Valentine’s Day meal at MJP restaurant, Cambridge Cookery School

---

On Valentine’s Day this year, Steve and I enjoyed a six-course tasting menu cooked by Michelin star chef Mark Poynton who has recently taken over the Cambridge Cookery School bistro on Friday and Saturday evenings with his MJP restaurant.  The Cambridge Cookery School was founded in 2008 by chef and food writer Tine Roche. In 2015 the Cambridge Cookery School premises expanded to include a café, restaurant, and wine bar, taking over the former headquarters of Rattee and Kett stonemasons, which was established in 1843 on Purbeck Road, Cambridge. For me, the premises held a special significance as my ex-husband had worked at Rattee and Kett for many years doing restoration work. It occurred to me when we were dining that we were probably sitting in what had probably been his workshop many years ago! The space is now home to a stylish neighbourhood bistro which is minimalist in style.

We started our six-course meal with a glass of fizz on arrival which was included in the Valentine’s Menu.

To start we enjoyed the Wild mushroom and truffle soup, and coffee jelly, which was served with bread and butter.

We felt that the fish course of Grilled plaice, pickled cucumber, brown shrimp and seaweed butter was rather lost when served in this large bowl for such a small portion!

This succulent meat course of Lamb rump, courgette and basil, and Anna potato with lamb jus was our favourite dish on the menu.

The Pink Champagne foam was a delightful palate cleanser!

I loved the dessert of Dark chocolate brownie and mousse, with rhubarb and ginger, which were excellent flavour combinations.

To conclude our meal we shared this selection of British cheese, onion chutney, and biscuits which we felt was rather on the small side of being satisfactory portion-wise.

The cost of the Valentine’s Day menu was £65.00 per person including a glass of fizz. The evening was a sell-out so it was a busy night for the staff, but it did make for a good atmosphere. The food was excellent as I had expected and the service was attentive and professional. My other gripe, (in addition to the portion size mentioned above which we overheard voiced by other diners), was that I arrived very hungry for my meal and we had to wait thirty minutes before the starter arrived. It would have been nice to have had some bread on the table while we were waiting but apart from that Mark Poynton at Cambridge Cookery are an ideal partnership and to be recommended for a fine dining style date night.

Wild mushroom and truffle soup, coffee jelly

For more information on future dining events check out mjprestaurant.com

MJP restaurant can be found at the Cambridge Cookery School, Purbeck Road in Cambridge

Valentines Day meal at Atithi, Cambridge

The previous week we dined at newly-opened Atithi Indian restaurant and were so impressed with the cuisine that we chose to return for our Valentines Day meal. Atithi offered a seven-course tasting menu with a vegetarian option from £35 per person. On arrival, guests were greeted with a glass of Prosecco which was a lovely welcome.

Atithi Indian restaurant is located on eclectic Mill Road in Cambridge which is a magnet for foodies

A single rose at each table was a nice touch for Valentines Day

To start we enjoyed the Amuse Bouche of Broccoli, honey cumin and ginger. As Steve commented it was incredible how much taste and flavour chef had packed into a small bite!

The second dish was Kale Chaat, which is deep-fried kale, spiced chickpeas, sweetened yoghurt and tamarind chutney. An unusual and delicious mix of taste and textures served cold.

My veggie third course of Beetroot Tikki was my favourite dish of the evening. Deep-fried beetroot, with lentil, ginger and smoked apple raita

Steve enjoyed his third course of Grilled Scallops with peppers and smoked aubergine mash

A refreshing Sorbet for the fourth course

For the fifth course, Steve’s next dish was Malai Tikka, chicken fillets with cream cheese, ginger and mace and my veggie dish of Stuffed Paneer, cottage cheese, pickled dried figs and five Indian spices.

The sixth course was the main dish on the taster menu and Steve relished his Railway Canteen Curry, a Lamb curry finished with classic South Indian spices and potatoes, and my dish of Baigan Bartha and Aloo Zeera – smoked aubergine mash with ginger and turmeric. Both were accompanied by pulao rice, garlic naan and daal.

And to finish this Valentines Day feast what could be nicer than Rose Kulfi with a strawberry dipped in chocolate!

