Matthew's of Birmingham

[nickloman]

Another fine dining opening in Birmingham. Anyone dared to try it yet? I have to say my impressions from looking at the a la carte are not great: http://www.matthewsofbirmingham.com/a-la-carte/

Braised ox-tail & rabbit terrine, Bramley apple chutney, sticky toffee apple lollipop

Scallop, crayfish and lemon risotto, courgette carpaccio

Wood pigeon, wild mushroom porridge, beetroot and cranberry jelly, with a cep jus

Twinning’s green tea poached Scottish salmon, sage gnocchi, lapsang souchang and Saki consume

Carpaccio Barbary duck breast, duet of pear, Lincolnshire blue cheese cream

Main courses

Rump cap pave beef, black pudding and pancetta, curly kale with truffle mashed potato and red wine jus

Tandoori battered fillet of haddock, crushed peas with a spiced, curried crème fraiche sauce

Lincolnshire roasted pork loin, slow baked pork belly, parsnip puree, apple fondant and Calvados jus

Pot roasted and braised guinea fowl, mashed potato, red onion, haricot bean and juniper berry sauce

Wasabi and elderflower sauce, sea bass and plaice, spinach and linguini

Side order of seasonal vegetables available for £2.00

Quite a few of those flavours/textures don't seem to belong: duck and blue cheese, salmon and gnocchi, wasabi and elderflower with sea bass and plaice. Still, perhaps the chef is a genius!

[eatenmess]

Tandoori battered fillet of haddock, crushed peas with a spiced, curried crème fraiche sauce

is the batter tandoori flavoured? he is somehow deep frying it in a tandoor? or is the haddock cooked in a tandoor and then battered and fried?

theres a lot of repeated methods eg two mash potatoes, two carpaccios.

any history on the chef? it doesnt seem to want to name the 'fine dinning' restaurants hes worked in.

still, cant knock it till i tried it. always good to see new restaurants in the area with a confident chef.

[Johnsonic]

It's been reviewed by the local press in Birmingham and several times on birminghamplus.com where there is also a thread on the forum. Some interesting comments and re-occuring points from people who have dined there.

Previously Matthew Gilbert worked at Liaison, a fine dining restaurant in the Hall Green area of Birmingham. He is, I believe, 23 and this is his first Head Chef role.