J'AIME March 2018

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F O O D & D R I N K Stylish eats THERE’S AN ITALIAN FEEL TO SELFRIDGES’ TOP FLOOR, WHERE FUMO OFFERS DELICIOUS SMALL SHARING PLATES AND SERIOUSLY GOOD COCKTAILS, AS AMY NORBURY DISCOVERED Nestled away on the top floor of Selfridges in the iconic Bullring, Fumo oozes style. And it’s no wonder; after all, with Stella McCartney handbags and Jimmy Choo shoes as far as the eye can see, this destination is all about the glamour. The £1m eatery, which opened in October, is the third San Carlo group collaboration with Selfridges, following San Carlo Bottega and Gran Cafe, both in the Manchester store. Birmingham’s very own San Carlo Gran Cafe - a more relaxed patisserie, ice cream parlour and cafe - also opened up on Selfridges’ first floor just before Christmas, becoming the group’s fourth venue in its home city. After enjoying a whistle-stop tour of the Fumo menu at the restaurant’s launch, we were delighted to be invited back to sample the latest offerings. The restaurant is beautifully designed, making the most of its location which offers views into the heart of the Bullring. From the marble-topped tables to the stunning statement lighting, it all screams luxury. At the heart of the restaurant is an impressive bar, a striking design feature in itself, which specialises in cocktails and Champagne. From classics with a twist to in-house creations, there’s plenty here to tickle the taste buds of any discerning drinker. We were shown to our table and offered the menus to peruse; the drinks menu is designed to look like a high fashion magazine, perfectly playing on the restaurant’s stylish location. I opted for a Pret a Porter, £9.95, a combination of lychee liqueur, strawberry puree and rose Champagne which was just heavenly, while my dining companion a classic Rossini, £8.90, with prosecco and strawberry puree, which was also rather delicious. The menu is based around chiccetti - Italian small plates designed for sharing, rather like tapas. It’s a concept we were immediately on board with - after all, small dishes means more to try. The menu advises that you should opt for five to six plates between two, but it was still a job narrowing down the delicious-sounding 30
options so we asked our charming waiter Ignacio for his advice. To get a feel for Fumo’s culinary credentials we wanted a good balance of dishes, and could have easily been tempted into ordering considerably more than we eventually decided on. There’s so much choice, with everything from pizza, pasta and risotto to Italian street food and beautiful seafood, and a specials menu adds a whole host more seasonal treats. The tuna tartare, £8.15, was our first pick, along with the gamberoni, or fried Sicilian prawns, £8.15. The tuna, which was mixed with olive oil, French mustard, lemon juice and rocket, was a beautifully fresh mouthful, really bursting with flavour, and definitely something I’d order again. The prawns, which were breadcrumbed and deep-fried, were huge, wonderfully sweet and juicy. We were trying to decide on a pasta or risotto dish when Ignacio pointed out one of the specials, a king prawn and saffron risotto which sounded delicious. He also suggested the beef tagliata, £10.95, grilled fillet steak marinated in chilli and garlic, topped with parmesan and rocket, plus the zucchini fritte, £3.20. The risotto was perfectly cooked and jam-packed with sizeable prawns, which were sweet and succulent. The saffron gave a delicate sweet note and a vibrant colour, and the portion was also ample to give both of us a decent plateful. By contrast, the beautifully rare steak had a lovely chargrilled flavour - exactly what you look for in a good steak, while the chillies were piquant rather than overwhelmingly hot, adding just a nice touch of warmth. The courgette fries were perfectly seasoned and a fantastic complement to the steak. With the savoury dishes done, it was time to go back to the cocktail menu before dessert. My Italian Punch, £9.95 - again recommended by Ignacio - combined two types of gin with yuzu juice, blackberries and elderflower tonic to mouth-watering effect. The sour citrus notes of the yuzu juice and the sweet blackberries created a well-balanced and refreshing long drink. But it was the Gin Twist, £9.95, which was the standout of the meal. This concoction of Martin Miller’s gin, Lillet Blanc, fresh celery and ginger served in a stylish cocktail coupe was a glorious sip, quite unlike anything I’ve ever had before but something I can’t wait to try again. When it came to dessert, we took advantage of the sharing plate option, £10.95, which promised a selection of tasty treats perfect for two. Picture perfect cubes of tiramisu, cheesecake, chocolate and hazelnut torte, pistachio mousse and millefoglie - an Italian version of a vanilla custard slice - plus a helping of gelato were as tasty as they were pretty. We finished the meal the Italian way, with a suitably strong espresso, and with minor regrets that we’d restrained ourselves with the number of dishes we’d sampled. There was the lobster ravioli, and the ragufilled arancini, and what about the pizzas we didn’t get to try? Which only means one thing - a return visit is surely on the cards. After all, those Gin Twists are calling. 31
Page 1: M A R C H 2 0 1 8 Y O U R L O C A L
Page 4 and 5: CONTENTS InsideJ’aime this month.
Page 6 and 7: FEATURE C oncrete designs LICHFIELD
Page 8 and 9: time job any more. “We’ve made
Page 10 and 11: outside with the copper and it’s
Page 12: PROPERTY Property of the Month WE T
Page 15 and 16: B E S P O K E S O F A M A N U F A C
Page 17 and 18: WOODEN TABLE, £30; WOVEN PATTERN D
Page 19 and 20: BLACKBROOK INTERIORS We are a famil
Page 21 and 22: MARBLED FLOW WALLPAPER IN INK, £75
Page 23 and 24: アパート夀䔀䄀刀匀
Page 25 and 26: £36 £318 ELEMIS SLEEP CANDLE, WWW
Page 27 and 28: Mason Flooring Specialists In Woode
Page 29: P R E N T I C E F U R N I T U R E T
Page 33 and 34: ...... ...... .....................
Page 35 and 36: Proud to be a family run business f
Page 38 and 39: F O O D & D R I N K Dan sprouts up
Page 40 and 41: What’s the idea behind the Sprout
Page 42 and 43: T R AV E L Splendid Sri Lanka SAMUE
Page 44 and 45: when the British ruled pre-1948!
Page 46 and 47: F E AT U R E Feel the music A BRAND
Page 48 and 49: from golden oldies, newsies and eve
Page 50 and 51: LO CA L A R E A What’s On Local Y
Page 52 and 53: WHAT: The Full Monty WHERE: Sutton
Page 54 and 55: LO CA L A R E A What’s Competitio
Page 56 and 57: FA S H I O N Return of the mac AS T
Page 58 and 59: FA S H I O N Go long for contempora
Page 60 and 61: C ontemporary elegance Going to a w
Page 62 and 63: B E AU T Y More than skin deep SALL
Page 64 and 65: I N T H E N E W S Birmingham to wel
Page 66 and 67: WARM-UP: Plank hold 3 x 1 min Glute

J'AIME March 2018

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