Basque Birthday - Eneko at One Aldwych Review
Ever since hearing Eneko Atxa opened a restaurant in London, it went straight onto my list of places to try. For those that don't know who Eneko Atxa is, he is the world-renown, three Michelin Star chef of Azurmendi in Bilbao, also the 38th best restaurant in the world. So if the cooking is anything like his flagship restaurant, it's going to be good, right?
Famed for celebrating Basque cuisine and with an emphasis on the quality of ingredients, Eneko at One Aldwych is designed to be a more laidback dining experience than that of its fine-dining older brother, whilst still providing some upscale flair through the food on offer.
Since Eneko opened, I've often walked past the grand entrance to the restaurant at the side of the One Aldwych hotel, but just haven't had an occasion to try it. Fortunately for me, my girlfriend seems to have listened to my foodie rantings (constantly exclaiming as we walk past "we should go here some time") and surprised me with dinner there for my birthday.
The Location
On the Strand, just south of Covent Garden and across the road from Somerset House, the choice of location for Eneko is unusual. The area seems to be one more for theatre-goers than foodie explorers. You're also more likely to walk past the place thinking it's just another hotel restaurant if you didn't know about the fame of the chef, which would be a shame.
The location's well-connected, with Charing Cross, Covent Garden and Temple tube stations all a short walk away so it's a busy thoroughfare. Luckily, there's not one but three signs to give away the entrance if you know what you're looking for, just make sure you're not taken out by any commuters or theatre aficionados as you head towards it!
The Space
The entrance to Eneko (pictured above) is pretty impressive and it's worth taking a moment to admire it before heading in; the high archway, Edwardian architecture and iron gateway all add a sense of grandeur to the occasion. Interesting side-fact, the building used to be the headquarters of the Morning Post, so always good to see classical buildings being re-purposed!
We headed straight downstairs to the first level, which is the candle-lit bar, before heading downstairs again to the main restaurant.
The design of the main restaurant is striking, without being in your face. The steel columns holding up the mezzanine bar are exposed and are a reminder of the construction of the original building. Tables are well spaced so you don't feel like you're sat on top of each other, with booths around the edge of the main room which provide comfortable seating as the meal unfolds.
We were welcomed by the Restaurant Manager, Nicolas Eliso, who was also our host for the evening, and I have to say, he made us feel very welcome, guiding us through the menu expertly and sharing a joke or two with us throughout the night. He also took the time to answer all our questions and give some backstory to the restaurant, dishes and wine on offer. As far as service goes, it was ten out of ten!
The Food
Onto the menu. There are a few options you can choose from which cater to different budgets. There's the set lunch and pre-theatre menu which gives you two or three courses for £22 or £27 respectively and offers good value if you don't want to break the bank. In addition, there is a five course tasting menu for £52 (or £40 for vegetarian) and the A la Carte menu, which we opted for.
The A la Carte menu is split into Starters (£10 to £13), Mains (£13 to £19 and £26/£48 for the rib of beef) and Desserts (all £8).
To solve the conundrum of what to order without missing out on trying as much as possible, we decided to go "Tapas style". We shared starters and the main Nicolas recommended, making sure we saved room for dessert as well.
We were told the signature dishes were Memories of the Bay of Biscay (£13) and Cauliflower in Textures (£8) so those were must orders, and we added the Basque Duck Liver Parfait (£10) and Avocado Tempura (£9) as well.
First up, some theatrics with the Memories of the Bay of Biscay.
We were presented with a large dish with four scallop shells, each with a scallop in the middle. A liquid was then poured into the dish to create streams of smoke across the table (from dry ice and seaweed), definitely giving the dish a wow factor!
To add to the surprise, two of the "scallops" were actually daikon, a winter radish variety, which were cut and seem to have been confit (cooked in butter) to resemble the scallops. Each "scallop" was finished with a chive emulsion and edible flower.
The scallop was cooked perfectly, with no rubberiness at all from each mouthful, whilst the daikon was buttery with a slight bite to it. The chive emulsion also added some freshness to the dish. Altogether a great start to the meal and highly photogenic!
