After being SO impressed by the previous pop-up restaurants meals, I couldn't wait to try another one. After attending June and July's. I was so exited to try Augusts!
I have been blown away by all of their pop-ups but this one really blew my mind, it was exceptional from start to finish and Mike & Josh have grown so much as chefs and their techniques are improving by the month. They work from a tiny kitchen with hardly any appliances and yet they still manage to produce beautiful food.
We started with Snacks as always.
This was their take on Ravioli - tomato water, beef tartare topped with caviar. This was stunning, such unusual textures but a delicious start to the meal and full of flavour.
Snack 2
The next snack was Cheese on Toast Ice Cream with Strawberry & Tomato Sauce. This was so interesting, a very fun sack and it honestly tasted JUST like cheesy beans on toast - but cold and in ice cream form. Yes, this sounds weird but my god it was good and it took me back to being a child again. The ice cream was made from cheese and toast and the sauce helped give the beans flavour - so good.
We were then given a pallet cleanser before our starters.
Elderflower, Apple, Mint and Lime - the was a shot of drinks with all those flavours combined and it was so refreshing and a great pallet cleanser. Would definitely work with gin!
Starter
Pea Veloute, Wasabi Peas, Goats Curd, Mint & Elderflower - This was in soup-form but cold, it was very different and I couldn't quite get my head around it at first but once I tasted all the combinations together I was blown away. The pea veloute was full of flavour and with the mint and elderflower it was very fresh tasting and then the wasabi peas gave it some heat and a kick, with the goats curd helping to cool it down again and give it a twang. Very good starter and I was so impressed.
Fish
Smoked Mackerel Tartare with Smoked Vodka with Pickled Cucumber & Lemon Sherbet Dressing - the mackerel was completely raw but the vodka cured it, which was very unusual but I loved it! Some people on the table were unsure about it being so raw but I thought it was full of flavour and I enjoyed the fact it was raw, it was so fresh tasting and with the pickled cucumber and the lemon sherbet dressing it helped bring it all together and for such a small dish that looks so simple on the plate, it was full of different flavours.
We were then given another treat, a little pre-main course to share between us.
Pork Crackling with Herb & Mayo Sauce - this was amazing! I love pork so much, and this was perfectly crispy and salty and went so well with with herby mayo sauce, which helped it not be so dry too. This is a great way of using up ingredients without wasting anything, it just goes to show you can make tasty food out of anything!
Main Course
Belly Pork, Lentil Dahl, Carrot (Pureed, Roasted & Pickled) Piccalilli and Apple Puree - the presentation was beautiful and it looked so good on the plate. The pork was cooked perfectly, so tender and juicy with a crispy outer skin. The pickled carrots were delicious, I could've eaten 10 of them and the lentil dahl was beautiful - I didn't think I would enjoy this too much but the lentils were cooked well, tender, tasty and went so well with the rest of the meal. The apple puree helped the whole dish to go down and give it so sweetness. I loved this so much - a perfect main course!
Dessert
As I don't like Nutella or nuts, Josh & Mike made a different dessert for me which was so lovely of them.
The first dessert was: Banana Parfait, Nutella Powder, Brioche Crisp & Cherry Gel
Second dessert: Coconut Sorbet, Banana Puree, Lime Gel, Raw Coconut, Pineapple & Chilli - Josh & Mike explained it as a deconstructed pina colada, which certainly made me happy!
I tried some of the first dessert from Tom's plate and I have to say it was delicious! The banana parfait was perfectly smooth and tasty, the Nutella powder went so well with it and the cherry gel was sour and tangy and helped the dish to come together. I could've eaten this and I ended up stealing half of Tom's!
The deconstructed Pina Colada was also amazing, so fresh and tasted like a holiday. The coconut sorbet was the perfect texture, the banana puree was tangy and went so well with the sorbet, the lime gel gave it that sour taste and the coconut, pineapple and chilli was a nice extra touch and I was so impressed by this dessert, I couldn't fault it. Perfection on a plate!
Treats
Vanilla & Strawberry Marshmallows, Coconut Marshmallow & Parkin with Salted Caramel Mousse - these were both amazing. As we all said on table 'no body makes marshmallow' but I'm so glad they decided to. They were fluffy, sweet and full of flavour. They literally melted in the mouth - definitely the best marshmallows I have ever had! But, the star of the show was the salted caramel mousse, the perfect consistency of sweet caramel and salt - I need this in my life every day! We enjoyed it so much Josh & Mike gave us the piping bag full of it and yes we did happily polish it all off.
Another amazing meal at En Place, it just gets better each time and just when I think they can't possibly surprise me anymore - they do, and with even better flavours and more amazing dishes that blow me away with every mouthful. Josh & Mike are such lovely guys and they work so hard to create perfect dishes. This was my favourite pop-up so far and I can't wait for the next one! Everyone - you NEED to go and try En Place, you will not regret it I promise you.
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