This is certainly an unusual venue, the old LCC fire engine house at the side of Waterloo Station. There's a big spacious, hangar like room, with an assortment of super old domestic dining tables in various styles. In full view is the open plan kitchen where an enthusiastic team of incredibly young but able staff tackle a different menu every day. Depending on what's freshly available from their specialist suppliers, the chefs' daily brain-storming session results in a breathtaking variety of creative dishes, none of which ever costs more than ten quid each, with vegetables, naturally!
By no means all the dishes are exotica, though when I visited there were lamb's balls on the menu. I assumed this was a jokey description of meat balls made from minced lamb, so I passed. In fact they were genuine gonads, and all of them had been eaten by the young and vibrant clientele who thronged the place for lunch on a bleak Tuesday in late January.
We started with a crisp salad of dandelion leaves, rocket and frisée with crispy lardons and rough cut croutons fried in good goose grease. If there had been more lardons it would have got ten out of ten, instead of a still impressive eight and a half.
My friend then tucked into a generous portion of Choucroute Alsacien, with Toulouse sausage, a thick wedge of bacon and a good lump of preserved chicken, with hearty veggies accompanying it. The smokey flavours of the sausage and bacon were well matched by the pickled cabbage. He left me not even so much as a morsel to taste. I had the Brandade of Haddock, which was served with a few nicely cooked green beans and some toasted Bruschetta bread. The fresh, not smoked, haddock had a lovely flaky texture and the sauce was wondrously aromatic. The secret I discovered later, is slow roasted garlic, puréed then folded in. That way it avoids any hint of harshness that would disturb the more delicate flavours of the fish.
Sticky toffee pudding was off, no doubt already gorged by the devourers of the lambs' artefacts. But we enjoyed the chocolate gateau, served with a fruity coulis with slices of plum. Mighty strong coffee to put hairs on a fireman's chest rounded off an excellent lunch. Not wanting to sleep all afternoon, we had a glass each of the House White, a slighty flabby Vin de Pays du Gers for only Stg 2.00 a glass, or Stg 7.95 a bottle. The last time I dropped in for a drink, I had a perfectly fabulous glass of the newly released 1995 white from Three Choirs Vineyard in Gloucester. There was none left, which shows just how popular good English wine is becoming.
Well situated for those visiting the Old Vic Theatre, and all the cultural attractions of the South Bank, the Firestation is also attracting diners who come for the buzz, knowing that there will always be surprises in store. The young Chef Paul Bloxham is a prodigy, how can he know so much already? He's done stints at the Dorchester, the Cafe des Amis du Vin, Cafe Bohème as well as being a member of the winning British team in the World Banquetting Platter competition. In his spare time he visits restaurants. It's all such a contrast from those tired old traditional contintental restaurants whose proprietors and chefs have been there, seen it, done it but never wore the T-shirt.
Cost: Starters Stg 3.00 to Stg 5.00
Main courses Stg 7.00 to Stg 10.00
Puddings Stg 3.00
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