Basque-style fire cooking
 |
| Velvet Crab Soup |
I really enjoy the open-fire cooking style of the Basque country in Northern Spain, but with Covid around and not easy to travel these days, Brat in Shoreditch is a good alternative. Chef-owner Tom Parry's cooking at Brat is inspired by Elkano, a legendary seafood restaurant with a Michelin star to its name, as well as within the World 50 best's list. The menu at Brat is simple, with a selection of Basque-style dishes such as hake kokotxas and grilled turbot, with many dishes cooked on an open fire. This is actually my 3rd visit, the menu stayed more or less the same since launched, but sadly getting more expensive with the impact of Brexit which drove up the labor and ingredients cost.
 |
| Spider Crab on Toast |
 |
| Grilled Scottish langoustines |
 |
| Hake Kokotxas |
The velvet crab soup is an unusual dish with a small crab served within the soup, I found the soup's peppery tone was too strong as it overwhelmed the umami taste. The crab itself had a lovely smoky aroma and cooked perfectly, super sweet. The hake kokotxas really reminded me of the same version you would find in Spain, the green sauce was well blended and the fish was smooth and creamy. The whole mallard was roasted then finished on the grill, it had a strong gamy and smoky taste, very well seasoned and tender. I enjoyed the liver parfait which as it offered a lovely buttery and savoury tone to the gamy tone of the meat.
 |
| Grilled John Dory |
 |
| Grilled mallard with liver parfait |
 |
| Mushroom rice |
The formula of Brat is an interesting and successful one, and somehow not many London restaurants offer something similar. The cooking without a doubt is of good quality, but the fine dining level price tag means for me is more a place for special occasions despite its casual and chill-out vibe. You will find many restaurants in the Basque country that does a similar thing at a much lower price tag, but right now in London, Brat is the only place that does it well.
Food 3.5/5
What I paid:
£90 per person with a glass of wine
Average cost without drinks and services:
£60
No comments:
Post a Comment