TREASURE TROVE AT HEIRLOOM
Bex Davies discovers perfection on a plate in Crouch End
I had the good fortune of heading to Heirloom in Crouch End for a cheeky midweek date night with himself. We weren’t prepared for such a festival of plated inspiration. Our induction to the magic was making our entrance: you don’t walk in to Heirloom, you enter, through huge velvet curtains that enshroud the door. The lighting is darkly seductive, the interiors eclectic, shabby, period inspired.
Once seated, the charming Nathalie brought us water and the menu, which changes weekly. The choice was excellent without being over facing and the passion of the chef shouts from the carefully considered range of dishes.
We plumped for some delicious home-baked sourdough with a generous dollop of decent butter on the side (we can’t be doing with indecent butter) while we pondered the starters. Not for long – I was reeled in at speed by the grilled baby leeks with breaded crispy egg and aged cheese sauce. The broken heart of the perfectly cooked egg was an orange hue rarely seen and a sublime flavour completed my joy. The lightness of the leeks was beautifully complemented by the drizzle of the aged cheesiness. Himself stepped, feet first, into a plate of heavy but supreme cheese fritters – crunchy breadcrumbs with a cheesy wonder within but perhaps missing the option of a light coulis to dip on the side. Nevertheless, barely a crumb remained.
I’m a sparkly water cheap date but himself enjoyed a chilled Sauvignon Blanc from the well-stocked wine list.
The rib-eye steak, ordered medium/well was done to the requested perfection. The shallot beef gravy took you to a previously unknown carnivorous high. Large, translucent shallots within rich yet light light gravy… mouth-watering madness.
I opted for the crispy duck with pumpkin, braised barley and fennel. Wow. The duck had been cooked over the barley so all the flavours had infused the grains – genius.
Nothing could have prepared us for the side-dish-show-stealer – the charred king cabbage, mustard and crispy onion. A jaw-dropping (this is no exaggeration) fusion of food that had us almost forgetting our manners; ridiculously flavourful.
The vastness of the beef fat chips, though scrumptious, was a step too far for our puny appetites. If you’re ordering these, remember to be very hungry and prepare to share. Do make sure you order the ketchup and mayo, they are madly tasty and made from scratch on site.
We then dipped, gingerly, into dessert. I went a road too chocolatey on top of the richness of my duck but being a lover of the cocoa bean and all it offers, a valiant effort ensued. The milk ice cream and orange lightened the weight and I damn nearly finished it.
Captain Sensible chose wisely a lemon posset with rhubarb and freshly made shortbread rounds. I grabbed a teaspoon and dived in, uninvited. The soft, fluffy and easy freshness was topped with steamed rhubarb, and a cheeky crunch on the shortbread made that the dessert experience of the night.
At the end of the night we had the privilege of meeting the artist behind our evening, the talented chef and owner, Ian. His calm enthusiasm was communicated and learning that all his ingredients are fresh, free-range and organic was no surprise. Ian truly believes not just in experimenting and delivering glorious food but in providing customer service to match.
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