Only the best is good enough
5:43pm Tuesday 19th July 2011 in Eating Out By Michelle Tompkins
Only the best is good enough
CHEF Daniel Moon is chasing rosettes. Not any old rosettes, you understand. Certainly not the kind you get for dressing up as Willy Wonka at the school fete or coming first in the egg and spoon race.
The kind of rosettes Daniel wants are the kind that tell the whole world he can cook – the kind that will make his long hours, precison planning and acute attention to detail in the kitchen seem wholly worthwhile. What Daniel wants is AA Rosettes.
Daniel, 29, is the new executive chef at the Bowood Hotel and Golf Club near Calne. He is hot from the kitchens at Bath’s Homewood Park Hotel, where the AA bestowed him with three of their accolades. Bowood already has two Rosettes for its successful Shelburne Restaurant, and Daniel is now determined to secure the third.
A month or so after his arrival, I was invited to eat in the restaurant and sample the food for which he is hoping to become renowned.
We’d been to the Shelburne Restaurant before, and the muted colours and luxurious cushioned seating always make for a relaxing evening. This evening was especially glorious, with the sun still streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows, giving the room a hazy glow.
It seemed only fair to sample Daniel’s signature dishes and, between my husband and I, we covered all of his specialities.
I started with scallops on a sweetcorn puree, with crispy bacon and bubble and squeak. I love scallops and order them whenever I see them on a menu – these were delicate and virtually dissolved in the mouth, with just the salty crunch of the bacon leaving a lasting taste.
On the other side of the table came a starter of Wiltshire pork and black pudding with apple compote, topped with a beautiful parmesan twist. Presentation is something Daniel is passionate about and his food is as appetising to look at as it is to eat. On his arrival at Bowood he said: “The menus I will be introducing over the coming months won’t be a radical departure... but will come with my own translation of fine dining, which calls on classic roots and pretty presentation.”
Just as easy on the eye was my main course of wild sea bass, balanced on top of lobster risotto and lobster bisque, and served with buttered asparagus. The bisque was thick and velvety and tasted very decadent indeed. A real showstopper of a dish, something to spoil yourself with.
My husband chose Mendip lamb, which was piled on top of fluffy tomato cous cous. He can be a big eater but said the portion was the ideal size: “Any more and it would be too rich,” was his response.
Daniel told us his lemon posset was another seasonal speciality, which was lucky as it’s one of my favourites. This one did not disappoint, and the nutmeg sorbet on the side provided a freshness to cut through the cream.
Dark chocolate mousse was our other choice (well, I had to sample both...), which also had a refresher in the form of blood orange sorbet.
Less than a fortnight after taking up his job at Bowood, Daniel won an Acorn Award from Caterer & Housekeeper magazine – the awards were given to ‘30 of the brightest prospects in the hospitality industry under the age of 30’. It’s not hard to see why he fell into that category.
I have a feeling that all-important third Rosette won’t be far behind.
n Dinner at the Shelburne Restaurant costs £40 for two courses or £50 for three, inclusive of coffee and petit fours.
