My first meal in London after a long 12 hour flight with a 3 hour delay. It has been more than 5 years since I last came here. Scott's, just like J Sheekey, is an institution here in London. According to my somewhat hazy memory now, my last meal was very enjoyable. The food was cooked to perfection, and the ambiance was conducive to conversation. This was also the place that I had my first razor clams, only to find them so incomprehensibly tasty. Naturally, I must make my way back and see how it is now. Or just walk down memory lane. Naturally, I am very pleased when I find out that the restaurant is still around after all these years.
The interior decor is just like before. It is dimly lit with an old money poshness to it. Plush sofas and wall mirrors, both gilded in gold, are commonplace. Just as it was 5 years ago, there even is a gigantic fish sitting on a bed of ice acting as the centerpiece of the restaurant. Regrettably, no wine for me tonight as I am feeling very sleepy from the jetlag. That said, I do see a good variety and some very good value buys, especially the whites, based on a cursory look at the wine list. In particular, the Hubert Lamy St. Aubin 1er Cru's are only going at around 2x retails. Not bad.
It is late (almost 10 pm!) so I just want something light on the stomach. Naturally, I make my own tasting of shellfish.
Dublin Bay Prawns
Served on a bed of ice rocks are two langoustines, previously poached in vegetable stock. These are some fat scampi as even the claws have a fair amount of meat. The shellfish is served with freshly whipped mayonnaise on the side, which I find somewhat unnecessary as the shellfish itself is packed with flavor. The tails are poached to perfection - supple yet resilient to bite. The meat is succulent and I love the interplay between the shellfish brine and the snappy sweetness. This prawn, and in especially its tomalley, boasts such pure, oceanic flavors that are highlighted with a dab of acidity from the lemon. Cholesterol be damned.
I also appreciate the attention to details as I am served a finger bowl with a wheel of lemon in the water. Even the bowl itself is silver. This is a place that truly screams of capitalism and old money.
Say hi to Sebastian!
Shellfish Bisque - Cream and Cognac
Five years ago, this was the best shellfish bisque I had ever had in my life. Now, it still holds the crown.
The soup is served table side in a small, copper saucepan and poured gently into a deep bowl. The soup is piping hot - the fragrance heady, the concentration impressive, the texture silken, and the flavors comforting. The easily discernible flavor of the cognac duly highlights the freshness and salinity of the shells. With that much fragrance, coupled with the cream, the soup may sound heavy. The truth is it is anything but. The soup is of the perfect consistency, thick enough that it just coats the spoon, making it so much easier to drink big portions of this.
And the shellfish bits of prawns and crab? The pearlescent prawn pieces are snappy and are essentially little pockets of saline joy and textural surprise. This soup is so homey, so comforting, so rich yet so lilthe. It is the outstanding balance that makes this so incredible. Somehow, no one seems to be able to recreate this in New York. Hands down one of the best things I have ever eaten in my life.
Razor Clams - Broad Beans and Spice Sausage
Down descends a platter of diced razor clams served atop its shell, condiments and a pool of red oil. What the presentation lacks, the dish makes up for it in flavors and fragrance. In particular, the scents of fresh herbs and sausage are particularly present. I do not get the salinity in the diced clams, but I do get plenty of the noticeable sweetness, which is complemented duly by the spice of cayenne (?) and paprika. Plenty of Spanish influences on this dish. Texture wise, the shellfish pieces are mi cuit - snappy, a bit of chew but very yielding. The broad beans, along with the puree underneath, do add textural contrast and the refreshing sweetness of garden flavors. This dish is good, though I believe that it can improve with less oil and more seasoning.
Sauteed Monkfish Cheeks and Snails - Bacon and Bordelaise
Last dish is definitely not for the faint-hearted. A little plateau of fish cheeks and snails comes bathed in a bed of slick bordelaise, lardons and chopped scallions. The fish cheeks are a tad chewy, which is a good reminder of the texture of other parts of the "poor man's lobster". In fact, it pairs so well with the snails. Both of them are succulent and juicy. While the textures are similar, the two proteins cannot be more different when it comes to flavor. The cheeks are briny, while the snails are earthy. Together they go hand in hand in this rustic preparation.
Accompanying the plateau are two hunks of roasted bone marrow and a piece of heavily-buttered bread. There is so much butter that it practically glistens under the candlelight. This is where I start to have problems with the dish. It is just way too damn rich. While I love the flavors, I find it difficult to get past a couple bites before putting the fork down. And that is only just me eating the food inside the copper dish. I did not dare touch the baguette or the marrow. This combination, while tasty (I consumed it back in the hotel.), is guilt layered on cholesterol and accompanied by a healthy dose of low self-esteem and post-consumption remorse. Bulimics stay away from this.
And I thought that New England style seafood is heavy enough already, with its clam chowder and all.
This is a very tasty meal, even if it means me eating alone. Needless to say, with the monkfish cheeks and snails, my aim of having a light dinner vanishes. Nonetheless, I still see the same amount of high-level care and thought that go into each dish. The dishes may look pedestrian, rustic cooking. But the execution is precise and flawlessly technical. In particular, the shellfish bisque, with its liberal use of cognac, is by far the best I have had in the world. Maybe it is my memory of this special bowl of soup 5 years ago that makes it so great. But in either case, it duly lives up to the expectations I levied upon. And that consistency is what will draw me back to Scott's again when I go to London next time. (6/22/2017)