Merchant House/Hibiscus

[SamanthaF]

Obviously only one side of the story -  I don't know why I posted it really 

er, cos you were pissed

[Bapi]

ScottF - I take it the letter was in the Winner's dinners section? I don't believe it for a second.

Arrived back from Ludlow yesterday evening (avoiding falling trees and lorries on the M40).

Very briefly for now- Had two great meals, the first at The Merchant House on Thursday. Monkfish with a simple but sublime tomato, ginger garlic and chive sauce, followed by - hurrah !- Venison with Foie Gras and Somloi to finish.

Er, suffering from same affliction as ScottF regarding remembering the exact order of courses we had at our second meal at Hibiscus. However, amongst them were roasted Zander Perch; langoustines with chervil root pancake and confit of chervil; and stunning Roast Suckling Pig with Puree of Muscovado Sugar, Confit of Shallots. Will revert back with a more detailed post after discussing with the senior partner.

[Andy Lynes]

Somloi is the absolute dogs b's of desserts.

[Bapi]

A rather belated review from a meal at Hibiscus two weeks ago and its a bit of a tome so apologies. I had forgotten some of the minutiae of the meal and so my missus asked for a copy of the menu, from Claire Bosi. Whilst we just expected a photocopy of the menu to peruse from which to work out the dishes we had, Claire actually typed up the tasting menu courses we had, in the order we tried them (eventhough we had eaten a week earlier and muddled up the order ourselves) and duly despatched it to us. You don't get that in London now do you?

The reason for our visit was to take some close friends to Hibiscus as a belated wedding present. Our original meal was delayed due to an untimely death in my friend's family, and the resulting funeral, but Claire was again hugely accommodating and slotted us into a table at 9 pm the following night instead. We arrived at the requested time and ordered an excellent bottle of Pol Roger champagne (approx £34) to enjoy with our canapes. Cheers ScottF for the recommendation. I can only tell you that one of the canapes was a spherical potato croquette containing the lightest of potato fillings, flavoured with vanilla, which was a delicate and fine way to start the meal off. The greedy swines wolfed the other offerings whilst I was babbling away so I didn't get a look in.

We ordered The Hibiscus Menu which is 9 courses (£47), and which is chosen by the chef Claude Bosi - although Claire will listen to any wants and don't wants you may have. When it was time to eat we ventured down a few small steps into the dining room. The room itself exudes a sort of subdued cosiness, being dimly lit, but not so dark as to tend towards being soporific. The extensive wood panelling adds to the atmosphere, which is calm and relaxing without a stuffy hushed reverential silence required in other restaurants.

The menu:

1. Oeuf Coccotte with Veloute of parsley root and Thai curry.

A whole egg, expertly sliced across the top and standing in a "crater" of rock salt crystals. The eggshell contained the wonderful veloute which filled the top half of the egg and had the unusual , but pleasant taste of curry. Below this sat the unctuous egg yolk, which when combined with the veloute made a memorable start as the amuse bouche.

2. Carpaccio of Hand Dived Scottish Scallops, Leeks & Liquorice Vinaigrette

Beautifully presented thin layers of leek, both white and green worked into a lattice upon which were sat very thinly sliced slivers of scallop. The scallop had a translucent texture and tasted superbly fresh. Arranged upon the scallops was the dressing which when eaten with the scallop and leek worked as a delightfully fresh tasting dish This was a particular highlight for my friend's missus.

3. Ravioli of Cornish Crab, Avocado Puree & Caviar

Moist and expertly thin pasta enclosing a meaty helping of fresh crab. Sat alongside the ravioli were swirls of the avocado puree which were vivid green and flavoursome. But for me the best combination was the last mouthful. Crab ravioli and the generous dollop of Beluga caviar alone, eaten in one mouthful. Bloody sublime.

4. Sauteed Langoustine tails, Chervil Root Pancakes

Four plump achingly fresh langoustines, sauteed so they are just the right side of cooked. These were served with tiny chervil pancakes, which again made a great combination. Especially as the chervil's aniseed taste didn't overpower the langoustines at all, as I feared it might. My second favourite dish of the meal.

5. Fricassee of Hereford Snails, in a Saffron & Orange broth with Barlotti beans and Spanish Lomo.

I'll admit this is the one dish that wasn't my favourite of the meal. The broth ,the beans and slivers of lomo were lovely, I just don't think I am fan of our Hereford gastropod chums.

These guys were rather too big for me that evening. We did have them once before at Hibiscus when they were served in a wonderful wild garlic broth, which I preferred. The missus loved them though.

To drink we had two bottles of the Vigonier (£25 ish)- cheers again ScottF

6. Poached Zander Perch, in Salted Butter, Caper and raisin sauce, Quince Puree.

None of us had ever tried this fish before, so this was treat. I liked the idea of the fish being poached in salted butter and it worked very well. The flesh was soft and fell part with the vaguest prod of a fork, but retained a lot of bite and flavour. The poaching liquor seasoned the fish well and its meaty but delicate flavour was counterbalanced by the slightly tart flavour of the quince puree. I didn't quite get the flavour of the caper and raisin sauce coming through, but I still thoroughly enjoyed the dish. My friend on the other hand, didn't think this dish worked that well, proclaiming proudly, that fish should be served with potatoes.

