We are not, as you will have guessed from the above picture, in zone 1. Already on a journey west, extending the trip by a day or two to further our journey seemed a good idea so with that in mind, I headed over the border and in to Wales with a view to finding great Welsh food, something that has till now seemed somewhat elusive. My first port of call is The Crown at Whitebrook, near Monmouth, which suited my need for accommodation also. I know little of the Crown beforehand but clicking on to the website to get the address, a picture of the Head Chef James Sommerin is on screen and I recognise him from Great British Menu but still have no real clue what to expect.
Fortunately, Whitebrook comes up on the SatNav since there's no street name and 'near Monmouth', the second line of their address covers quite a bit of ground. Knowing I'm on the right road when I reach Whitebrook prompts relief, and after that, it's not hard to find. An unassuming place, it has that old country pub look to it and if it's not your destination, is an easy place to drive past without a second glance. I have the same thoughts as I had when we first saw Simon Rogan's L'enclume, a sort of wow, it must be really hard to carve out a living doing fine dining in the middle of nowhere. A bit harsh on both venues perhaps but it's a testament to both that they are achieving success in rural areas doing top end food. I'm also hoping that I'm not going to be disappointed.
Before dinner however, I have time for a walk and enjoy the beautiful landscapes of the Wye Valley. With an abundance of nature on the doorstep, that Wales doesn't have more top restaurants is a little odd.
Fortunately, Whitebrook comes up on the SatNav since there's no street name and 'near Monmouth', the second line of their address covers quite a bit of ground. Knowing I'm on the right road when I reach Whitebrook prompts relief, and after that, it's not hard to find. An unassuming place, it has that old country pub look to it and if it's not your destination, is an easy place to drive past without a second glance. I have the same thoughts as I had when we first saw Simon Rogan's L'enclume, a sort of wow, it must be really hard to carve out a living doing fine dining in the middle of nowhere. A bit harsh on both venues perhaps but it's a testament to both that they are achieving success in rural areas doing top end food. I'm also hoping that I'm not going to be disappointed.
Before dinner however, I have time for a walk and enjoy the beautiful landscapes of the Wye Valley. With an abundance of nature on the doorstep, that Wales doesn't have more top restaurants is a little odd.
Crown at Whitebrook
up the road
Viewing the dining room, it is immediately clear that the Crown has taken the fine dining route and everything looks crisp. Additionally, so far, staff have been excellent with a friendly greeting from reception on checking in and, I sense, they are aiming for high standards across the entire customer experience.
A drink in the bar before dinner and a chance to view the menus. There's a three course a la carte at £55 and both a 6 course (£67.50) and 9 course (£75.00) tasting menu available. I want to try the tasting menu to get the best view of the what the kitchen offers and with only £7.50 for three extra courses, economics dictate that I choose the 9 course menu even though I have been warned that it's a lot of food (it is, but fortunately, it's not my first rodeo). I also really hope I'm going to like it as nine courses from a kitchen that can't cook can feel a bit like hell: both painful and eternal.
To spoil the surprise, I did like it, very much so and my view is that the Crown is probably the best restaurant in Wales which might seem an absurd claim to make given that I haven't been to very many restaurants at all in Wales, but if someone out there is doing food better than this, I'm thinking the restaurant or the chef would have garnered much national publicity and hence I would have heard about it, after all, we keep our ears open for such things. Since I have heard about no such restaurant, it is safe to assume there is none. I conclude that the Crown at Whitebrook, one of only four restaurants in Wales with a Michelin star (of which three are now on this blog), is probably the best, though Checkers might at some time in the future prove me wrong.
A drink in the bar before dinner and a chance to view the menus. There's a three course a la carte at £55 and both a 6 course (£67.50) and 9 course (£75.00) tasting menu available. I want to try the tasting menu to get the best view of the what the kitchen offers and with only £7.50 for three extra courses, economics dictate that I choose the 9 course menu even though I have been warned that it's a lot of food (it is, but fortunately, it's not my first rodeo). I also really hope I'm going to like it as nine courses from a kitchen that can't cook can feel a bit like hell: both painful and eternal.
