Kitchen W8
For this stretch of my Masters project, I'm staying close to Olympia Station, which means I'm but a stone's throw away from Kitchen W8, Kensington's neighbourhood Michelin-starred restaurant.
As I peruse the menus on offer, I notice that they have a set lunch menu priced at £29.50 for three courses. That's an incredible deal - I don't know of any other Michelin-starred restaurants in any of the major UK cities that offer a prix fixe menu for that price. What's the catch?
I am delighted to say that there isn't one. The food I received was well-prepared and delicious, making this the best deal I know of. But I get ahead of myself. Let's dial it back.
Kitchen W8 has a relaxed yet refined atmosphere, with white tablecloth, white plating, white cloth napkins, and pale (some might say, white) decor. The Dining area is airy, and though they are able to seat a number of diners, feels suitably private. The service was attentive but not intrusive, and I noted how much the wait staff openly conversed as they ran orders from diners to kitchen, and kept things ticking over. There was a real energy on my visit, and I felt that that was also reflected in the food.
To start, I had a salad of summer vegetables, pickled onions, ewe's curd, and basil. This was the most delicious salad I've yet to eat. The salsa of vegetables worked wonderfully with the creamy ewe's curd and sweetness of the onions, while the basil gave a nice aromatic component to slightly offset the sweetness. I will long remember this dish.
Next, I had the caramelised parmesan gnocchi, white asparagus, girolles, charred sweetcorn and broad beans. The gnocchi was tender and flavourful, the girolles (as ever) a great complement, but the true star of the show was the ever so tender, fibrous white asparagus. The only criticism I really have of the meal comes via the charred sweetcorn. It didn't really serve a purpose, other than to fill out the plate and the colour palette. Still, a delightful main course.
To finish, I had the warm almond financier with honey and chamomile, adorned with poached apricots and a vanilla ice cream. The financier was light and moist, the apricots soothing and the vanilla ice cream an effective bind to all components. A simple but very well-executed dessert.
I was very pleasantly surprised with the quality of the food on offer for this very low price point, and so will most certainly be back for another visit, to try out the more expanded menu.
Value for money? Yes, but with caveats: The set menu is £29.50 for three courses. It being set, you don't get a choice in what you eat. If you don't mind this, then it is absolutely worth the money. If, however, you are a fussy eater (that most awful of things in life), you will have to choose from the a la carte, which has an altogether higher price point. For instance, the parmesan gnocchi I had for my main is £26.25 on the a la carte at time of writing. Clearly, there is a discrepancy between the menus.
Would I return? Absolutely.