But what the **** does he know?, he's from Chingford.

7. Roast Suckling Pig, Puree of Muscavado Sugar, Shallot Confit.

A stunning dish and the best pork dish I have ever had-no question. Too often when I have tried a pork dish to find it listless, tasteless and tending towards being interminable. This dish was as far removed from that as one can get. The flesh was as tender as to allow being sliced straight through with the minimum of effort. A task made a damm sight easier by the unnervingly sharp knives supplied to us- Langouvile (sic) or something similar sounding. The flavour was sweet and the texture succulent, the milky flesh being surrounded by fantastic crackling. One might think that the shallot and the sugar combined might give the dish a tendency towards being overly sweet, but this wasn't the case. The quality, taste and execution of this course made it my favourite dish of the year.

8. Cheeses

At this stage my friend took on the demeanour of someone with the worrying affectation of narcolepsy. The combination of the previous day's wake, a five hour drive and too many Whisky Macks that afternoon took their toll and he lurched into bouts of unconsciousness, waking intermittently at the table to spout bile about Jamie Oliver- some egulleters would no doubt have approved. Claire didn't bat an eyelid as I sent him outside to get some air and in his absence, we wolfed down a fine selection of gooey un-pasturised cheeses amongst others.

9. Apple Puree, Sweet Celeriac Jelly, Chestnut cream

A great pre-dessert, which went well with the Canadian Eiswine(sic), which Claire chose and which Tony Finch mentioned in an earlier review.

10. Warm Hazelnut Fondant, Brioche Ice cream, Butternut Squash Syrup

I was getting very full by this stage, but did note the brioche ice-cream was sensational.

We didn't make it to coffees as my friend was near to collapse, but overall we enjoyed a thoroughly splendid meal. I can't recommend this restaurant highly enough. Claire Bosi is a delight as front of house, as nothing is too much trouble and she is always happy to explain what some of the more unusual ingredients are.

We have already booked to go back during the Ludlow Food festival next year. Eventhough the festival isn't till next September(12-14)- we weren't the first to book apparently, and as penance for falling asleep, I am delighted to say my friend is paying next time.

[mrshugget]

What a lovely post - I enjoyed reading it so much, I almost forgot about my toothache. There can be no higher praise! The hazlenut fondant and brioche ice cream sound particularly delicious. Was the ice cream completely smooth, or did it have bits?

[Charlene Leonard]

thanks Bapi, just booked Hibiscus and Merchant House for next Sept.

[Andy Lynes]

Bapi, excellent post, thanks for taking the time to write in such detail.

[Bapi]

Sorry Mrshugget- I didn't see your post. Thanks and if I remember correctly it was smooth. Best not to think about ice-cream when you have a toothache though - ouch!

Charlene- may well see you there then. As I wrote, Claire at Hibiscus said we weren't the first to make a booking, but I got the feeling Anja Hill, at the Merchant House thought I was mad as a hatter for booking so early for next September

I'll write up The Merchant House review, when I, er, get the menu out of the car

[Gary Marshall]

Ahhh Hibiscus

the rumours are true......

it is a very fine restaurant

I've been planning to return to Ludlow ever since a great couple of days there about 3-4 years ago which was a merchant house/les marches double header.

At that time, clare bosi was at the merchant house and claude was cooking at les marches, i enjoyed the MH experience more than les marches, there was nothing wrong with the cooking (claude bosi had got it a star too) but the dining room was a bit subdued and the experience quite forgettable.

Now they have a restaurant that matches their talents.

the restaurant is a fantastic oak panelled space and as soon as i entered the small seating area it felt very welcoming, some restaurants just 'have it' and this one does.

I was lunching alone as the girlfriend had decided a girly weekend with her friends in London was more fun than lunch and a christening the next day with me!

I settled in with my newspapers and had a glass of champagne with some fine gougeres whilst i looked at the menu.

they generally do a £25 (?) lunch but they offered the a la carte and it all looked good so i plumped for the 9 course hibiscus menu, dishes chosen by claude. No wine but i was immediately offered a jug of water rather than the 'usual' £4 mineral which was a good start.

Once seated in the restaurant again everything was correct, well dressed tables complete with very smart hand made glass 'show plates' which gave the room a sophisticated air (much like me, i've been to leeds you know ).

Amuse was a lentil and walnut oil soup which was deep in flavour, and very autumnal

First course were a scallop carpaccio laid on leek leaves with a liquorice vinaigrette, excellent fresh, lively dish great to start.

second came some turbot with a smoked beurre blanc (not on the a la carte) this was great, the smokiness in the suace was a new method to me, apparently comes from adding smoked eel to the sauce.

third up was a ravioli filled with sweet onion and winter truffle, veloute of potato and meadowsweet, this was fine not a lot to get excited about.

