Stag Part 3: The Boisdale of Belgravia

As is the way with most stag do's, it was all meant to be a big surprise.  And by and large it was.  However, inevitably, but the end of the day I knew where we were having supper, given that a few of the chaps had rather indiscreetly (read 'dumbly') given the game away – you know, comments like "well, after that lunch I'm not sure I'll be able to fit anything in at Boisdales!" (Ben M) or "Have you been to Boisdales before?" (Toby).  Nothing too obvious.

Actually, I jest.  The game wasn't given away at all – not because I didn’t hear them, or chose to put it of my mind, but instead because I simply had never heard of Boisdale. 

It's a fantastic place.  What Greg the Best Man had been looking for was a private dining room able to seat the whole gang, serving proper red wine and even redder meat and with a terrace to enjoy a post-supper cigar.  Boisdale of Belgravia ticked each and every box.  It's fantastically old school – silverware, waistcoated waiters, jazz in the later evenings, the whole shebang.  It was perfect.

Given several different menu options, the best men and I opted to go for the only really fitting dishes for a stag do: steak followed by steak (tartare and rump, that is). 

The tartare came as one would expect it to, served up with the classic melba toasts and the even more classic accompaniment of accoutrements.  I doused mine in Worcestershire sauce and green Tabasco. 
 

But I gather there were other options available, if you can’t handle your red meat.  Some even went for a (very good looking) salad of endives and girolles with parmesan and porcini dressing.

Others tried the gravlax, which was served up in an epic, plate covering portion, and which was nicely kept company with a classic dill sauce.  Keeping it old school.

A couple of boys went for the pork cutlet, which I gather was very good.  It was served up with something described as Moroccan haggis and prune stuffing (Boisdale, by the way, has a seriously Scottish bent – all the better given its chef's predilection for rich, dark and satisfying dishes) and a truffle sauce. 

I understand someone ordered the cod.  I understand this because I head him say express his disappointment when his neighbour was served the infinitely more stag-esque steaks.  I, however, saw not (nor photographed) the fish.  So, sorry, no reports.

I had the steak.  Of course I had the steak.  Most of us had the steak.  And it was good.  Megayums. 

And for pud I finished up with a chocolate torte, honeycomb ice cream and almond brittle.  It was pretty damn tasty.  

 

I am afraid that, by this stage, I was pretty pissed (hey, it was my stag, ok?) though, so I couldn’t be bothered to photograph or report on the other puddings.  I'm sure they were good.

What was good was the fantastic gang of friends that I spent the day with.  We had a great time together, and it was such a wonderful send off for me.  Massive thanks goes to Greg who put it together – a finer stag do I could not have imagined.  Also big thanks to James, the other best man, and Christian for putting me to bed (by 3am I really, really needed help…).

What a night to remember.

 - GrubsterBoy -

Stag Part 2: The Banana Store

So, at the end of Monday's post I left you with the question: what does one do with an entire deer's worth of (relatively inexpertly) freshly butchered meat?  Well, the answer, of course, is to eat it.

Farmer Sharp's operations in Borough Market are generally run out of a restaurant called The Banana Store, which is housed in the former Borough Market Trustees Building.  This means that, once you're done hacking up your carcass, there is a trained (and talented) chef on hand to turn your carnivorous experimentations into something edible and delicious.

But before we even got to the meat we were availed of a host of starters. 

First out was gravadlax.  The Banana Store's chef, Jens, is Swedish, and his skill in curing the fish shined through– dry initially, but still with plenty of oily moisture and flavour.  
 

 

Also, we were treated to smoked eel, served with fennel.  Now, eel is not something that I'd ever order but I have to say it was absolutely first rate. 

Our fishy starters were also kept happy with a duo of salads, one of heritage radishes and the other of mixed beetroots and samphire.  Very good indeed. 

But the main attraction was the meat.  I've never eaten muntjac before, but I wouldn’t hesitate to eat it again.  It's a lovely gamey meat, but not too gamey – not so metallic, high, which I find slightly off-putting in game like grouse.  It's a rich meat and terribly tender.  It was also cooked to perfection.  It was also an absolute pleasure to be able to try the different cuts and have Farmer Sharp talk us through each piece and identify where they came from on the animal.

And these little pieces?  Why, they're the fillet steaks, of course.  Sure, they're a bit smaller than you'd find on a cow, but did you see the size of this beastie?  Anyway, you know how you hear people say that their steak was so tender it could have been eaten with spoon?  In this case it was actually true.  I could have spread these steaks on toast.  Fantastic. 

Now, I've walked past The Banana Store hundreds of times – I went to college just around the corner – but barely noticed it.  I had never heard anyone speak of it.  So I wasn't sure, if I'm honest, whether the food would be up to much.  I needn't have worried – it was fantastically done.  Each dish was exciting, imaginative, and (crucially) excellently executed.  We had expected the meat to be grilled up and served, perhaps with some potatoes.  What we received was a feast.  If I found myself in need of a quick meal in the area again, I'd definitely drop in.

- GrubsterBoy -

 

PS – I gather that The Banana Store does a rather interesting line in Borough Market eating called 'Eat What You See'.  Basically, the premise is this: You go to Borough Market, have a mooch around and pick out some food.  Then you bring it along to The Banana Store and they'll cook it up for you for £15.  Check out their website for details.