The start of something (utterly) exciting..
Where do I begin? The word “supper club” has been a distant memory, and being subjected to a communal table in the middle of an unpopulated dining room daunted me. The glimmering kitchen was my hope. So was the name Leandro Carreira, a chef who held senior positions at two of the world’s most inspiring kitchens Mugaritz and Viajante.
Leandro or Leo is at One Leicester Street for 3 months (until mid-June, I guess), doing what seems an understatement, a “supper club”. This is an 8-course menu with beverage pairings (by Talented Mr Fox) at £88. Chefs are keen to exchange thoughts and diners are encouraged to nose around in the kitchen. The cuisine is innovative – an epiphany both of taste and of thought process.
My meal started with some crispy folded sheets made from fried clam juice. One bite into this thing of ethereal beauty opened up a new horizon of eating: a texture that was intangibly light. The careful smudging of citrus emulsion and coriander brought out the umami richness of the sea. This was quickly succeeded by flimsy buttermilk meringue cups holding unseasoned trout roe. The taste profile was familiar. Red caviar, creme fraiche. The deceptively simple texture layering also led to the most effective release of taste. The meringue (with subtle acidity) shattered and disintegrated; the pearly roe glided on my tongue and burst its natural saltiness. I became impatient at what’d arrive next!
The first course of peas and ricotta, by itself, disappointed a little. The peas had their flavour detracted and was served in form of chlorophyll-rich juice. With inherent bitterness, it tasted like spring time. The made-in-house ricotta, on the other hand, was too mild to counter it. White asparagus was more finely tuned. The bitter character from the asparagus was well judged against the burnt caramel subtlety of toffee mayo. The taste leaped forward big time with Langoustines. They were, I think, cooked under low heat (blame my booze-battered memory). Very intense. The garnish of almond milk emulsion and milk crumb complemented, without overpowering, the sweetness of the langoustines very well. The watermelon radish (raw but compressed in salted water) contributed natural peppery crunch and mild saltiness. Then came a bowl of “salad”. Meaty morel mushrooms were hidden underneath a medley of 10-or-so foraged herbs. A dish of paradox. It brought together not only the clarity but also the elusiveness of taste. From celery zing to anise-y and peppery punch to earthy shaved mushrooms, every bite was different. The cleansing dressing, of fragrant tomato water and razor clam, which took 2 days to make, teased and established unity. (Quite frankly, one of the most unique salad dishes I’ve had).
Monkfish with variations of allium was also quite special. The fish (brined and aged) was moist; its charred (smoky) exterior mixed well a velvety, onion essence (made from kilos of onions). It was a great build-up for my last savoury course: Secreto Iberico. (Secreto is the cut between shoulder blade and loin of acorn-fed Iberico pigs). The pork, sous-vided at 55 degrees for 17 hours, retained visibly marvellous layers of fat. My knife sank in as if on a piece of butter. The fattiness was mediated by blanched turnip tops (smeared generously with the paste of a very complex nutty character). My meal concluded with a rather unique pear and caramel, with mellow acidity from finger lime pearls in the dulce de leche-like caramel spread.
In a very short sentence..
Leandro is special.
Not only for its great quality produce and the magic of sourcing, the tasting menu I had exhibits the chef’s maturity in techniques and in creative decision-making. It is full of serenity and nuances of taste. It pleases, teases and intrigues, without subjecting diners to the forced feeding of ideas. For me, this is just utterly exciting.
RATING 4.5/5
LEANDRO @ ONE LEICESTER STREET
One Leicester Street Hotel
1 Leicester Street
London
WC2H 7BL
Tel. 020 3301 8020