Fourth came the pigs trotters mmm, this was a crispy galette with white beans cooked with a brown shrimp jus ficasses of calamari with maple syrup. This was great, at the time i didn't realise it was calamari as i'd not caught the full description from one of the two french waitresses. Again all works better than the cacophony of flavours the description might suggest.

fifth was Pheasant, now the menu i'm looking at it says with lentils cramy leeks and bacon but i'm not sure what i had did! but it was a decent breast cooked to perfection.

sixth was a choux farci of lamb with foie gras and apricot, i'm a big fan of these stuffed cabbages and foie, gueller does it with pigeon, this was good too, i think the lamb was chopped with herbs but it was bloody good.

seventh was an apple compote type, served in a shot glass but a good palate cleanser

eigth was an espresso sorbet, whiskey creme anglais with a warm chocolate madelaine, coffee and petits fours to finish.

If you think that sounds a lot, clare said claude can get carried away and it has hit 17 courses! The portions are just right, just don't fill up too early on the excellent bread (country, treacle and one other that escapes me)

by now a good three hours had passed (i had to run out to move the car, they do have some parking behind the restaurant though) and i was in conversation with other lunchers, most of whom were envious of my tasting menu and vowed to have it next time, i don't think they offered it to everyone but i had wanted a dinner reservation so i think they gave me a wider choice. (If you want it at lunch it may be wise to check on booking). The conversation got onto winteringham, if claude and clare have bought it (as the caterer seem convinced according to clare) then they hide it well!

I took with me the menu from les marches to see how the cooking had changed, it certainly amused clare n claude, and i can safely say it has come on leaps and bounds, it really is very accomplished, imaginative cooking without falling into the molecular gastronomy rubbish that peppers menus these days. This was a worry having read some of the reviews and dish descritpions but i can assure you if you like classic french, bosi's cooking is just a few steps ahead of what you expect but doesn't disappoint, and they don't tell you how to eat it!

As i was driving i didn't sample any wines but the list looked good with an interesting selection of vin de pays too along with the usual suspects. If i had been on the sauce i would have struggled to get past the ch musar for £26.

I'm going back, without the car, for the full experience

I highly recommend it.

[Andy Lynes]

Excellent meal at The Merchant House last week which I will write up either here on my website in the near future. Over a kir in the kitchen I learnt from Shaun that :

Photography for his new book will take place in January, but not sure of publication date

He has had the people from Restaurant magazine in recently so expect an article soon. Apparently the photographer brought along a lighting rig that would not have looked out of place on the set of a hollywood movie, only to end up taking pictures of the food in the restaurant's garden.

Paul Rankin of Roscoff/Cayenne fame spent an evening in The Merchant House kitchen a while back and did Shaun's washing up for him!

[wgallois]

Hibiscus, as others have noted, is a really wonderful place. We went there with very high expectations, not least because Becky and I had had the best meal of our lives cooked for us by Claude Bosi when he was at Les Marches at the Overton Grange Hotel. I still think about a number of the dishes from that first meal, and I feel sure that my memories of Hibiscus will stand little chance of fading quickly.

We began with generously-sized glasses of champagne, and ate plump olives whilst we looked at the menus. At lunch one has a choice between a fairly-limited ₤25 menu and a much more extensive à la carte, which, at ₤35, is priced at the same level as it is in the evening. Having travelled 200 miles for lunch, we went for the latter option (in fact the lunch menu was not an option for vegetarians anyhow).

Three breads came before the amuse: roasted white flour bread, treacle bread, and French country bread (aka mini baguettes). All of them were good, especially the treacle bread which had a rich, burnt quality that reminded me of a black bread that had been one of my favourite things about the meal at Les Marches. The amuse was a chilled melon soup with chartreuse, oil and black pepper. This was zingy, with a nice time-lagged aromatic hit coming from the black pepper, moments after the smooth, cooling melon flavour. This style - of layered flavours, the sometimes unexpected use of herbs and spices, and a willingness to think round savoury/sweet divisions – was characteristic of the whole meal.

As a starter Becky and I had eggs with new season summer truffle, brioche, and almonds, whilst Dina had roast salmon with olive oil confit, mango purée, and some kind of date sauce. The eggs were a very satisfying dish: three poached eggs were lined up on a rectangular plate, with thin strips of brioche separating them, with the shaved almonds and truffle scattered on top. Becky noted that the dish seemed to gently play on the idea of childhood memories of eating eggs with ‘soldiers’, and there was something really fun about this dish.

