While most of you are able to pop and in deal with just one aspect of my life, Toni has had to put up with me for 15 years. So I thought a night out might be in order. Since she’s sick of hearing about what I had to try in the kitchen at Jackson’s and we had such a good time last time we went for our fifth wedding anniversary, I booked a table there for the 9 course dego menu. Upgrading to the matched glass of wine with each course “meal deal”. Cutting to the chase, here’s all you need to know:
Scallop Carpaccio with Carrot and Tumeric Sorbet (little bit of flying fish roe “tobiko” gave it some lovely crunch) Dukes Reisling 2004 WA;
Vietnamese Spring Rolls (salmon and foie gras, orange and mint – start at the angled cut end or it all falls out) Hugel et Fils Gewurtztraminer 2002 Alsace France;
Salmon Confit with Kiwi Fruit & Peanuts (this is interesting, it’s poached in olive oil and the thin slice of beetroot sets it off with just a little sourness) St Clair Sav Blanc 2004 NZ;
Roast Honey Duck Breast & Pork Belly (the duck breast sat on fois gras and pickled daikon) Moorooduc Pinot Noir 2001 Vic;
Rabbit & Red Wine Risotto (just great with the shredded rabbit giving just the smallest amount of contemplative chew) Orenella “le Volte” 2002 Italy;
Venison ras el Hanout (very complex Moroccan spice mix caught in a ding dong battle with a very peppery red) Woody Nook CabSav 2002 WA;
Steak Chips and Peas (wagyu) Eight Songs Shiraz 2001 SA;
Blue Cheese Strudel & Pear Yalumba Botrytis Viogner 2004 SA (a very slight fizz lifted the sweetness of the sticky);
Turkish Delight Souffle & Rose Petal Ice Cream (joyous gooey rejig of my favourite chocolate bar) Lustau “San Emilio” Pedro Ximenez Jerez Spain.
And it would be back on the other side of the kitchen the next night. I’m really not fit to peel spuds here. Oh I am. Out the back? In a big bucket? Then put them in the water? Yeah yeah from the tap I know. Do you like my new peeler?
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Tags: restaurants
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i’m gobsmacked. ;-)
a salmon and foie gras *vietnamese* spring roll? sounds intriguing, not to mention the other eight dishes…nice photos
is that how you paid for the meal
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Nah paid for the meal with my trusty Visa card, bless it.
The salmon one is different to the foie gras one which is just amazingly nicely out there for what’s become a kind of standard thing. I hang around the cold preparation part of the kitchen and if I’m good I can have the offcuts.
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15 years,
Happy Anniversary to you both
and i must admit that meal looks slightly better than the Bangers and mash we had last night. -
wow,
you even had a fork and knife for each tooth.
very cool -
Now that’s a meal deal! And you even got fries as well.
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Mmmmm…these desserts look so tasty, Anthony-san. I’m a bit pathetic and relactant to eat rabbits, though…
Good job, as always. :) -
Thanks
I’m a bit partial to bangers and mash actually and a knife and fork for each meat.AG
It’s quote/unquote on the meal deal and a bit of a wink from the chef. Good stuffShina
Very tatsy. I had to leave some of my “things” with coffee. It’s amazing the number of people that don’t eat rabbits. I don’t think I ever saw them on a Japanese menu. -
woops 5 years not 15,
musta been all the excitement
from seeing so many forks.sorry -
You were right the first time, 15 years as an item and married for about 7 and a half years. The forks were pretty exciting.
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well done
like us,
youve made it past the 7 year itch!im seeing alot of plate there, were you still hungry after?
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Hi Anthony,
Everything sounds wonderfully delicious and quite interesting prepared. What was your favorite dish of the evening? The Turkish delight souffle sounds delightful. heh.
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Hey Reid
Ooh hard pic, they all worked in different ways. It’s a bit like the food version of the Tokyo Motor Show. The scallops of the great use of Japanese ingredients. the spring rolls for their new spin, the salmon for the cooking style and the beetroot, the combo of duck prok and liver, the earthiness of the rabbit,…I’m a bit of a sucker for simple foods cooked well and the lamb and mash was a nice surprise. The turkish delight souffle was indeed delightful – I might have to have a close look at the notes when I get back there.
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Hey, congrats Spicey and Toni! Ooooh wish I was at Jackson’s with you.
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Thanks Crafty, bests for your birthday. I was thinking of asking you but chose Toni instead, being our anniversary and all.
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Yummy!
I took Sonia out for her birthday last night to a French bistro in Harrow. It was nice but your meal sounds a lot better.
I did have a very nice confit de canard at this restaurant in Paris on Friday, though Thomas declared it yuck and ate bread and butter.
It’ll be back to spicy dogs and bats in Sulawesi in a fortnight. -
Hey AnthonyJ
It was indeed good. That link to the restaurant in Paris is great – “Boiled eggs with red wine sauce and bone marrow”. Thomas doesn’t know what he’s missing, but then again, I was a fussy little bugger too. Didn’t realise the three of you were over there, what an excellent break.Spicedog – hmmm
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Aah Spicy. Had me in tears as always – yes I like your new peeler.
Best wishes to Toni, who has clearly been very tolerant for 15 years ;-)
The meal looks impressive indeed. I don’t think I’d be able to get up after 9 courses, though with my habitual and unfortunate ‘better eat everything on the plate lest I feel terribly guilty about the starving children in Somalia’ mindset, I’d certainly do my best.
Rob and I were thinking about saving up for a bit of an end-of-thesis slurge at Jacksons, ordering fennel salad and something with spuds…but somehow I don’t think it’s going to happen. It strikes me as the kind of place where poor students can’t go and just order a main!
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It’s a beauty, as is Toni who is indeed very tolerant.
There’s the starving kid mindset and the fact that it’s just so bloody tasty. It kind of all catches up with you at the end but I think the wine just tips it over the edge.
A fennel salad and veg should see you a bit of change out of twenty but it’s actually quite relaxed place. You’ll find more stuck up staff at a few cafes. Wines the killer, but I think you could forsake a couple of trips to the mongolian BBQ and get out of there with a main each, provided you dind’t look at the dessert menu. Much better value than Meads. Alternatively, wait until you’re a lawyer and go the full blown 12 course dego with wine and side salad.
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how did i miss this post? happy anniversary!
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I think you were indisposed taking lots of gorgeous pics in the Phillipines. Many thanks
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Happy anniversary to you both! I’m glad you had a wonderful time – everything looks spectacular.
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Many thanks Keiko, we’ve had a lovely time. : )
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slow soft fruit chimes in with heartfelt congratulations on your long and happy relationship/marriage!
(oh come on… don’t i get some allowance for being 17 hours out of sync with you guys?)
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Bramble
Thanks very much and no worries about being late, it’s nice to think people have a bit of a wander back through the site.
gastroenterwritenment
manthatcooks is an irregularly updated and occasionally informative foodsite for people who have, or would like to have, moved on from say … toast.
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