The Boxwood Café-London

We are in London today on my birthday and I was lucky enough to get a reservation at Gordon Ramsay’s “casual” Boxwood Café this afternoon. We are having dinner at the River Café Monday and hadn’t planned on the Boxwood- it was just fate. His two main restaurants aren’t even open on the weekends. Don’t you love it. We had to take an early res at 6pm, which suited me and the kids perfectly. I can only say “the kids” for three more weeks because Willie will be 18, May 1.Boo hoo. But what the hell, I guess no matter how old you are your parents call you “the kids”!
Anyway, it was a surprise treat for us all. Casual they may call it, but it was plenty fancy for us. Willie really liked the décor and Chloé felt like a grown up. There were actually quite a few children there. They say in their publicity “cater to children”. So it was a really nice atmosphere but not too stuffy. I think it’s a comfortable start for exposing kids to nice restaurants.
Looking over the menu, we decided to go for it by ordering the tasting menu for both Chloé and I.........(this is kinda long...)

The waiter probably thought I was nutso, but by the end was pleasantly shocked when he witnessed her consumption and enjoyment. The plates were perfectly sized-(small!) in order to get in 6 courses without exploding. Hence the name, “tasting” menu. Luckily, our table that was reserved from 6-8, was actually open till 9:15. So, we really had the time to relax and enjoy, as of course you should in a place like this. The jury is still out for me on the time constraint rule.
Willie went out on a limb with the crab pasta just for me and liked it. And then had an extraordinary mac and cheese. Just kidding- but it worked fine and it was nice they offered it. What we did enjoy was that they threw in some in between bits for Willie that Chloé and I were having so he didn’t feel left out and it gave him a chance to try a few new things.
So here we go……

Amuse bouche was a Jerusalem artichoke soup with roasted shallots we all liked. The chokes probably roasted and pureed and the shallots sweet. Hot and well seasoned.

2nd was a ceviche of Irish salmon with chili, lime and coriander. Very good too but would have loved a little fleur de sel on it or on the table. I don’t know if France has permanently salted by buds or if I should try to desalinate them, but after 3 years of “BIEN Á SAISONE” -Season well, I seem to be reaching for the salt and pepper more than ever before.
Chloé mentioned she really liked the red chili flakes. She seems to be discovering the spicy side of her palate and going for the wasabi lately too. This dish was very light, alive and tangy.
3rd dish to arrive consisted of roasted, ramero pepper, avocado, feta cheese, slow roast tomato and pumpkin seed oil. Hiding under this was a round, shaved, sweet piece of raw beet. On top were delicate little baby leaves of red and green shisho. Like the first leaves when you are starting the plants. This too was duly noted. (Steel tops off my starts in the green house). The roasted veggies were screaming with flavor and it was a good combo with the pumpkin oil. And yes I salt and peppered it a little.

4th course brought a seared loin of yellow fin tuna, red onion, quail’s egg and black pepper sauce. Really fresh tasting, perfectly seared outside, raw but warm inside with a delicate pepper sauce and complimented well by the red onions. Chloé liked the tuna and pepper sauce, ate the quail egg with a
little hesitation and gave it a C+, then gave me the onions. Really the quail eggs don’t seem much different than a chicken egg-just bite size and far more fitting on a small plate. I loved it.
And for the 5th course….. a saddle of Dornoch lamb (if you're curious- here's the site for this specialty lamb from the Scottish Highlands and islands) with a pine nut crust, baby artichokes and celeriac puree. The lamb was seared and virtually raw in the middle, which was fine with me; Chloé, not so sure on this one. The pine nut was good but a little heavy and really needed a little balancing with some salt. Honestly; just to take off a little of the bitterness off the pine nut. Baby choke and celeriac -we both gave a thumbs up.

After this, the three of us got a little pre dessert treat of a coconut cream sort of custard (but not at all eggy more like a gelatine but not too), with a strawberry coulis. I WILL be trying this at home. Willie was all over it and dug the surprise element.

And last but not least what really attracted both Chloé and I immediately to this menu was the Valrhona chocolate fondue with marshmallows, biscotti and fruit kebabs. It’s pretty self- explanatory.
There was an abundance of chocolate and it didn’t need salt! The biscotti was nutty, fruity and delicate and the marshmallows (guimave in French), definitely not ripped out of a plastic bag. They were spongy and delicious and are in fact, not too difficult to make-( another post). Or, you could probably just find an entire blog on marshmallows! The kebab held blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. And there was banana. Ok- I had to explain it. And for Willie, house made deep chocolate, mint chocolate and strawberry icecream on a very cool cone stand!
We all very much enjoyed the evening and I felt properly celebrated with two of my FAVORITE people in the world. And I would love to go back again. Especially if someone else was paying the bill!