For mains, Becky and I had sweet onion ravioli with broad beans, whilst Dina had roast rack of Cornish lamb with a north Rhône peach concoction, a bean purée, potatoes and a very moreish bowl of cabbage cooked with plenty of butter and rock salt. The ravioli was a super dish, but perhaps the one course which did not instinctively appeal to me, though my memories of the tastes are still very strong. There were two sauces with the ravioli - one based on tarragon, and cream I think, the other based on olive oil – though their flavours were much gentler than the long, sweet draw of the white onions in the ravioli. The lamb was apparently as good as it looked. We also shared a bowl of well-cooked potatoes, asparagus, mangetout and other vegetables.

Next up was a real star of a pre-dessert: a chilled soup of greek yoghurt and orange with oregano ice cream. The soup was great but the real star was the oregano ice cream, which again had a delayed kick, but once the oregano flavour hit, it was a herbal explosion. Hopefully it is only a matter of time before Claude is devising similar dishes around de herb. For puddings we had: crème brulée with new season peas, sweet, toasted oats, and marjoram ice cream; Hibiscus warm, dark chocolate tart with Indonesian basil ice cream; and Café Liègois ice cream with whisky anglais, chantilly cream and chocolate ice cream. All were calculated to make you happy, and while I think that the crème brulée was probably the most interesting of the dishes, I was more than happy with my chocolate tart, which was a perfect example of dish, and given new interest by the ice cream.

With coffee we had madeleines in three flavours: pistachio, hazelnut, and honey with black pepper. All were good, but the honey and pepper was the best of the three. Other than the champagne, we had no wine, and the bill (including a couple of bottles of water) was ₤141 before service. While clearly not cheap, this seemed reasonable value to me because what one is paying for is a meal at a restaurant of real integrity. Claude and Clare Bosi clearly care a great deal about food and about creating a good atmosphere for diners, and I will always have satisfying memories of the happiness and excitement that the meal engendered. As Gary has said on this thread, here has been a noticeable shift in Claude’s cooking between 1999 and 2003 – away I think from the pure satisfaction of more classical French cooking, to the satisfaction + thinking of the newer style – but I get the impression that these changes are evolutionary and never frivolous. I know that dishes like herb ice creams are now becoming identified with a certain in your face/copycat style of cooking in England, but when used by a chef with the skill, knowledge and ideas of someone like Bosi they really add to the drama and pleasure of a great meal. I was interested to see that we ate off a summer menu, and in the case of a restaurant like Hibiscus this is a smart move as a daily-changing menu might not allow for the kind of precision evident in all the dishes, and clearly a non-changing menu would lead to little development in the repertoire of dishes.

Two last things: even after all that food, we left satisfied but not stuffed in an ugly way; and, secondly, you need to book well in advance as the restaurant is small and they are clearly doing good business.

[Bapi]

Wgallois,

Thanks for an excellent report. I printed it off to take home and read again. I am really pleased that you enjoyed your meal and your vivid description of the food put me in mind of eagerly anticipating our return, over the Food festival weekend, this coming September. I noted Claude Bosi's predilection towards various ice creams with some interest. In addition to crème brulee with new season peas! We'll be partaking of the 9 course tasting menu again, if I get my way; so will report back.

Thanks again

B

[Matthew Grant]

I'm counting down the weeks I'm there for a weekend in August, Merchant House Friday night, Hibiscus Saturday. Nowhere planned for Sunday yet but if anybody has any recent recommendations please feel free to sahre them!

[Bapi]

Mathew,

Overton Grange as wgallois states is C Bosi's old stomping ground. The current incumbent is Wayne Vickerage, who gets a 5 in the GFG. Never been but it may be worth a try.

Mr Underhill's- Dinham weir 10 mins from the castle.Have been here twice. A pleasant location to dine, but absolutely NO choice in what you eat until the third course. Although Michelin starred, we found the food accomplished but nothing outstanding. The last time we were there we had beef, every 4/5 minutes one could hear a little alarm clock going off in the kitchen. A testament to accurate timing, but a little disconcerting for the guests. We would not venture back, but it may be somewhere that you may want to try.

Dinham Hall- also makes it into the GFG with a 3. The Chef is Olivier Bossut. have a look at www.dinhamhall.co.uk

I would suggest that The Unicorn next to the Merchant House would be a pleasant alternative as well. We have had two or three good lunches/dinners there. Eclectic mix of traditional British food and some eastern influenced dishes. Singapore Chilli crab was the last dish I ate there ! Not wholly authentic I assume, but very nice.

A drive out of Ludlow is The Stagg at Titley ( ex Le Gavroche chef Stephen Reynolds ). Really enjoyed the food here, the atmosphere was bit subdued, but it was a March Tuesday night when we were there last year.

The Riverside Inn at Aymestry- Jonathan Meades, whose I opinion I have to say, I always trust, gave this a good write up. Pleasant setting as well according to the Good Pub Guide.

Having a huge sense of deja vu as I am fairly sure I have written virtually all of this before now !!

If you eat at The Feathers - I will have to shoot you myself.

