Hibiscus

My review is unfortunately too long for a single post!

Illustrated Critique:

http://foodsnobblog.wordpress.com/2008/08/12/hibiscus-london/

Text-only Critique Continued:

Pre-dessert: Sweet Tomato & Vanilla. The dessert teaser was a small glass cone of creamed sweet tomato skin, layered with vanilla syrup and held together with gelatine; frozen raspberry chips were speckled on top. The light and foamy tomato was indeed sweet, but subtly so; the vanilla, distinct and sugary, but not cloying; the iced raspberries melted in the mouth to release a soft bitter acidity, which was a nice counter to the tomato and vanilla.

Dessert 1: Fine Cream Tart of Sweet English Peas & Moroccan Mint, Coconut & Sheep’s Milk Whey Sorbet. A tasty tart of peas and mint was paired with a sorbet, resting on pastry crumbs, made from the whey of sheep’s milk - the watery part of milk that separates from the curds during cheese making. The plate was decorated with a brittle and notably sticky tuile of coconut, fresh pea halves and flashes of pea purée. The inclusion of this classic English garden vegetable into a dessert, though immediately surprising and a little worrying, worked amazingly well and proved yummy. The sweet, earthy pea cream, infused with Moroccan mint, was encased in a perfect pastry that was solid, crumbly and rich. The sorbet, in contrast, was a little awkward for me; it was not actually sweet and I found it difficult to decide if I liked it or not. However, it did taste better when eaten together with the tart than when eaten independently. Although undecided over the sorbet, I really loved this dish; its taste and creative reworking of an everyday ingredient probably made this course my favourite - but the competition is close!

Dessert 2: Coffee & Passionfruit Millefeuille, Vanilla Ice Cream, Passionfruit Gel & Mango. A pastry millefeuille, nestled on its side, was basted with a precisely patterned passion fruit and coffee whip and partnered by vanilla ice cream on a mango-cube-bed and a syrupy splash of more passion fruit. The sweet, fine pastry was light and crispy, whilst the mousse, velvety and pleasantly mild; the coffee was flavourful, but not bitter and the passion fruit punchy, but not overpowering. The distinctly tart gel refreshingly cut through this, but was in turn mollified by the milky ice cream and fresh, juicy mango.

Dessert 3: Hibiscus ‘Tarte au Chocolat’, Indonesian Basil Ice Cream. I have learnt by now that fondants are generally always the same and always distinctly decent, yet somehow I still always order them! At least this time I had a good excuse - this is a Hibiscus signature dish thus it must be good. And it was. A dark fondant tart arrived with basil ice cream and garnished with basil leaves and sweet, crunchy tuile. As my spoon, breaking the cool, firm chocolate crust armour, gently slid in, hot, thick chocolate lava bled from the soft belly. The molten magma was soothed by a smooth ice cream suffused with a distinct and herby majestic basil flavour. This was excellently executed and reassuringly luxurious.

Petit Fours et Café: Smoked sugar fudge; pure black ganache; milk chocolate with salty caramel; and white chocolate with lemon verbena cream. The espresso had a good, deep taste and came served with rock crystals of sugar. The petit fours, though not profuse, were all very good: white chocolate filled with zesty, warming lemon had a nice herb taste; the ganache was very dark and very intense with a lovely liquid centre; the milk chocolate, sweet and salty; and the fudge, creamy, thick and rich. Actually, I enjoyed the fudge so much I dared ask for more. I was readily obliged.

Throughout the meal, service was impeccable, professional and friendly and the suave staff were polite, attentive and unobtrusive. All were well-informed and worked well collectively, evidence of the many years they have spent together no doubt. Claire, who demands a pleasant smile and affable disposition from all her team, was the consummate hostess and herself nice-as-pie. She effortlessly led the FOH which, even when full, provided swift and sociable service; brought courses in good and steady time; and ensured my glass and bread tray were never empty. A memorable incident involved the spillage of two glasses of wine in quick succession on the same table; this was dealt with an impressive effortlessness and lack of fuss by one of the waiters. Special praise also goes to the excellent sommelier, Simon Freeman, who was extremely knowledgeable about both the food and wine.

The overriding theme tonight was what I have termed the ‘Bosi balance’; every ingredient, taste, texture and even temperature was thoroughly and intricately balanced and harmonised. However, this does not mean the food here is at all boring or bland - Croquettes of Lamb Sweetmeats, Tartare of Native Oyster with Sweet Corn & Thai Curry, Watercress Salad is surely anything but dull. Instead, the cuisine is genuinely interesting and refreshingly different, combining unfamiliar ingredients in unfamiliar ways; the menu is always full of imaginative dishes that one really wants to eat. Bosi though is not trying to shock for the sake of it; an immense level of focus and concentration has gone into creating and preparing each plate as well as evident precision, refinement and flawless technique. The kitchen is as resourceful and versatile as the restaurant’s flower namesake - Hibiscus is used in teas, shampoos, jams, medicines, to make grass skirts and paper and even as a religious offering in Hindu worship. The cooking could be described as experimental, but diners are never the guinea pigs; recipes have been tried and tested until perfect.

I admire Bosi for his determination and readiness to challenge diners (even though he has maybe toned down the menu a little since first opening). I particularly love his willingness to reinvent classic dishes in witty ways such as foie gras ice cream and truffled sausage roll. These may sound silly, but the cookery here is very serious; technical perfection is standard, flavours are clean and distinct, ambitious and bold combinations are confident and Bosi’s ability to bring out the best from his vegetables is reminiscent of Passard.

I truly enjoyed my whole experience here; each dish was good - a rare occurrence, especially given the tendency for such innovative cooking to blow hot and cold - and there was always some element on the plate that wowed me e.g. the cod and mead; cherry-tea and nut butter combo; or English pea tarte. I was also impressed by the Chef himself; first pleased to see him greeting guests late into dinner, something I always appreciate, I was then touched when, collecting my coat and about to leave, one of the staff informed me that if I was able to wait a moment, Claude wanted to say goodbye. We spoke briefly; he came across humble and relaxed (maybe this personality has led him to eschew TV appearances, explaining his relative lack of public fame), evinced by his personal remark to me that ‘it’s hard’ finding that ‘Bosi balance’ (of course he did not say Bosi balance himself) and more public comments when moving to London that he was ‘scared the expectation is too high’ and that he did not know if people would like what he and Claire were doing. Needless to say, any such fears/doubts have since been demolished.

The atmosphere upon leaving this small slice of Shropshire was very warm with the staff individually wishing me goodnight - I seemed to have earned myself a note of notoriety after ordering three desserts! Claude and Claire were genuinely sweet and down to earth and there was a perceptible personal touch in all that they did; I felt a very real family-run restaurant vibe, which made me, in turn, feel very comfortable and as if I had been coming here for years. In fact, I already plan to come back very soon….and, for all those who enjoy corny endings, I think Hibiscus has taken root in my heart.


29 Maddox Street, W1S 2PA
tel: 020 7629 2999
nearest tube: Oxford Circus
www.hibiscusrestaurant.co.uk