My guest kicked off her meal with the creamy butternut squash soup with cardamom (£7) which set the scene nicely, and my first taste of PLATE came in the form of the homemade taramasalata (£3) which was more akin to hummus, such was the consistency and taste. The delicate rye bread crisps finished it off nicely. Second up for us was the crushed avocado with morsels of fresh chilli on a toasted slice of sourdough (£7).
Served on a wooden platter, this was a firm favourite out of everything that we tried on the night, and the juice from the roasted lime half gave that added ‘zing’. We could have easily had another, but we had to leave room to try some of the other specialities on offer.
The signature bread flight for sharing (£7.50), which arrived halfway through our meal, is PLATE’s ‘flagship’ dish. Served in a hollowed out log, it consisted of a freshly baked and warm mushroom brioche, marmite bread and a slice of sourdough. These were married perfectly with three different flavours of butter which were namely pumpkin and hazelnut, greens and whipped salted.
With just enough space left before dessert, I tucked into the delightful thyme, shallot and goats cheese tart (£10). It had a base of light puff pastry, a caramelised onion middle, and a top layer of crunchy shallot onions, with a sprinkling of grated parmesan cheese. It was delicious. Similarly, my dining partner enjoyed her two round portions of Evans Farm Harissa lamb breast (£14) with preserved lemon and sesame which was garnished with some puréed aubergine and chives.
I debated whether to have something sweet at the end, as there are some very mouth-watering dishes on offer such as a pumpkin crème brûlée or a salted caramel éclair, but I was won over by the artisan cheese platter (£9) – goats cheese, a Lincolnshire hard cheese and Stilton which could all be spread across some biscuits with the help of some sumptuous chutney. Once again, PLATE will go all out to make sure that guests that don’t eat dairy don’t lose out for dessert, so they made a seasonal fresh fruit platter with sliced apple, grapefruit, watermelon and passion fruit, plus a soya hot chocolate.
As you would expect from a five-star hotel, this restaurant is pricey and the bill soon adds up, but picking three of the options will probably suffice to fill you up. This dining concept may not be for everyone, but the chef’s imaginative creations, and it being something a little different from the norm, will keep people coming through the door.
PLATE Restaurant, Bar and Bake – Where and How?
PLATE is located at the M by Montcalm Shoreditch London Tech City hotel, 51-157 City Road, Shoreditch, London EC1V 1JH. For more information, or to make a reservation, e-mail [email protected] or visit platecatering.co.uk.
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