thecriticalcouple
  • Home
  • The Food Blog
  • CC Cocktails
  • Wellbeing
  • Other Stuff
  • Contact

The Elephant: a leading British light

26/5/2011

17 Comments

 
Picture
The Elephant Restaurant in Torquay ranked 41st in the UK National Restaurant Awards 2010 and is the holder of a Michelin star. Chef Patron Simon Hulstone meanwhile has a personal string of awards under his belt while also leading the UK team at Bocuse d'Or. We're intrigued.

The Elephant is in fact divided into a downstairs Brasserie and the upstairs fine dining area called The Room (as in The Elephant in the Room though technically of course it's The Room in The Elephant). Both the upstairs and the downstairs dining rooms have stunning views over the the quay and it's a very comfortable environment to enjoy a meal.

And before moving on to the food, we must comment on how genuinely warm and friendly front of house manager Jason is, he's perfect in the role and enhances the overall customer experience. He also has an excellent knowledge of the wine list and did a great job assembling the tasting menu wine flights.

Looking at the menu, we breathe a sigh of relief noting the absence of foie gras on the tasting menu itself, rather, the food looks contemporary and exciting, revealing while not giving up all its secrets ahead of receiving the plate. We're already happy. 

The first plate to arrive is Beets and Curds, Elderflower, Tansy and samosa: visually, it stimulates our appetite, we're moved to eat it. Golden beetroot and Cheltenham beetroot are used, the samosas contain goats cheese, and then there's elderflower, elderflower curd and an elderflower dressing. A good fresh start to the meal. The next course to arrive is simply stunning as the picture below shows: Brixham crab, lovage gel, compressed watermelon, cucumber ketchup. A separate bowl of brown meat crab balls with tartare sauce is placed in the middle of the table. It's hard not to be impressed with the precision and care with which this dish has been constructed, it is to look and taste, beautiful. The brown meat crab balls are also absolutely awesome, packed with flavour, would have been a worthy course in its own right. Two courses in, we already feel won over.

Picture
Beets and Curds, Elderflower, Tansy and samosa
Picture
Brixham crab, lovage gel, compressed, watermelon, cucumber ketchup
Picture
crab balls and tartare sauce
Two more starter dishes to come. First, Bay scallop, lemon & cabbage risotto, mussel foam and borage. For the scallop, the Bay in question is the one you can see outside the window, and with the again pristine presentation plus a great and original scallop pot, this blows away rival dishes including the insipid sea scallop and pea we were recently served at the more lauded 3 star Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester. Finally, it is Ham Hock tortellini, celery and chive flowers, crispy pecans and a pea and toffee soup. The pea and toffee soup is stand out, a wonderful and surprising addition, a happy marvel.
Picture
Bay scallop, lemon, cabbage, risotto, mussel and borage
The fish course mains next: halibut with lardo, dill pollen, parsnips, verjus, spring onion and golden sultanas, and Sea bass, clams, cod cheek, pickled shallot and olive oil. The idea with the two courses is that we swap half way through but we are each so enamoured with the plate in front of us that we refuse to swap. Had we been served the other plate, the same would most probably have been true also for again, these are great plates with local fish. There's also a 'surprise' element in the dish such as the halibut being served with sweetbreads, not an obvious choice but it works with both flavours and texture, transferring the 'burden' of the fryer away from the fish but still giving a nod to it on the plate. As for sea bass, cod cheek and clams, when expertly cooked, always going to be a winner.
Picture
halibut with lardo, dill pollen, parsnips, verjus, spring onion and golden sultanas
Picture
Sea bass, clams, cod cheek, pickled shallot and olive oil
For the meat mains, the duck with pak choi and celeriac puree also came with a duck tongue salad and quince while the Beef came with the unusual mix of ramsoms, cuttlefish, oxtail and daikon and a (surprise) salad of crispy squid. Again, both perfectly cooked, the duck an exemplar of the kind, tender to cut and yielding full flavours in the mouth. The beef meanwhile with the cuttlefish and oxtail was super intense and offered a great example of how the best produce can still be enhanced by a chef's touch.
Picture
Beef, ramsoms, cuttlefish, oxtail and daikon
Picture
crispy squid salad
Picture
duck with pak choi
Picture
duck tongue salad
We pass on the cheese, we're simply getting too full and we embark upon desserts: passion fruit cheesecake, citrus, honey and chantilly, and Chocolate fondant, banana, salted butter ice cream. Both excellent, both a little more mainstream than perhaps the earlier courses though the salted butter ice cream is declared 'to die for' and the crunchy tuiles are suitably addictive. In a world of neglected desserts (generally by most restaurants in our view), these were an excellent finish to an excellent meal.
Picture
passion fruit cheesecake, citrus, honey and chantilly
Picture
Chocolate fondant, banana, salted butter ice cream
Picture
Chef Simon Hulstone in The Room
Overall, this was a great meal with no weak links. It achieved real highs, real surprises, had finesse and demonstrated care, but never tried to over reach leaving the food honest and us impressed. The Elephant might not own its own farm like L'enclume but it has a sufficiently close and exclusive relationship with one local farm that the connection to the land is evident in the food. As such, there's also a strong connection between the menus of the two establishments even if they have their own very different styles; either way, we love both. 

