With all that’s going on, it’s easy to forget that restaurants are still open, are still changing their menus, are still serving guests.
And all of the experiences I’ve had in restaurants over the last few months have been positive. The staff want to serve you. The chefs want to cook for you. They will take care over getting you in, fed and out before the 10pm deadline. They will wear masks, offer copious amounts of hand santiser, and clean the place from top to bottom.
Vermilion is no different. It’s the first time I’ve visited – so I had no preconceived ideas, or in the case of my date, experiences of dining previously in a large party. To be honest, given the distance it is from where I live, it hadn’t even made it onto my radar.
And though this was a bit of an event, we were still kept separated, by a good distance. Our servers were still courteous but careful. In pre-coronial times, we’d have been meeting and greeting, hugging and saying hello to our fellow diners. Now it’s a wave hello from afar.
So, why were we there? Vermilion has updated it’s menu – they’ve brought in chef Bobby Geetha, to put his spin on the menu. The result is a fantastic blend of British and Asian, with unexpected twists, that entertained our tastebuds. And whilst I may have arrived a bit of a Vermilion virgin, I’m leaving with a keen intent to head back again soon. Let me take you through the whole thing.
We began, as you’d expect with poppadums and chutney. But we’re not talking plates of slightly stale, broken ‘dums, fiery chopped onion, and sweet mango chutney. We’re talking crisp poppadums, and crackers made with tapioca and rice, served with a mint and coriander chutney, cherry and ginger chutney, and crunchy pickled onions. I’ve long been a fan of mint and coriander chutney, but the cherry and ginger was a bit of a revelation. Sweet, sour, with a hint of fire from the ginger, it’s delightful and of course meant that despite the fact that we’d seen the vastness of the menu ahead, we overindulged.
I mean, it’s tradition, right?
Then came our appetiser. Crisp lotus chips, tempura kale, pink lady apple and pomegranate combined to create a rather addictive chaat. The dressing with mint, yogurt and tamarind added a fresh sourness, the allowed the sweetness of the apple and pomegranate to pop.
There then followed a series of small plates. Here the blends between the West and East really came to life. Like with the first of these, the charcoal samosa filled with edamame, and Black Bomb cheese. The cheese was warm and gooey, the beans and sweetcorn added texture and sweetness.
And the second too. Croquettas? Not quite, chicken tikka kofta. Buttery chicken and cheese, turned into a bon bon, crumbed and fried, and served with an aioli-like tikka sauce.
Onto the hand dived scallop with merguez sausage and cauliflower. The scallop and cauliflower added soft creamy sweetness, the lamb sausage from Morocco (to ensure it is halal) added richness and spice.
Then bao? Why yes. Our server, Kennedy assured us that these, served with a spiced scrambled egg are a street food common to Kerala. But I’m pretty certain theirs don’t contain the seafood sweetness of Cornish shrimps. Either way, I’m a complete convert.
Our final small plate was slow cooked lamb riblets with a mint raita. Soft and tender, melt in the mouth lamb, with a rich anise spiced sauce, and mint yogurt to freshen that richness.
We were, by this point, feeling somewhat stuffed, but we ploughed on. We had three mains to sample, before dessert. And we are nothing if not professional when it comes to eating. Onward.
If you’re northern, this is going to look familiar. A Lancashire hotpot – bubbling and hot. This time filled with a tender kid goat mince, gently spiced, served with naan and paratha for dunking. This I am going to have to recreate at home, because it was absolutely stunning. And yes I can also confirm dunking naan in this is also a winner.
Our second main was a duck biriyani served with duck egg and a beetroot raita. The beetroot adds a soft, earthy sweetness to the raita, toning down the sharpness, which works so well with the richness of the duck. Every so often there was a bite of chilli walnut, that I can’t rave enough about. Even the raita alone is something that you could sit and happily enjoy with a naan or two.
Finally, for the fish lovers, a seabass fillet in a Keralan curry sauce. Lots of soft warm spice, creamy coconut, soft cherry tomato adding a little acidity, and crispy skin adding texture. Also works well with soft fluffy naan for dunking.
Finally, came dessert. And I was not sad that it was rather on the dinky side.
Masala chai kulfi ice lolly, black honeycomb made from local honey, and faloofa – sweet noodles with raspberry. The raspberry cut through the sweetness, the honeycomb added texture and the lolly? I may have wrangled the recipe for this cardamom laced ice from chef.
Overall? We absolutely loved it. The clever twists that added to dishes rather than being faddy, the flavours were warm, but not so spicy or or complex that they overwhelmed.
Before this visit, Vermilion might not have been on my radar as a suggestion for dinner with friends or family (or your bubble) but after this visit? It’s on mine, and it really should be on yours too.