Saturday 7 May 2016

10 Course Tasting Menu Dinner at Sat Bains.




Duck Egg with Pea Sorbet


Scallops with Dal Samosa
Aged Beef


Goosnargh  Duck

Rice Pudding


Chocolate Cake

White

Chicken Liver muesli



Sign  by Sat Bains

 














This dinning opportunity was from our son, and daughter, John and Catherine.
It was a wonderful 2015 Christmas present from them, how lovely, this is our 3rd time to dine at Michelin stared restaurant experience from them,
Having a Food blogger, teaching Korean cookery time to time and so called foodie as mother, it was a fitting presents from them.
 
Sat Bains was voted as the Number 1 restaurant in Britain in 2015, I was so excited to have taste his creation.  
Since he made very slow cooked duck egg with green pea shoots and pea sorbet at the Great British Menu since then his fame has rocketed .
 
Grey and rainy day to drive up to  Nottingham , traffic was very slow , took more than 3 hours from leaving M25, Finally arrived .  It looks like nothing I’ve ever imagined, just literally middle of nowhere and side of the very busy road.
 
Whoever visiting here has to be only for the food, not for the beautiful countryside or being in a nice country hotel. 
Just simply for his food.
 
It is a very odd set up and also a very confident set up, I like his confidence, It tells us, my food will talk loudly.
 
The room was neat and has a good taste all round, and all very thoughtfully done.   Not too showy but just nicely done .
 
Still rainy, Car park seemed filled up by early evening as it is Friday evening after all.
 
Before the dinner we all had a welcome glass of Champagne at the bar and had a small talk with sommelier, Laurent  whom I met at the Sake sommelier competition  a few month ago. He asked me bring my own kimchi to show to Chef, Sat Bains.
 
His special duck egg was not include in 10 course tasting menu but we could order it if we wished to.
I had to have this famous egg dish and liked to judge myself , we ordered one for share .
 
Looking at the menu all dishes indicate what kind of tastes are in the dish, sweet, salty, bitter, sour and Umami.  It shows he got a big impression to Japanese food during his trip to Japan a month ago, I am following his Instagram.
Starts with wild garlic  soup , very green and had strong garlic flavour,
Very slowly cooked ( 4 hours ) duck egg with pea shoots and pea sorbet, I can see how all critics were mad about this , nothing I had imagined , rich egg with fresh pea shoots and cold smooth green sorbet  makes me smiling, all contrast taste seemed just right strangely.
 
1st was scallop curry, perfectly cooked scallops and tiny dal samosa.
What a good idea, adding his Indian heritage food was smart and most of all tasty .
 
2nd, Chicken liver muesli was a surprise, a mind blowing dish.  Frozen liver pieces with dry frozen milk, wow ! Just like eating crunch breakfast.
 
3rd,  Potato cream cheese and Exmoor caviar. Perfect combination, smooth and
soft bite of salty caviar.
 
4th,  St, Gorge’s  , aged beef  tartare, flavour of beef was die for.
 
5th,  Kohirabi  tagliatelle  with green house pesto,
 
6th,  Goosnargh duck with parsnip, pear, black olive was best for us. Deliciously pink and pear was a perfect match.  Rich sauce and parsnip , this dish was our high light !
 
7th,  The crossover
 
8th  Rice pudding , apple. sake. I am not a fan of rice pudding being an Asian , rice pudding is odd concept, but this pudding was melt in my mouth. Hint of sake makes special.  So smooth.
 
9th,  Chocolate, this one was so airy and sweet, just like eating feather or even air .   Adding miso instead of salt makes interesting  flavour .   Loved  it.
 
10th.  White.  All made from milk, ice cream, milk flakes ,  very a clever desert.  Everything with different texture with milk, mind blowing
 
All washed down with good red wine, we opted to have just red wine than mix with white. It was a good choice.
 
We may not come back here next week or next month not only because its price but also distance , but it was one of our best food expierience!!
 
I wonder what he will be cooking next 10 course tasting menu?
I really respect chef who can create this kind of dish with deep thinking behind.
Who does not agree Cooking is Art .
 
Next morning breakfast was interesting, offered 2 course,  porridge and egg dishes. What a good thinking.
Small bowl of porridge if you wish, but we had full English and Chorizo with eggs, nice bread and good strong coffee, these are we need for journey home.
 
 
I was told, Kimchi tasting session with chefs will be around 10am, meet up with Chef, Sat to taste my Kimchi and their kimchi.
I was worried this session, as soon as sommelier said chefs do make their own kimchi and we will compare with mine, after all they are the professional chefs working with Michelin 2 star chef.
 
When  he brought my kimchi, and I cut and ask chef, Sat to taste kimchi liquid first and kimchi itself.
As soon as he tastes mine, he said wow,” this is different level altogether”.
So fresh and tasty. He said he never had kimchi like mine, sparkling and zingy but so fresh taste.  He could not believe my kimchi is fermented.
Well , A lots of people thinks kimchi has pungent fishy smell and unpleasant. But whoever makes it they made wrong not blanced spices and fish sauce in their kimchi.
What a comment !!
 
We tasted theirs, but somehow it looks very dark not red, too salty.
 For me it was not kimchi, just fermenting Greens.
He was so impressed by mine, even he asked me come back teach them how to make kimchi.
Wow, It can not be better than this can it?