To spoil the surprise, I did like it, very much so and my view is that the Crown is probably the best restaurant in Wales which might seem an absurd claim to make given that I haven't been to very many restaurants at all in Wales, but if someone out there is doing food better than this, I'm thinking the restaurant or the chef would have garnered much national publicity and hence I would have heard about it, after all, we keep our ears open for such things. Since I have heard about no such restaurant, it is safe to assume there is none. I conclude that the Crown at Whitebrook, one of only four restaurants in Wales with a Michelin star (of which three are now on this blog), is probably the best, though Checkers might at some time in the future prove me wrong.
the dining room
The meal starts with a venison boudin, pearly barley and smoked bacon. It's delicious, I'm pleased for we have invariably found with tasting menus that 'as go the first two courses, so goes the meal'. The boudin is silky smooth and the dish itself seems a considered start to a large tasting menu. Next up is a loin of wild rabbit with almond, pear and gingerbread. Still just a peep in, I am however also liking this menu (which is a surprise, I only find out the courses when they're brought to the table). It's not a 'me too' menu but seems to represent the distinct personality of the chef. Both the content and the presentation of the rabbit dish tells me that this is a kitchen that thinks, a kitchen that really cares about the food and one that wants to show it to its best advantage. I'm already sensing that I will like this meal through to the end.
venison boudin, pearly barley and smoked bacon
wild rabbit, almond, pear and gingerbread
It's like two for the price of one next as a piece of grey mullet that could have easily been served by itself is accompanied by a smoked eel cannelloni. There's cucumber too for freshness and avocado. Grey mullet is not an obvious or frequently served fish in restaurants and its firm and meaty with the eel having a spiced as well as smoky edge to it, all refreshed with the cucumber.
Pigeon follows and is nicely done, quite traditional here, served with beetroot and presented attractively on the plate.
Pigeon follows and is nicely done, quite traditional here, served with beetroot and presented attractively on the plate.
Grey Mullet, eel, avocado, cucumber
pigeon, beetroot, rosemary
After pigeon, it's a little surprise to swing back to fish albeit his majesty the turbot with cauliflower and samphire. It came with its own turbot fish finger which is playful but maybe a distraction. The dish also came with a wild mushroom that the team were especially proud of having been foraged locally and unlike any normal mushroom possessing both a smooth texture and taste almost like a gnocchi parcel.
The final main is traditional Welsh: lamb, garlic, charred leek, lamb sweetbreads. It's served with a lustrous jus and is a fitting end to the cooked savouries.
The final main is traditional Welsh: lamb, garlic, charred leek, lamb sweetbreads. It's served with a lustrous jus and is a fitting end to the cooked savouries.
turbot with cauliflower and samphire
lamb, garlic, charred leek, lamb sweetbreads
Cheese is next and they are justifiably proud of the selection. Billed on my menu as a 'Selection of Welsh and British cheeses' I don't have the heart to point out that Wales is part of Britain; admittedly it's noted as Welsh and English on their website. All that aside, it's a really impressive cheese board and with everything you could want, soft through hard, blues, creamy cheeses, goats cheeses and more. Even more impressive is how considerate they are in what they serve on the plate to ensure you can enjoy the cheese how you like it best. There's grapes, celery, quince, apple, chutneys, various biscuits, but best of all, honeycomb. Rarely do restaurants serve up honey with the cheese but it is delicious and again, points out that they are really trying to be thoughtful on all aspects of the meal.
Welsh and English cheeses (and one Irish)
Two desserts follow. The first is a strawberry sphere though initially, you're unsure of its centre till you break through to the creamy inside. This I'm later told has been a popular dessert throughout the now ending strawberry season and the kitchen wanted me to try it.
Some dry ice fun follows with a deconstructed cheesecake which is James's dessert from Great British Menu. The spectacle makes the couple at the next table ask if they can take a picture of my dessert and I can't imagine there are many chefs using dry ice in Wales guaranteeing for the most part a captive audience. The dessert itself, billed here as raspberry, cream cheese, lemon and vanilla had scored an 8 from Angela Hartnett on TV and again, it's good to see the chef's vision coming from the kitchen.