[wgallois]

Just writing to second Bapi's take on Mr Underhill's. We ate there once and rated it by far the weakest of the stars in Ludlow. It was pleasant enough, but couscous with roasted vegetables was a pretty crap choice as a veggie main in such a place, especially, as Bapi notes, one has no choice in the earlier courses. The two memorable things about the evening were the fantastic chocolate-covered raspberry in the petits fours, and the memorably bitter argument the couple on the adjoining table were having.

P.S. Hope you have a fantastic time on your return to Hibiscus Bapi.

[Bapi]

Not long before the Ludlow Food and Drink Festival kicks off on Friday 12th September. Looks like fun, with demos by Shaun Hill (Merchant House) and Claude Bosi (Hibiscus) on Sunday afternoon.

I will be attending with friends and I know that one other egulleter will definitely be there as well.

See what you think:

http://www.foodfestival.co.uk/events.html

[Charlene Leonard]

Have just returned from a wonderful weekend at the Ludlow Food Festival to celebrate our first wedding anniversary and to make up for the fact that we took my engagement ring to the jeweller last week to be cleaned and they have lost it.

Wd stayed in a B&B called the Hen and Chickens, the rooms were comfortable and the breakfast very good but the owners personified everything that make bed and breakfasts the most hateful place on earth. We asked for breakfast at 8.30am and we arrived in the dining room at 8.23am to look at maps and plan our day. We were met with an “Oh, what are you doing here? The kitchen won’t be pleased that you are here already”. I was then told that it just wasn’t the done thing to do. I would have told him to shove his award winning sausages up his arse if there had been a snowballs chance in hell of getting a room elsewhere.

We had dinner at Hibiscus on Friday. The restaurant is in a wonderful oak panelled room and managed to be both elegant and welcoming, words you could also use to describe Claude Bois’s wife Claire, who runs front of house. Over a V&T we had a selection of three croquettes and some excellent cheese puffs. There is the choice of a 9-course surprise menu (£50), tasting menu (£40) and A la carte (£35).

Amuse of egg concotte with savoy cabbage and olive oil was beautifully presented in an eggshell on a piece of slate. The yolk perfectly cooked and the olive oil rendered the veloute silky smooth and velvety.

I started with Ravioli with onion and summer truffle and veloute of potato and almond butter. The veloute was smooth and rich - I thought the potato might give it a grainy texture – and was poured over three pieces of ravioli were filled with sweet caramelised onion. H had Foie Gras dusted with ginger, red pepper jam and apple puree. The foie was much too raw for my liking, H said the crust was excellent but even he found it a tad too underdone.

I then had the Roasted Dover sole served off the bone with confit of butternut squash, pumpkin and passion puree served with pomme soufflés. A huge helping of fish perfectly cooked and little discs of squash had a magical buttery quality to them. H had Venison with confit and beetroot, parsely root and a little dish of butternut squash gnocchi. The venison was melt in the mouth tender and the gnocchi were superb.

I finished with a generous selection of local cheese whilst H had a Vanilla cheesecake with vine tomato jelly and orange sorbet.

Total meal including 4 glasses of wine, 2 V&T’s and 2 dessert wines was £103.25. Excellent value.

Saturday was dinner at The Merchant House. The room is much more informal and cosy than Hibiscus. 7 bare tables with twinkling candles and exposed beams. We started with a bottle of bubbly arranged for us by the lovely Mr and Mrs Bapi. We had bought a bottle of 1985 Cos D’Estournel with us for the occasion and the decanted bottle eagerly awaited us at our table.

An amuse of crab salad with little gem contained generous chunks of sweet white meat. Simple, straightforward and delicious.

I started with Artichoke and Parsley risotto, large pieces of global artichoke with the parsley contributing to a vibrant fresh taste and unlike some risotto not too heavy or too rich. H had Calf Sweetbreads with potato and olive cake, perfectly cooked exemplary example of their kind.

I then had Wild duck with morels and H had Venison with foie gras. Both our dishes were presented as simply meat, jus and veg. No pretensions, no fuss, just good food at its best.

After an additional course of cheese we had pudding. I opted for Plum tart and amaretto ice cream, the pastry and plums were excellent although I couldn’t really taste the amaretto in the ice cream. H had Crema Catalana with raspberries, the sugar topping was spot on, a definite crack on contact with the spoon and not too thick as is often the case. All washed down with a Tokay and Vin Santo.

A complimentary brandy and tour of Shaun’s kitchen was the perfect end to a perfect evening. Total meal £88, with no corkage charge.

Both restaurants are alone worth making to visit from London. They are very different from each other, each doing perfectly what it sets out to achieve and I have huge admiration for both Claude and Shaun.

I really could go on for longer about how much Chris and I enjoyed spending all day Saturday getting merry with Bapi and Rosie and how Shaun was the nicest, self effacing chef I have met but feel I am boring you all already so I’ll shut up.

[Andy Lynes]

Not bored in the slightest Charlene, its always great to hear that what I imagine to be a much looked forward to trip turned out so well. I have to say I'm very impressed by the lack of corkage at The Merchant House, what a lovely gesture.

