What I found it hard not to do during the weekends is to really relax and have an enjoyable meal. After all, there is no better way to reward yourself after a week of hard work than to eat something rather delectable.
As a matter of fact I had the opportunity to visit The Savoy again on a previous Sunday. This time, however, I wasn't there for their afternoon tea, but for the Sunday Roast at the Savoy Grill restaurant.
Situated inside the world-renowned Savoy Hotel, Savoy Grill has hosted some of the most famous Hollywood stars and political figures in the modern history. Along with the glamorous Art Deco interior that came with the a £220-million refitting of the whole hotel, the restaurant provides its guests with some of the most luxurious and heritage-rich dining experience ever.
Now owned by the Gordon Ramsay Group, the restaurant includes some of the most traditional British dishes on the menu while having a French twist on certain dishes.
As a part of its rich culinary heritage, which dates as far back as the late 1800s, the Savoy Grill restaurant continues to feature what it is called the Sunday Roast Menu on every Sunday. The 3 course menu, which starts at a fairly reasonable £65, includes a variety of phenomenal dishes as well as half a bottle of red or white house wine.
On top of that, what truly elevates the dining experience is that each of the daily special is served from a traditional trolley. (Picture below) Diners could not only have a better glance at the texture of the grills; but also become more connected to the dish to some extent through being able to witness the making of the dish in front of them.
On a side note, this reminds me of my former experience in witnessing the making of the perfect martini martini trolley from the Connaught Bar -- both are exceptionally pleasant to watch.
Without holding you for too long, allow me to introduce you to the appetizing dishes I had there.
"Seafood ravioli with lobster vinaigrette and smoked tomato fondue"
This starter has given me quite a nice impression. Quite balanced and easy-going, there is not a single element of the dish that particularly dominates the others. In fact, the subtleness of the sauce really compliments the lobster vinaigrette, as it allowed its richness to further elevate.
The only thing that I wasn't too certain about is actually the smoked tomato fondue. As much as it served as a nice decor, it didn't not really interacts with other elements of the dish. It was slightly out of place to some extent.
Nevertheless, I suppose I prefer a more 'neutral' appetizer like this one since it would allow what is yet to come to standout.
"Rib of beef with Yorkshire pudding"
For the main, I definitely had to stick to the tradition. Being cooked to medium-rare, the texture of the beef was in a great balanced. While it had that compelling scent of wood-fried charcoal burn from the edges, the center of the beef remained to be quite juicy and tender.
The roasted potatoes were also quite enjoyable to taste. Soft, crispy, and not oily at all; they resonateed with the beef quite well, allowing it to be the one to stand under the spotlight.
The selection of the house red wine, though not being as inspiring as the other elements of the dining experience, was an acceptable choice.
Coming from a brand that aims to offer non-traditional blends from traditional French varietals, the Le Grand Noir Black Sheep GSM 2016 is a mixture of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. What this does is it created a rich, spicy, and medium-bodied character that was appropriate for pairing with beef.
Nonetheless, considering the theme of the 3 course menu as well as the restaurant itself was more of a traditional British one, the 'New World' style wine did seem a little bit off-track and was perhaps not the most subtle option.
"Pineapple tart with basil sorbet"
The dessert was a customized one due to my allergy requirements. But even so, I have to admit that I've had the same dessert several times in different occasions, I personally found it less captivating as what I would otherwise have if I had never tried this dish before.
Overall speaking, however, the basil and the pineapple worked quite well with each other; providing a rather refreshing ending note after the main. I enjoyed the fact that while retaining their freshness, both the pineapple sorbet and the slices of pineapple were not sour at all. In fact, they were quite sweet in comparison so it was satisfying enough.
However, the real highlight of the dining experience would be the fact that I was invited to the kitchen for a visit after the meal. Being able to interact with different chefs in the kitchen was quite memorable as it is always pleasing to be able to talk to the people behind the creation of what you eat to see why the dishes are designed in certain ways.
In any case, it was a quite a rewarding experience to immerse myself into such a glamorous environment which truly resonates with the Britishness of some of the above dishes. Tasting the Sunday Roast Menu surely sufficed my need to relax and have something that is truly appetizing.
P.S. Shout out to Gabby and Christy for providing such an excellent service throughout the dining experience, as well as inviting me to the kitchen for a visit.
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