From the moment chef Isaac McHale and front of house duo Johnny Smith and Daniel Willis
opened the doors in 2013, The Clove Club in the former Shoreditch Town Hall, has been one of the hottest tickets in
town. A Michelin star and the ‘highest new entry’ ranking, at 26, on ‘The World’s
50 Restaurants’ list, have helped to ensure that this is still the case.
As well as the a la carte, The Clove Club offer a ‘5 course’
and ‘extended’ tasting menus. I ordered from the a la carte – the kitchen also
sent a taster portion of the duck and some charcuterie.
Here’s what I ate:
Haggis Buns – The haggis buns, dusted with a powdered Somerset
cider vinegar, are magical little things. They’re like a cross between a gougére
type thing, a doughnut and an Asian steamed bun – filled with haggis!
A Plate of Cured Meats – The in-house made cured meats are up there with
the best I’ve sampled from some of the world’s most celebrated specialist
producers. I didn’t take notes but I think these were types of speck, lardo, salami,
culatello and prosciutto.
I don’t know how true this is but an old boy in a Spanish
bar told me that good test of quality for certain hams (aside from taste) is to
rub some of the fat between your thumb and forefinger – the good stuff will melt
into the skin like moisturiser; this was most definitely the good stuff.
Buttermilk Fried Chicken &
Pine Salt – quite simply the
best chicken nuggets you’ll ever eat.
Summer Herb Broth – a fresh and vibrant dish,
this lungo sized shot of broth
was made from mussel stock and summer herbs (including chives, parsley, chervil
and tarragon?). Tiny roundels of baby courgette floated within.
Two Little Buckwheat Pancakes of
Suckling Pig – with a soft
texture (not unlike chamois leather to the touch), these pancakes were delightful
little things.
A confident, balanced and innovative dish
made from buckwheat flour
and pig’s blood, the ‘tacos’ were topped with alliums, fennel, suckling piggy
and a smattering of “devilled spices” (I’d guess mustard, cayenne, celery salt,
ginger, mace and such like).
Hazelwood Grilled Monkfish, Organic Aubergine
& Green Tomato – an
artfully presented dish thanks to the flora fandangle, it was the flawlessly cooked monkfish that held the real
beauty on the plate.
21 Day Aged Aylesbury Duck
Breast, Fermented Red Cabbage & Beetroot – having pretty much perfected the cooking of the
ducks (often using Challans), this dish has become somewhat of a signature dish
for The Clove Club.
It usually comes in three parts, including a consommé
with 100 year old Madeira. I sampled ‘Part 2’ – a piece of the roast breast in an
aromatically spiced, black beer and heather honey glaze.
The pink hues of beetroot
and fermented red cabbage forming a visually striking marriage with the joyously
cooked duck’s flesh.
Apricot Sorbet, Burnt Honey,
Toasted Almond & Bee Pollen
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No disclaimer ?
ReplyDeleteHave you read it... "the kitchen also sent a taster portion of the duck and some charcuterie"?
DeleteLittle catty. No need . I've had perks at clove when I've shown an interest . Was wondering about your usual little disclaimer box
ReplyDelete