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Hibiscus: wonderfully different

27/5/2012

3 Comments

 
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Our first and only visit to Hibiscus was over two years ago in the very early days of the blog and in the post of that meal we described the food there as 'original, creative, beautiful to look at, beautiful to taste, perfectly cooked'. Accordingly, we had been meaning to go back for some time now. Watching Head Chef Marcus McGuinness and his inventive and quirky menu on Great British Menu was the final push needed and last week, we returned.

The lunch menu has several options including the three course lunch at £35 which has to be considered good value for two star cooking while there is also the 'Tastes of Spring' menu that offers tasting menus of between three and nine courses with dishes selected by the kitchen. They do however give a page in the menu that shows 'what's in season' and for spring, it shows an extensive list of potential ingredients including Yorkshire rhubarb, Wye Valley asparagus, broad bean, black garlic and lamb sweetbreads, all of which would feature on today's actual menu.

We start with the Hibiscus & Pineapple soda which as far as we can tell is enjoyed by all guests at the start of the meal before moving to the full Taste of Spring menu. Despite it feeling more like summer than spring (summer actually starts on 20 June) the menu seemed perfect with dishes showing vibrant greens on the plate and real freshness in the mouth.

We start with Devonshire crab, rhubarb, cardamom, cucumber and green mango. Perfect start on a spring menu, the rhubarb and mango not obvious but the dish itself delivering a spring lightness to the start of the meal. Indeed, throughout the meal citrus/acidity is used to lift the plates including orange with the asparagus and white garlic mixed with lemon with the sweetbreads. It reaches its apogee in a ravioli of spring onion and lime, an incredible ravioli that is paired with broad beans, mint and a purée of the same. There's spherifications of broad bean also.

It's all quite stunning including the lobster with ginger and spring onion and a perfect sweetbread stuffed with black garlic bringing sweet rich tones to the dish. White garlic too makes an appearance, laced as noted with lemon, alternating with more black garlic in small to large gel beads alongside the sweetbread.

And would a vegetable make dessert? Of course it did, as an asparagus cream is served with meringue, coconut sorbet and whey gel. It's a beautiful dessert, the asparagus subtle but present with the flavour, when blended into a dessert so well, extending the palate of what a dessert is or can be. It's why we love Hibiscus. 

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Hibiscus flower and pineapple soda
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Devonshire crab, rhubarb, cardamom, cucumber & green mango
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Ravioli of spring onion and lime, broad bean & mint puree
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Confit asparagus, toasted hay
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Native lobster, ginger & spring onion, black pepper sauce
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Veal sweetbreads, black garlic, yuzu, anchovy & gremolata
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Woolley Park Farm guinea fowl cooked in hay, peas a La Francaise, smoked bacon and pink grapefruit
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Charlotte strawberries, celeriac and szechuan pepper
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Asparagus cream, whey gel, coconut sorbet
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Olive oil parfait, mango salad
This was a very accomplished meal and a beautiful endorsement of the ingredients of spring. It's a very progressive meal too, not relying on tradition or comfort to woo the diner yet the end result is still not a challenge because the dishes are so well realised, the flavours integrated and the main ingredient, whether it is crab, sweetbreads or lobster always allowed to shine. 

Asparagus in dessert is on the face of it challenging yet the dessert is not. It is however brilliant and therefore in being original, daring yet still achieved, this dessert, like all the dishes presented here, leaves you satisfied that yes, Hibiscus is the real deal two star. At this level, cooking should be accomplished but original and every plate a treat for the diner: that's exactly what Hibiscus delivers.   



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Related links

Hibiscus website

Hibiscus CC 2010 post


Hibiscus on Urbanspoon
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3 Comments
Foodstotrybeforeyoudie link
28/5/2012 12:55:18 am

Nice review. I'm always interested to read about Hibiscus as opinions seem quite mixed. I've heard the food declared three-star-worthy genius by some, and overly-complicated and weird by others.

I ate there last summer and had both these experiences over the course of a full tasting menu. There were some really brilliant dishes during the first half of the meal and then some odd, bordering on unpleasant dishes during the second half.

The impression I got, and it was confirmed in my mind when I saw Marcus McGuinness on Great British Menu, is that there's a seriously talented kitchen at Hibiscus but they're more focused on producing interesting dishes than delicious ones. And while the skill of the chefs means that these things sometimes come together to produce brilliant food, you also get food that doesn't really work.

There's a part of me that really wants to go back, as it was one of the most exciting meals I've had. But then I think of the courses that let the meal down and think I'd be better off going somewhere less hit and miss.

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Fiona Maclean link
29/5/2012 12:41:05 am

It's on my wish list and has been for a while, but I keep getting distracted! Lovely photos and it's back up at the top of the wishlist again now!

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Sonya link
19/6/2012 01:23:55 am

It seems you had a good experience - I have my own not-so-great one to add to the bag of mixed reviews. http://andmorefood.wordpress.com/2011/12/10/hibiscus-london/

nice photos btw!

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