Next up the Basque duck liver parfait. Served with crispy onions on top and with a Txakoli wine-soaked apple compote (Txakoli is slightly sparkling, very dry white wine) at the bottom of the dish with two pieces of buttered toast, it was moreish and rich. The portion was surprisingly large, so much so we had to ask for more toast to finish the never-ending pot. The parfait was smooth, the compote added a sweetness to balance out the richer parfait and the crispy onions added texture to the dish.
The avocado tempura followed. Three tempuraed avocado slices on a Basque red pepper sauce with a similar chive emulsion to the scallops at the side, decorated with edible flowers to create a picturesque dish.
The tempura was crispy and light, giving way to the smooth avocado inside. Paired with the sauce and emulsion, the dish worked well, with the emulsion adding a refreshing touch to the fried avocado.
Last up for the starters, the Cauliflower in Textures. As explained by Nicolas, this was one of the more technically advanced dishes available, brought over from Azurmendi where it's part of the Erroak tasting menu, so I was pretty excited.
The dish had four different textures, showcasing the techniques and skill applied in the kitchen, all from one ingredient.
The leaves of the cauliflower had been roasted/fried into crunchy crisps, the body of the cauliflower turned into couscous like spheres, a cauliflower puree sat underneath it all and finished with an orb of exploding cauliflower flavour. It was clear what the restaurant manager meant by it being a technically advanced dish! Most importantly though, it all tasted great, with the different texture combinations and creaminess from the cauliflower all seasoned well and working together, it's definitely a must order.
Onto mains which we decided on just the one dish given the previous starters and dessert still to come.
Again, taking Nicolas' lead, we opted for the flavourful Slowcooked Oxtail and mushroom emulsion (£15).
Boy was Nicolas right. Each mouthful was intense, rich and meaty, with the oxtail melting apart. Though the dish was delicious, it was very heavy and I thought it needed just something on the side to counteract the intense flavours. It also paired very well with the Ulver wine we were recommended which, again, added to the overall taste of the dish.
Onto desserts. After the heavier main course, we opted for lighter desserts; Salted Caramel Mousse (£8) and Rose Marshmallow (£8).
The Rose Marshmallow, served with a strawberry sorbet in the shape of a strawberry on top, was incredibly light; one of the lightest marshmallow's I've eaten! With sliced strawberry on top of the marshmallow, the rose was subtle, and combined with the sorbet it was a delicious dessert and proved a good palate cleanser after the main.
The Salted Caramel Mousse with cookie crumble and sheep's milk ice cream was also a hit. The crumble added crunch to the caramel mousse, whilst the sheep's milk was creamy and light, and, with granules of salt around the plate, there were some surprising mouthfuls where it all came together perfectly. To top the dish off, the chocolate spheres also contained liquid salted caramel, a nice touch of kitchen wizardry to finish the plate.
The Verdict
Cost £££ (out of ££££)
Did the magic of Eneko make the journey across from Basque country? I would say so!
Each dish delivered a wow-factor without compromising on flavour. Most notably the Memories of the Bay of Biscay and Cauliflower in Textures impressed and is all packaged up in a relaxed, grand space with excellent service. If you're on the hunt for somewhere for a special occasion, or just an impressive date night dinner, I don't think you'll go wrong with choosing Eneko.
The restaurant is suitably relaxed allowing you to make your dining choices as you wish, and the staff will guide you along your way, not to mention there are several vegetarian options available, including the tasting menu.
Downsides, well it's probably not for those that want to know exactly what they're ordering, as some of the dishes are not what you'd generally expect from your usual Spanish restaurant. Some of the theatrics may also be considered a bit over the top as well (though who doesn't like theatrics?!).
Overall, we really enjoyed our dinner at Eneko, with the food and service making it a great birthday (not to mention the free cake), and I highly recommend it if you're looking for a relaxed fine-dining spot where you're in for the unexpected.
One Aldwych
London
WC2B 4BZ