a day ago
Review: I tried Tom Kitchin's Michelin Star lunch menu in Edinburgh
Eavesdropping is a dreadful habit, I know, but so unexpected is this revelation shared between diner and waiter that I'm stopped in my tracks while flicking through to the more modest set lunch section of the menu.
I perform a quick mental run-through of all the restaurants I've visited over the years as each page is turned. Qualms over carbon footprints aside, would any of them warrant that level of commitment to be here today?
Perhaps The Kitchin will be the first. And if so, what great luck for me that it's taken just a train to Edinburgh and a stroll down Leith Walk to make my reservation.
Priced at £69.00, the Lunch Menu is comprised of three courses with the option to splurge one step further should the selection of fine Scottish cheeses displayed in a neat trolley on the restaurant floor catch your eye.
Judging by the number of tables that have ordered thin-stemmed glasses of champagne as a precursor to their meal, I'd wager a couple of extra quid for the pleasure won't be an issue for most.
The interiors at The Kitchin share a theme with those at chef Tom Kitchin's Stockbridge venue Scran and Scallie, which I visited earlier this year after the Gastropub was once again named as the best of its kind in Scotland.
(Read more: It's £25 for ham, eggs and chips at Scotland's Best Gastropub - and worth every penny)
Stag printed wallpaper, 'distressed' upholstery and flourishes of velvet or fluffy faux fur on stools used as a perch for designer handbags, there's a circa 2013 twee-ness to it all. Like you've walked into the section of a glossy home interiors mag titled 'highland chic'.
It's fitting for the menu, though, with the philosophy here said to be 'a true reflection of passion for the finest, freshest Scottish seasonal produce'. A small, illustrated map handed over sometime before a boule of crusty, warm bread arrives at the table confirms that the ingredients used for the lunch menu have been sourced from across Scotland's land and sea.
Before we get to the courses I've selected from the set menu (there were three options for starters mains and desserts as well as a fully veggie alternative) there are a few small bites including a pani puri-esque wheat puffed shell filled with a super light, savoury mousse followed by a teeny-tiny ball of beetroot with big earthy flavour.
Pictured: Lobster and Prawn dumpling on pea and lovage velouté (Image: Newsquest) Serving tables is a two-person job at The Kitchin, and once the warm-up dishes have been cleared away, a duo approaches the table, one carrying a tray and the other poised to gently lift a plate of Newhaven lobster and prawn dumpling, pea and lovage velouté and lobster shell oil from it so that each element looks exactly as it did when leaving the pass.
It's a visually striking dish, the vibrant green of the pea velouté surrounding a dumpling that's smooth and pale in contrast. The mystery as to what this outer layer is hiding, along with the aroma from that fragrant lobster shell oil, demands that you sit up and pay attention. Who cares about any leftover bread from the pre-starters? This is the only thing in the restaurant I want to be eating right now.
Tearing through the outer layer reveals plenty of gorgeous Scottish seafood stuffed into this pocket of goodness, firm, fresh and utterly delicious. The outer coating of the dumpling, it transpires, is a fraction too thick, meaning that I never fully lose myself in the dish as I'd like to. With each spoonful, the delicate flavours and texture of smooth, sweet peas are overshadowed by a nagging chewiness. Still, it's a strong start, refined yet warm and comforting.
Pictured: Pork Loin with braised violet artichoke and black olive tapenade (Image: Newsquest)
Next, it's Clash Farm pork loin with braised violet artichoke and black olive tapenade. It's not quite as pretty as the starter, four strips of meat laid out like toast soldiers atop a glossy jus that's just slightly seeped from a neat circle and edged towards the rim of the plate.
There are some serious, salty flavours battling it out here. The artichokes, buttery soft and herbaceous, a spoonful of potent olive tapenade and a meaty jus reduced until almost sticky and intense. Then there's the pork to pull it all back from the brink, with the delicate layer of fat in particular benefiting from the punchiness of it all.
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We're back on top form presentation-wise with the dessert of Yuzu meringue tart torched gently until golden brown and nestled into a ring of plump Colbeggie farm berries with a quenelle of strawberry sorbet on the side.
Pictured: The 'Strawberry and Bramble' dessert (Image: Newsquest)
It's a superb pud, a happy marriage of tangy citrus and marshmallow-like Italian meringue executed with a delicate touch. Berries are one of Scotland's greatest seasonal treasures, and a mix of brambles and raspberries effortlessly elevates the dish.
Because he's gone all in with the tasting menu, and tackled almost twice as many courses as I have, the man from London has finished his meal only just before me.
As I savour the final spoonful of dessert, he fills the waiter in on his plans for the connecting train journeys that will see him home later that evening. He seems content that the meal has been worth it, 'I don't usually like scallops,' he says, 'but that was unlike any I've ever tasted before."
I'm glad to hear his efforts have not been in vain, and if the lunch menu has provided a snapshot of what's on offer in the tasting menu, can watch him leave feeling confident that The Kitchin has lived up to expectations.
The Kitchin is located at 82 Commercial Street in Edinburgh
