W
L
CASTLE TERRACE
by Carl Housbey
A few months ago, I was sat with Mrs GG and two friends enjoying
a bottle of wine whilst discussing the destination for our next foodie
trip. After a bit of deliberation, we all agreed that a trip to Edinburgh
was long overdue, and so it was decided that we would head up there
at the end of October, our friends would find somewhere for us all
to stay and they would leave it to me to find a table at a suitable
restaurant.
As you probably know Edinburgh has many great restaurants to choose
from, which meant that my task was either easy or hard depending
upon your point of view, but there was something about Castle Terrace
that particularly appealed to me, so I booked us a table for lunch. This
was meant to be a meal out with friends rather than an official Gastro
Grazer visit, so I hadn’t planned on writing an article, but our whole
experience was so enjoyable that I just couldn’t miss the opportunity.
Castle Terrace as its name suggests sits just below the historic
Edinburgh Castle, but unlike the castle the restaurant itself is light, airy
and welcoming, perfectly complementing the style of food produced by
Chef Patron Dominic Jack and his team which is modern, unfussy and
at times almost playful.
We started off in the lounge with a glass of Champagne and some
delicious canapés, one of which was made from goats cheese, apricot
and pork collar that had the appearance of a miniature bacon & egg,
and another liquid filled hemisphere which tasted exactly like a “Caesar
Salad” right down to the tiny shaving of parmesan on top.
Once seated at our table we began with an appetiser that looked like
a soft-boiled quails egg on toast, but which was actually a pannacotta
of Arbroath smoky with a yolk of mango puree, swiftly followed by a
Shetland salmon tartare that was served in the style of sushi with puffed
rice and sesame seeds topped by wasabi ice cream, accompanied by tiny
cubes of soy sauce and slivers of ginger. I am a big fan of sushi and
this did not disappoint with just a subtle hint of wasabi so as not to
overpower the exquisite salmon.
Next up to delight our palates was a seared Orkney scallop on a bed of
basmati rice served with a light curry sauce and a miniature naan on the
side. This was another dish that allowed the main ingredient of superbly
cooked scallop to shine through and showcased the skills of a Chef that
truly understands flavour combinations.
Yet more playfulness arrived in the form of a creamy chicken liver
parfait presented in the style of a full bunch of Muscat grapes that was
easily as good as the “Meat Fruit” made famous by Heston Blumenthal.
Followed by a mini cheeseburger which is nothing like you get in Maccy
D’s, this one is made from succulent barbecued and braised shoulder of
Ayrshire pork, with tomato ketchup jelly, and pickled turnip instead of
cheese all served in a sesame seed topped chickpea bun held together by
an edible cocktail stick of fried linguine.
The first of our two main courses was a beautifully firm fillet of North
Sea cod served with textures of parsnip, this was once again perfectly
cooked with a crispy skin and moist flesh that let the quality of the fish
speak for itself. Second was a rich creamy spelt risotto served with a
selection of mouth-wateringly tender Scottish beef which was a really
satisfying stick to your ribs kind of dish ideally suited to this time of
year.
Sadly, our amazing meal was almost at an end, but not before we had
managed to make a serious gap in the well-stocked cheese trolley (they
must have big mice in this part of Edinburgh) so it was just as well that
dessert was a wonderfully light cardamom and chocolate éclair as we
were absolutely stuffed by this stage. Every course had been absolutely
delicious, matched with excellent wines by the knowledgeable
Sommelier and served to us in a friendly yet professional manner by
the front of house team.
I would like to personally thank Chef Patron Dominic Jack for his
outstanding hospitality and highly recommend that you reserve a table
straight away to experience this first hand by clicking on
www.castleterracerestaurant.com or by telephone on 0131 229 1222.
Why not follow me on Twitter @carlhousbey to see what else I get up to.
46 wirrallife.com