Wednesday 4 February 2015

Food Review: Bun and Bowl Valentine's Day Tasting Menu


Bun and Bowl is known as a restaurant that serves burgers and prawns (aka shrimp). However, for Valentine's Day the chefs are pulling out all the stops and have created an imaginative menu that is far beyond what you might expect.

I was invited along to The Cube along with a group of brummie bloggers to try out this special menu ahead of the big day and share the experience with you.


Right next to Madelines, Bun and Bowl is a glass fronted brick backed restaurant on the roadside level of The Cube. We were greeted and seated on a romantic table for around a dozen ladies (and one gent) and were offered cocktails from the menu. Sadly I had to go for a non alcoholic option but my cranberry, raspberry and passionfruit mocktail was delish.

The Valentine's Day menu itself offers loved up diners a choice of entrees, two mains and two dessert. For the tasting menu we tried a selection of dishes that will be available on the day.


First up, a very Michelin-esque shotglass of mushroom capuccino with a soy foam served with a salmon and avocado crostini. The presentation of this dish was fantastic and showcased a light touch. The mushroom and soy foam shotglass was warm and the earthy mushroom was balanced by the plain soy topping, whilst the smoked salmon and avocado crostini or ballotine as it's called on the menu was finished off with dill and caviar. This also came on a gluten free piece of bread for me - winner!




Next up was the showstopper round. Red Champagne (champagne with a red fruit puree topped with a straberry) arrived next to a whole oyster in shell. As you can imagine, not everyone had eaten an oyster before and it is a decadent dish! Personally, I like them and the oyster tasted salty and of lemon and vinegar. This simple method of seasoning the oyster worked well and showed off the freshness.



Our main was the rib eye beef burger with a black truffle mayonnaise, barbecue sauce and fries. The burger had a few suprises in store, mainly that it is served with foie gras! This was a very luxurious and unexpected touch. The burger itself was served on a gluten free brioche bun which was the best I have ever tasted, alongside tomato, lettuce and an onion confit glazed with port wine. The truffle sauce tasted of mustard as the delicate flavour of truffle can easily be overpowered, but was delicious nonetheless.


Finally, it was time for our relatively healthy dessert of strawberries with a foam cacao and mint gratin. My favourite part of this dish was the marshmallow foam, yum!

All of this was accompanied by music from Rebecca, who serenaded us with specially selected pieces of music on her violin, chosen to accompany the meal.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with the imagination demonstrated in creating and executing the menu. Although Bun and Bowl is a deluze Burger and Shrimp restaurant, the chefs are clearly capable of creating and cooking meals which have been influenced by some of the best in the world. The exotic touches of oyster and smoked salmon made this a very luxurious menu and a suitable romantic treat for Valentine's Day.

Happy Valentine's Day ladies and gents! How will you be celebrating V Day?

The Valentine's Menu costs £30 and includes a starter, main and dessert. The full menu is below:


A glass of red fruit champagne 
With a small cover charge on the table, you will receive 
an assortment of breads, accompanied by Noisette butter and olive tapenade.

  Entrees 
A selection of hot and cold Amuse-Bouche  

Surprises of a passionate heart
A mushroom Cappuccino with hot soy milk and avocado ballotine, smoked salmon and clotted cream.  Birth of AphroditeOctopus tentacles confit with a sea vegetables on a citrus foam. 

A pearl for my love     

(An "Oyster wound and its edible pearl")Fresh Oysters on a ´bed of pearls´ with white bisque of lobster and champagne. 
Garden of Eden (V)
Mini aromatic vegetables served with leaf buds and herbs on a natural carrot and celery Jus foam.  
For a flavours diversion try our 

Granitte forest fruits(A red fruit Sorbet with a touch of champagne)  

Main courses 
Rack of lamb with the colour of love
Rack of Lamb, potato frites, carrot and orange puree and jus  

Bun & Burger Bowl A la Rossine
Our Classic Beef burger, recreated with truffle dressing and served with homemade fries. (Beef burger with onion confit glazed with a port wine and fois gras scallop, fresh potato fries and truffle dressing) 

Desserts  
Strawberry delights with crunchy chocolate
Lemon jus with thyme, strawberries with a touch of spice, foam cacao and mint gratin
Chocolate DE lice’ 
Cream chocolate praline served with a blackberry and caramel ice cream drizzled with a reduction of orange and honey sauce.



Thank you to Bun and Bowl for having me, tt was lovely to meet so many great bloggers including Lenny from LennyLovesLife, Dr Roz from The Foodie Couple Blog, Emily from Good Girl Gone Brum, Sophie from Sophie Etc and Emma from EmmaVictoriaStokes; a big hello to you all!

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