[Bapi]

Recently back from the Cotswolds (oh lordy and "interesting" dining experience at The Lords of The Manor) on the way to Ludlow for the food festival and some fantastic dining.

Tasting menu at Hibiscus was superbs - highlights included a luscious pant wettingly fresh langoustine with a burnt cream and a sliver of deep fried black radish, Foie Gras Ice cream with an emulsion of brioche, eel poached in salted butter and served with superb crispy pork belly and pineapple and wonderful acutely pink veal.

Also ate a good meal at The Merchant House, which included - calf's brains with a sorrel sauce( glad I tried it but not for me again I think), a hugely generous starter of sea bass , Venison and Foie Gras and sensational lamb.

Returned to Hibiscus, with ever so marginally insane friends on Saturday to go a la carte. Between us we had, tender Foie gras, hand dived scallops, pike quennelle as some of our starters. Mains were an utterly superb Venison dish, I had squab with a light thai curry sauce and the aforementioned eel/ pork belly dish.

The Food festival was excellent too, large crowds, jostling for tastes of beer, perry, cheese, ham , wine, olives and THE best scotch Eggs I have ever had. Huge whole Roast Boar being spit roasted , Gloucester old spot sausage sandwiches and many other delights. A great few days.

Especially enjoyed meeting up with Charlene and Chris and talking rubbish for about six hours solid. Charlene was infinitely more adept at this than I ( but only marginally)

I'll write up in more detail when I get the chance

[Bapi]

A wonderful return to Hibiscus to savour the nine course Degustation menu. I had been looking forward to this meal for months and allegedly, grinned like an idiot in anticipation of it, all day long. We arrived to be greeted by the ever gracious, Claire Bosi, on splendid teasing form. A testament to her memory (and my obvious predictability), she asked whether I would like a martini cocktail. (I had one there last year). In addition, would I like a certain Lebanese wine, that damm Gary Marshall has now got me addicted to? (Funnily enough I haven’t actually tried Chateau Musar at Hibiscus previously. Hmmmm, I wonder where she got that info from).

We were escorted through to the lounge area and seated next to a nice old couple of Buffton Tuftons, who were down in Ludlow for the first time in 30 years. A lovely couple from Lincolnshire and a couple of regular foodies, whose local is Winteringham Fields (what a burden!).

After wonderful appetisers of spherical croquettes: Ham and cheese and walnut were on offer, amongst others, as well as cheese gougeres; we were escorted down the few steps into the, by now, full dining room. For the first time, we were seated in the second of the two cosy oak-panelled rooms, and just by the side of the two Buftons, who appeared to be having a whale of a time. First came……….

1. Oeuf Coccotte with Veloute of Savoy Cabbage

An eggshell, the top of which had been sliced away arrived. This contained a silky smooth amuse bouche of richly flavoured pale green veloute, sitting above an unctuous yolk. It was served with two thin soldiers of caramely brioche, to merrily dunk away with- a nice little touch I thought. The presentation has changed slightly in that the egg no longer sits in a crater of Rock Salt crystals as it used to, but now resided in quirky snail egg cups resting on a small square slate. Think Brian from Magic Roundabout.

2. Carpaccio of hand Dived Scallops, Leek & Liquorice Vinaigrette

We had this dish last year, and it was one we both enjoyed again.(So much so the bint had it again on the Saturday night) A hugely generous portion of slivers of scallops sitting on thin strips of leek, deliciously fresh flavours and I noted the liquorice flavour was more pronounced this time. I did think my very first mouthful, was a bit too sharp in terms of rawish leek, but after that, the delicate flavours melded well. The bint advises there was a hint of William Pear to balance the liquorice and bring out the sweetness of the scallops.

3. Sautéed Langoustine tail, Lemon Confit, Black Radish, Emulsion of Burnt Milk

God, I loved this dish. A single obscenely large and fresh langoutsine with little pieces of lemon confit, a sliver of crisp radish and a wonderful frothy orangey emulsion of burnt milk. Excellent flavours and an acutely timed langoustine. (Can I have more than one next time please?)

To drink, we wanted wine to complement each of the courses. So Claire suggested three very reasonably priced half bottles. The first of which was a Lagar de Cervera Albarino 2001. Very light and drinkable and an ideal foil for courses one to three. Following that we had a pleasant Pouilly Fume Villa Paulus 2001, with courses the next few courses.

4. Warm pike Quenelles, Smoked Cauliflower & Sunflower seeds

A very light but texturally firm quenelle, delicately flavoured and surrounded by a warm emulsion of smoked cauliflower made an interesting combination. The dish was given an another texture, with the addition of sprinkling of toasted sunflower seeds.

