant that the pork didn’t leave a greasy taste in the mouth, which I find can happen with pork cheek if it isn’t well cooked or served with a contrasting flavour or texture.I really enjoyed it and thought it showed off the ability of the kitchen to handle cheaper cuts of meat proficiently and it left me looking forward to my main course of lamb breast.
Welsh Lamb Breast & Crushed Root Vegetables
The lamb breast came served on a
delicious bed of crushed root vegetables. It looked like a real winter
dish with the orange hues of the carrot and accompanying rich, slightly
sweet brown sauce.
Like the pork cheek the lamb contained quite
a lot of fat, but again it had been well cooked and the fat melted away
in the mouth to give a rich flavour to the dish.
My favourite
part of the dish was the crushed root veg, which we thought contained
carrot, sweet potato and swede (and possibly some parsnip) – mixed with
the sauce it had a sweet flavour that I really enjoyed.
LF had this to say about the lamb:
"We were both feeling like manly men and ordered the same meaty main course (the other option was a chestnut mushroom risotto, which neither of us found tremendously inspiring from the description).
"The lamb breast rested upon a bed of soft, orange winter root vegetables. The vegetables had been mashed to a pulp and were quite sweet. I posited that the mash was composed of swede, sweet potato and carrot. Beneath the veggie mash laid a relatively sweet brown sauce, which had notes of carmelized brown sugar.
"The lamb breast itself was well-cooked and the fat – of which there was a lot – dissolved beautifully and added a nice richness to the dish. It was a very satisfying main course, which I enjoyed, but not quite as much as the soup that preceded it."
Cheese platter of Morbier
Unusually for me, I turned down the dessert and opted for cheese. Unlike at Great Queen Street it was my turn for dessert envy, as LF’s floating island was very good - I nearly insisted on another spoonful, before I tucked into my cheese!
My morbier came served with a spicy fruit chutney and a thick slice of the brown bread we were served on arrival. To be honest I would’ve probably preferred a cracker to give a bit of crunch, but never mind.
The morbier was a little bit deceiving, as it had a strong aroma and I thought the blue streak through the middle of it would make it quite strong, but in fact it was quite mild and creamy and was slightly overpowered by the sweet chutney.
Floating Island & Pink Pralines
All ok, but I definitely should have gone for the floating island...LF explains why:
"I had no hesitation in selecting the floating island for dessert. I have only ever had this dessert in France (where it is called île flottante), and I always enjoy it, so I was eager to try a version on this side of the Channel.
"As you can see from the above photo, the dish was presented simply and beautifully. It was also extremely delicious. The vanilla custard (which the French call crème anglaise) was perfect, and they hadn’t skimped on the velvety waters that surrounded the towering island of meringue.
"The island itself was also perfect, being soft but just firm enough to keep its texture throughout the process of being devoured. The candied pink pralines that crowned the white cylindrical pillow were also buried beneath and hidden throughout the depths of the island.
"This was the icing on the cake, so to speak, as it added a little crunchiness to each bite, which played perfectly off the squidgyness of the meringue and the creaminess of the custard. It was a very simple dessert – indeed, you normally get this in bistrot-type restaurants in France – but it was the best one I’ve had, and I still salivate when I look at the pictures of it. I would give it a 10/10 as it was the best example I’ve ever had of the dessert, and the pink pralines gave it that little extra edge of sophistication that made it truly special"
Overall, it was another highly enjoyable lunch with LF and we made a good choice of restaurant. The food in Arbutus was of a high quality and was well cooked by a kitchen using seasonal ingredients. When combined with the unpretentious and friendly service you can see why it has a Michelin star.
For the price it was an absolute bargain and I’d definitely go back. It’s not serving anything revolutionary, but like Great Queen Street it’s providing good, honest food at very fair prices for central London.
I’m looking forward to our next lunch and aiming to go two-one up in the choice of dessert!
LF concluded similarly and made a good point about the food being good,but not mind blowing, which for lunchtime is perfectly acceptable:
"Based on my first visit, I would have to agree with what I understand to be the general consensus about Arbutus. It provides you with very good food at very fair prices within a central London context.
"There is nothing out of the ordinary in terms of the techniques or ingredients on offer, but what there is seems to be done very well. I can’t think of a better 3-course lunch that I’ve had in London for under £20 (of course, keep in mind that this price excludes wine, coffee/tea and service).
"In fact, it kind of reminds me of the lunch I first had with Craig at Great Queen Street, except this meal was cheaper. Our lunch had included very good and mostly seasonal ingredients that were used to their fullest effect through precise cooking and careful seasoning.
"The atmosphere was fairly relaxed, but the service was good throughout and everyone generally seemed to be having a good time, the staff included, which is always a good sign.
"I also loved the fact that you can have so many wines by the carafe, and think more places in London should do this. Arbutus is definitely a place I’d like to return to, and it is a great place for people looking to eat well but without spending too much.
"Like I said, don’t expect to find anything out of the ordinary or mind-blowing, but I can’t imagine any of the dishes not being enjoyable here."
All the photos are courtesy of Laissez Fare - you can find more photos at his Flickr photostream.
