The Frog - Shoreditch
Adam Handling has finally put his MasterChef fame to good use. From a background in hotel dining, Adam’s trapped desire for the ‘somewhat different’ shines through. Tucked behind Brick Lane you walk into a festival style outdoor area, almost expecting to see a menu full of patty burgers and wings. I was pleasantly surprised to see a trendy and sophisticated dining area, surprisingly full of City folk. The set menu offered surprises left right and centre. The chicken butter and bread got the dinner off on the right foot – butter gently whisked with sticky roasting juices. Whilst I would probably have preferred normal butter to avoid the taste of chicken fat in my mouth, the flavours do leave you wondering what will be served next.
I was greeted with a beautiful and lightly cooked piece of fresh salmon, almost sashimi like with delicately pickled vegetables. Almost too stunning to eat, this first dish showed the complexity in Adam’s dishes with mouth-watering flavours, cooked in various cutting edge ways to enhance creativity and overall depth of flavour. The restaurant obviously prides itself on using the most carefully sourced ingredients with Asian flavours and techniques evident throughout.
The standout and most obscure dish had to be the celeriac with thin sliced apple, truffle, date, egg yolk and cream. The ingredients together sound disastrous but believe me, tasted heavenly – I applaud the risk in textures and flavours that have been taken to create this dish. A definite marmite option for the crowd.
The palate cleanser looked like a piece of art – only for the beetroot fanatics. Again, the dish goes above and beyond in terms of creativity, stepping away from the usual ‘sorbet shot’. Beetroot stained sugar tubes stuffed with beetroot pannacotta and jellied yuzu. A perfect pre-dessert despite the over enthusiastic dusting of beetroot – there’s only so much beetroot one dish can take.
The dinner finished on a high after sampling beautifully cooked cod with salt and vinegar twigs and lamb with a refreshing pea and mint puree. Desserts were as expected – creative and intriguing. Smoking popcorn, boozy flavoured ice creams and the most luxurious forest gateaux. No dish disappointed, each provided its own quirks and experiences. Whilst there is a conflict in the restaurant trying to be part hipster part fine dining, the overall experience is stand-out. A relaxed vibe with service to match. If you are looking for excitement, flavour and colour in your food then The Frog is your destination.
