There are some things you don't ignore, not if you know what's good for you. Hearing from one of your favourite chefs that he has taken over a new kitchen is one, for this is the new(ish) home of Tommy Heaney, who put Bar 44 Penarth on the map with his deft interpretations of Spanish dishes. We've had several dinners here, stretching back since a stay here last February. We loved everything we ate: but in a bonehead play, I lost my notebook. There goes the review. Doh.
An unbilled starter of salmon is a firm favourite from previous visits: tiny cubes of cured fish with pickled shimenji mushrooms and a granita 'snow' to top it all off. What could be a messy collision of temperature and texture is bracing an instantly memorable few forkfuls which will lodge themselves in some corner of your mind and pop out to say 'remember me?' regularly. It's wonderful.
Another unbilled course (by now I was realising my wife had tipped them off about this being a birthday treat- well, that and the card on the table) of mackerel had some big flavours to contend with- the musky sweetness of muscat grapes, the heat of horseradish dialled down with cream, the miso. I needn't have been sceptical- it all worked together admirably.
A (very) rare breast of wood pigeon came with a little black pudding scotch egg, all deep earthiness and a ferric twang, against the sweetness of puréed root vegetables and the crunch of puffed barley.
Lamb was a highlight among stiff competition. A lusciously pink piece of neck fillet and chargrilled leek, with the sweetness of fruit playing against the tartness of the goats' cheese, all against a vivid green slick of sauce billed as salsa verde but heavy with unexpected basil.
The first of two desserts: a vanilla and buttermilk panna cotta and a tart lemon sorbet, the latter with just a hint of thyme and all accompanied by fresh figs and the warming flavours of pain d'épices. A lovely thing in itself, but better yet was to come with a dessert titled simply 'Chocolate'.
The restaurant itself is part of the Great House Hotel, itself nestled in picturesque settings which make it popular with wedding parties. In the stone-flagged bar area the nibbles arrive, and you immediately know you're in safe hands. Fragile little croquettes barely manage to contain the ooze of shredded belly pork, topped with a miso mayonnaise and chaperoned by fat Gordal olives. At the table, three homebaked breads- a farmhouse white, a walnut and a marbled squid ink (a nice reminder of the remarkable hamburguesa negra of Chef's former home) are accompanied by a quenelle of honey-whipped local butter, creamy and pale, and a scattering of large sea salt crystals.
The starter 'proper' starred ox cheek, the meat shredded into a tangy broth, a sprinkling of bone marrow crumble bringing tiny explosions of intense meatiness. It's details like this which set this kitchen apart: all that time-consuming, downright fiddly process to produce what is in effect a small garnish on a starter, a mere detail. The addition of a rich onion consommé, poured at the table, ensures this was another attention-grabber.
Another unbilled course (by now I was realising my wife had tipped them off about this being a birthday treat- well, that and the card on the table) of mackerel had some big flavours to contend with- the musky sweetness of muscat grapes, the heat of horseradish dialled down with cream, the miso. I needn't have been sceptical- it all worked together admirably.
A thick fillet of wild bass is audaciously juicy, testament to the fact their fish is delivered daily and is of the highest quality. A scattering of seeds in a buttermilk sauce lends it smokiness: it's a superb dish.
There's a light hand in this cooking, a clear desire to let fantastic produce speak for itself.
This is food which is clever, but never too clever for its own good: beautiful, without ever being prissy or too fancy for its own good. Dishes which place the main ingredient at the heart of the plate and never allow it to be overshadowed by its accompaniments, dishes which put fantastic locally-sourced ingredients front and centre and allow them to shine.
There's a light hand in this cooking, a clear desire to let fantastic produce speak for itself.
This is food which is clever, but never too clever for its own good: beautiful, without ever being prissy or too fancy for its own good. Dishes which place the main ingredient at the heart of the plate and never allow it to be overshadowed by its accompaniments, dishes which put fantastic locally-sourced ingredients front and centre and allow them to shine.
Lamb was a highlight among stiff competition. A lusciously pink piece of neck fillet and chargrilled leek, with the sweetness of fruit playing against the tartness of the goats' cheese, all against a vivid green slick of sauce billed as salsa verde but heavy with unexpected basil.
This was chocolate dialled up to 11. If you've got a minute, this is chocolate illegally enhanced by visits to a shadowy French doctor, and so jacked up on PEDs it reaches superhuman levels and destroys the competition on Alpine race stages. It's bitter and thick and glossy and silken and rich and tempered by the sweetness of the ice cream. In short, it's utter decadence on a plate. Resistance is futile.
And I'm not even a desserts person.
This food is so accomplished, so beautifully conceived and presented, that you'll be on Rightmove within minutes to check out local property prices. It's hosted warmly and each dish if presented with a palpable pride in what this kitchen is producing.
I'd offer only two suggestions: that the belly pork croquettes be served in a nosebag next time; and that the owners build a track around the perimeter of the dining room so Chef Heaney can do a victory lap as you finish your meal.
Don't miss out on this place- this is thumpingly good food from a thumpingly good chef. Cast aside any footling concerns about a 35 minute drive from Cardiff. It takes almost that long to park in town, wait for the lift, walk to your destination, feel underwhelmed, blah blah blah. Besides, this food comfortably outshines much of what is available in the capital, which is all that matters. Go. Just go, even it's 'only' for a starter and main. It'll be excellent. But if you want to indulge yourself, request a tasting menu: it can't be long before cooking of this quality attracts serious plaudits from further afield.
Leicester's Restaurant at The Great House
Laleston
Bridgend
CF32 0HP
Don't miss out on this place- this is thumpingly good food from a thumpingly good chef. Cast aside any footling concerns about a 35 minute drive from Cardiff. It takes almost that long to park in town, wait for the lift, walk to your destination, feel underwhelmed, blah blah blah. Besides, this food comfortably outshines much of what is available in the capital, which is all that matters. Go. Just go, even it's 'only' for a starter and main. It'll be excellent. But if you want to indulge yourself, request a tasting menu: it can't be long before cooking of this quality attracts serious plaudits from further afield.
Leicester's Restaurant at The Great House
Laleston
Bridgend
CF32 0HP
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