โHere, taste this….โ it wasnโt so much an offer as it was a directive. The man was earnest and his face showed that he had something important to share. The man in question is Chef Issac McHale and I was standing with him in the kitchen of @thecloveclub . When a world-class chef pours a sauce into a bowl and hands you a spoon? YOU TASTE IT.
Rewind back maybe an hour to a dish I had taken from the tasting menu. A lobster & gooseberry โaguachileโ meant to evoke the ceviche-like preparations of Mexico ๐ฒ๐ฝ but interpreted though ingredients and plating that were entirely U.K. ๐ฌ๐ง This was a really good dish, made even more so by an ethereal, cloud like serving of the best lobster bisque ever prepared. But back to the bisque later… The dish was beautiful and I appreciated the mix of perfectly cooked crustacean with herbs and accompaniments. However as I tatsted, it seemed just a touch, sweet? It was a bit of a contrast to the rich, buttery umami of the bisque and offhandedly I asked about it. Caue, the ever pleasant bartender and waiter supreme assured me that heโd ask the chef and I didnโt think anything more about it.
The card for dinner this weekend was another journey through the U.K. larder which alternately amazed and inspired. This was my 3rd visit here and I can unequivocally say that Clove Club doesnโt so much reinvent U.K. cuisine as it enhances it, refines it and distills it to a delicious essence. Buttermilk fried chicken with pine salt. Albacore tuna in a tomato broth and served with an inventive tapenade of preserved, salted green peaches. Sardine sashimi accompanied by a velvety whisky cream โbrothโ. A dry-aged duck that is the archetype for the pairing of duck and cherries… Food here is a master course in flavor, texture and temperature and not without a touch of whimsy. Haggis donut, fish pakora? These are dishes created in the eye of Chef that connect and call out the unique diaspora of the U.K. table. ๐ฌ๐ง๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ
These plates have a certain innate British-ness. Itโs as if you are ingesting the moors, coastlines and forests directly, feeling like you have foraged what are surely the best of the best local products, and expertly prepared. There is a bold type of immediacy to this food and everything on the plate has meaning. It is infused with creativity and cool and served by a Team that has only gotten better since my first visit now over two years ago.
Back now to the kitchen and the spoon of sauce in front of me… โHere taste thisโ Chef had heard that I thought the sauce to be a bit sweet and he brought me back to share with me an alternate version that he was working on just the day before. In this version the gooseberries had been cooked down and as I tasted – it was an epiphany, a perfectly balanced cloud of acid and fruit. An Aguachile of the Gods. Chef thought that I might like to try the alternative sauce and that itself encapsulates a lot of the Clove Club. Invite the guest in, make them feel part of the story. Its a collaborative effort, a restaurant and Team ascendant in every way and one that feels there are yet miles to go in their journey
This is actually the most impressive thing that I feel as a guest of the restaurant. That sense of welcome, of belonging. From the handwritten card to the extended menu and the conversations about the origins of food and drinkโฆ It is obvious that each person in this place cares deeply about the guest experience. In fact, I was a bit slow to notice that on this last visit, my wine tasting was actually a 2x wine tasting. In that at nearly every course, Willem or Oliver actually poured me two wines to taste with the food – often accompanied by a question or challenge to find and describe a new perspective of the match and combination. Same grape, different region, same style, different country. BTW? Who knew that England produced sparkling wine? ๐ง Even better? it was quite good.
The small tastes, the hidden knowledge, the lean-in and sharing are a truly remarkable aspect of this restaurant. Its an oasis in an up and coming but still very gritty part of East London. A welcome beacon of genteel hospitality in a place that is far, far from the High Street.
โHere taste this…โ its a simple ask – but its also an incantation. Its an invitation, its a door. Be a part of the experience and a part of the Team. This is food and service at it finest. Firmly in the top 30 in the world and aiming even higher, its a pleasure to see a group so focused on what they serve and to whom they serve it.
Clove Club is insanely difficult to book into, It is much talked about and hotly debatedโฆ But this much is clear? It has a firm hold on the number one position in all of the U.K. ๐ฌ๐งand my sense is that it will be relevant and a taste maker for years to come. ๐๐ป Incredible thanks to Chef Issac, Oliver, Willem, Caue, Hamish and all of the Team who helped make my last visit so special. It was a pleasure to share an evening with you and I thank you for the warmth and sincerity shared with a traveler who was a long way from home. To you I say simply, very simply? Bravo. ๐๐ผ๐๐ผ๐๐ผ #thecloveclub #londondining #50bestrestaurants #michelinstar #londoneats #unique #finedining #delicious #popupdonegood http://www.thecloveclub.com
Aspire 