LUDLOW'S LABOURS LOST?

 

With Shaun Hill's Merchant House restaurant already gone (it's been converted back to a private house now), Ludlow will be taking another blow from being the gastro capital of England, with Claude and Claire Bosi's announcement that in the spring or summer of 2007, they intend to close Hibiscus and up sticks to try their luck in the Smoke. The exact location is a secret at the moment, and, of course, it may take longer than they anticipate to make the move, but we felt it entirely appropriate to review one of the finest restaurants in the country before prices reach the inevitable stratosphere in London.

 

We first ate there shortly after they opened in 2000 - Claude was already making a name for himself as the chef at Overton Grange, a Country House Hotel just outside Ludlow and Claire was Front of House at Shaun Hill's restaurant. With Shaun's encouragement they opened up and the restaurant has gone from strength to strength.

As the years have gone by, Claude's cuisine has increased in confidence and complexity, but without going over the top or seeming to be trying too hard and the precision with which some of the dishes are executed is rarely found anywhere else in the country. The secret is to know what proportion of each ingredient is needed to make the combination work, and Claude is very good at this.

 

Our most recent meal there was a "Surprise Menu" - 10 small courses exquisitely executed with a wine to match each course. The matching was not always perfect, but it was a good effort and an introduction, I suspect, for many of the less well-known wines that are around.

 

The meal started off with a little palate enhancer of a small glass of chilled watermelon soda, pineapple, tomato and olive oil - then straight into a salad of sweetcorn and caramelised pinenuts, coconut and Thai curry, accompanied with a glass of Hugel Gewürztramner 2003, which was just a little overpowering for the dish. A ravioli of ricotta cheese, courgette, black olive and sun dried tomato with a cappuccino of sweet onion was brilliantly executed with the cheese, the olive and the onion forming a great emulsion, but the accompanying wine - Planeta la Segreta Bianco 2002, on the contrary was a little too acidic for this dish as well as being a rather disappointing wine altogether. However, the Pinot Gris Domaine Scherer 2002 went brilliantly with salad of Cornish crab, avocado and William pear with an acacia honey and aged Balsamic viniagrette. Next came a tartare of Scottish langoustine tails, Wasabi, honey and lime dressing with strawberries and celery - an extraordinary combination - but it worked! What also worked was Alain Brumont's Gros Manseng 2003 from Gascony, with its honeyed and aromatic tones being a perfect combination with the dressing. There followed a confit of salmon, smoked aubergine, caramelised ham hock terrine, Barigoule sauce, eucalyptus milk - a complicated dish, well executed, but a little too much for the accompanying Montagny 1er cru, Feullat 2003, from Juillot, which didn't have enough aromatic flavour to take the smoked aubergine, in particular.

 

A little palate cleanser of a savoury ice cream of foie gras, warm emulsion of brioche, with a balsamic vinegar caramel, was probably the one dish that didn't work for us (we're not really into foie gras ice cream - seems a bit of a waste!), but the Muscat de Frontignan Ch. Pérignan that went with it was good.

 

Into the home straight now with roast suckling pig, cauliflower purée, roast greengage, with razor clams with greengage and ginger and purple cauliflower couscous, was a masterpiece of combination and the Chinon Rouge from Charles Joguet was just a little bit too tannic for it all. A selection of cheeses with apricot bread was served with Vasse Felix Cabernet Sauvignon 2003, which went perfectly well, but I would have preferred to see a glass of white wine offered which so often goes better with cheeses (especially soft cheeses) than red. A pre-dessert of a salad of strawberries, lovage and black pepper was not accompanied by any wine, but the dessert of coconut milk pannacotta, compôte of Mortimer Forest blackberries and white chocolate had Willi Opitz's Goldackerl Beerenauslese 2004 with it, but this was a bit on the young side and hadn't had the chance to develop enough sweetness to really take the dish and the acidity rather dominated.

 

All in all though, this was a remarkable meal and at £65 per person for the food, was an absolute snip. Maybe we would have been happier to drink some different wines, there are plenty of good choices on the list, but even with what was on offer, it was a hugely enjoyable experience. Get you all to Ludlow before this wonder will cease! Of course, it is almost impossible to get a reservation on Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, but for those who can - there are, as we understand it, frequent opportunities on Tuesdays and Wednesdays - and there is always lunch! (Not Tuesdays).

 

Ratings

 

Food 49

Wine list 15

Service 9

Ambience 5

Value for money   14

 

Total 92

 

Hibiscus 17 Corve Street, Ludlow, SY8 1DA.

Tel: 01584 872325.

www.hibiscusrestaurant.co.uk

Open for lunch Wednesday to Saturday, 12.15 to 1.30, dinner Tuesday to Saturday, 7.15 to 9.30.

Closed, 2 weeks Xmas and New Year, 1 week July

Credit cards: Visa, Mastercard,

Fixed price menus: £65 for "Surprise" Tasting Menu plus £45 with wines for each course, £25 for 3 course set lunch. 3 course set dinner £47.50 without wine, which can be had at lunchtime as well.

 

 

‘The Top 100 Restaurant Wine Lists’ is an indispensible guide.

Check it out.