On the Third Day of Christmas

“Your 2010 Christmas present is 12 memorable meals out over the next 12 months, featuring:
Michelin Stars
Celebrity Chefs
Spanish Tapas
Modern Seafood
Modern Italian Cuisine
High Class Dim Sum
in London, Surrey and farther afield.”

On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…” a tasting menu at Tom Aikens Restaurant in London’s très fashionable Chelsea.

Opened in April 2003, Tom Aikens Restaurant and Chef Tom Aikens earned their first Michelin star in 2004. Chef Tom was one of the four Iron Chefs on Channel 4’s cookery contest show of the same name, and by an amazing coincidence, our Second Day of Christmas meal was prepared by Grzegorz Olejarka, one of the contestants pitted against Iron Chef Tom in “Battle Beetroot.”

We booked for an early Saturday evening meal and arrived on foot from central London, after a lovely day exploring The Courtauld Gallery and Fortnum and Mason’s glorious Food Hall. You can read more about this in Oh, my Aiken Feet, the preamble to this review.

From the moment we arrived at 43 Elystan Street we felt welcomed and taken care of and, well, pretty much at home. The staff is warm, courteous and capable and they know their stuff. We asked question after question all during the evening about the composition of this dish and that, and each time the staff member knew the answer without hesitation.

The restaurant’s decor mirrors the staff’s attitude: efficient yet warm, with clean lines that don’t get in the way of the food. And the food? Superb. Classic French origins with a definite twist. Delightful and surprising at the same time.

Sometimes my husband and I find it too difficult to choose from the fabulous offerings on a restaurant menu, so once again we opted for the Tasting Menu. And as we are self-professed wine buffs, we put ourselves in the good hands of Head Sommelier Nicolas Arthuis who artfully chose a wine to enhance each course of our culinary journey.

We started this journey with a well-earned glass of Champagne and some superb canapés, including what we presumed to be a simple olive (such folly) but which revealed itself to be a sort of olive essence in a thin-skinned “bubble.” What a taste sensation! What a fabulous way to start our meal.

TASTING MENU, TOM AIKENS RESTAURANT

Scallops
Roast Scallop, beetroot purée, caramelised onions, beetroot dressing

A delightful combination, artfully presented, although I felt that the scallops were nearly overpowered by the beetroot.

Foie Gras
Cured Foie Gras, pickled mushrooms, foie gras mousse, cep dressing

Another gorgeous presentation. I really enjoy cured foie gras and this exceeded my expectations. The pickled mushrooms were a decidedly unusual twist.

John Dory
Roast John Dory, roasted almonds, confit orange

The confit orange enhanced the perfectly roasted John Dory exceptionally well.

Lamb
Loin of Romney Marsh Lamb, aligot potato, dried green olive

The succulent lamb and yummily garlicky potato were set off nicely by the dried green olive. Delicious!

Cheese from “La Cave à Fromage” 24-25 Cromwell Place, London

We couldn’t resist this optional course which Head Sommelier Nicolas brilliantly paired with a just-sweet-enough Pineau des Charentes. Fabulous cheeses!

Honeycomb
Fresh Honeycomb, Greek Yoghurt, poppy seed ice cream, confit lemon, fennel, Ginestière cheese

The first of two desserts; light and refreshing.

Dacquoise
Chocolate Dacquoise, chocolate mousse, peanuts, chocolate pops, milk ice cream

There’s always room for chocolate and this amazing creation went down quite well while taking us back to our childhood with its sensory details.

Coffee and Petits Fours

Just when we thought we could eat no more, our excellent cup of coffee offered up moist, memorable madeleines and chocolates which we hadn’t the heart to refuse…

Tom Aikens Restaurant 2009   –   43 Elystan St, London, SW3 3NT   –   T: +44 (0)20 7584 2003

Bon appétit !

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