The
pass, what can I say about Matt Gillan cooking that has not already been said,
probably nothing but he ho will give it a go.
Also to
those that complain my post are always positive and I never have a bad meal,
that’s simply not true I just choose not to blog these as who am I to judge
others on what there are trying to do. I may comment to the restaurant on the
day I am there but don’t feel posting a negative review helps anyone in the
long run and just makes peoples lives more difficult. So I choose to eat in
proven restaurants as with limited time off and funds to eat out I don’t really
want to be disappointed, right rant out the way lets crack on with what was an exceptional
lunch.
I choose
to go for the gourmet experience that at £35 a head is superb value for money
considering you are eating Michelin star food.Talking to matt about his
Michelin star its was humbling to hear him talk about winning the star again
this year not just retaining it which goes to show the frame of mind and the
commitment in that kitchen. Matt also talks very highly of his executive chef
Lewis Hamblet and the support he gets from him, I was lucky enough to meet
Lewis during my meal and you can tell he is immensely proud of what his boys
and girls are achieving not just at the pass but in the camellia restaurant and
across the whole food and beverage team at South lodge hotel.
First up
was some canapés, sorry matt if I get some of the descriptions wrong but I was
distracted watching the kitchen in full flow whilst having the dishes explained
to me, but I remember the truffle cream cheese fondly.
The
bread arrived and something I had not seen before was bread loaves made with
both white and brown bread with the loaf, very clever but more importantly very
tasty.
This was
followed by an amuse bouche of white onion veloute Garnished with lovely little
garlic chips and hiding all sorts of textural element’s underneath. The veloute
was creamy and rich without being overpowering.
The
first course of the menu proper – pressed rabbit leg, aubergine puree &
gingerbread parfait, hot crisp bread rabbit leg, cool but sweet aubergine and a
liver parfait packed with flavor, the gingerbread crumb adding a nice spice
note to the dish.
Up next
was the stand out dish of lunch for me – roasted sea bass, spring onions
chickpeas & watercress. Perfectly seasoned and cooked sea bass, a film of
onion jelly encapsulating the fish, a powerful watercress puree that almost
acted as a palate cleanser and then chick peas chopped down adding a bite and
some light spice to the dish, as I said STAND OUT DISH worth the trip just to
eat this.
Meat
course next- rump of beef, poached rhubarb, Jerusalem artichoke, hispi &
golden beetroot, not really expecting anything else but never the less again
perfect cooking of the beef meant that this under used cut was sweet and tender
whilst fully flavored. The garnish worked really well with the rhubarb giving a
nice acidic note to help cut the richness, silky smooth Jerusalem artichoke
puree and hispi cabbage cooked melting tender but still retaining freshness is
a skill in its self.
First of
the dessert course was –lime jelly, mango & coconut sorbet, a real palate
cleanser but the coconut sorbet with enough sweetness to stand up to the
sharper flavors of mango and lime.
Final course
– apple parfait, caramel, apple sorbet & crumble, classic flavors but
giving a new lease of life, spent about 30 seconds trying to work out where the
caramel was then broke into the parfait and found it encased in the middle,
stunning dessert because its something your palate recognizes from somewhere in
your past but in a completely new style.
Of course
you have to have a coffee and sample the petite fours and these too where top
notch, the service team do a great job at explaining the restaurant and who is
working where so you get a real feel for the place and how proud everyone involved
is.
I will defiantly
be going back, hopefully first to do a stage and see it from the other side but
also as a customer as in my opinion this is easily the best restaurant in Sussex
Remember live to eat don't eat to live
