I normally preamble about something or other and then talk about the restaurant’s number of seats etc etc. I’m not going to. Why? The food was so freaking delicious, I want to tell you about it IMMEDIATELY.
Dash Restaurant Review
STARTERS
Tempura Prawns // 115
At some restaurants these taste more tempura than prawn. And while I really do like fried things, if I can’t taste the prawn, I may as well be eating a savory pastry of some sort. The tempura was like, almost see-through and the fat, juicy prawns still tasted like the sea. They were served on a bed of lightly pickled vegetables, with a smoked white and black sesame puree. Sour, salty, sweet, earthy and smokey, with tender prawn and crunchy veg – the perfect combination of flavours and textures.
Foie Gras // 180
If you ethically have an issue with foie gras, please read ahead or just close the browser. Each to their own, and my each eats foie gras.
In theory, I should have hated this dish. I don’t normally enjoy sweet dishes (unless we’re talking dessert) and I believe that fruit should be kept in a fruit salad. If the menu had actually stated what I was getting myself into, I wouldn’t have ordered it, so I am very glad it didn’t. “Seared foie gras with apple and onion marmalade” turned out to be seared foie gras with a caramalised apple, chocolate soil, apple and berry purees, berry caviar, chargrilled apple, passion fruit, onions marmalade and onion veloute. MIND BLOWN. One of the greatest dishes I have had in my 5 years of Food Blog, this was both a shock and a joy to my system. The hot, salty onion “soup” and rich, umami foie gras toned down the sweetness of the plate. Once again, the flavour and texture combinations worked in perfect harmony, it took every ounce of my self-restraint not to order this again for mains.
PALATE CLEANSER
Lemon, orange, and apple and cinnamon. Because one just isn’t enough.
MAINS
Lamb // 240
This loin of lamb was cooked to perfection, so tender I could have eaten it with a spoon. But strangely enough, it was the barley that stole the show. This simple ingredient shone like I have never experienced – a creamy pearl barley “risotto”, with soya sauce, creme fraiche and a dash of orange, I’d have been satisfied with a giant bowl of it, never mind the lamb. The red wine jus was made with bone marrow making it deliciously rich, and the pickled beets added sharpness.
Springbok // 195
If I’d thought the lamb was tender and well seasoned, I was surprised that I could somehow be jealous of Marvin’s springbok. As it’s game, the meat itself had more flavour, which may have been what swayed me (because my barley was definitely the winning starch of the night). The roast carrot puree added to the “rustic” quality of the dish, and the baby onions stuffed with chive mash potato was a strange little delight.
DESSERT
Fondant // 85
“It looks great, I wonder if it’s ooz..” I didn’t even get to finish my sentence, because as I gently prodded this lil’ fondant, it oozed just like every fondant dreams of oozing one day. Not too sweet, the fondant itself was perfect. The orange ice cream, chocolate sand, berry puree and peanut brittle added texture and depth to what is normally a simple dessert. But it was completely overshadowed by…
Banana Parfait // 80
This dessert was delicious, decadent and FUN. I felt like a kid again, well, a really fancy kid, I suppose. Not too sweet, the parfait had a delicate flavour, which went beautifully with the butterscotch sauce, banana caviar, banana ice cream, caramelised banana and popcorn! Each element tasted unique, because each was prepared in such a different way. Without a doubt, the most delicious dessert I’ve had in years, but so seemingly simple.
For most (me included), Dash is not a restaurant you go for a casual Monday evening out because you don’t feel like cooking. It’s an experience. A delicious, invigorating experience, where simple foods are reinvented to thrill and excite you. I can not think of a single bad thing to say about the restaurant or the food. The staff were friendly, the food was quite clearly magnificent, the atmosphere was surprisingly relaxed for a fancy shmancy place. The attention to detail is impeccable, which I would attest to great chefs, and it’s boutique nature as they only have seating for 34 people.
Oh I do have a complaint, I want to be there right now – and I’m not. Boo.
