The Review - FOOD AND DRINK Published: 13 March 2008
Oliver Rowe and Luke Matthews fronting the open kitchen at Konstam at the Prince Albert
Ingredients from the Tube
Don Ryan samples Oliver Rowe’s menu of products sourced from within the Underground network area
Two years ago youthful chef Oliver Rowe created a stir when he opened gastro pub Konstam at the Prince Albert.
He vowed to source as much seasonal produce as possible from within and around the London Tube network area. A TV crew filmed his efforts for a 10-part BBC series, the Urban Chef, and restaurant critics flocked to try the menu.
Positive reviewers noted honey from Tower Bridge, chickens and pigeons that hailed from Waltham Abbey and pork and lamb raised in Amersham.
Last week I dined at Konstam, courtesy of a press invite extended to several papers.
The dishes served are imaginative and strong-tasting. My choice of main course, lamb, served with a caper sauce, accompanied by big fluffy globules of barley and shards of spinach, is typical. The spinach is blanched, then quickly cooked to order in a pan with browned garlic. The dish, particularly the spinach, oozes flavour.
Starters include beetroot soup – big in Poland – and seared Amersham pigeon breast with grilled leeks and juniper sauce.
Of the six main courses only one is vegetarian, roast winter vegetable casserole with herb dumplings and Crockhamdale (an English hard cheese made from sheep’s milk that has a sharp, slightly spicy finish).
Desserts are equally imaginative. I tried two: clove ice cream and marmalade pudding. I love marmalade and it coupled well with the moist, crumbly sponge. The marmalade is made from Seville oranges and is produced on the premises. Most products are sourced from as close to base as possible.
There are no New World wines – western Europe dominates. France supplies two of the white wines (a Viognier, £4.25/£15.50 is their cheapest white) and England three – out of a total of eight. The situation is similar with the red, rosé and sparkling wines. Sussex winemakers Denbies produce the house red. Greenwich Beer and Somerset cider are also available.
Coffee is served but frowned upon; tea, grown in Cornwall, is the prefered option. You can expect to pay at least £25 per head for your three courses, before drinks.
On the plus side, this eatery is run by professional well-trained staff. Oliver Rowe is usually on hand, often preparing and cooking the dishes.
The atmosphere is extremely relaxed and welcoming. The kitchen is out in the open, where a pub bar would be, adding to the overall impression of friendly informality.
This is not a place for diners who like to be in control. The menu is often a guide, not a guarantee. With many of the suppliers being small-scale producers, items can run out quickly, forcing changes to the menu.
Nonetheless, it was reassuring to contemplate that the person in charge was the owner and that he had a direct relationship with the people producing many of the ingredients.
• Konstam at the Prince Albert, 2 Action Street, WC1. 020 7833 5040. www.konstam.co.uk/
DON RYAN
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