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Dinner Detective: Obsidian
Dinner Detective6/ 1/2006
Unlike restaurant reviewers on some newspapers, the
Dinner Detective eats out incognito and always
pays for the meal. That way, the
Dinner Detective
always gets the same treatment as the readers.
IF you go to a restaurant in the week before Christmas and are
still impressed, it must surely be a good gauge of the venue's
quality.
Standards seem to go out of the window in most restaurants during
December, with managers seemingly intent on packing as many punters
as possible onto tables, throwing some mass-produced meals at them,
and sending them on their way as quickly as possible.
However, I left Obsidian thinking if I hadn't caught the place at
its best, I wouldn't have minded seeing what its best would be
like.
That said, as our bill eventually turned out to be in three
figures, I could understand why many bosses would not be generous
enough to choose it as an office party venue.
The restaurant's interior was enough to make me think I'd suddenly
been transported to Manhattan, and I was beginning to worry that I
was slightly underdressed in my shabby straight-from-work
threads.
But the staff were as friendly and down-to-earth as they were
attentive when they showed us from the funky-looking bar to our
table.
We were slightly surprised to be handed two shot glasses full of
some soup-like liquid we were told was cream of carrot and suede,
but found this tasted far better than it sounded.
While I went for the delicious summer broth soup (£5.50), my
companion opted for the roasted hand-dived scallops with ginger and
soy braised pork and steamed lettuce (£9.50) - a little too rich, I
was told, but the rest of the meal more than made up for it.
This was followed by a twice-baked Lancashire cheese soufflé, with
roasted wild onions, warm tomato salad, and basil oil (£11).
There were certainly no complaints as I tucked into this, and
while the restaurant is partly-owned by Sir Cliff Richard, who
reputedly attributes his Peter Pan looks to eating very small
meals, I was glad to see the kitchen staff did not follow this
policy.
My companion had the Blenheim Estate beef (£23.50) which I was
informed was a work of art. But the crowning glory of the meal was
the dessert.
Although completely stuffed by this point, I was determined to
discover what an Eccles cake or a Manchester tart worth £5.50
tasted like. I found out, and Greggs it certainly was not.
Taken from the a la carte menu, served 12noon-2.30pm and
8-10.30pm.
Starters
Cheapest: Summer vegetable broth (£5.50). Most
expensive: Roast hand-dived scallops (£9.50)
Main courses
Cheapest: Twice baked Lancashire cheese soufflé
(£11)
Most expensive: Fillet of Blenheim Estate beef (£23.50)
Desserts: Various, all £5.50.
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