oh (de) mon-dion!

This is no food critic's blog, however, this post in particular, is a food appreciation post. I've been treated to DE MONDION and I felt compelled to share the spoils..

__Starter__

Saffron and Langoustines
Organic Risotto with Hand-picked Saffron Stamens
Sautéed Local Red Prawns and Baby Spinach, Langoustine Beignet
Asparagus Emulsion and Fried Beetroot
(i.e. a risotto to make you forget all other risottos.. also who would have thought fried beetroot would taste that good .. I could have easily gone for the peppered scallop, the taste of which is in my top three favourite tastes, but after a series of disappointing risottos I, as a fan of the dish, needed something to restore my faith in it)

__Main__

Duo of Local Rabbit:
Roasted Loin filled with Tomato Chutney
Confit Shoulder Spring Roll flavoured with Ras el Hanut
Potato Terrine, Turnip and Spinach Purée
Shimiie and Grapefruit Rind Confiture Vinaigrette
(i.e. could easily pass for an ironic nod at the poor rabbit's habitat.. yes the plate looked like an edible shrubbery of sorts with the roasted loin and spring roll creating burrow-like entrances to the purée by leaning on the terrines. Yellow edible flower thrown in for full effect.. Poor delicious rabbit! I'm sure Mr. Blumenthal would have served this on a furry plate and rabbit ear headband)

-state of stomach=critically and unexpectedly full).. still we proceeded to

__Dessert__
(*no not desert, but dessert Mr.soft spoken-ITS trained-lad)

a delicate tower of raspberry turreted jellied apple compote with a spoonful of raspberry sorbet on top of a precariously thin biscuit scaffold. I fear I shall be craving that sorbet for a long time to come. Just my kind of tower.

You know a place is on to something really special when even the butter tastes divine. Here's a quick sketch of myself, armed with big cutlery (intended to symbolize the extent of my hunger/excitement/eventual bliss) and surrounded by non justifying renditions of what think my plates looked like. Last sentence loosely translates to: couldn't be arsed to take my camera I just wanted to taste the food!



and for the sake of balance and much sought after equilibrium I'd suggest they kill the 'oh la la french' version of miss spears' TOXIC off the playlist, use masking tape on the panes before whitewashing the windows (unless it's a style element that I didn't pick up on) and urge the super talented chef to create a 'rose-scented/tasting' dish .. for that I would definitely return .. after I nurse my piggy bank back to health ..

also .. thumbs up for the salty caramel chocolate .. I was to full to consume much else after all this however I managed to get a taste the foie gras and terrine and wild boar tenderloin and the sesame crisp from the other plates ordered.. and they were (of course) yum!

that was a good birthday meal!

*PS: I hope you excuse the lame joke (it does not deserve to be called 'pun') in the title.