Da Terra

 4 hands dinner

Moqueca

I was super gutted when Greenhouse was shut down for good in early 2020, as chef Alex Dilling's cooking has to be one of the finest in London, I have eaten at Greenhouse when it was headed up by Antonin Bonnet and Arnaud Bignon, and I got to say Alex's offering is far better than both. When I discovered he is doing a one-off dinner with chef Rafael Cagali at Da Terra, I wasted no time to book a table. Da Terra has long been high on my visit list, headed up by Rafael who worked with some top the greatest chefs in the world such as Martin Berasategui and Simon Rogan, Latin style creative fine dining is rare in the UK so I was eager to see what Rafael got in store for the dinner. The meal came in a tasting menu format, with 5 dishes from each chef.

Canapes

Caviar, crab, ginger

 

Carabineros, olive, datterini

 

Andignac foie gras

 

with five spices, quince

 

Clam chowder, cockles, razor clams

I noticed some dishes came from Alex's Greenhouse days, the clam chowder served with silky soft potatoes with crokes and razorclams, it tasted as good as it looked with some bold seafood umami taste, it was less refined vs The Greenhouse version but that is understandable for a one off dinner. The Landes chicken was stunning, stuffed with cep and foie, beautifully crafted with a lovely sweet and saoury aroma. The chicken was super tender and smooth, it was not just the best dish of the evening for me, it was the best chicken dish I have encountered in London, ever. Rafael's cooking was also outstanding, the showstopper moqueca had a rich, creamy, yet fresh shellfish flavour, the sauce from the stew was served on a piece of finely cooked halibut, the seasoning was perfect, can't fault the dish at all.

Chefs at work!

Duck tortellini, cured duck, whey, watercress

 

Wild halibit, palm, cassava

 

Landes chicken

 

Champagne, yogurt, lemongrass

 

Sorrel, blackberries, vinegar

The special 4 hands dinner at Da Terra reminded me how great Alex is as a chef, he is up there with the very best in the UK for sure. It was also great to experience Raferal's very interesting Latin takes on fine dining, based on what I have encountered, I would love to return to Da Terra to sample its true offering. All in all, the special one-off 4 hands dinner was truly wonderful and I am looking forward to sampling both chefs' cooking again in the near future.

Food 4/5


Average cost without drinks and services:
£140

8 Patriot Square, London E2 9NF

https://daterra.co.uk/