The Elephant in the room then is that the best and most enjoyable food offerings right now in the UK seem to be coming from restaurants with neither multiple stars nor Mayfair postcodes, rather, regional restaurants where there's passion and talent behind the stove. Allied that with great ingredients, cared for by the chef and the diner's guaranteed a good time. We've talked a lot about 'safe' menus and 'me-too' menus but also that great chefs are doing their own thing and so it is that Chef Hulstone is doing his own thing: it works. We loved our meal at The Elephant and for anyone planning to be in or around Devon this summer, The Elephant should be a definite fixture on your list.


Return to homepage

    
Elephant on Urbanspoon
17 Comments
Brett link
26/5/2011 03:03:51 pm

love the photo of the chocolate fondant with the pulled chocolate caramel.

Reply
Mark Smith
26/5/2011 04:48:27 pm

Another meal with flowers all over the dishes do "the critical couple" like, ohh yes!!!



Reply
thecriticalcouple
26/5/2011 05:03:21 pm

Mark Smith

since you already made your comments clear in the Gidleigh post by saying that 'L'enclume and Sat Bains isn't food' we wouldn't really expect you to like The Elephant either. Also, have you actually eaten at either L'enclume or Sat Bains?

But Mark, an honest question though, looking at the pictures above on The Elephant post, and then comparing them with the pictures on the Gidleigh post, which restaurant's food do you think looks most attractive?

Reply
Alan spedding ( cumbriafoodie) link
26/5/2011 11:29:48 pm

How amazing does that food look ? WOW , the Brixham crab is a work of art.The duck and Pak choi....the beef...Oh dear , it looks amazing.What a shame its so far away from Cumbria.
My perfect idea of what a top class meal should be.

Reply
hungryincardiff
26/5/2011 11:51:19 pm

i'm guessing mr mark smith could well be a troll. To comment on the flowers when the whole presentation of each dish is so stunning, has the air of bitterness about it.
Never mind. The elephant looks and sounds fantastic. I look forward to eating there.
Hulston has an incredible talent.

Reply
steve b link
27/5/2011 12:23:55 am

having eaten pretty much the same meal last week at simon's, i have to say that i agree wholeheartedly with the review, and its sentiments. mr smith, i have always felt that flowers are an unnecassary addition to most dishes, however when done with the precision and care of selection which simon shows, they are an absolute complement to the dishes. these are not flavourless nasturtiums merely adding a splash of colour, but carefully chosen herb flowers which bring a freshness and extension of flavour to simons menu. believe in the flavour as much as the appearance.

Reply
grazing kate link
27/5/2011 01:06:14 am

Looks fabulous. I haven't eaten at the Elephant for about two years but it looks like the presentation has changed - there was certainly none of the pretty flower garnishes when we were there. Great to see some Devon restaurants reviewed - I shall now go look at the Gidleigh review as I'm intrigued....