5. Confit of Eel in Salted Butter, Crispy Pork Belly, Pineapple & White Bean Puree, Froth of Coconut milk

A moist rectangular fresh piece of eel poached, and hence seasoned, in salted butter, was paired with and excellent piece of pork. The latter had just the right amount of crispiness and chewiness. God knows where he got the idea to pair these two items with pineapple (!), but the slight tartness of the pineapple worked very well as did the very delicate addition of coconut milk. A truly standout dish and beautifully presented. This chap knows his onions … speaking of which ..

6. Ravioli of Roscoff Onion & Summer Truffle, Veloute of Almond Butter & Potato

Last year we tried the ravioli of white onion and broad bean dish at Hibiscus. I had remembered it especially as Mathew Fort had written that the dish was “enough to make a grown man weep”. I think its probably beneficial to the upholstery and carpeting at Hibiscus that he hasn’t tried this current version as he would no doubt have wet himself. Two delicate ravioli containing the sweetest of subtle, caramelised onion and flecks of truffle. These were surrounded by a pool of velvety almond butter and potato- bleeding marvellous.

To drink with the next two courses and the cheese, Claire, recommended a half bottle of something not on their list, but which she suggested would be ideal. A La Reserve de Leoville Barton 1997, which was lip smackingly good

7. Savoury Ice cream of Foie Gras, Warm Emulsion of Brioche, Balsamic Vinegar Caramel

Another great dish, and a real assault on the taste buds and senses. A richly flavoursome ice cream, with a sweet slightly warm emulsion of Brioche and caramel. Again quite unusual, but the sweetness counteracted the foie gras perfectly and the difference in temperature of the components of the dish worked well.

8. Rack of Cheshire Veal, Roast Garlic Puree, Fondue of Fomme de Savoie

Thankfully by this stage, a smallish slice of rosey hued veal, with a delicious puree of roasted garlic. I was getting a bit full by now, however I persevered onto……

9. Cheese- Finn, Celtic Promise, Perroche & Malvern Ewes

Very well kept cheese, personal favourites where the Malvern Ewes and the Celtic Promise. (We bought some of the latter from the excellent Mousetrap Cheese Shop off the market square and are still eating it)

10. Strawberry Salad, Sweet Celeriac Jelly, Black Pepper Cream

A nice little pre-dessert, especially liked the combination of the black pepper cream and the strawberry salad.

11. Hazelnut Millefeuille, Butternut Ice Cream, Butternut Squash Syrup

Rosie was struggling by this stage, so chivalrous to the end, I wolfed hers down as well. Loved the Butternut squash ice cream.

12. Vanilla Cheesecake glazed with Vine Tomato Jelly, Orange Sorbet, Vine Tomato Puree

A strange look of sated madness had apparently appeared on my face by this stage, but I still managed to finish this dish. The cheesecake was wonderful, as was the addition of the sweet vine tomato. As you can tell the nine courses had risen to twelve, so I was truly done for. Incidentally, desserts were accompanied by two luscious glasses of Domaine de Gineste Gaillac Blanc Cuvee Aurore 2000.

Overall, what can I say? Not a duff note eaten in this meal. Service was perfect from Claire and two helpers, including the delightful Ingrid. A truly memorable meal and we had a pleasant chat with Claire and Claude afterwards about places we had all eaten at. We were the last to leave again, so apologies to Claude and Claire! Luckily enough, we were dining there are again that Saturday night also, with friends,(Friday was at The Merchant House). So we didn’t have long to wait to return.

Off we sauntered into the night, happily replete, and me pushing the Bintage up Corve Street in the wheelbarrow they had kindly lent us. (Minor embellishment)

Already planning a return trip for our Anniversary in March next year, and if this place hasn’t attained a second Michelin start by then, it will be a travesty and I’ll be writing to my MP.

[Gary Marshall]

execellent review mate,

am hopefully going to sort out a trip tonight, a bit of a planes, trains and automobiles but think i've worked out how to get there by train and back in a day. only 4 hours and 2 train changes but i think it'll be worth it.

i think your review will push my mate over the edge into commiting himself to an early start on his only day off, mind you i shouldn't feel too sorry for him as he's presently lunching at winteringham grrrr.

gary

[Bapi]

Part 2 at the Merchant House

On Friday, after a great day sampling, slurping, munching (and in Rosie’s case -sleeping), at the Food Festival, we ventured down to Lower Corve Street for a meal at The Merchant House.

We popped into the Unicorn next door first and decided to sit outside by the small river, enjoying a G&T. We noticed that from where we were sat, one could see Shaun Hill pootling about his Kitchen in a very relaxed manner.

We then walked around the corner at the appointed time and asked to have a drink in the lounge. Actually, I forced my friend Dan to have a cigarette, just so we could sit in the lounge. A small quiet room at the back of the House with a hotchpotch of chairs and an eclectic mix of sculpture. Over a bottle of Beaumont des Crayeres N.V brut- Champagne, the four of us perused the menu which was as follows:

Artichoke and parsley risotto

Sauteed scallops with lentil and coriander sauce

Grilled seabass with aubergine fritter and spiced beurre blanc

Calves brains with sorrel

……….

