J'AIME APRIL 2020

A platter of freshly baked sourdough with beef
dripping and beef vinaigrette served to whet our
appetites nicely for what was to follow. And the first
course proper was certainly a treat.
A silky smooth Jerusalem artichoke veloute with a
nice textural contrast from confit artichokes and
a slightly sweet, smoky hint from a scattering of
onion ash was a beautifully balanced and extremely
moreish dish; to be honest, I could have eaten a large
bowlful and still gone back for more.
It was followed by a rather lovely selection of fresh
and flavoursome heritage tomatoes, ribbons of
courgette and a little tempura, finished with a rich
baba ganoush - a real celebration of the intense
flavours you can get in a vegetarian dish.
Perhaps surprisingly for a chef heavily influenced
by the tastes and spices of his African heritage, the
menu was full of classic combinations. And the confit
salmon with cucumber and a buttermilk and dill
sauce which came next exemplified classic cooking.
The salmon was perfectly done, a thick, succulent
piece treated with the utmost care, a little sushi-esque
salmon and cucumber roll and a charred cucumber
bringing wonderful depth to the dish, alongside that
luscious sauce. As a fish lover, it was a heavenly little
plate.
Chef Exose continued to hit the heights with his final
savoury offering. A slice of poached chicken breast
which was quite possibly the most moist, tender
chicken I’ve ever had, a crispy chicken bonbon,
baby leeks and hen of the woods mushrooms, with
an unctuous sauce packed with umami goodness.
If was, once again, careful consideration of simple
ingredients to create something memorable.
And finally. Finally, we reached the dish everyone
had been waiting for. As one of the later tables to
dine, we’d heard rumours of a bonbon described as
‘out of this world’. And when dessert arrived, it was
certainly worth the wait.
The smooth, rich parfait was luscious with a slight
tang, the flavour of strawberry busting through
every mouthful on the plate. And then, there was
the bonbon. An edible take on a strawberry daiquiri,
it was filled with a delicious rum and strawberry
concoction and coated with crisp meringue pieces
- best eaten in one go, lest you spill any of that
delectable filling. It was the thing which had guests
begging the kitchen for spares - one just wasn’t
enough.
At the end of the evening - and after a long day
of cooking for a packed dining room of eager
guests - Exose popped out of the
kitchen to chat to diners. Stopping
at each table in turn, he was full
of enthusiasm as he answered
questions and posed for selfies with
everyone who asked.
So what does the future have in
store for this prodigious talent? Will
we see an Exose restaurant any time
soon?
It is, he said, a dream to run his own
place but the ever-humble 22-yearold
believes he’s still got a lot left to
learn before he’s ready to take that
step.
On the strength of our evening with
Exose, I have the feeling that dreams
may come true much sooner than
he thinks.
19