Regular readers of our blog will know that we have, of late, generally failed to find a good Sunday lunch in London. Struggling to think where we should visit next, we hit upon with the rather good idea of returning to John Salt, Islington, where we know three things that stand strongly in its favour for a good roast. First, we know Neil Rankin, head chef there, is cooking great food because we've tried his weekday menu previously. Second, we know he sources his meat products from Warren's Butchers so the starting point of ingredients is a good one. Third, as former head chef at Pitt Cue, we know Neil understands cooking big chunks of meat. It seems like a winner on paper then.
Of course, we can't not have starters, and dining with a friend, we get to see a fair few plates of food over the meal, all shown below. When the starters arrive, we're reminded once again just how original, and tasty, the food at John Salt is. Burnt onions with razor clams and monks beard sounds like something you might find on the menu at L'enclume, What's more, it tastes like it too. Then there's the cod cheeks, clams and romesco, that sees me mopping up the sauce with the excess toast from the smoked aubergine and tomato and though I know I shouldn't, I do have a big roast dinner coming after all, but it's just so moreish.
And to the mains. Something of a USP for John Salt's roasts, you get two cuts of the main protein on your plate, not just one. Accordingly, order the beef, and you get sirloin and short rib, order pork, it's belly and shoulder. Order the chicken, and well, you just get a whole chicken. This was all done exceptionally well, the quality of the ingredients clear, as were the plates after. The meat is good, the gravy good and the roast potatoes, the bete noir of many a restaurant's Sunday plate, not a problem at John Salt. Accordingly, we struggle to remember a better Sunday roast served up in a restaurant since starting the blog.
Puddings were a treat, and we got to sample all four that were on offer. There's the ultimate crowd pleaser: Oreo, peanut butter and chocolate tart. There's the surprising find: an Earl Grey panna cotta with marmalade and toast (breakfast has now moved from a starter to pudding it seems), and there's fresh intensity: grapefruit, honeycomb and yogurt sorbet, with an exceptionally sourced grapefruit from Florida that burst refreshment in the mouth without excessive bitterness, which was universally enjoyed despite everyone protesting that they were not grapefruit fans (normally). To round off, there's comfort in a tapioca rice pudding.
John Salt has been so strongly identified on the food map as a place to go for an interesting meal, you might not think to go there for a Sunday roast, but then you'd be missing out. But as well as the main event, the top and tail of original and quite frankly fabulous starters and desserts bumps it up a further notch in our books. This is our third time at John Salt, each time thus far has been an absolute treat.
Of course, we can't not have starters, and dining with a friend, we get to see a fair few plates of food over the meal, all shown below. When the starters arrive, we're reminded once again just how original, and tasty, the food at John Salt is. Burnt onions with razor clams and monks beard sounds like something you might find on the menu at L'enclume, What's more, it tastes like it too. Then there's the cod cheeks, clams and romesco, that sees me mopping up the sauce with the excess toast from the smoked aubergine and tomato and though I know I shouldn't, I do have a big roast dinner coming after all, but it's just so moreish.
And to the mains. Something of a USP for John Salt's roasts, you get two cuts of the main protein on your plate, not just one. Accordingly, order the beef, and you get sirloin and short rib, order pork, it's belly and shoulder. Order the chicken, and well, you just get a whole chicken. This was all done exceptionally well, the quality of the ingredients clear, as were the plates after. The meat is good, the gravy good and the roast potatoes, the bete noir of many a restaurant's Sunday plate, not a problem at John Salt. Accordingly, we struggle to remember a better Sunday roast served up in a restaurant since starting the blog.
Puddings were a treat, and we got to sample all four that were on offer. There's the ultimate crowd pleaser: Oreo, peanut butter and chocolate tart. There's the surprising find: an Earl Grey panna cotta with marmalade and toast (breakfast has now moved from a starter to pudding it seems), and there's fresh intensity: grapefruit, honeycomb and yogurt sorbet, with an exceptionally sourced grapefruit from Florida that burst refreshment in the mouth without excessive bitterness, which was universally enjoyed despite everyone protesting that they were not grapefruit fans (normally). To round off, there's comfort in a tapioca rice pudding.
John Salt has been so strongly identified on the food map as a place to go for an interesting meal, you might not think to go there for a Sunday roast, but then you'd be missing out. But as well as the main event, the top and tail of original and quite frankly fabulous starters and desserts bumps it up a further notch in our books. This is our third time at John Salt, each time thus far has been an absolute treat.
Cod cheeks, clams and romesco
burnt onions, razor clams and monks beard
smoked aubergine, tomatoes and toast
ham & egg
beef (sirloin, short rib)
Pork (belly, shoulder)
Chicken
tapioca rice pudding
Oreo, peanut butter, chocolate tart
Earl Grey panna cotta, marmalade, toast
grapefruit, honeycomb, yogurt sorbet
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