During our stay at The George Hotel in Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight, we had a wonderful meal at Isla's. There wasn't a tasting menu available that evening- it was Di's birthday and Michelin Star Chef Robert Thompson created one!
Dianne Thompson (no relation to Chef Robert), the owner came over to say hello. She is a lovely lady who took on the hotel in March & is balancing her time between The George and her award winning restaurant in Aversham. An island resident for several years, she spends her weekends on the island and is looking forward to being there full time.
Here is our BVF pictorial tour of the evening.
Tattinger champagne by the glass.
We enjoyed canapés as the drinks were served. Parmesan truffle gougère and sourdough crisp with artichoke.
There was no salt & pepper on the table, the chef was confident we wouldn't need to season!
We had a selection of breads to select from and enjoyed the seaweed rolls.
The bread was served warm and two types of butter were presented on cold stones.
Appetizer presentation- mushroom mousse and the darling gelatin added a pop of flavour. The shiitake mushrooms at the bottom left a nice after taste. Perfect mixture of flavours!!
First course- a nicely size scallop cooked to perfection. Served on a warmed plate, great presentation!!
Second course- Brioche with a pork terrine. The sweetness of the brioche complimented this course. It was also served with a shredded fennel- a bit like a coleslaw. But the flavour combination created a smoky trio of pork & applesauce.
Third course- Langoustine with a chicken wing. The Plate colour complimented the dish. Although the flavour combination was a bit bland, the langoustine was cooked to perfection and the chicken wing added a nice flavour accompaniment.
Fourth course- Monkfish, spicy lentil purée, and foam. The spicy lentil left a curried aftertaste.
Meanwhile, the service turned to a slower pace and it took about 10 minutes to clear our plates. With 14 covers in the restaurant it seemed reasonable to expect a speedier service.
During this time we had another visit from the owner! She's delightful, very bubbly and makes you feel welcome. Her charisma and charm added to the enjoyable evening.
Fifth course- Deer. It was a delicious gamey meal that would be ideal for a traditional gentleman palate.
Pre-dessert Mango Apèritife- Beautiful presentation! Fresh, creamy and slightly citrus- we anticipated a sorbet, but it was more like a mango mousse. It was nice, but not as refreshing as something without the cream content.
Sixth Course- Duo of pistachio ice cream and french macaron, with a garnish of freeze dried cherries. The pistachio complimented the cherry nicely. The cherries were tart and the pistachio sweetness created a sweet and sour party for our tastebuds. Great grand finale!!!
Chef Robert even gave us signed menus! During our research we came across an article published in the Isle on Wight:
"Mr Thompson shot to fame in 2006 when he became Britain’s youngest chef to win a Michelin Star at the age of 23. Since then he has had a trail of successes, most recently being credited with transforming The Hambrough Restaurant, also on the Isle of Wight."
What an honour to have tasted this young talented chef's creations!!
Overall, we had a delightful experience and a good travel lesson was learned at the same time! We should have asked what the price for the tasting menu would be, the evening cost £250. The cost was more than we anticipated, great lesson and the importance of communicating is important at home and when away!!
We hope you have the time to visit The George and dine at Isla's. We wish Dianne and Chef Robert all the best in their endeavors.
Cheers!!
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