Roots (York)

The head chef is Will Lockwood formerly of L’enclume and Noma.  First up was shiitake and cep Mushroom & Lemon Verbena served with Lardo.  This had a delightful aroma, was more salty than mushroom, but tempered  by the sweet verbena.  Next came a tartlet of salt-aged beef in marigold oil, artichoke mousse, yeast, fermented turnip, marigold, dried ox heart on top with dried marigold petals.  This was undeniably delectable, with soft notes of ox and a gentle mousse -it was in fact an absolute triumph of a canapé.

The next course was pear, spruce salt, Cote Hill Blue granita and a black apple purée aged over 2 months at 60 degrees.  This was a pleasant take on cheese, called blue sense with an iced, snow effect which was complemented by the apple.  Next came a crab custard, with parsley sauce with parsley oil, pickled parsley and wild Caviar from the supplier Petrossian.  Along side was a crab toast brioche dipped in custard and fried in clarified butter, served with pink crab parsley gel, dill and dried chilli.  The brioche was actually a tad soggy here, but the flavour was good with the faintest kick of chilli and a crab custard that was utterly smooth with good seasoning.  Such was the occasion I tried a glass of Classic Cuvee, Charles Palmer 2015 (Sussex, England) which was fine as a refreshing glass of fizz.

Home made Sour Bread from pastry chef Martin came with cultured butters, the sour sough holding a brittle crust. Chive butter and cultured butter using yoghurt were served with the well done bread.  Next up came Senshyu onion, whey, chanterelles, brined over night, then pan fried served with pickled brown beach mushroom, yogurt whey sauce with chive oil mushroom buerre noisette drizzle.  The sweet onion and pickled onions were a treat here here and this was a good dish of complimentary elements.

The fish course was Monkfish (sourced from Hogsons of Hartlepool in a change from the Flying Fish company), served with brassicas, slightly steamed, garden kale, tender stem broccoli cooked on barbecue, lightly aerated hollandaise sauce with fermented celeriac and horseradish.  This held a lovely and gentle kick of horseradish on the hollandaise however the monkfish was sadly a little cold.  The barbecued effect on the vegetables had a good finish to the dish as the garnish.

The meat main was wild Scottish red deer venison (from R and J butchers Rippon), infused with juniper,  supplier Damson jus, Flowering Currant vinegar, beetroot, hen of woods mushroom, black garlic emulsion, beetroot purée and hen of woods mushroom.  On the side was a freshly fried dodoughnut with shoulder of venison ragout inside.  The venison itself was absolutely loaded with sweet, smokey sauces coating melt in mouth venison and was a pleasure. The doughnut was ok, but I was less convinced on the combination; the sweetness of the dough and the currant inside almost made it a slightly confused normal sweet donut with meat inside and was probably the low part of the meal for me.

However, on to the actual sweets, which started with rhubarb (a favourite of Tommy Banks and an apt vegetable for the restaurants with its thick roots), hay, lemon verbena, chantilly cream whipped with hay, rhubarb compote oxalis leaves sweet broth with rhubarb shnapps, meringue and sherbet disc. Potato custard dusted with ground chicory root & Chicory Root ice cream crumble. This was gorgeous all round especially the hay-flavoured Chantilly cream which was superb.

The petit fours were also good.  These consisted of three pieces: a brown butter and chicory root ice cream sandwich with caramel which was delicious; a rhubarb tart with meadowsweet & white chocolate which was fine and a lovage & chicory root tasting of fudge and was pleasant enough.  All these came with the coffee from the local Lonton coffee company which was likewise fine.

Overall, this was a serious food affair and the dishes were obviously carefully constructed.  To my surprise I actively didn’t gel with a couple of the courses, but the skill level in general is not in question, more the choice of certain combinations.  These were intertwined in some elements that were absolutely fantastic so it was a varied meal overall, but all served via hospitable hands and in a very pleasant and well designed environment. I would recommend dining here absolutely and if I was invited by a friend to come here, I would instinctively look forward to it based on this visit.