Back
in October 2016, Bhoomi took the crown
for the Best Eating Out Establishment at the Taste of Gloucestershire awards. So, for my foodie research (I’m a life-long learner when it comes to food),
I was keen to find out what sets them apart from the many other amazing
restaurants we have here in the county.
Michael,
who opened the restaurant four years ago, booked us in for a tour of Bhoomi one
Saturday lunch-time, by allowing us to eat our way through their five course
tasting menu with the accompanying wine flight (argh, why did I have to be pregnant
on this particular day?!).
We
walked to Bhoomi as it’s located
in The Suffolks surrounded by lots of fabulous shops, bars and restaurants and
perused the menu in the bar whilst we supped on our drinks. Kingsley had a
spiced gin served with a garnish of coriander and chilli and we all got talking
about, well, food of course. Here, the menu is inspired by South Indian cookery,
but using the very best local ingredients.
We
were shown to our table (and noticed a rather sumptuous private dining room on
the way which you can hire at no extra cost). I love a good interior and this
restaurant really is rather swanky with plush, velvet seating in jewel colours.
No doubt about it, this is the perfect setting for a fine dining experience.
The
food…the five course tasting menu comes at a cost of £45 per person and is worth
every penny. The menu changes with the seasons so you can keep returning and be
sure of a different experience throughout the year. Each course can be paired
with a wine for an additional £35 per person which does mean digging a little
deeper, but for £80 you have a very special evening lined up indeed.
Dahi
Chana Chaat is a traditional Indian street food which was served to us in mini
Kilner jars as our amuse bouche. Now, amuse bouche literally means mouth amuser
and these few spoonfuls of yoghurt, chickpeas, tamarind, pomegranate and
coriander certainly did that. I have already been searching for a recipe on
Google so we can make this at home.
I won’t
talk you through every course, as the pictures themselves sum up the whole
thing pretty well, but I will pick out a few highlights…
Kala
means salmon, and this was our first course: Scottish salmon which is marinated
and roasted in the tandoor giving it a tender flesh with slightly charred edges
served with chilli mango chutney and crispy onions. I’m not a salmon eater, but
if every bit of salmon tasted like this, I’d be hooked on the stuff! Kingsley,
take note, if you learn to cook like this, you can have more salmon at home.
Daniel,
our waiter, talked us through each of the courses and the accompanying wines –
this is his passion. He was so knowledgeable and it was a pleasure to be served
by him and to hear how each of the wines complements the dishes.
Whenever
I’ve had Butter Chicken in the past, it’s been at your typical curry house
where the meat has been swimming in a sauce with way too much fat, but here it
was a different story altogether. Their Cotswold chicken breast had been roasted
in the tandoor and served in a rich tomato and creamy sauce. My knife glided
through the chicken, which itself was just like butter and although a mild
dish, the subtle spicing crept up on you. Served with a vegetable tikki, which
is like a patty, this provided a crunchy texture to sit alongside the butter-like
chicken. A rich wine was needed to complement the strong flavours, so a crisp
Chardonnay it was. Oh and by the way, the naan bread which accompanies this,
blows any other naan bread out the water, as did their parotta bread which was
served with the Kerala Lamb. Oh. My. God.
And
then we have the dessert which was a piece of art worthy of Instagram. You’ll
have had a samosa before, most likely filled with meat and vegetables, but you’ve
probably never had one filled with chocolate – gooey chocolate at that. The
chocolate samosa is served with a Muscat with notes of apricot, orange, vanilla
and lots of honey, but no acidity, just plenty of sweetness to sip alongside
the dessert. This all tasted as good as it looked and I loved the addition of
cardamom in with the chocolate for some more traditional Indian flavours. A
perfect end to a more than perfect meal.
I was
hoping to find out what sets this place apart and I came away with a smile
which stayed on my face for days, a tummy full of deliciously tender meat,
Indian spices and flavours and memories of an extremely well put-together menu which
was served to us by the most passionate
and knowledgeable staff in gorgeous surroundings. What more can a girl what? I’ll
tell you…I want the money to be able to return here on a weekly basis for a
feast of fine food and drink! But for now, perhaps every quarter will have to
do.
Have
you been to Bhoomi yet? And have you tried their tasting menu?
Oh yum! Definitely gone onto my must eat at list
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