The 9 course signature tasting menu, with the option of matched wines, was the meal tonight, enjoyed by Rita and commenters on her site - with the most notable exception being Sir Grumpy. I expect the people present tonight might have a word or two to add to my review, but I think I speak for all of us when I say that (once again) Paul Foreman and the trusty staff at MIV knocked the socks off all of us with their brilliant food and service.
Yes - I know I come across as being exceedingly biased in MIV's favour, but I hope tonight justified to the people who chose to come along and sample the MIV wares that it's not just ME.
(Pictured above is Course 6 - the caramelised pork belly, granny smith apple tapioca, and candied walnuts.)
As I have previously bored the pants off most of you with my reviews of MIV, I'm not going to go into every course. Maybe Christina, or Kzee, or Anon2 might want to comment?
Anyway, we had a really great evening chatting about the blog contents, and laughing about comments made by various commenters and bloggers. We decided that this should become a semi-regular thing, so round about April, we plan on going to our next venue, which will be MONTYS!
So - be warned Monty's! It will be a first for Rita, and the whole gang will be coming along too. I now need to drag my extremely full tummy off to bed. Thanks to those who came along tonight. I know it was more expensive for you than your usual meals out, and that you had to save your pennies for a while, but I feel sure you got a lot out of it.
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25 comments:
I had a can of soup and a can of beans with oatcakes and cheese last night, while you lot at the Bloggers' Ball lived it up high.
Had one of those nights when I could not be bothered with the kitchen work and cleaning up! Doesn't happen very often.
That pork dish sounded good...pork with apples, then cleverly with walnuts, which go with apples...very nice concept.
I'm jealous.
Sir G - your ears should have been burning, as you were much spoken about, and all were disappointed you didn't take up Rita's invitation to come along! We wondered what kind of inducement you might need to attend the next one?
Sir Grumpy, you have become a mysterious presence(or is that absence!) Yes, that pork dish was fabulous, definitely my favourite -it approached perfection. Then, again, the whole experience was memorable as was good company and plenty of gossip and exchange of views. Try to make it to the next one!
I REALLY like that plate.
Yeah - the plate was gorgeous and totally matched the pork. Still can't decide on my favourite - the soup (but maybe 'soup' is too pedestrian a word!), the oyster, the abalone, the.......
Wine was great. Almost made facing 170 12-year-olds at 8.25 bearable.
Kzee
PS Thanks Rita
Oh - and missed you, Sir G! Wear a mask and come along to the next one please!!
Kzee
Who do you think cooked your dinner? Can't be everywhere.
But we met you and you weren't you!
Kzee
(or am I deluded?)
Sir G - we most definitely didn't have "a can of beans with oatcakes and cheese" for dinner at MIV, so it most definitely wasn't you who cooked our food last night!
Okay, I'm sprung. While you were having a nine-course degustation menu I was having a four-course disgusting menu.
Forde, the plates were on offer at hotel and club, also available in red etc. Looks really good, just one question. How did the team keep those apples so green, given that they normally oxidise so quickly, was it sugar or food coloring, a genuine enquiry?
You'll love Montys Rita ... I have been there 4 times and thoroughly enjoy it !!!
:-) Stussy
Well what a night we had.
It was wonderful to meet everyone. Before a morsel had been eaten we were having a great night. Then came the food. It was everything Rita had promised and more.
I know Rita has described the food so many times but now it's my turn.
I started and ended the night with a wonderful cab/sav. Delicious.
Firstly we had a share plate with divine oysters, wonderfully rare tuna and smoked salmon with a beautiful sauce. So nice that I scrounged the rest of my plate with a chunk of bread. Had I been listening to our wonderful waiter I could give more information, but so good was the company, I forgot to pay attention.
Next demi tasse of porcini, white bean, truffle oil and chives. A wonderful earthy flavour and much enjoyed.
Sashimi of ocean trout, squid ink risotto, ginger and blood orange vinaigrette. I've never tasted squid ink and must say the colour has always put me off a little. Not any more. What a wonderful flavour and enhanced by the vinaigrette perfectly.
Abalone ceviche was lovely but I really enjoyed the crisp battered zucchini flower.
Scallops and red cooked brisket, vietnamese salad, and here we go Sir Grumpy, lemongrass and lime leaf foam. I adored the scallops and the brisket was meltingly gorgeous. The foam was lovely but maybe I'm just not used to it. The flavour was fantastic but I really felt the foam was too light for the briskit. The same flavour in a sauce would have suited me better.
Now to one of my favourites. {Hard to pick one but I have two}.
The pictured pork belly dish was superb. As we were eating, all that could be heard from our table were little groans of pleasure. Such a thin crispy top with unctuous pork revealed beneath. This is what we'd be served in Heaven. I savoured every mouthful, and would return again just for this dish.
