Here are some pics of yesterday’s
meal at Sticky Walnut. I’m not going
to write too much because Chef / Proprietor (& social media manager @StickyWalnut) Gary Usher can get a little coy about the brilliance of his little
Hoole based bistro.
After I dished out some deserved
praise on Twitter, Gary was appreciative but mindful of building up people’s
expectations, saying that he doesn’t want anyone “travelling over here
expecting more than shin and chips.”
To me, that’s like the Chinese
tourist board stating, “We don’t anyone coming over here saying… It is just a long wall!”
To kick things off, I had some
bread. Just some bread… you know, the stuff people often refer to as ‘raw toast’.
In this instance it was Rosemary &
thyme focaccia – lightly toasted with a drizzle of olive oil. So what if it
is made fresh in house every day? This is no biggie. It’s just bread; nothing
to see here, move on…
Crispy lamb’s tongue, chickpea, goats curd and green charmoula – The Guardian’s Marina O’Loughlin made the ‘400
mile round trip’ and loved this dish; she wrote a much more eloquent and accurate
description of it than I ever could… but remember, don’t expect too much just
because the likes of Marina and me happen to like it.
Hake ceviche, pickled courgette, lime, chilli and samphire – essentially, a bit of raw fish cured in citrus juices.
They haven’t even cooked it! Losers! And who pickles a courgette? Samphire…
that salty, woody stuff that grows in marshes and by the sewer outlets at the
seaside?
Bollocks… I can’t keep up all this playing it down. The next dish, like the last few,
was the type of thing that can bring a grown man to tears - Rolled and stuffed pork belly with lentil vinaigrette.
Despite being a fan, I’ve not had
pork belly for a while because it is all too often overused by lazy chefs
looking to save a few pennies with a ‘cheaper cut’ – when not cooked well, the
fat can be slug like with dry and shrivelled meat, giving the overall experience
of chewing on a section of sole from a Dunlop Green Flash.
No so at Sticky… Sticky’s pork belly
is sexy, sexy stuff. The lentil vinaigrette gave the fat a big, wet and welcome
acidic kiss. Fat which, cupped by the crispiest of cracklings, melted in the
mouth… pure porcine please. Add to this mix a side of some of the best chips
you may ever eat (Hand cut truffle and
parmesan chips)…. but remember, don’t expect too much!
I’ve just realised that if I continue to
be honest and big the place up, I may be contributing to making it harder for
myself to get a table in the future. So on that basis, the Apricot and almond tart, vanilla ice cream (made by 'New Chef Will')
was shocking. You’re much better off going to a place that buys their desserts
in.
One more thing: the front of house team are fabulous!
One more thing: the front of house team are fabulous!
Go to Sticky… but do not expect
anything more than ‘shin and chips’.
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