Today's review was another indulgent treat. Since coming back from Spain I have been obsessed with those flavours that remind me of that region of Europe. Fresh fish, vibrant vegetables, red peppers, light spicing and plenty of salt. Eneko at One Aldwych is one such place to indulge in these flavours, but with a touch of luxury.
Eneko at One Aldwych is the brainchild of three Michelin-starred chef Eneko Atxa. His team in the kitchen transforms carefully-sourced ingredients into beautifully presented plates that appeal to all the senses. From a seafood starter that evokes the aromas of the Bay of Biscay to wines from Eneko’s very own vineyards, Eneko at One Aldwych embraces one of the world’s finest chefs modern, relaxed and playful side, introducing his Basque Country to the London crowd.
Mixed bread basket with herb butter.
Starters
Beetroot Tartare (£10)
Dressed with pickled red onion, soufflé potato, sourdough toasts, vegetable barbeque sauce
The delicious vegetable BBQ sauce was the absolute highlight of the dish but I wanted so much more. In fact, please could Mr Atxa just bottle it because it's so damned good! The beetroot tartare had an interesting colour and texture against the white plate and I was delighted with the little topping details.
Txerri Boda Pork Festival (£15)
Iberico ham, chorizo, black pudding on milk bread
This was Alex's starter. The dish came in a wooden pigs face box which was a playful reminder of where your dish came from! The three milk buns featured three different fillings. The chorizo bun had a nice variety of textures and spicy flavours; the black pudding bun came served with delectable crisp crackling which added a nice texture; the Iberico ham filling was nice and there was plenty of it. The milk buns themselves had a good bounce.
Mains
Hake (£20)
Basque style hake in tempura, confit vegetables, red pepper sauce and parsley emulsion
The batter was wonderfully crispy and not at all greasy, and the hake was soft and flaky. The parsley dots of sauce on the top were absolutely outstanding and really brought the dish to life. Just look at their colour against the rest of the brown ingredients!
Oxtail (£17)
Slow cooked oxtail, mushroom emulsion
This super pretty dish was dotted all over with little flowers and pops of mushroom emulsion against the soft, shredded brown meat. The dish was very comforting and meaty in flavour, though Alex would have enjoyed few more of the crisps when it came to texture. He kept eating bits of my batter for crispiness! Our shared side of mash was also lovely and buttery.
Desserts
All desserts are served with traditional
Basque ice cream
Caremelised rice pudding (£8)
The flavours of clove and orange in this rice pudding made it taste joyously of Christmas, and with a wonderfully caramelised top I was rather in dessert heaven. The bowl was served cold which was a little weird but I got used to it pretty quickly, and it actually worked well with the sticky, stodgy, comforting texture. The Basque ice cream cut through the stodginess and offered a refreshing finish on the palate.
Dark chocolate with biscuit crumble base (£8)
This dessert was incredibly rich and indulgent, with a beautiful mirror finish to the outside and strong in bitter chocolate flavour. The intense flavour worked well against the refreshing Basque ice cream as with the rice pudding. The chocolate mousse itself was smooth and the little biscuit at the bottom was crisp but not crispy almost like a brownie.
Wine
G22 by Gorka Izagirre (£45 for a bottle)
Bizkaiko Txakolina, Basque Country, Spain 2014
A Basque Country white from 2014. The golden liquid was fruity but well oaked giving it a rich, smooth finish. The nose was quite savoury and took me by surprise initially but was a good sip. The wine worked well with the meat and beetroot, but was a little overwhelming for the hake.
I really enjoyed my visit to Eneko at One Aldwych. I must also make a special mention to the waiting staff who were incredibly knowledgable and helpful throughout our visit.
This visit was kindly hosted by Eneko at One Aldwych. All opinions and images are my own.
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