Roganic is a remarkable restaurant offering original food delivered by a talented chef and vibrant front of house team. On our reader survey page, Roganic was voted as the best London restaurant opening of 2011, beating Dinner by Heston Blumenthal in to second place (with Pollen Street Social third). It's not just us then who think Roganic is special.
Roganic, deemed a two year pop up on opening, is now about 8 months into its two year term and we've been lucky enough to eat there several times over that period. Setting a remarkably high standard from the first day it opened, our meal there yesterday nevertheless confirmed that Roganic just keeps getting better and better.
The 10 course tasting menu (£80) is completely fantastic, but with all the little extras, they don't count the pre-dessert as a course for example, it's around 15 courses all in all. As we ponder the meal, we find it truly remarkable just how much effort goes in to every service. The attention to detail, the sheer number of ingredients that are used through the meal, the technique, the plating, it delivers the wow factor with every dish that arrives at the table, which is some achievement.
But there are two more things that are even more remarkable: first, how original the menu is, you will never EVER get a 'me too' meal here, and second, just how Ben Spalding and team do it, putting out a menu of this quality night after night with only a small team in a small kitchen. Of course, hard work is a major contributing factor into making this meal what it is, but there's passion too and it's evident in every plate. We'll never get tired of saying what a brilliant talent Ben Spalding is in the kitchen and how he is currently producing some of the most interesting stuff on the London food scene today. Of course, as the diner, all you have to do is sit back and enjoy it.
Again, the menu is too extensive to go through dish by dish, so we've pictured it below for your viewing pleasures. Discussing the meal as we went and after, the usual 'what's your favourite dish' question comes up but it seems impossible to answer: the 52 hour braised Longhorn short rib is to die for, but there again, so is the langoustine wrapped in pig skin. Other 'sea' dishes include razor clams with fennel and squid toast which was divine, while huss (also known as the spiny dogfish) was magnificent. And vegetables? How about Spring King Leek baked in clay served with a bacon sauce?
Sourdough cracker and horseradish cream
Corned beef croquette, mustard mayonnaise, pickled carrot, apple and edible petals
Jerusalem Artichokes cooked in soil overnight, malt and Crown Prince juice
Langoustine wrapped in pig skin, carot, artichoke, buckthorn and stonecrop
Caramelised cauliflower, sour cream, raisin, roasted lettuce and pennywort
Poached and grilled King Oyster, pine, beetroot and coastal sea leaves
52 hour braised Longhorn shortrib, parsnip, scurvy grass and smoked redcurrants
Iced ginger beer
Warm Bramley cake, liquorice curd, walnut and pink lady sorbet
Yorkshire rhubarb, dried caramel, natural yoghurt and iced lemon thyme
Marmalade cake, popped candy and fresh mint
Savoury custard, pear puree, ginger crumb, atsina cress
Service is friendly, knowledgeable and enthusiastic, provided by a group of ever lovely people: @jonjcannon, @watermelonchang (Sandia), and @jacksettle1.
A final summary hardly seems necessary, this was a stunning meal. Roganic, brilliant form the start, has got even better. If you have yet to go, time is running out (sort of), and you really don't want to miss it, you'll be kicking yourself.
A final summary hardly seems necessary, this was a stunning meal. Roganic, brilliant form the start, has got even better. If you have yet to go, time is running out (sort of), and you really don't want to miss it, you'll be kicking yourself.
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