Greetings earthlings! It has been over 3 months since i came back from my UK-Europe trip during spring time. Every time i look back at our photos, i can't help but long to return for another wonderful experience. One of the more memorable moments during this trip was in Edinburgh, Scotland. Mr. J and i along with our friends in Glasgow, took a bus ride to the historical city for a one day trip. Laine booked us a table in an amazing 1-Michelin-starred and multiple award winning restaurant called The Kitchin for us to experience first hand, what's fine dining in The UK.
After a brief walk around the city, we found our way to The Kitchin for our lunch, which we already reserved prior to this. The location is not difficult to find, along the Commercial Street, only stone throw away from The Victoria Quay, across the small stream, right next to The Scottish Government building.
The Kitchin is the proud brainchild of Chef Tom Kitchin, which carries the philosophy of 'From Nature to Plate' and this is also the main concept for the restaurant.
Alright, let's begin with appetizer. I had the Scallop while the rest had the Pork dish. There were 3 scallops beautifully placed over a pile of sea salt, served with some fresh squid and garlic sauce. Our scallops were well cooked and the garlic sauce were incredible savoury, successfully complementing the natural sweetness from these seafood. The pork dish was something unique. A croquette is actually a breadcrumbed fried food, normally stuffed with mashed potato or grounded meat. In this case, the croquette was deconstructed, with grounded pork shin as the center, surrounded by a crispy ring that was not directly connected to the center. Best thing of this dish is definitely the leek and potato sauce that was rich and creamy.
Next up, our main courses. Each of us ordered different mains, so we got to taste every single items in the menu. I had the fish dish, which is European plaice, or flounder, while the rest had the Chicken and Ox dishes. My fish dish was seasoned minimally and the creamy sauce was good but not great. Addition of rhubarb was a little bit odd to me. Although it was executed beautifully, but it was not my favourite. On the other hand, the chicken breast was alright, great flavours and varied textures. Personal favourite has to be the ox dish. As weird as the dish sounded, the flavours were impeccable, with explosion of flavours, from spicy to sweet, from salty to savoury. Each of the item within was well thought and perfectly done.
Finally, we got our desserts. We had both of the Coffee and Rhubarb desserts. My coffee souffle looks incredible on the outside and tasted even better on the inside. The souffle has an excellent height to it, freshly baked from the oven. Its texture was warm, fluffy and airy, with intense coffee punch and chocolatey flavour from the ganache. Espresso ice-cream couldn't scream more AWESOME, with its incredibly strong espresso and creamy texture. Rhubarb is not a common ingredient in Malaysia. We seldom come across this food in any cuisines from home. Hence, when i tried out the rhubarb, i wasn't sure what to expect. The texture was soft and tasted sour, pairing with the sweet and rich vanilla cream, creating a perfect dessert. However, the rhubarb sorbet was too sour to our liking. Nevertheless, this dessert was still stunning and mind blowing.
Overall, The Kitchin offered us a wonderful and memorable dining experience with its delicate food presentation, freshest and organic ingredients, quality and cutting edge cooking style along with top notch service and ambiance. None of the fine dining restaurant back home can compete with Chef Kitchin's one of a kind dining concept. He wisely combined the French technique with his origin--Scottish spirit in his cooking, creating a colourful, vibrant and impeccable dining experience for guests. The Kitchin is definitely the place to be when you are in Edinburgh and craving for quality fine dining at an affordable price. I hope you enjoy today's write up and i can't wait to show you more!
After a brief walk around the city, we found our way to The Kitchin for our lunch, which we already reserved prior to this. The location is not difficult to find, along the Commercial Street, only stone throw away from The Victoria Quay, across the small stream, right next to The Scottish Government building.
The Kitchin is the proud brainchild of Chef Tom Kitchin, which carries the philosophy of 'From Nature to Plate' and this is also the main concept for the restaurant.
'From Nature to Plate' is a true reflection of Chef Tom Kitchin's passion for the finest, freshest Scottish seasonal produce and the cooking at the restaurant reflects Tom’s training under some of the world’s best chefs blended with his own Scottish heritage.
The Kitchin presents modern British cuisine influenced by French cooking techniques and an appreciation of the best quality ingredients available from Scotland's fantastic natural larder. The produce at The Kitchin arrives fresh daily thanks to a close team of selected suppliers who supply the restaurant with seasonal produce every day. All the meat and fish is bought in whole and all the butchering and filleting is done in-house daily.
~source from thekitchin.com
As we entered into the vicinity of The Kitchin, we were warmly welcomed by the front door staff. After handling our coats, we were escorted to our table, right in the center of the restaurant. The entire space of The Kitchin was designed in a way that is modern yet classic. The usage of unpolished wooden products in all corners together with sleek and sophisticated seating, colors and lighting successfully creates a warm and cozy dining space for customers to enjoy their fine dining moments. With these, Kitchin differs from the mainstream formal fine dining restaurants by bringing a touch of warmth, colors and new age experience. I especially love the open kitchen concept whereby the guests can observe the kitchen situation from the dining area and are able to appreciate the detailed work and effort that is put into creating the perfect meal on their table.
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| Food map, showing us the origin of ingredients used in The Kitchin. |
We were introduced by the waiter with their 3-courses set lunch menu that consists of an appetizer, a main course and a dessert. Our designated waiter patiently explain to us in details of all the items in the menu as well as the concept and creation behind. This menu is themed Spring, offering various ingredients that were in season, obtained from locals and beyond. This set lunch is priced at an affordable 29.50 pounds, but various upgrades were available, for instance, cheese platter and red wine.
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| Spring themed set lunch menu |
After placing our orders, we were served with bread sticks in 4 flavours and freshly made bread as light appetizers while waiting. These cute looking bread sticks were something new to us. They were paper thin like bread sticks, toasted to the perfect crisp with unique flavours such as parmesan cheese, squid ink and seaweed, rosemary and another one which i forgot, served with cream cheese. I especially love their seaweed bread stick, colored black with squid ink. The fluffy bread was served with house butter, tender and soft. Another pleasant surprise was the complimentary cold amuse bouche, which is made out of carrot pumpkin puree, with pickled carrot, radish and cucumber, topped with chives. This little one was refreshing and appetizing, inviting me for more of this delicious treat.
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| Bread Sticks served with cream cheese |
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| Freshly baked Bread served with house butter |
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| Complimentary cold Amuse Bouche Carrot and pumpkin puree topped with pickled carrot, radish and cucumber. |
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| Scallop Orkney queenie scallops served with a wild garlic butter and squid. |
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| Pork Clash Farm Pork shin croquette served with a leek and potato sauce and a fried hen's egg |
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| The inside of the master piece. |
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| Plaice Seared fillet of North Sea plaice served with a braised fennel, rhubarb and sea purslane |
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| Have a closer look |
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| Ox Inverurie ox tongue boudin served with braised ox tripe and red pepper |
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| Chicken Haulkerton Farm chicken breast served with Jerusalem artichoke potato risotto and confit leg |
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| Coffee Coffee souffle served with chocolate ganache and espresso ice cream |
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| Rhubarb Rhubarb jelly and set vanilla cream served with poached Tomlinson's Farm rhubarb and rhubarb sorbet. |
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| Look at this beauty |
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| Mr. J and i |
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| With the gentlemen |
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| Thanks Laine for the recommendation! |
More Information~
Website: http://thekitchin.com/
