Chiswick Smokehouse No 'Hole In The Wall'
Asian flavours give exciting pep up to classics dishes, says Anne Flaherty
From celebrities to locals, everyone has been raving about Smokehouse, the second London venue from the Noble Inn stable.Though I've never been very keen on smoked food- the idea conjuring up racks of barbecue ribs flowing with sauce, I was curious to see what changes the new owners had made of the former and well-loved' Hole In The Wall' gastropub, tucked into a corner behind the Porsche garage. Would a menu based on barbecued meat be a bit repetitive I wondered?
Refurbished and relaunched about a year ago, Smokehouse has a whiskey room and a smokehouse, a large outside grill for barbecuing, and a meat ageing room. The menu is crafted by the UK’s top barbecue chef, Neil Rankin.
The interior didn't seen to have changed a good deal, it still retains the wooden tables and panelled walls of the pub with fireplaces still intact. We were shown to a table for four by the window, although it was a slightly chilly day, the bulk of the diners were outside in the shady patio and a gentle buzz of conversation wafted in through the open doors.
When people think of barbecued meat they think of it being served American-style with lots of sauce. That's not what Smokehouse is about. They concentrate on the smoking process, with the emphasis of the different flavours of the meat, so it's a more technical approach than just slapping it on the grill. They cook, roast, grill, barbeque and smoke using sustainably sourced English oak and source their ingredients from local suppliers and small wine farms.
An example of a menu ncludes Highland cow burger with Korean pulled pork, Short rib bourguignon, Smoked lamb shoulder, with polenta, raclette & sambal. Fish dishes includes Cornish hake, smoked mussels & bacon chowder and vegetarian options include Blackened pumpkin, tahini, flatbread & dill. The Sunday lunch menu does not include A La Carte offerings.
We settled down with a very good glass of English cuvee from Sussex and a beer, plus mineral water, and looked at the menu. Service was a little slow for the drinks but improved as the meal started. As it was Sunday lunch, several roasts were on offer and there was a children's selection of roasted meat.
First up for my husband was a starter of Somerset goat tacos with chipotle & green salsa. An unusual choice for a menu, the goat meat is slow roasted and shredded and comes served with corn tacos and the smoky sauce. I twice heard people misread the menu and order what they thought was was goats cheese salad. That shows how often goat meat is served in the area.
So how did it taste? For an animal with a reputation as coarse as a goat the flesh was marvellously tender, not overly smoked and set off perfectly by the tangy chilli salsa. The aftertaste lingered a little too long into the main course, but that is always a danger when you choose a spicy started ahead of a traditional roast. My chosen starter was potted shrimp in smoked butter. I think I would prefer slightly less butter and more shrimp- I couldn't define any smoked flavour at all.
I was keen to try the Roasted Rare Breed beef, as did my son and daughter. Husband opted for the Pork rib eye & smoked shoulder. Another tempting offering was a smoked Elwy Valley lamb shoulder, but that might be for another day. For non-meat eaters, there was a fish offering and and a blackened Butternut squash served with tahini and flatbread.
I was interested to see how Smokehouse pairs Asian flavours such as gochujang ( A Korean hot pepper paste) with the smoked meat. This is an attempt to complement the very big flavour of the smoked meat - plain veg and English gravies would feel anaemic but a bit of spice gives a ncessary kick. I'd be quite keen to try the Chopped brisket roll & gochujang or the salmon served with Thai salad.
Back to the main course - the pork, served both as rib eye and smoked shoulder, was tender and the flavour was perfectly balanced, cooked in a way that overcame the dining partner’s prejudice against pork as a rather bland dish.
Three of us had roast beef which was served cooked pink. It was a little more chewy than the pork. Nicely crisped roast potato with fluffy insides were the perfect match for kale, roasted carrot and parsnips, which were served in an attractive pile on the plate. The meat was accompanied by a very good gravy along with mustard and horseradish. All roasts are served with an enormous Yorkshire pudding. Portions are on the plentiful side, which should keep Chiswick carnivores happy. We drank a carafe of a fruity red Barolo, a perfect accompaniment.
WE had just returned from a family holiday and were still bleary-eyed. The roast was making us a little drowsy so it was time for something sweet to kick-start us. Smoked strawberries on a dessert menu, how could they pull that off I wondered?
A few seared berries were mixed in with fresh ones and served with cream cheese and almond praline- very moreish and not at all smoky. I had the rum and raisin rice pudding, while others opted for a white chocolate peanut cup. There was an intriguingly named 'double D' tart inspired by Double decker chocolate bars). There is also a cheese plate.
After the meal I popped out to see the smoking grill which was imported from America - it's tucked neatly into an area at the rear behind a wall and is surprisingly odour-free . The meats are lined up and slow-roasted in the oven for up to twelve hours to let the tender flavours come through. Slow cooking at its best.
Smokehouse is a welcome addition to Chiswick and I think a loyal clientele is slowly building up. Proper meat, properly served, what's not to like?
September 6, 2015