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.
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.
Hibiscus flower and pineapple soda
Devonshire crab, rhubarb, cardamom, cucumber & green mango
Ravioli of spring onion and lime, broad bean & mint puree
Confit asparagus, toasted hay
Native lobster, ginger & spring onion, black pepper sauce
Veal sweetbreads, black garlic, yuzu, anchovy & gremolata
Woolley Park Farm guinea fowl cooked in hay, peas a La Francaise, smoked bacon and pink grapefruit
Charlotte strawberries, celeriac and szechuan pepper
Asparagus cream, whey gel, coconut sorbet
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.
Return to homepage
Related links
Hibiscus website
Hibiscus CC 2010 post
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.
Return to homepage
Related links
Hibiscus website
Hibiscus CC 2010 post
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