New opening for James Sommerin in Penarth at relocated location
Home is the new incarnation of James Sommerin’s restaurant on move from his former location on the Seafront (formerly Restaurant James Sommerin). This is an intimate venue with a 4 course lunch option on Fridays and Saturdays for £60 or 8 courses for £120 on either lunches or evenings. We opted for the shorter, 4 course lunch menu for our lunch and found this to be extremely satisfying. It is a personable experience delivered why the Sommerin team and is a stone throw away from Penarth station for those coming by train as I did. I would recommend it for virtually all occasions.
To start, the cheese gougere with parmesan was a good opening – it had a crispy exterior and a nicely soft interior with good cheese flavour. The white bean espuma with chicken skin and burnt onion was also a good canapé. The espuma was light and airy, while the chicken skin added a satisfying crunch.
For the next course, a liquid pea ravioli with sage, Serrano ham and parmesan emulsion was a highlight. The pasta was perfectly cooked and the flavors of the filling and the emulsion complemented each other perfectly. The pollack dish was another standout – the nori seaweed and langoustine mousse, along with the trout roe and supplemented Perigord truffle, made for a dish that was both sweet and savory. Notable was the strength of aroma on the truffle which some of the very best restaurants in the country have not matched in my experience.
The lamb dish was equally enjoyable, featuring tender meat that had been dry-aged for 10 days and roasted in its own fat. The accompanying salsa verde, leaks, and wild garlic added a nice depth of flavor, while the lamb sauce with cumin tied everything together. The cumin was a brilliant flavour combination not had with lamb before.
For dessert, the different textures of apple was an interesting dish to end the meal. The apple sorbet, compote, and espuma provided a range of textures and flavors that made for a refreshing dessert . However, I did find the lumps of iced elements on top made from liquid nitrogen too large as they were extremely cold in the mouth and the pastry disc a little bitter and hard (took a lot of strength to break it) indicating it might have been over done. Even if this was intentional, the dessert was overall pleasant but not my favourite part of the meal. The petit fours of cherry white chocolate was also a standout, (cherries and white chocolate being a classic pairing that never gets old) in a gentle shell of white chocolate and liquid cherry centre as well as the hot chocolate fondant was the perfect ending to the meal – rich, decadent, and delicious.
Overall, this was a great lunch to enjoy. The quality of the ingredients and the skill of the chefs evident from both James and his daughter as the sous chef (Georgia). Initially I wasn’t so sure about the lack of sunlight in the restaurant with all of the curtains drawn as looked a little encaged at first, but I ended up liking the fact that it helped with the acoustics as an intimate space and I understood the cosy, privacy this created as a result. The value for money as well as the personable touch from the Sommerins chatting with the tables as well as overall level of the food makes for a very attractive option.
Food Grade: 78%
My hobby-turned-passion began to evolve during my assignments to London where I was fortunate enough to be able to explore all the Michelin starred restaurants in my spare time and as a result, I gradually built up a catalogue of all these venues.