Roast monkfish with mustard and crème fraiche sauce

Roast wild duck with celeriac and morel mushroom sauce

Saddle of venison with foie gras

Rack of lamb with herbs and red wine sauce

…….

Plum tart with amaretto ice cream

Crema catalana with raspberries

Orange cake with lemon ice cream

Blackcurrant ice cream

Cheese: Brillat Truffe; Isle of Mull Cheddar, Fourme d’Ambert

After choosing our courses, we were taken through into the small dining room to be seated. Its a small unfussy room with a delightful old fashioned charm. As others have said there is no particular frippery at the Merchant House, since there are no tablecloths to be seen. This place is about good food honestly and simply cooked.

To start we had a tiny amuse of Salmon tartare, extremely fresh and served with a singular dressed lettuce leaf.

For our first courses Rosie went for the Seabass. This was a huge piece of fish which would have been enough for a main course. It was excellently cooked, with the skin having crisped up, with tinges of blackened bits on parts of the golden skin. This was partnered with a simple aubergine fritter and a rich beurre blanc. Nuria opted for the scallop dish. Again, simply presented translucent thin disks of scallop placed upon a small pool of the lentil sauce. I didn’t try one, but did try the sauce, which was delicately flavoured with only a hint of coriander.

The chaps both opted for the calf’s brains. In a sort of oafish attempt to emulate Steingarten – I always try to choose dishes that I have never tried before or would at first balk at. I am not sure what I was expecting, but it arrived as a half lobe of the brain, surrounded by a pool of the sorrel sauce. The outside having crisped up in places and I found these the most enjoyable. As much as I hate and despise using this word it was “perfectly” cooked, I think perhaps it was a textural thing, as the insides were – how can I put this? – perhaps a bit too blancmangey for my liking. I struggled a bit, but I am still glad I tried it.

Main courses were an excellent piece of Venison and Foie gras- a previous favourite of mine. A duck with a splendid morel mushroom sauce and I opted for the lamb. This was pink and tender and neatly served with a small amount of dauphinoise potatoes and a small mound of fresh runner beans along with a moreish sauce. Nothing too fussy, just well sourced ingredients cooked in a restrained and intelligent manner.

To drink we had a bottle of an excellent Ailon 1998- a beautiful silky smooth Ribero and a half of Langar de Cervera(2001), with a straw for Rosie to sup it.

Puddings were three Crema Catalana’s and a Blackcurrant icecream. Our fragrant friend Nuria is from Barcelona , so she was immediately comparing the crema catalana (spanish crème brulee) to her mother’s recipe. She said it was nice but that they tend to eat it when it’s a little hotter.

A great meal, which we rounded of with tea, in the lounge. I noticed during the meal that a table of three were dining to my left. Later I noticed that one of the party was tucking into food again ! His friends had left but he thought, what the hell, so asked for another main course,(and wine) which Shaun Hill provided. Lucky us- Tim nice but Dim, came and joined us in the lounge, obviously half cut, and then proceeded to interrogate Nuria about Spanish food. She is a feisty bugger and he has no idea how close he came to death!!. Then, he regaled us with how he had bought a £600 satellite navigation system just to get from Norwich to Ludlow! It’s not exactly Paris to Dakar now is it?

Apart from him, a great evening and we will be returning in March.

[nicola]

Does anyone know if Hibiscus has a website showing their menu? Am going to be in the Ludlow area with a vegetarian and a couple of non-fish eaters so wondering if they have sufficient choice to make it an option.

Many thanks.

[Bapi]

Nicola, I am afraid that they don't have a website as far as I know. I am not too sure that your friends would have too much choice to be honest at either Hibiscus or the Merchant House. There maybe one choice per first course( Roscoff Onion ravoli at Hibiscus and the risotto at the Merchant House), although I can't really remember a Vegetarian main course at either of these places.

Might be worth giving them a ring though.

Uncannily enough- Ludlow and specifically Shaun Hill was featured on the Rick Stein programme last night

[wgallois]

Nicola,

Hibiscus would be a good choice for vegetarians and non-fish eaters. See my post earlier on this thread for an example of the kind of vegetarian dishes they offer. As Bapi suggests, the choice of dishes may not be that large, but I had the impression that they had included 2-3 vegetarian starters on the carte because we had warned them that we were vegetarian. Unfortunately, they will not offer a vegetarian tasting menu, which is a great shame because Claude Bosi cooked us a fantastic vegetarian degustation when he was at Overton Grange. The Merchant House is also fine for vegetarians, but I felt that they had made a bit less effort than some places when we went there as there was only one vegetarian main, and that was a goat's cheese gnocchi which was an accompaniment to a meat dish on the menu. That said, it was delicious and I hope I don't sound like I'm carping here as both restaurants are absolutely fantastic and deserving of their high status on this board (and with lesser guides out there...)