My only criticism here is one of menu construction, both desserts had a similar feel with red berries, chocolate and citrus. By this stage of the meal however, the kitchen knew I was a blogger and I think James wanted me to have the popular summer strawberry dessert and show his top scoring dish from GBM. The dessert were however both enjoyed despite being incredibly full by this stage.
Some dry ice fun follows with a deconstructed cheesecake which is James's dessert from Great British Menu. The spectacle makes the couple at the next table ask if they can take a picture of my dessert and I can't imagine there are many chefs using dry ice in Wales guaranteeing for the most part a captive audience. The dessert itself, billed here as raspberry, cream cheese, lemon and vanilla had scored an 8 from Angela Hartnett on TV and again, it's good to see the chef's vision coming from the kitchen.
My only criticism here is one of menu construction, both desserts had a similar feel with red berries, chocolate and citrus. By this stage of the meal however, the kitchen knew I was a blogger and I think James wanted me to have the popular summer strawberry dessert and show his top scoring dish from GBM. The dessert were however both enjoyed despite being incredibly full by this stage.
Raspberry, cream cheese, lemon, vanilla
In a small restaurant like this, staff work as a team and everybody who looked after me that night perfectly combined professionalism with friendliness. However, a special mention goes to Kader Seddick who principally looked after me and was excellent in all aspects. What is doubly impressive however is that Kader had only been with the Crown for two days having previously worked in New Orleans. With his main role being sommelier (he's a native Frenchman), Kader provided excellent and innovative wine pairings but talked competently about all aspects of the menu. Everybody there in fact has a contagious enthusiasm for the Crown.
I really liked this meal and the Michelin star is totally deserved. I also think that it's in the top tier of 1 star restaurants nationally leading me to wonder if it could make the leap and achieve a second star. The mind of Michelin (if it indeed has one) is opaque and mysterious so who knows but the food here does have a strong imprint from a talented chef and a tasting menu avoiding traditional crowd pleasers like scallops (which are admittedly on the alc) and foie gras (which is not) in favour of rabbit, grey mullet and smoked eel does bring to mind somewhere like The Ledbury where Brett does his own thing; both also savour extensive use of game. Meanwhile, the last time I had pigeon this good was at Helen Darroze.
Elsewhere, the Crown was recently named Best Restaurant in Wales in the 2013 Good Food Guide ranking 27th nationally, very respectable considering that 2 star luminaries Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles is ranked 33rd and The Hand & Flowers ranks 36th.
I'm so glad I made the trip to Wales to try James Sommerin's food, it was worth it. It's great to find a gem of a restaurant in Wales and the Crown is certainly that. The guides suggest that James's food at the Crown has been improving every year and his star has been held for around five years now. In 2008 James was selected by The Guardian as one of the Chefs to Watch: my meal at the Crown suggests he's still worth watching.
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I really liked this meal and the Michelin star is totally deserved. I also think that it's in the top tier of 1 star restaurants nationally leading me to wonder if it could make the leap and achieve a second star. The mind of Michelin (if it indeed has one) is opaque and mysterious so who knows but the food here does have a strong imprint from a talented chef and a tasting menu avoiding traditional crowd pleasers like scallops (which are admittedly on the alc) and foie gras (which is not) in favour of rabbit, grey mullet and smoked eel does bring to mind somewhere like The Ledbury where Brett does his own thing; both also savour extensive use of game. Meanwhile, the last time I had pigeon this good was at Helen Darroze.
Elsewhere, the Crown was recently named Best Restaurant in Wales in the 2013 Good Food Guide ranking 27th nationally, very respectable considering that 2 star luminaries Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles is ranked 33rd and The Hand & Flowers ranks 36th.
I'm so glad I made the trip to Wales to try James Sommerin's food, it was worth it. It's great to find a gem of a restaurant in Wales and the Crown is certainly that. The guides suggest that James's food at the Crown has been improving every year and his star has been held for around five years now. In 2008 James was selected by The Guardian as one of the Chefs to Watch: my meal at the Crown suggests he's still worth watching.
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