I loved the sorbet dish, found it quite sweet though and very alcoholic. Not usually a problem but I was probaly on my 4th glass of red by then.
Carpaccio of beef, olive mousse, sweet and sour courgette etc was wonderful. I'm running out of descriptive words here. I loved the mousse. Perfect with the beef, and the courgettes were a great new taste sensation.
Sashimi of fruit was made by the pickled ginger syrup. I love ginger.
I've rushed this a little for a couple of reasons. So I don't bore everyone to death, and also so I can get to the other best dish of the night.
Warm valrhona manjari tart, ginger syrup, muscatel and armagnac icecream. Now I'm not a dessert person but I loved this dish! SUBLIME!! I saved that word for this dish. I've never tasted a better chocolate dish in my life. The icecream was to die for. Again I would return just for this dish.
All in all I thouroughly enjoyed myself. How wonderful it was to meet some of the people I've been talking to for a good while now.
Anon2 and the famous Monica the pav lady. Kzee who I knew but have never dined with and her welcoming friends, and of course the lovey Rita. Great dinner companions.
A special treat to meet Paul and have a chat about the dishes. A very approachable and friendly guy.
The wait staff were fantastic. I'm so sorry I can't remember our waiters name. Not once did we have to request a drink or anything. Very attentive but not intrusive.
A night I will remember for a long while. I can still taste the pork and then the chocolate tart. Mmmmm chocolate tart.
Thankyou Rita. I can't wait for Monty's
Hi Stussy. Thanks for your comment and I'm looking forward to Monty's - especially on your say-so! Lovely to have you join us here as well on the blog. x
Christina - your review was fantastic. Next thing we know you'll be starting up your own review site! Anyway - great to have your take on the evening.
So glad you enjoyed it. Gobbler phoned me for the full story on the night. I hope he will come along to our next one at Montys, because I feel you would get a lot out of his presence there.
He was interested in our dinner as well from the perspective that, as he pointed out, it's not the normal situation where the chef can explain to his customers exactly what he's trying to achieve with his food and flavours, and the customers can't usually ask chef questions about the food or menu either.
So from both peoples perspectives, it had to be satisfying.
I wish I could have come but Thursdays just dont WORK for me. However Montys.... I'm SOOO there. They are doing a degustation around the 26th of April I think - I know we are booked for that, maybe we could do it around then????
Wish I could have met you all. Oh well, next time
Tassiegal - we went Wednesday night - so you COULD have come. But we look forward to seeing you for the Monty's night?
Sounds like you lot had a great night. Anon 11.21pm. I can't speak for the kitchen at marque IV but in my experience if you add acsorbic acid (vitamin c) to apple, this normally stops it going brown, oh and alcohol sometimes helps a bit too, but a lemon will surfice if your not worried about flavour change.
Cartouche,
Very jealous.
By comparison, a friend had the pork belly on Customs House menu last night. She couldn't eat a scrap of it - undercooked all over , nothing crispy despite the menu description.
No comment about the uneaten food either as the plate was cleared. It was probably half the price of Marque IV, but not a bargain...
Definately - life willing!
he uses food colouring.....you're fools... emperors new clothes!!! you've got fucked palates.
Hey Anon 9.45 - chill! Come along with us next time, and give us YOUR 10c worth at the time. See what it is that YOU like to taste in foods.
Let's take your comment to its logical end - so, yes, we DO have fucked palates, and yes, Paul has used food-colouring to colour the green tapioca. So?
Are you wanting to come along and give us all a palate transplant? Break into Marque IV and steal their green food colouring?
Do you cook for anyone else besides yourself? Does anyone you cook for love your food? Does the fact that they like your food mean that their palates are working fabulously well, whereas 8 different people eating a different meal you didn't even see, let alone taste, mean THEY have fucked palates, and your friend doesn't?
Come on. If you read this blog, you must be mildly interested in food so try to be more productive about your criticisms.
We love different opinions. We love a healthy discussion about things. I invite you to give yours, a bit more logically.
I think the 8 who attended the dinner, while no doubt having differences, can recognize quality when they taste it.
This commenter is either a fool or has attitude problems. Then again he/she probably likes stirring as the only way of getting a reaction out of people!
Cheers
Anon2
Nice fire Rita. No fence sitting there. Unfortunately sucessful restaurants will always have jealous detractors.
What still no reply or comment from anon 9.45!!!
Haven't you really anything else to say?
I don't want to come across as bitchy but come on.
You threw down the gauntlet.
I was there on the night and totally agree with anon 2.
We didn't all agree on a favourite, but we got the quality, care and detail that went in to each and every dish of this meal.
Hi Anon2, HRV and Christina - I think our Anon might have been a bit overwhelmed with the backlash?
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