Reply
Mark Smith
27/5/2011 01:32:30 pm

Wow...finally you respond to my post, well done!!!

Having been a BIG foodie myself I've eaten in all the three stars, almost all the two stars & about 60% of the one star restaurants in the UK. And to answer your question, yes I've eaten in both restaurants.

I don't find The Elephant bad at all but what I do find bad is how you talk ill about good restaurants that have a name for themselves!!! Gidleigh has had two stars since 1999, I think you have this one wrong!!!

As for watch food would I reather eat, sorry but I would reather eat FOOD, food that looks like food, food that's FULL of flavour,not food cooking for the AA Guide!!!

Reply
thecriticalcouple
28/5/2011 05:00:02 am

Mark Smith.

we would be very interested to hear how you rate Gidleigh compared to The Ledbury, LCS and L'Atelier?

Reply
Mark Smith
28/5/2011 04:56:34 pm

Responding to another comment, I question myself if I'm getting someone's back up?

These restaurants are different in many ways, for me I'm big on hotel restaurants.

To compare them together, which I'm going from what I remember how there dishes had great flavour & skill to them. The Ledbury is a great restaurant, you see Brett & Phill in his food which I love, "LCS" great desserts but had a bad starter, which I sent back!!! L'Atelier which I haven't been in the UK but been to the one in Paris which was amazing.

Final tho I get back to Gidleigh, two dishes I've had that you had & I remember them like yesterday!!!

Looking at your pictures, your camera must be a good quality with a large flash, how do you think other guest feel about this?

Reply
Anthony Gubler
31/5/2011 11:39:54 pm

Mark Smith

I suspect that getting the critical couple’s backs up was actually your initial intention which is just childish and pathetic. I am surprised that they have shown you respect back by actually entertaining your overly biased and frankly disrespectful comments.

I have read nearly all of the reviews from the critical couple and have found that each one has been accurate and fair for the overall experience described (food, service, ambience etc). They have also returned to venues that did not shine to allow them a second (and sometimes third) chance, I am sure that in time the same chance will be given to Gidleigh Park.

While comments are not always expected to be full of support on a particular review, you should respect the obvious experience that the critical couple had and accept the fact that they did not feel a particular restaurant lived up to the expected standard for their reputation.

Reply
KD
8/6/2011 11:15:11 am

Been to the Elephant ever since it first opened and have seen the menu and quality improve year on year.

Flowers, ok, but more importantly a little tweek on the menu writing so as it doesn't read like just a list of ingrediants.

All in all, continuous improvement, which is all we want and compared to Gidleigh where I have also been many times, it competes well on value for money!

Reply
the hanging pigion
9/6/2011 05:39:30 pm

all looks very nice here when i ate here about 4 years ago was not this advanced then mayby worth another visit

Reply
Steve G
28/6/2011 04:15:47 am

Interesting review, i have only eaten in the Brasserie.

Can i ask, did you pair the wines with your food and what was your bill? It seems in many reviews you mention the total cost, but not here.

Reply
thecriticalcouple
28/6/2011 10:58:22 am

Steve,

thanks for your comment. Wines were paired with the food which was ably done by FOH manager Jason.

We can't now remember how much it all cost but it was appropriately and fairly priced. In reviews we tend to mention price when it is very high or very low as it then becomes an influencing factor around the experience. Here, as said, it was 'just right'.

Reply
limheng
27/12/2014 09:14:01 pm

Reply
King Charlie
13/1/2023 03:29:53 pm

Mark Smith is Princess Harry. Full of moans and blames other people for everything. Drop the title and just be plain Karen.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Follow CriticalCouple on Twitter


    Categories

    All
    Bars
    Books
    Burgers
    Drink
    Fish
    Giving
    Hotel
    Places
    Pub
    Restaurants
    Seafood
    Steak
    Whisky
    Wine


    RSS Feed

We're all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. (Oscar Wilde)