Atithi

52 Mill Road

Cambridge

CB1 2AS

Tel: 01223 662102

http://www.atithi.co.uk

 

Atithi Cambridge for an Indian feast

Last week we enjoyed sampling the delicious food at Atithi, the new Indian restaurant on Mill Road in Cambridge which offers contemporary Indian cuisine with a sophisticated twist. (The premises were formerly known as Kebabish.) Cooked by Kamaladasan, the award winning Michelin star background head chef, I knew we were in for a treat as we know his food from Navadhanya and the The Tiffin Truck. Atithi features dawat sharing options, vegan and vegetarian menus, a 6-course tasting menu, a la carte and lunch at weekends. With the tandoor oven at the heart of the kitchen, the menu draws inspiration from flavours and techniques used from all over India using the only finest and fresh ingredients. In fact we enjoyed the food so much that Steve and I are returning this week for the special Valentines Day taster menu!

Two of our party chose this Butter Chicken Masala for our main course. It was a lot hotter and more spicy than I expected!

The Naan bread at Athithi is perfectly cooked

We started our feast with Poppadoms and chutney

Stuffed Paneer – Cottage cheese, pickled dried figs and five Indian spices

Beetroot Tikki – Deep fried spiced beetroot with lentil, ginger and smoked apple raita

Hariyali Scallops – Tandoori grilled scallops, curry leaf, pepper with smoked aubergine mash

Masala Fried fish – Grilled seabass, ginger, carom seeds, gram flour and chilli

This Awadhi Lamb Dum Biriyani was the star dish of our evening!

Diced lamb and rice cooked with pastry lid served with smoked apple raita

The Naan bread at Athithi is perfectly cooked

We shared a side dish of Kale Aloo – Potatoes with cumin, garlic and puréed kale

Two of our party chose this Butter Chicken Masala for our main course. It was a lot hotter and more spicy than I expected!

We sampled Gajar Ka Halwa – Home made heritage carrot fudge with mango kulfi for dessert

The taste and presentation of all the dishes was exceptional which is a hallmark of Kamaladasan’s fine dining style. The menu at Atithi is reasonably priced too and the service overseen by Manager Jose is very attentive. We drank a selection of bottled beers and wine from an interesting list. My only gripe is that they don’t serve any draught beers.

Atithi is a welcome addition to the vast range of eateries on Mill Road and I am more than happy to recommend it. By the way, Atithi is the Hindi word for guest which is the way we all felt we were treated!

ATITHI

52 MILL ROAD

CAMBRIDGE

CB1 2AS

Tel: 01223 662102

http://www.atithi.co.uk

 

An exotic Valentine’s Day feast at Navadhanya, Indian fine dining

This week Steve and I enjoyed a 7-course menu at the newly refurbished Navadhanya, Indian Fine Dining on Newmarket Rd, Cambridge. This specially designed menu was only available for Valentine’s Day on 14th February and the restaurant was full of couples enjoying an exotic and romantic dinner accompanied by a choice of Valentine’s Day Special Cocktails. On arrival, all the female guests were presented with a red rose which I thought was a nice gesture!

A final flourish – strawberry dipped in dark chocolate to share!

7th course – Strawberry mousse stuffed jamun with mirror glaze

Navadhanya is located on Newmarket Road, Cambridge

1st course – Deep fried spiced purple potatoes with ginger, cumin and lime leaf

2nd course – Dahi vada ground lentils served with thick yoghurt, tamarind and mint chutney accompanied by Santa Alegria wine, Chile

3rd course – Monkfish, mustard and smoked aubergine mash, accompanied by Pinot Grigio Rosato wine, Italy

4th course – Rose apple sorbet, which was impressively served in a chilled bowl

5th course – Two ways tender chicken curry leaf and roasted red pepper served with an Indian pancake, accompanied by Chenin Blanc wine, India. (This was Steve’s favourite wine as it perfectly complemented the dish)

6th course – Lamb Ossobucco finished with classic Rajasthani, served with yellow dal Gulab. saffron pulao rice and spinach roti, accompanied by Santa Alvara wine, Chile     

7th course – Strawberry mousse stuffed jamun with mirror glaze accompanied by Moscato wine, Italy

The final flourish – a strawberry dipped in dark chocolate to share!

7th course – Strawberry mousse stuffed jamun with mirror glaze

4th course – Rose apple sorbet, which was served in a chilled bowl

It was a pleasure for us to return to dine at Navadhanya with it’s friendly and courteous service and the food is always of exceptional quality, so very deservedly it’s now listed in the 2018 Michelin Guide. Head chef Kamaladasan with his trademark style creates authentic dishes with a unique twist and he excels at artistic presentation. If you like Indian food this restaurant is perfect for a special occasion and comes highly recommended.

Navadhanya, Indian Fine Dining  

73 Newmarket Road

Cambridge

CB5 8EG

 Tel: 01223 300583

email: info@navadhanya.co.uk

http://www.navadhanya.co.uk